Multiphobia!

[Crockett3663]

I voted “Yes”. They are a low priority at the moment. We usually go out caching in a pair (my son and I) or as a family (mom and little guy joins us). Caching with kids can become more of an adventure than those without kids might think. You have to keep them interested, take breaks for lunch and snacks, bathroom stops, etc.

I can’t speak for everyone’s kids, but as far as mine are concerned, their patience can wane after only a couple of hours, so I wouldn’t want to be in the middle of a multi only to have the kids peter out and get cranky. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than cranky kids in the middle of the woods on a hike.

Once they’re a bit older, or when the start expressing an interest, we’ll probably tackle a multi or two, but I’m not sure when that’ll be.

[Team Deejay]

For me, multicaches are the heart of geocaching. There is more of a sense of adventure when you don’t know where the next stage of a cache will lead you. It doesn’t matter whether it is a “true” multi with several containers, an offset, or a simple field puzzle. The charm is the exploration of the the unknown. Add to that the fact that hiking is usually required (a plus in my book) and the way a multi can be used to highlight an entire area, rather than just one spot, and you have a clear cut favorite for me.

[Lostby7]

I did a 4 hour multi this weekend……depends on the cache…normally I avoid them.

[Cachelovskys]

I love multicaches (that are well maintained)!

Numbers aren’t a huge priority to me. I find just as much joy in find one well done multicache (for example Bible Accuracy in Milwaukee) as I do making 20 in a day (for example West Besd – pick any 20). I enjoy both…it depends on who I am caching with. Some of my family enjoys a long hunt, others want constent finds.

The major thing for me is that it is maintained, and well laid out. That applies in all forms of caches (trad, multi, puzzle)

[-cheeto-]

The major thing for me is that it is maintained, and well laid out.

Neither of which are usually easy to ascertain unless you know the owner and/or there’s a recent good log.

I see where many of you are coming from on the “great experience” (the hike, the view, etc.) versus numbers.

However, the way I see it if I wanted to go hiking I would go hiking. When I am geocaching I want to find a geocache. Many multi’s (that I have done) have lead to finding initial containers but never finding the actual cache (usually due to my inability to find a geocache). Whereas if those multi waypoints were traditional caches I would have potentially found one or more.

I am a huge fan of placing multiple caches (and puzzles…) to “bring a cacher around to certain areas of a park”. However this could be done with multiple caches (or a well laid out puzzle) too, not just a frustrating multi that may or may not be well-maintained. For example, my “In a rut” series could have been 1 cache but based on my opinions expressed here I chose to put out multiple caches.

Not trying to debate, just adding a little more to my answer since there were so many recent responses inidicating the opposite of my opinion 🙂

It’s not all about the numbers for me but when I am geocaching, I like to find geocaches (lot’s of them) 😛

[gotta run]

A common thread/complaint here seems to be that people run into multis where there are maintenance issues with waypoints. But that’s true for traditionals as well. You gotta read the logs and do your usual due diligence. And, you can burn the same amount of time DNFing on a multi as you can with a traditional. I’d also venture a guess that most multis are in the 2 to 3 stage range anyway.

Interestingly, as we are “cleaning up” the greater Green Bay area, almost all of the very few multis we have left are those that were published in the last month or so and we simply haven’t gotten there. Otherwise all the multis and puzzles are done and we’re finding that what’s left are micros and drive-ups that we’ve passed over for the past several years.

Perhaps it’s because we are caching (usually) as a family and a large part of it for us is the experience of doing something together, rather than drive up, grab the cache, and dash off to the next one. After all, when it doesn’t even pay to have the kids get out of the car because you can pretty much grab the cache from the passenger’s window, what’s the point?

On the Left Side of the Road...

[Team Deejay]

I guess I can understand the collector mentality that goes along with “numbers” caching. It just doesn’t fit my personality. I’m more of a “here and now” person. It is all about the beauty of the location, the challenge of the terrain, and even the hide itself. The only things I’m interested in collecting are the experiences. So, a DNF is not necessarily a disappointment to me. If the process of finding the cache was enjoyable, then I have had a net gain from the process. I will say that guardrail hides and lamppost hides tend to be more aggravating when they are missing, mostly because there is nothing redeeming about the hide besides getting a number. On the other hand, getting a DNF in the Kettle Moraine just means I get another chance to go there and try again in a beautiful place with challenging hiking.

[redrusty]

i’m not huge on multis, as i have a short attention span and am sometimes easily frustrated.
i will occasionally try a multi now that i have a 400t for paperless caching.
i previously had a legend cx, which didn’t allow the same.

after an individual printed out all the multis that one wanted for one day, drove around, dodging traffic, trying to keep the dog from:
a. laying on your carefully prepped and organized work.
b. mixing up the pages yourself.
c. fumbling out in the open with a whole folder of cache pages in the wind.
d. chasing down said pages.
e. losing your pen for math and puzzles.
f. wasting more time after finding pen between cushions of car seat.(thanks dog)
g. trying to remember that you are out to have a good time and enjoy your time away from work.
h. give up on multis for the day and go buy the dog a cheeseburger

you may or may not be able to tell by now that i get frustrated by multis, but i am coping………….

