During the first year we probably read the cache pages less than we do now. Since our numbers have gotten up there we now read the text almost 100%. I’m going through Oconto County area caches right now for a week up there in a few days and I’m spending more time reading the text on Sweetlifes’ WSQ’s up there than I will finding them. Most of our summer so far has been hunting WSQ’s and historic sites. As someone who hides a lot of caches I really appreciate the effort that goes into creating an informative cache page, but I dissapoitedly believe I’m in the minority. I hope I’m wrong.

I always try to take a look at the cache page text for any type of historical or other information that may be given. A lot of times nothing useful is given, but there have been quite a few times where reading the cache text has proven beneficial for me.

Try to always plan ahead and read the page, or at least pull it up on the Blackberry and read it at the site after finding a parking spot. I like do to that as a few of my first caches were multi’s with numbers for a final. Missed the final numbers and later on needed to go back and get the numbers again.. “sigh” And to make matters worse the one number I needed the cache kept disappearing so when I got there it was gone!! So I learned my lesson. Plus, I’ve learned that some conniving owners like to hide hints in the description.

We usually read the text. You never know when the offset # of feet from the posted coordinates might be listed!

And God forbid we learn something new while doing a #s run! 😯

Or you buy a nuvi for much less money and read the caches pages on there or have someone else in the care read the page to everyone else as you drive to the next cache or are finding the parking spot.

Now that I’ve gotten the Nuvi and load caches to both that and my handheld, I read cache page information much more than I did before getting the Nuvi. This kind of reiterates points made already regarding other devices and gps models.

So it seems that the technology that made us “lazy” (PQ’s) has come full circle with better devices with more storage space and now allows us to actually read the information while experiencing the location.

Every now and again I will try a cache “blind” though just for kicks..

@-cheeto- wrote:

So it seems that the technology that made us “lazy” (PQ’s) has come full circle with better devices with more storage space and now allows us to actually read the information while experiencing the location.

Absolutely. In our experience we became much more likely to read the cache page once we had a full-fledged field-ready paperless device.

Otherwise, with your average PQ and a planned run, it was such a waste to print all the pages (even the consolidated GSAK summaries) that we rarely did it, which made it incumbent on one person (me) to read the pages online ahead of time and then remember to convey the basic information from memory (not reliable).

Also for all the times when you’re driving by a cache you hadn’t planned to visit, it’s all right there at your fingertips. But I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.

I know you’re a big fan of the Nuvi approach and it sounds like a great setup, but it only took us about a week to get super-comfortable with the Oregon 400, and now we think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Which is saying a lot, because sliced bread is pretty amazing stuff. Only two more weeks till the Oregon 550 arrives at my door and we will be in geo-geek heaven.

Yes, I always read the cache page, though not always carefully. This is evidenced by a DNF that could have been avoided if I had been a more thorough reader. While not exactly new anymore, I still am inexperienced, and that is why I depend on the cache pages for the hints, and I read all the logs hoping for a hint, even if unintended. Plus, it is cool to read about the experiences of other cachers. Maps are important to me also, having only a basic GPSr. I would have higher numbers if I didn’t spend so much time reading the cache pages…or maybe I wouldn’t, because they would all be DNFs! I guess you have to do what works for you.