The question "What have you learned since you started geocaching?" came up in our local DixieCachers.com forum and I thought the answers were so interesting that I asked the same on the Groundspeak Forum to solicit lessons for this article. 

Here are some of the answers.

 

Stephanie2427

I believe it was at the cache ‘Gulf State Park #5 - Beach Time!’ that I learned about sea oats. I had never heard of sea oats before this. Now I'm reading a book where the author has a serious fascination with sea oats and mentions them on every other page. Thanks to geocaching I'm not confused on what she's talking about!

 

TazDevil091102

I have learned not to believe someone when they say "This hike in the woods won't be too bad"

 

Frodo_13

The fact that there is no cash in a cache really blew me away. I thought folks would roll up twenty dollar bills and tuck them inside a match container for the fun of having me extract it. Real drag, that no cash thing!

 

Joefrog

I learned that Rambler's idea of a quick cache run is similar to Skipper's idea of a three hour tour!

 

GoodolBoy

I learned what reverse azimuth is. I plan on using it in a new cache some time.

 

Parr Golf

When I first began geocaching I used to read a forum called Alacache... something. The people on there were always planning events and I was worried that I would have to handle snakes, bite the heads off of chickens, or dance around a fire naked if I attended one. Turns out that doesn't happen... most of the time.

 

WheresDiB

I have learned that lamp posts in parking lots have skirts around them, almost universally in any state.

 

4Ps In-A-Pod

We have learned a lot in a little over a year...

That Steph hates hiking,

Taz can bring cookies at some of the most inopportune times,

Blue is not as nimble as he would have you to think,

If you want an FTF in Montgomery you better sleep with your eyes open and glued to the computer,

Caver's "strolls" are....well they just are,

Frog is a heck of a graphic designer and has this thing for burning pumpkins,

BamaGirl and the Muggle always seem to get the RV backed in somehow,

I really can turn a 3-4 into a drive-up (with the right vehicle),

And last but not least; there are still a lot of good people around – you folks!

 

Gryphonkin

The laws of gravity still apply to you, even if you never studied law.

Gravity is not a fat man's friend.

The term "wagon trail" has a lot more room for interpretation than I realized.

Puzzle caches are pretty darn hard to find if you've only loaded in the parking coordinates.

At the end of almost every long bramble filled hike is a nice big paved road that you could have driven right to the cache on.

Like certain other activities, it is possible to cache alone but it's a heck of a lot more fun if you have a few friends to help out.

There are mountains in Alabama!

You don't have enough water for that hike. Seriously. No matter how much you have, you don't have enough.

When a group of "friends" all gathers just to "see you off" on your Green Mtn. hike, they aren't wishing you well, they're taking note of the clothes you are wearing so the police can ID your corpse.

There is no mistake that can't be rectified through a strategically placed semi-circular course correction.

 

Bobndwoods

In spite of what anyone says, it really is about the numbers.

But that's ok too.

 

january14

When on rough, uneven terrain, the likelihood of falling is high.

I have also learned that whenever you fall, if you have a sore or injured part of your body, Gravity will force you to fall on it.

Skipping uphill on a paved road while wearing hiking shoes will inevitably lead to a torn muscle.

As a corollary, you cannot climb uphill with a torn calf muscle.

Some people's concept of an "easy park and grab" does not match my concept of an "easy park and grab".

The GPS will not lead you to the cache. The GPS will lead you to a point in the world. If the cache is not there, the GPS will not be able to differentiate that.

Those black (or brown) square-ish things at the bottom of light poles do indeed MOVE?!!!!

A keyholder can be placed anywhere there is something metallic and regardless of where it is placed, the log is always damp. Even if there has been no rain for the entire summer.

Despite claims to the contrary, it is possible to find caches in the bad parts of a town, if the town has no good parts

Sometimes a quick cache run is anything but.

As another corollary to that, nothing can ruin a good cache run as a hard to find cache.

 

Ohail

One thing I have learned is that some magnetic keyholder caches are NOT attached to anything magnetic as they are in or around bushes.

 

Lazer

I seem to be immune to poison ivy since I've been in forests of it and not broken out or just had good luck.

 

Redbugs (chiggers) are evil.

I've seen lots of new places that I'd never have gone to otherwise.

Don't let people run over you, literally.

I've met lots of good people.

I know how to use GPS things now!

 

GoodolBoy

There are loopholes in Murphy's law, but only for the last person to find the cache before you.

 

Alabama Alan

I've just about learned to spell GPS but am challenged by everything else.

 

Joefrog

I've learned that it's not a very good idea to toss a grenade to a Sheriff's deputy in the wee hours of the morning... even if it IS just a travel bug!

 

tnfishdaddy

A straight line between two points is not always the quickest way.

