I was reading one of Erik's recent posts, and it occurred to me that a good thread would be for people to donate words of wisdom for newbies to look at about the things we learned on the trail.

Like Erik said, the lines that are close together on the topo map mean a harder climb.

Another one that comes to mind is a line from the book "Lord of the Rings" that says "short cuts make long delays."

But my favorite lesson that I wish to personally impart to the newcomer is this:

Generic batteries purchased at the 99 cent store will give out after only an hour or so.

Sounds like a good theme for a forum thread!

Here's another:

The closer to the cache the GPS says you are, the less you should be looking at your GPS.

~erik~

Always take the cache information sheet with you (in paper or PDA form). You never know when you'll want to refer to it (clue, coords check, cache type, etc.).

It's useful to mark as a waypoint where you parked the car. Other useful waypoints include (1) where you decided to leave the trail, and (2) where you found a place to cross the creek.

I just thought of another one that not many people talk about, but newbies spoon learn.

If you are moving at a good pace, the coordinates on your GPS are probably a few paces behind you.

As you approach a cache, use a stop and look method to let your GPS keep up with you.

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I just thought of another one that not many people talk about

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Along that line - let your next of kin know where you're going and give them contact info for another geocacher so they can look for you if you don't return.

It would be discouraging for people who later look for that same cache to find your remains instead.

Be sure to take a cell phone with a local geocacher's number programmed in (see these forums for "Geocaching 911" numbers) so you can call for help. This might avoid the other scenario described above.

~erik~

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Originally posted by ~erik~:

It would be discouraging for people who later look for that same cache to find your remains instead.

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Not to mention that that would really tick off the "Leave No Trace" people!

The only pearl of wisdom I can think of is to think like the hider when seeking a cache. If you're on a trail and your GPS is pointing 200 feet into the brush, keep going down the trail. Most likely it doubles back to get you closer. Most hiders, except the truely evil ones, don't bushwhack very far (if at all) when placing their caches.

See ya on the hunt!

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Originally posted by TinSparrow:
It's useful to mark as a waypoint where you parked the car. Other useful waypoints include (1) where you decided to leave the trail, and (2) where you found a place to cross the creek.

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How about marking the place where you FELL INTO the creek (not thinking of anyone in particular here), the place where you got the horrible case of poison ivy, the place where you dropped your Oakleys (Hi, Jason) or the place where you realized this hunt might not have been worth it!

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Scott Johnson (ScottJ)

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Originally posted by DaRebel:

Most hiders, except the truely evil ones, don't bushwhack very far (if at all) when placing their caches.

http://community.the-underdogs.org/smiley/happy/xmasplus.gif See ya on the hunt!

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Er .....Ahem .....Ummmmmm.
Let's not be pointing fingers now!... I feel bad enough that Erik is limping today.

Of all the geocaches I have hunted including sparc77's I have never whacked a single bush.

bush·whack
v. bush·whacked, bush·whack·ing, bush·whacks
To make one's way through thick woods by cutting away bushes and branches

Not really sure why geocachers tend to think bushwhack means just going off trail. A lot of the "fun" caches require going off trail.

So the helpful hint is you should never have to cut your way to the cache, the hider didn't so you shouldn't.

[This message was edited by AllenLacy on November 24, 2003 at 10:04 PM.]

Well, bushwhack can also mean to ambush. But, you get the idea. Keep on the trail as much as you can. Go off trail, bushwhack, as little as necessary.

See ya on the hunt!

I would have to second TinSparrow and ~erik~'s advice. Though a cell phone doesn't work well after you fall into said creek. My advice is to put your phone in a plastic bag in your pack! Would have saved me $200.

And always carry a compass when you cache.

Hi Scott!

It would have been even more handy to know WHERE I lost the oakleys so I could have marked a waypoint! I've also done the fall-in-the-creek thing, but I'm definitely not alone on that one.

I second Slay's advice of carrying a compass.

I notice a lot of people use hiking-sticks, too. I'm not one of them, but it's a thought.

One thing I learned shortly after first starting this addiction is not to overpack a pack but to pack appropriately. For non-urban caches, I always carry a first-aid kit, work gloves and water at a bare minimum and then add from there based on cache description, length of hike, terrain, etc.

I think when I try Gotcha!, I'll load up everything outdoorsy I own in my medium ALICE rucksack with frame that I use for rapelling; including rope, harnesses, 'biners, safety-8, and then throw in stuff I MIGHT need, such as a blow-torch, coleman stove, coffee pot, frypan, pound of bacon, sleeping bag, tent, umbrella, two D-cell flashlights, sams-club-size containers of AA and D batteries, satillite/GSM phone, emergency beacon, black box, laptop, wi-fi booster, pictures of next of kin, last will and testament, and, finally, an inflatable pink elephant.

I think when I try Gotcha!, I'll load up everything outdoorsy I own in my medium ALICE rucksack with frame that I use for rapelling; including rope, harnesses, 'biners, safety-8, and then throw in stuff I MIGHT need, such as a blow-torch, coleman stove, coffee pot, frypan, pound of bacon, sleeping bag, tent, umbrella, two D-cell flashlights, sams-club-size containers of AA and D batteries, satillite/GSM phone, emergency beacon, black box, laptop, wi-fi booster, pictures of next of kin, last will and testament, and, finally, an inflatable pink elephant.

I'm scared to try it now!


"Give to a pig when it grunts and a child when it cries, and you'll have a fine pig and a bad child." -Proverb

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Originally posted by trez003:
an inflatable pink elephant

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So does it look like this one?

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I notice a lot of people use hiking-sticks, too.

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I wouldn't be caught DEAD without my stick. It's probably the most important item up here in N Ga. If I could only choose one item to cache with (besides my GPS), it would be my stick.
Up here the cell is mostly useless, but I still bring it along. And on those LONG hikes, there's usually a 'backdoor'. (I ain't mentioning hiders' names, tho)

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The closer to the cache the GPS says you are, the less you should be looking at your GPS.

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Right on the money with this gem!!!

"Give to a pig when it grunts and a child when it cries, and you'll have a fine pig and a bad child." -Proverb

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Originally posted by phat.bak:
I wouldn't be caught DEAD without my stick. It's probably the most important item up here in N Ga. If I could only choose one item to cache with (besides my GPS), it would be my stick.

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If I could only pick one item besides my GPS, it would be my hydration system, especially in the summer, but my stick is a close third.

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Up here the cell is mostly useless, but I still bring it along..

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I have been pleasantly surprised at how many places up here that my cell phone works. It does tend to have trouble in the valleys but get on the top of the mountain it usually works. I have called my wife from tops of mountains all over north Georgia and North Carolina.

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If I could only pick one item besides my GPS, it would be my hydration system,

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That reminds me of another tip that I keep kicking myself about. It bit me again this weekend......

When you load that CamelBak into your car for the drive up to the mountains be careful not to lay the pack on the end of the water hose.

If you do it will pinch the end open just enough to slowly siphon all the water out. After my 2 hour drive up to the mountains last Saturday my CamelBak reserviour had only a few ice cubes in it, the back of the pack was soaking wet with ice water, as was the back of the Land-Rover.

Luckily I was doing a protracted drive-by cache and the pack just sat on the hood of the car drying for several hours while I searched. I found a bottle of water in the Land-Rover to drink, so I was fine. Live and learn.

~erik~

I also got bit this weekend. I got to my parking place. It looked like a 15 min. hike each way, so I left the water and my pack in the truck. Don't
need all of that stuff for a 30 min. walk. Turned out I couldn't find the cache and was gone from the truck for over 4 hours. another live and learn.