Geocaching Australia

This is a topic that's been touched on many times in this forum, from various angles.

I've recently been discussing with geocaching friends the reality that many geocachers who don't find a cache, don't actually then log a DNF online. We all know that this happens, and for a number of reasons. (Those reasons might be a good topic for another thread!)

My question is: what do you think the percentage might be? For every DNF logged on a cache, how many times has it actually been searched for, but not found?

Judging by some of the caches I've been to where the entire area has been ripped apart, but there's nary a DNF logged, I suggest "infinite".

Yes I've noticed cachers who've claimed the FTF have often commented how the area looked disturbed but no DNF was ever logged.

I often drive by the parking spot for an infamous cache of mine and many times I've seen a car parked there with someone searching but no DNF or found log showed up later. That said, if someone has already DNFed a cache are they adding anything by logging more DNFs. Adding to the amusement of the 'watchers' maybe!

I think they should all be logged, as a cache hider if i get one dnf log in my email then it could just be someone not looking quite in the right spot but if i get multiple dnf's then my cache may have a problem so i will go and check on it, if no one logs a dnf then you dont even realise theres a problem till you get around to doing a maitenece run, therefore its in everyones interest to log all DNF's

When I go caching with Black Bunny and Candy Cane 101, usually only one of us will log a DNF for a cache we didn't find. We figure that it looks really bad for the cache if it gets two or three DNFs in a row from just one search. We think it might put people off going out after that cache.

I usually log all the DNFs I can remember, unless one of the others has already logged it.

Wendy

I'd agree that I reckon more than 50% of DNFs don't get logged... maybe embarassment, laziness, lack of etiquette...

The only time I might not log a DNF is when I feel that I didn't really look, so in some ways didn't expect to 'find'... maybe I didn't bring the clue with me and it's a micro in a field full of grass plants somewhere (that was last night's experience!) and I'll be returning the next day, or maybe it was just too busy to even begin searching (although i'll often log that too), or I arrived at GZ to see the description and clue telling me it's a nano chucked aimlessly somewhere in a big mass of bushes and I can't be bothered searching or berating the owner who doesn't even come online anymore or check his other caches....

Having said that, those are the rare exceptions.... I enjoy writing and reading my DNF logs generally as much as my found!

Hard question to answer accurately, but anecdotally we get a few "finally found it after # visits" (where # could be any number but, usually 2 or 3) and of course there were no DNF logs from them in the past.

Which I find odd - they don't log DNF's but then admit that they searched unsuccessfully in the past - so it is not a shame thing.

pprass wrote:Hard question to answer accurately, but anecdotally we get a few "finally found it after # visits" (where # could be any number but, usually 2 or 3) and of course there were no DNF logs from them in the past.

Which I find odd - they don't log DNF's but then admit that they searched unsuccessfully in the past - so it is not a shame thing.

I wonder if some people regard a 'DNF' as 'I give up' - which might explain the multiple attempts without DNF logs...

I know a number of cachers (2 in fact ) that don't log DNFs if they believe the cache is still in situ AND they will be coming back to search again. Their justification is that they don't want to give the CO anything to worry about.

to the original question I'd reckon a ratio of 1 : 5 (so one logged DNF would be 5 real).

I do log every DNF and especially the stories where I messed up are the fun ones It also means you can have several DNFs in a row if I tried more than once

I log every DNF I have... even if there have been mulitples before and it is pretty obvious the cache is gone. It lets the owner know there is still interest in the cache (or the reviewer that the owner isnt keeping up maintenance!). I reckong 1:4 ish DNFs are probably logged.

I want to find every cache I look for. If takes me three or four goes that's what it takes, I don't care who knows.

But if I want to find it, it has to be there and if its not there, then it should be maintained or archived! But how can I show proof that I looked without the DNFs?

I would think that a number of cachers would see a DNF as admitting failure. Human beings generally don't like to fail at something they are trying to achieve. Hence, they don't like to advertise their failure through a DNF log.

As for me, I complete a log entry on every cache I visit regardless of the length of search or the outcome. As a cache owner, I like to know my cache has been visited and how people found their experience, good or bad, so I try to do the same for other cache owners. I suppose everybody plays the game their way!

I only log them if i have searched and searched and searched and really have am absolutly stumped.

there have been a few i have DNF but didnt log because 1. i dont think i gave it my all, and gave up, and do intend on going back another time (even though that is yet to happen...)

I worry that if i were to log a DNF the hider would have to go out and check it and its just my bad searching and i have wasted the hiders time.

As a hider one DNF will not trigger me to do a cache check, especially if it it is obvious the log is from a new cacher. So feel free to log your DNFs. Usually the cache gets found the week after in any case.

If a couple of people with a lot of finds under their belt log a DNF I will take it more seriously than someone with maybe 10 finds. Then I will go an do a check.