Data Hacking

Chapter 11 — Hacking Geocaching
Resist the temptation to slow down and stop when doing this 20 yard bit — this will only add to
your errors! Rather than slow down, stop instead, letting your GPS receiver get a good fix before
moving on.
Look for Signs of Disturbance
Chances are good that you’re not the first person who has looked for and visited the cache; and
even if you are the first to find it, remember that the person who placed the cache has been
there already! In other words, look closely for signs that others have been there before you.
Many of the popular caches are dead easy to find because the previous cachers have left a wide
trail in the undergrowth leading right up to the cache. In addition to this ground disturbance,
many cachers, after finding the cache, sit themselves down near the hiding place in order to fill
in the log book and do their swaps. Therefore, when hunting for a cache, think about where
would you sit — it might just lead you to it!
Things to look for include the following:
Footprints
Flattened grass
Broken twigs
Garbage (sadly, trash is often found near caches — why not take a bag with you and
clean it up? Cache in-trash out!)
Objects out of place
Other disturbances, such as overturned logs or rocks
These signs can quickly give away the position of a cache from many yards away. In fact, with a
little experience, you won’t even need to look at the GPS when you are within 50 yards of the
cache!
Look for Breaks in the Tree Cover
If the cache you are seeking is under tree cover, searching is going to be tougher. Leaves absorb
the signal from the GPS satellites, which means that accuracy will suffer. Your best option here
is to look for a break in the tree cover and then sit there for a few minutes until your GPS gets
a good signal lock before resuming the hunt.
After you regain signal lock, start moving again, making a mental note of the direction in
which your receiver is telling you to go and going that way. If you lose signal lock again, try to
find a different break in the tree canopy and wait there for a few minutes again to get a good
lock. Once you begin to move again, you should get a direction to the cache. If you are lucky,
the direction that you are being told to go in will intersect with your previous direction — this
will give you a good clue as to where the cache is.
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