This topic contains 9 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by 
gotta run 17 years, 1 month ago.
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Got an EarthCache, GC1DJVC.
Nearby is a regular cache, GCZ3CD.
Of course, when the EarthCache was first published, it got logged by all the “regular” cachers in the area and EarthCache fans.
Now that it’s been out there a while, an interesting observation. 8 finds on the regular cache since August. No finds on the EarthCache…
Hmmm.
Any thoughts?
Tempting to blame that on human nature and/or numbers-focused caching. The EarthCache does require you to take a picture, take some measurements, and do a little reseach. Not very hard, but you can’t simply TNSL TFTC and speed off to the next micro.
But interestingly, some of the logs on the regular cache have pictures uploaded!
On the Left Side of the Road...The nice part about an earth cache is that you can usually leave it active indefinitely so it can eventually be found by those interested. We want to do some caching in Green Bay and Door County in the future and will definitely keep this one on our list for one of those trips. We always catch a few of your local caches on the way to Crivitz and might also have a chance to do it then. I looked at the photo on the cache page and this looks like one not to miss.
Ya, I just find it odd is all. Actually the odder one is our EarthCache at Maribel caves (yes, there are 2 there…it is a long story). In that case, the regular cache is *harder* to find, IMO, than the EarthCache which basically takes a walk down a flight of stairs. But to each their own.
On the Left Side of the Road...Good observation and question. I have seen the same thing on occasion at one of my ECs. A few people log the cache 50 feet away and don’t do the EC….It comes down to different strokes fer different folks…I know some people who would drive 100 miles just to do that falls EC… I’ll get there eventually as well…gas prices have made me a homebody these past three months…
Finding an Earthcache requires some level of preparation. Finding a plain ‘ol geocache requires much less preparation.
For example, when I go out for a bicycle ride, I’ll load up a PQ into my GPSr and head out. I just recently started carrying a pencil with me on my rides so I could actually log micros. I don’t carry descriptions, PDAs, printouts etc. with me. I would have no idea what to do at an EC once I got there.
As a matter of fact, there is an EC right by my house and I have logged many of the surrounding caches, but not the EC.
Not only do EarthCaches require some preparation, they also often require special equipment. Even if the info is printed or loaded into a PDA, if it requires a measuring tool, thermometer, pH tester, etc. and the cacher doesn’t have the equipment, the cache gets skipped.
Its more likely that the nearby regular cachers will have something at home they can use, but if tsomeone’s just driving trough or just happens to be in the area its less likely that they’ll have the needed “stuff”.
Another possibility for some of it – I had changed my PQs to exclude ‘unknown’ container types to try to eliminate the tiny nanos that are often listed as unknown container around my area. That also eliminated EarthCaches, even though I had EarthCache selected as a cache type. Others could be inadvertently excluding the EarthCache from their downloads if they did the same thing.
I’d have to agree with the others. Many people think the EC’s are too much hassle to do, since they have to DO more than just find a container. Oh well…I say it’s a cachers loss if they don’t do them. We have learned so many kewl things! 😀
Ya, the more I thought about this the more obvious the answer to the question became…just like ?s or multis these are something different and/or take some extra work.
Now, make it a truly virtual cache like the ones that were published in the olden days when you didn’t even have to get out of your car to log the find, and it would be a different story…including about 1,000 logs from cachers in Germany doing “online finds” 🙄
On the Left Side of the Road...@gotta run wrote:
Now, make it a truly virtual cache like the ones that were published in the olden days when you didn’t even have to get out of your car to log the find, and it would be a different story…including about 1,000 logs from cachers in Germany doing “online finds” 🙄
So I shouldn’t mention that my last find was in a certain snowy place thousands of miles away from my home?
(So much for totting the purist logging line)Well, you’re allowed that particular one!
On the Left Side of the Road...
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