› Forums › Geocaching in Wisconsin › General › How many of you Winter cache?
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-cheeto-.
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11/14/2008 at 1:49 pm #1727314
I just started caching earlier this year, so this will be my first winter as a “cacher”…I’m curious about how many of you do winter caching?
I’m not sure if I want to attempt any. I’ve never really been a “winter person”. I tend to hibernate in winter. The most I’ll do is take the kids out a couple of times to go sledding, but that’s it. No downhill or cross country skiing for me, nor do I own a snowmobile or go ice fishing.
I have always felt that maybe my “anti-winter” attitude would change if I could bring myself to trying any of the above named pastimes in order to be more active. So maybe winter caching is something I could try. I’m just curious how many do it and what types of extra equipment do you carry in winter…a shovel? Snowshoes?
So if any of you are avid winter cachers, give me some tips please…and if you’re an “anti-winter” person like myself, post here and let me know what kinds of things you DO do in the wintertime to keep yourself occupied.
11/14/2008 at 1:57 pm #1897785In the winter I tend to hunt only for larger caches to insure that when covered with snow there would be a greater chance of discovery. No looking for a small or micro in the woods during winter.
Some of the best most tiring hikes I had were in the winter.
11/14/2008 at 2:05 pm #1897786I LOVE winter caching…most years I have the majority of my finds in the cold weather. I have taken some very long hikes in the snow and loved every minute of it. I like to save the long walks and bushwacky hides for winter time…..just gotta get past gun hunting season before I go out….
In the snow you are more likely to rack up some DNFs but most of the winter there is no snow anyway…at least round these parts. Dress right and have GOOD, WARM and WATERPROOF boots and you are in business.
11/14/2008 at 2:38 pm #1897787There is nothing more fun than caching on a bright sunny winter day. Following the footprints in the snow and leaving a distracting trail for cachers following. Making snow angels, too. Group caching in the winter can really add a lot. Ya gotta try it, at least once.
11/14/2008 at 2:55 pm #1897788We too did a lot of winter caching last year. Some caches just glow without any leaves to help hide them. Others will be a little more tricky. Searching for ones with winter friendly icons helped a lot.
I’d recomend you dress in layers. We open up some of the layers on the way out to the cache (and back), try not to get sweaty during the hike. Then zip up at ground zero as you search and keep your body heat in. As LB7 said, good boots are a must. The chemical hand warmers are also a plus to keep your fingers and the GPS warm. Remember to drink lots of water.
Oh yeah, I got an ice axe too. It helped free some caches from their icy prison. I think 3Hawks carries a big stick and a hammer. But I think thats just to scare off other cachers. 😆
11/14/2008 at 3:15 pm #1897789No bugs, no leaves, why wouldn’t you go out in the winter? We do more geocaching in the winter than other times of the year. Of course you need to be more selective with the caches you choose to search for. Check recent logs to find areas where more finds are made in the winter. The scenery in the winter can also make a winter find quite rewarding. Two of my most memorable finds last winter took 5 hours and 75 miles on a snowmobile. If your a winter person you can also be a winter geocacher.
11/14/2008 at 3:18 pm #1897790@Trudy & the beast wrote:
There is nothing more fun than caching on a bright sunny winter day. Following the footprints in the snow and leaving a distracting trail for cachers following.
Whenever we take our three grandchildren along in the winter they make tracks in the snow all around the cache area and beyond to help make the find more difficult.
11/14/2008 at 3:49 pm #1897791One big plus for winter caching is NO TICKS!!!!! Or other annoying insects. I started caching in the winter, but fortunately that winter there wasn’t a lot of snow. If I had started last winter, I’m not sure I would have kept going. Still my wife gave me snowshoes for one holiday or another last winter and I’m hoping to get more use out of them this year caching (I was sick a lot this last winter)! I try to keep a close eye on whether a cache is winter friendly or watch to see if anyone else has found it since the last snowfall. Even so, I’ve gone out and trekked a half mile through the snow and not been able to find the cache and still thoroughly enjoyed myself!
11/14/2008 at 5:18 pm #1897792Winter caching is great, just follow the footprints of whoever found it last.
On the Left Side of the Road...11/14/2008 at 7:07 pm #1897793My very first cache find was in January 2004 following an ice storm. I love winter caching!
Hand and foot warmers are the best!!
Bec
11/14/2008 at 7:51 pm #1897794Winter is our favorite caching season… we just have to travel so far to find any and have less time for travel in the winter our numbers go down.
We made our own snowshoes over 15 years ago and still use them regularly even if not geocaching. The bummer is when the caches are down on the ground. Most of the caches we have out are very winter friendly.
TE11/14/2008 at 8:07 pm #1897795It definitely has advantages, when it is winter – no bugs or poisonous plants. I prefer to go though only when there is not a great deal of snow, I am not fond of digging in snow. It does feel good to get out of the house and get outside on those nicer winter days. I agree with the others that I run pocket queriez to find only winter friendly caches, which I found tend to be mostly micros (at least that has been my experience). The bigger stuff is usually lower to the ground.
11/14/2008 at 9:19 pm #1897796Winter is my second favorite season to cache. Second to Fall. The woods are empty. The scenery can be breathtaking. Just dress warm, wear good waterproof boots and have hot coffee in the cachemobile, and all is good.
It’s a good idea to let a loved one or a friend know where you are going and when to expect you back if you go caching alone in winter.
11/14/2008 at 10:25 pm #1897797@tyedyeskyguy wrote:
It’s a good idea to let a loved one or a friend know where you are going and when to expect you back if you go caching alone in winter.
Good advise any time of year but especially important in the winter with the additional stress of extra layers and possible snow/cold. We can’t all be young bucks all the time ya know.
11/14/2008 at 10:33 pm #1897798running around in the snow is great fun!
I did get a pair of snowshoes for caching last year and they
did make a difference.
warm clothes in layers, good boots, hand/foot warmers, beverages, food, and gloves… several pair as they tend to get soaked. I find that once either my feet or hands get cold, the day is over.Disclaimer : Always answering to a higher power.
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