[seldom|seen]

@Team Deejay wrote:

I guess I can understand the collector mentality that goes along with “numbers” caching. It just doesn’t fit my personality. I’m more of a “here and now” person. It is all about the beauty of the location, the challenge of the terrain, and even the hide itself. The only things I’m interested in collecting are the experiences. So, a DNF is not necessarily a disappointment to me. If the process of finding the cache was enjoyable, then I have had a net gain from the process. I will say that guardrail hides and lamppost hides tend to be more aggravating when they are missing, mostly because there is nothing redeeming about the hide besides getting a number. On the other hand, getting a DNF in the Kettle Moraine just means I get another chance to go there and try again in a beautiful place with challenging hiking.

Agreed. They are all fair game in my book and I actually enjoy the puzzles, multi’s and offsets more than the traditionals in most cases. But then, I don’t do much actual caching anymore unless they are Lonely. I drive right past hundreds of caches that are easy to get in order to make my way to a difficult lonely that may take 2 hours to complete. I am certain that I am missing some great caches along the way and that is why I wish there were some way to rate caches (a very long-winded thread some time ago) so I could make a point of stopping to get those that I might enjoy. I simply have no interest in spending half an hour looking for a hanging 35mm in a pine tree in another city park! Blaahh. At the same time, I will be absolutely thrilled when I find a cache that hasn’t been found in a year because I had to walk through a marsh to get it. I guess that means I am not a numbers guy. The difficult part is taking the time to research all of the caches and read through the logs as everyone will agree.

A great location is well worth the time no matter what the cache type. Hikes are OK because I get some exercise, but I have a unique situation that predicates my caching solo at night without family, so the hikes don’t do them any good. I hope to change that someday as I completely agree with the sentiment about getting the family out on a hike and caching at the same time.

I think we could use a couple more cache attributes at the very least. One that incorporates some well defined quality or location icons like a Tombstone for WSQ caches, a summit for vista views, a Book for Historical or educational caches, to suggest just a couple. Anything that tells me what my potential reward for making the effort without having to go through all the logs which can also be misleading. I might have to dig that thread up again…

[Team B Squared]

I guess it depends. When we are travelling and there is time constraints, it makes multi’s more difficult to do because of the greater time involved. That being said, many of the caches that we have done that I would consider the best we have ever been have been multis, so they can be hard to pass up as well.

[zuma]

I have to say that I prefer multi’s because they often lead to a memorable cache. Many of the best experiences that I have had caching have been while searching for a multi, so I continue to include multi’s on my PQ.

Generally, when I run a PQ I select all types of caches in that area except events and puzzles, and sort out to include only the 4.5 T or lower. Once I have the waypoints loaded into GSAK, I sort by “last found” and then delete all the waypoints at the top of the list that have 2 or more DNFs in the last 4. (Depending on where I am going, I also sort by names of who placed the cache, and delete all the waypoints of hiders who I have learned from experience that I do not like their style.) In this way, I feel that the caches I have loaded are all fair game. When I get to the area, I just go from cache to cache and try to get em all. I am not real selective about whether it is a multi or not.

But when I do multi’s, I am usually happy that I did and more often than not a multi is going to be a good experience.

As a side note, I have placed a lot of multi’s and it doesnt bother me that they do not get hit as often as traditionals. They were made multi’s for a reason, that is, there was something that I thought interesting that I wanted to show visitors along the way. I kind of think that people who skip multi’s in pursuit of numbers are missing out on some of the best fun in caching, but hey, it’s a free world, and everyone is free to play the game the way they want.

Just checking the boulter list, and I notice that Marc has placed the third most multi’s in the world, with 84, and I have placed the 4th most, with 82.

[zuma]

Here are some of the Wisconsin multi’s that I really enjoyed this past year:

GCPJZT Lost Boyscout
GC1CY65 ItzyBitzyTeenyMEANY
GC1F6JK Fore
GC19QN1 This is no Dead End!
GC1F53H Ice Age Erratica
GCZCQH Real Gone | Hoist That Rag
GC11JF4 Little Bull Island – South
GC15PMY Ashwaubomay’s “brave” history
GC1208H WSQ: The Devil Made Me Do It
GC1AJ55 Prebles and Bam-Bam
GC16Q6H Camelot’s Playground of Gloom
GC110B9 Seldom Spotted | Sneaky Small
GC9178 Glow In The Dark

There are more, but I think if you look at these caches you will get an idea of the range of possibility and fun you can have finding a multi.

zuma

[Cachelovskys]

@zuma wrote:

Here are some of the Wisconsin multi’s that I really enjoyed this past year:

GC1AJ55 Prebles and Bam-Bam

….

There are more, but I think if you look at these caches you will get an idea of the range of possibility and fun you can have finding a multi.

zuma

Alright we made the list. Three other caches that I would add are,

GC14HW3 Lost in Josten

GCGVW1 A Little Piece of the Wilderness Loop

GC12CQ3 Cache an Insect

[gotta run]

The first cache we ever found was a multi.

Other favorites:

GC17Y72 – Seldom’s a bit off center
GCGE6B – Door County Challenge
GCXHN8 – Long Tail Point Lighthouses
GCZRFJ – Ted’s Geo-Adventure
GCMC5P – Mars
GCY4YE – Optimist till the end

…and virtually any night cache published as a multi!

On the Left Side of the Road...

[JimandLinda]

Thanks to everyone that voted their mind on this “Multiphobia” question. The point spread was fairly even and generated some good input.

Multis have been moved up higher on our list, since passing the 1K mark. They also appear more often on the LCG.

But the most interesting thing that we learned from this thread was that the multis are usually constructed to highlight an area of geological or historical interest. They may take more time, but we consider it time well spent!

Happy New Year!

[Author]

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