 

StumpWater

Putting that special cream on my centroid before local events didn't help matters, it was just embarrassing.

 

JBnW

No matter how many ticks you pull, there's always at least one more!

 

KJcachers

Always carry a tweezers and a flashlight...Always!

 

SimbaJamey

After 25+ years of living in the same area I learned that there are a bazillion more parks and nature areas within a few miles than I had ever imagined possible!

And yup... I too learned that the thing on the bottom of the lamp-post actually lifts up!

I also have to agree on the ticks... but that led to another learning experience - Permethrin is AWESOME!

 

briansnat

That ticks are active in January even with snow on the ground.

 

fox-and-the-hound

That I should buy stock in companies that produce sunglasses, and that shatter-proof is not the same as break-proof.

DEET is to mosquitoes what Tabasco is to us. It just adds flavor for the tough ones.

Buy a compass. Seriously.

Batteries wear out at the worst possible time and a GPSr screen is really just not enough light for night-time navigation.

Carry a big stick. The time to look for one is not AFTER you need it.

Triple-check your coords and if you think you're going the wrong way still, you probably are.

Stop to read the sign. It might just save your life.

Gravity wins... every time.

Cache with a friend. The entertainment value alone is worth it.

Don't be afraid of mud. I don't know why I forgot that over the years, but now I remember why kids love it.

Buy decent boots. A couple extra bucks makes a mountain of difference.

Last buy not least... carry duct tape!

 

m.austin

That no matter how difficult that cache seems, no matter how many DNFs you log on that cache, the next 5 people will log "easy cache", "got this one right away"...

That no matter how closely you try to monitor your time, that cache "right down the road that will only take a minute" will turn into 10 more caches, 50 more miles, & 3-4 hours longer than you planned (and that is IF you are lucky to get away that quickly!)

That showing up to work with weeds stuck to your pantyhose & stickers in your hair is ok if you get a FTF!

That once you hide/find your first cache you will dedicate a large portion of your trunk for ready-to-place caches for when you find that perfect spot, repair kits, jackets, old shoes/boots, variety of swag

items, & whatever else you needed & didn't have last time.

That leaving the house without your GPS is just as awful as forgetting your cell phone.

That not checking your email in the morning might cause you to miss out on a FTF.

That explaining geocaching to your non-caching friends makes you realize that telling people about this hobby makes you look like a dork. You have to drag them out in order for them to fully appreciate it(although they still think I'm a dork even after getting themselves addicted to caching).

That work interferes with caching.

 

Okiebryan

Spiders build their webs at face level. Always.

 

mndvs737

Make sure someone taller than you is going down the trail first to clear out the afore-mentioned spider webs (Wait… I'm the tallest one in our caching group).

When your partner says “it's only .35 away, and this parking area is in line with the arrow” check and see if there is another place to park further up, because that may put you within 500 feet of the cache and keep you from turning 1.5 terrain into 3.5 / 4 terrain (as happened to me TWICE!)

 

BigFurryMonster

That there are some awesome people in this hobby.

 

JohnMac56

Scorpions like to hide under caches… happened twice so far - scared the **** outta me!

Rattlesnakes make a noise for a reason.

A 4.5 difficulty/4.5 terrain cache should NOT be attempted during the summer months.

Bring extra water - all you can!

Bring extra gas - gas stations are few and far between in the desert!

Never cache alone in the desert.

Always let someone know the area you will be caching in and when to expect you back.

SAFETY FIRST!

 

Team Black-Cat

When you post coords that are over 1000 feet from the cache, it really messes with the first few cachers who search for it. You also need to have a reviewer change the coords when you mess up that badly.

 

Sioneva

Vinny is strange.

Smileys pop up when you least expect them.

The cache will always be on the other side of the creek / ravine / bridge / canyon].

Metal gets pretty bloody cold in the winter!

There is a gigantic silo out near Ogallala, NE.

 

JBnW

“Spiders build their webs at face level. Always.” They are also always in the middle of said web...about nose level!

In some places, mosquitoes should be the state bird.

More hours of sleep have been lost to chiggers than to any 7-month old wanting a midnight feeding and another viewing of the "Happy Little Elves".

Calamine lotion and TechNu should be sold in 5-gallon containers.

Give an ammo can, spray glue, and a pile of leaves to the nicest, most decent and respectable person and they can turn into Mr. Hyde!

A 1/1 DT rating means so many different things to so many different people.

Seeing turkey vultures circling overhead as you take off on the "quick" 0.25 mile hike for the last stage of a multi-, on a HOT August afternoon, is NOT a good thing!

This game is addicting. You've been warned!

 

Skippermark

That it's easy for people to get addicted, and people really take finding a cache first seriously.\

 

carleenp

My dog isn't very good at finding caches, although she is good company on the trail.

