Improving the game

[bartrod]

Although I’ve found my share of P and G’s, I’ve never considered them to be fun and no longer go out of my way to find them. With the explosion of them in recent years, it appears they’ve diluted the game. Where geocaching used to be a family-friendly activity, it’s difficult to find interesting and creative caches or caches large enough to hold some swag for the kids. What can the WGA do to promote better quality caches and make geocaching a family-friendly game again?

Oconto...the birthplace of western civilization:)

[_LoisLane_]

I would have to agree that I am also not a fan of P and G’s, they serve their purpose to some in the community but I much prefer geocaches out in the woods. This is going to sound very cheesy so bear with me. I believe when it comes to that sort of thing as a community we have to be the change we want to see by placing more caches that aren’t just P and G’s but have a little more substance to them. An other idea could also be compiling a list of ‘family friendly’ caches that are in the state to make it easier for people to get involved with them as well as highlight and promote those kinds of caches.

[awhip80]

I believe that our sport is definitely still family friendly, but maybe that’s just because we only have 340 hides and have thousands more within a small enough radius which can be enjoyed by the whole family together.

It is my opinion, that one of the biggest turnoffs to newbies is coming across poorly maintained caches. Who really wants to open a container that releases a noxious odor when opened and all contents are moldy? Or they get to GZ and all that is left is a wire dangling from a tree, multiple DNFs, NMs and no response from the CO?

To me, this is what needs to be fixed to regain some interest from newbie searchers and those of us that would love to provide quality hides in areas that are tied up with caches that may/may not exist anymore.

[BigJim]

While I personally agree with bartrod on park and grabs, it seems like most people today are more interested in quantity than quality. As a cache owner, I’ve noticed that my P&G’s get found much more often than my “walk in the woods” caches. I think that the key is to have a variety of caches so that everyone can get what they want out of geocaching. So how do we get new cachers to hide the quality caches that we enjoy finding? I think that the key is in education. I would like to see the WGA encourage members to do more 101 classes throughout the state, and include information about hiding quality caches.

All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.

[rawevil]

I am also not a big fan of PNGs. I prefer caches like The Expedition that we just completed this past Saturday. The 5 mile round trip hike in the woods with 8 WPs and a group of like-minded individuals heading out together in -2 degree weather are the caches I like to find.

How do we encourage members to place caches like this? Education and communication. Some cachers may just be PNGers and trying to promote hiding caches like Dave Ulmer with the Original Stash may fall upon deaf ears. However, if the majority of the people out there complain about PNGs, I think it’s all of our jobs whether BOD or members to lead by example.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

-Henry David Thoreau

[raslas]

I have done my share of park and grabs and they definitely aren’t my favorites but they do serve a purpose (provided they are maintained).  Some people are not able to take long walks in the woods (they don’t know what they are missing) so p & g’s are the kind of caches they find.  Unfortunately, it is getting harder to find a container big enough to hold swag for the kids.  The kids love to trade things, even if it is just a McDonalds toy.  I personally think that geocaching is still family friendly.  Education is the key to better quality caches.  Remember, many people hide the type of caches that they find so when you take someone out to introduce them to caching, take them for a hike in the woods (if they are physically able) to find a good old ammo can!!

 

 

marc_54140 wrote:

So, what about talking about the caches you do like?

I like a variety of caches. Some days it’s gadget caches and creative containers and other days it’s a nice walk in the woods.

[HamFam]

I couldn’t agree more sir.  But aside from outlawing Park and Grabs, plan B maybe would be to cultivate a culture of quality over quantity.  Recently a few cachers started placing caches as part of a Making Geocaching Great Again series.  Ultimately, the culture comes from the members.  But to answer your question of what can the board do to help?  I think one thing that the board does well is that it usually recruits quality cache hiders for the large events that it is part of.  Another thing that I believe helps, is that the COTM.  Highlighting some outstanding caches helps build this culture.

The views expressed here are that of myself only and do not necessarily represent that of the WGA board.

[graphicsgirl19]

While P and G serves there purpose of a quick grab when traveling, my family and I prefer the hiking. I agree with the early statement of quality versus quantity. Most of my memorable caches have not necessarily been about the cache itself but more the journey getting there and back. The first one that comes to mind is one where we hiked for a mile and a half into the woods. Once we started getting closer, we discovered a hidden lake we had no idea was there. After we found the cache, we enjoyed exploring the banks and swimming a bit. I think it would help if there was a way to promote those types of caches other than Cache of the Month. Also, maintenance is a big issue as some of those caches don’t get found on a semi daily basis.

[marc_54140]

OK, time for another point of view here …..

Cachers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities. So do caches.

Some cachers are not able to walk long distances, or climb trees, or crawl into tunnels. Some can not, or do not like to work puzzles. Therefore, there needs to be a mix of cache types.

And if you do not like PNGs, then do not do them. Or is someone twisting your arm? I use the Ignore list liberally, and currently have around 2400 caches on it.

However, I do agree there are way too many PNGs. And I also am not thrilled with how so many of them are underrated!

A real PNG should be one where you drive (or bike or walk) up, and without the need for a GPSr, see the beacon and find the cache. I’ve been to far too many which are rated something like 2/2 (or even less), when in fact they should be higher.

I can remember some where I had to get on my hands and knees to get out of the ditch after finding the cache. Others are located along walking trails, but the nearest access point is over a mile away. But they are rated 2/2!!!

So, what about talking about the caches you do like?

Marc_54140 (or as Zuma calls me, the Old Curmudgeon)

[rawevil]

So, what about talking about the caches you do like?

I agree that there needs to be a variety of caches to suit everyone’s needs for different reasons. Not everyone likes what I do.

I prefer caches like The Expedition that we just completed on January 13th . The 5 mile round trip hike in the woods with 8 WPs and a group of like-minded individuals heading out together in -2 degree weather are the caches I like to find.

 

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

-Henry David Thoreau

[BigJim]

I like to find caches that are there and well-maintained. I don’t mind P&G’s, I just get bored doing miles and miles of sign-posts and guard rails. If I do 25 or 30 in a day, that’s plenty.  I like caches that take me somewhere interesting, whether that is driving up to a giant dragon sculpture made out of junk (OK, that’s one of mine) or a hike across a frozen swamp with a group of friends. I also appreciate caches that the CO has put a lot of creativity into making unique. What I don’t like is when a CO drops a cache somewhere and never goes back to check on it, even when there have been multiple “Needs Maintenance” logs posted.

All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.

[sevencards]

As the game changes, there has to be level caches for all different folks.  Unfortunately I would rather search out the classic caches but will still find a p/g to pick up a county or just to satisfy the need to find a cache.  I did have a guard rail cache at one point, its archived.  Setting an example of where to hide caches help but hiding on the side of the road on the street sign that says maximum speed limit 55 that just doesn’t sound safe.  Lead by example lets follow the rules that reviewers help make.

[Author]

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