These opinions usually gather some urge to be publicised after a big caching trip where we see a cross section of caches in a relativley short period of time. I am sure that most experienced cachers would have similar opinions to ours (as per our usual debriefing sessions at events or at random in the field meetings), so maybe I am just wanting to get this off my chest and see what comes out of the woodwork.
In particular I am hoping that some of the less active cachers in the more remote areas take note of opinions such as this so that they can be more aware of what we (the caching community) like and dislike. (a contradiction I know as they are less likely to read the Forum, but it can't hurt, can it
)What we love and hate about geocaching
Love:
1. The excitement of exploring a new location and experiencing wonderful sights, information and scenery.
2. Pouring over maps to work out how to get to interesting locations and being able to navigate a course to minimise effort. (ie walking
)3.The hunt for tricky caches and being surprised by innovative hides.
4.Finding a cache that has been neglected for a long time due to isolation, or some terrain obstacle.
5. The feeling that you are doing something that nobody around you knows about.
6. Meeting other cachers and striking up a conversation as though you have known them all your life.
7. Finding a cache with the minimum of information – ie just reading the cache page, so that it feels like an FTF for us even though it may have been placed years ago.
8. Reading logs from cachers that have had an entertaining time and take the trouble to write a log that has more than 1 sentence (or one anagram for that matter).
Hate:
1. Cache placements in lame locations – garden beds, playgrounds, outside public conveniences, places that have no particular attraction, or the cacher has not written anything interesting on the cache page to warrant a cache placement in that location.
2. Co-ordinates that are more than 10 metres out.
3. Difficulty/Terrain ratings that either over or understate the real conditions.
4. Cachers that don’t follow up on “needs maintenance” logs or ignore multiple DNF logs.
5. Cachers that don’t respond to direct emails asking them to please check a cache that appears to have been muggled.
6. Explicit hints that render the use of a GPS useless.
7. Cachers that find caches that are 20 metres out by obviously looking at the explicit hint and then not providing corrected co-ordinates to help those that don’t dive for the hint before they even leave the house.
8. Receiving logs that say nothing about the cachers experience, or just some inane anagram.
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