 

WRASTRO

That when I was new to the game I knew a LOT less than I thought I did and the folks here on the forums knew a LOT more than I thought they did.

 

Isonzo Karst

HTML

Many spiders are edible, and a few even taste good.

Many people can't spell camouflage or bushwhack, and can't close a decon container!

 

currykev

That it's not about how many caches you've found.  

That biggest is not always the best.  

That my DNF rate is higher than most.  

That while my friends are being dragged down to the mall by their spouses

I am enjoying yet another great walk in the country.

 

cwelt

That nothing in the world looks the way it used to (ex. light posts).

That there isn't enough sunlight in a day.

That scientists should study the drunken geo-dance to see if we are speaking a language much like the bees do.

 

Jennifer&Dean

I CAN walk to the top of that mountain… Given enough time, water and M&Ms!

Beauty will jump out at you when you are least expecting it.

Even an uninspired micro can become an adventure.

 

burgessfour

We learned early on that 250 feet is a very long ways when you are on the wrong side of the river.

 

Quizes

I have learned that there is a worldwide conspiracy to frustrate me after a pleasant stroll in the countryside.

 

Bamboogirl

A good handful of Tylenol in the trail mix helps a lot on long hike.

Rattlesnakes are not very polite.

When nearly stepped on, a turkey is very loud and flappy.

We will cheerfully scoot backwards up the face of a nettle-covered slope to find a $5 chunk of Tupperware.

As soon as we find the $5 Tupperware, we will find a nice, wide trail that could have saved us the backwards scooting.

It's always on the other side of the fence.

I need a new knee.

 

Ockette

There's always a road when you took the hard way up.

It is in fact possible to sprain your bum.

Ammo cans make good beehives.

Blackberry vines are motile.

 

Lemon Fresh Dog

It's supposed to be FUN… If it isn't, you're doing it wrong.

 

skisidedown

A stick in the eye is really not that much fun.

 

swfirefly

I never knew those lamp skirts lifted up.

People hate micros, yet that's all that seems to get published… at least in my area.

 

vwaldoguy

I've learned that my wife gets a little touchy when I'd rather go out on a Saturday morning to geocache instead of helping clean the house.

I've learned that I'm not a big fan of urban micros.

I've learned that wasting time trying to find an evil cache hide just isn't worth it and I move on.

I've learned that this can be a fun, addicting hobby, but also that there isn't much point (as in, what have you really accomplished at the end of a geocaching day?) At least that's the way it seems to non geocachers.

 

Skippermark

The most important thing I've learned is that you will (almost) always find a nice trail next to the cache after you've unnecessarily bushwhacked your way there.

 

Golfgunny

We have incredibly large spiders in Okinawa.

Japanese policemen have no idea what Geocaching is.

Those bushes that look really painful? They are, and the cache is in the middle of them.

Japanese mosquitoes wait to attack until all of their friends have shown up to the party.

 

Bronzegoat

If you want 1,000 finds without a GPSr, as of January 1, 2008 there were 971 Wal-Marts in the USA so just visit them all and start lifting light skirts.

 

Unkle Fester

I'm willing to get up way to early in the morning, even if I miss the FTF.

 

TheLinderKlan

Metal is hot here. Always. So are the sharp rocks that are covering said hot metal.

Gloves are good.

And it isn't just the lights at Wal-Mart - they are all over the place here. Now we can't walk past the light in any parking lot without my 4 year old running over and lifting the skirt.

 

TrailGators

A ton of people are still not using digital cameras (film canisters).

A ton of people have bad breath (lots of Altoids-can containers).

 

ThePachecos

I have learned that every DNF is helpful.

I have learned that no matter what the GPS says your eyes are much better than any 400.00 piece of technology.

I have learned that if you hide it they will come.

I have learned that Geocaching is not about Cash, unless you are doing all of those drivebys…

I have learned that no matter how many times you drive by a 7-11 I will always wonder if Witz has hidden a cache here.

 

KD7MXI

I learned how to walk in circles like a dog following its own tail.

 

doingitoldschool

It is easy to become a cache snob. And yet, the cachers I like aren't.

There's always a new trail somewhere in this small town.

Cachers are cool people.

Lame can be a game.

I'm learning to share my wit without my nastiness - just like Snoogans.

One well-done destination cache is much more exciting than a string of 10 drive ups, but that both can still be enjoyable.

A man well over 300 pounds can still climb up a steep, moss covered, slippery elevation hand over hand, as long as his wiry, athletic son is further up and calling down, "You okay, Dad?"

Lame can actually be included in a cache deliberately, and that it can bring a smile to many faces.

Creativity is subjective, criticism is universal, tolerance is required and acceptance is preferable.

