Multis

For all your general chit chat, caching or not.
GEK
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Location: The Shire (Southern Sydney)

Post by GEK » 07 August 04 6:25 pm

I think there is no more satisfying geocaching experience than finishing a long, well-thought out, puzzle-laden multicache which requires research and thought as well as brute force search techniques. These are truly the pinnacle of the gecoaching art. An example of this would be some of The Odlids' work such as Play it Again, Sam or Dopey.

However.....

The only reason I have been able to complete the Odlid caches are because they are so close to me. When travelling I have other priorities and long, complicated caches are simply not an option. On a recent trip to Canberra I completely ignored anything with a difficulty level greater than 2 and gave priority to traditional caches over multis. Even if I am just driving to the other side of Sydney I am hesitant about attempting a multi no matter how appealing they look.

I think multis are fantastic for locals, but for those who are just visiting or passing through an area they are obviously not so attractive. I think everyone should keep this in mind when planning their caches. I love planning complicated caches but I try to restrict myself so that for every difficult multi or puzzle cache, I plant at least two traditionals or simple multis with very short distances between waypoints.

GEK

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Derringer
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Post by Derringer » 07 August 04 7:29 pm

Its a matter of what you prefer to do in caching,
Puzzles, long multis, difficult terrain caches, spreadsheet caches, mathematical puzzles, virtuals,locationless caches all have their place.
As a personal preference we believe the harder a cache is to get to, the less information should be provided.

This means the finder has to rely on their skills, knowledge,equipment, and confidence to reach the prize.
This makes the find all the sweeter.
Sure you won't get many finders, but does that really matter.
If people want a challenge, its out there waiting for them.
If you design a cache for the masses, then make sure the masses can reach it by providing lots of information.

Enjoy your participation in the sport and only do what you enjoy,
HAVE FUN!!!!!

Kevin

Biggles Bear
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Post by Biggles Bear » 07 August 04 11:09 pm

What Derringer said :lol:

Team Stargazer
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Post by Team Stargazer » 07 August 04 11:42 pm

Biggles Bear wrote:What Derringer said :lol:
Ditto! 8)

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caughtatwork
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Post by caughtatwork » 08 August 04 11:21 am

Derringer wrote: Enjoy your participation in the sport and only do what you enjoy,
I agree with this quote.

The difficulty I sometimes run into is that there is not a sufficient amount of information initially provided to indicate whether I am going to have fun.

So, sometimes, I'll get to the first waypoint and then find the cache is 500 kilometers away. That doesn't make it fun and I never knew it wouldn't be fun until I found the first waypoint.

Ditto with the ones that lead you further and further away from the car (in urban areas). Country caches that are in the bush or along defined walking tracks I can guess at, but urban caches that lead you on a 3 kilometer walk directly away from the car can be frustrating when you have kids with you. They get grumpy and tired.

I would pefer that there was some indication of a potential time or distance to complete the cache. In this way I could determine the level of fun and decide accordingly to do it with the kids or by myself.

PPP (which is one example), tells you that the hunt will take you on a 7 kilometer walk. It also tells you that as you complete the walk, you end up kind of back where you started. Using this information I can determine that it's not suitable for my 4 year old and I don't have to stress about walking 7 kilometers away from the car and then have to walk back.

As I mentioned before, each to their own, but as I don't know the final resting place of the cache, I can't determine (sometimes) in advance whether the cache will be fun or not.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Biggles Bear
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Post by Biggles Bear » 08 August 04 7:24 pm

caughtatwork wrote:....I would pefer that there was some indication of a potential time or distance to complete the cache. In this way I could determine the level of fun and decide accordingly to do it with the kids or by myself.
The unkown is all part of the adventure of caching. :twisted:

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Snuva
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Post by Snuva » 09 August 04 11:03 am

I agree with Biggles Bear that 'The unkown is all part of the adventure of caching', however if multis had a simple rating (similar to the difficulty/terrain rating) that told you approximate time and distance, it would be helpful when planning a caching trip out of your own area.

I love multi caches, and Biggles Bear has some great ones that I did on my last trip to Melbourne. I think of them like getting several cache finds in one, but if all you're interested in is logging the most caches then I can see that you wouldn't enjoy them as much. Melbourne's central caches, and in particular some of the multi caches, really made my last trip there better than any other I've had. I spent my time being lead to interesting spots by locals rather than by people in the travel business.

And having said all that, look out for a new multi-cache on your next trip to Southern Tasmania!

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