Trolls are real, not mythical creatures.

If a cache has nightmare in the title, then it will be!

Magellans aren't that bad. Mind you, I haven't had a newer Garmin to compare mine too.

Numbers are fun, but friends are funner, and caching in groups is funnest.

Even small towns look cool from 2000 feet up.

A ‘94 Aerostar 2WD can still make it to some 4WD-preferred cache locations, but not without paying the "dumb tax".

Stumbling around in the dark on wet rocks, half way up a mountain with nothing but a headlight and good old fashioned persistence is very cathartic.

My kids look good in drag, and I don't.

PIC HERE

I am no where near as sneaky as I make myself out to be.

A 12-year-old kid can get several otherwise sane and mature adults to leave their warm houses and look for a coffee tin full of toy soldiers and rubber balls at 10:30 on a miserable night

When the GPSr takes you to the middle of a highway bridge you should call home to get a hint instead of looking under the bridge near the rushing water at 10:30(ish) at night.

The GPSr gets you to the area, the brain and eyes get you the cache.

3 kroners sounds like a lot of money, but it's only worth 67 cents CAD.

A British pound is fair trade for a Canadian loonie, when you figure on the "where's anyone going to spend this around here" factor.

Pins can be bought for 50 cents each at the Sally Ann.

 

ladyleo191

I've learned that I don't have to find every cache in my state, or even my town.

It won't hurt the feelings of the hider if I don't find their micro hidden on the back of a street sign.

It won't mean I'm a bad cacher if I don't want to spend my time looking for it.

I don't have to beat myself up if I can't locate the bison tube.

I've learned that if the location is interesting, the cache is just icing on the cake.

I've seen parts of my area I didn't know were there and learned about musicians and actors I didn't know were born, or lived, or were buried nearby.

I didn't find the cache, but I learned some history.

I've learned that caching is an individual sport and folks play it for different reasons. I do it to relax. Others do it to see if they can find all caches in a series and others do it to solve puzzles.

Each of us is doing it right!

I've learned I have to get a third job so I can travel to New Zealand, Australia and Europe with my lil’ eTrex!

 

CapeDoc

You can walk up a mountain in your work clothes (during a lunch break).

That if your cache has over 50 finds and the gallery is empty you should change your hiding tactics.

 

va griz

Lamp posts make a weird twanging sound when you scrape the skirt on the side.

There are WAY more parks near me than I thought.

It's hard to roll up a tiny piece of paper in the cold and wind, and easy to drop the top of a container.

If you drop anything in the leaves it will become invisible 81% of the time.

Gravity isn't just a good idea, it's the LAW!

The reason for the game is to have fun, not to collect smilies.

If you're caching to get toys and key chains you are wasting your time.

You can be 500 feet from a cache and need to drive three miles to get to it.

DON"T FORGET THE PEN!

 

dogastus

To not forget to waypoint where I've parked my car!

 

J-Way

Always remember to keep your caching bag in the car, even if you don't think you'll be making any cache attempts today.

Always keep several pencils/pens in your caching bag.

Always bring two pencils/pens to hunt the cache.

Always remember to keep your hiking stick and camera in the car, even if you don't think you'll be making any cache attempts today.

Always bring your hiking stick if you have to go more than a few feet from the car.

Always bring your camera if you have to go more than a few feet from the car (at one cache I missed ta

By The Internet

Things found on the Internet.

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Comments(3):

1. just because the little arrow on my gps points that way doesn't mean I have to go that way. I will forget above rule and follow the little arrow anyway and remember said rule after sliding/nettle sting/thorn bush/discovering hidden 2' deep gutter. If I am really nice and help round the home, this puts my wife in a really good mood all day,informing same wife of intent to go caching following day meets with approval. Informing wife of "lets just do this cache while we are here" while out shopping usually meets with negative comments Informing wife of "lets just do this cache while we are here...then I shall buy you lunch!" meets with approval on the condition cache takes less than 15mins

   Thursday, June 11, 2009 John

2. A 1/1 for us is almost as difficult as a 5/5. We have much better luck with T-3 and T-4. If there is a wide open parking lot or open field around, that is where the GPS zeroes out. Make sure you take a spare set of batteries with you into the woods. Mark a waypoint as you step off the trail into the woods! Bring a pen. No doubt a pen will be missing from the cache in the middle of nowhere. But using a TB tag works good for "etching" your name or mark in the log as a last resort! Make sure the battery on your cell phone is charged.

   Saturday, June 13, 2009 Sandy

3. What have I learned?

   A Boy Scout meeting is a great opportunity to get boys (and their families) involved in geocaching. Geocaching with only an iPhone can be done, but it's tough. The Online Geocacher is a great source of information for newbies like me.

   Thursday, March 25, 2010 Linda