Whenever I know I might be visiting a new area, taking a holiday or going on a road trip, I immediately start looking for caches that I might want to find. While a scattergun approach – just getting there and wandering around, finding caches at random – requires no preparation and can be a fun way to explore a city, I’d be hyperventilating in panic that I might be missing some historically or statistically important caches. My preference is to make a list of caches to prioritise, according to various criteria. Here’s what I look out for when I’m planning a trip:
- Webcams. There’s so few of these left, since they were ‘grandfathered’ in 2005, and I’ve logged all the remaining ones in the UK. So when I’m in a new country, the first thing I do is check to see if there’s a live Webcam cache left.
- Virtuals. There was a time when these were rare and old, having also been grandfathered back in 2005. However, even since their revival under the ‘Virtual Reward’ programme, they can take you to some amazing places as their locations tend to be well thought-out compared to most Trads.
- Golden Oldies. As well as Webcams and Virtuals, there are often other older caches to be found when visiting a new place. I usually start by searching for any pre-2002 caches, and focus especially on any that might help with my ‘Jasmer Grid.’
- Solved Puzzles. I like to try and solve a few puzzle caches if I know I’m in a new city. Often the language barrier will beat me, even with Google Translate, but I can usually manage to find at least one!
- Events. It’s always a bonus if I spot an event that’s happening when I’m in town. It’s a good way to meet new cachers, get hints on local puzzles, and also get rid of a few trackables that I’m carrying around! If there isn’t one, I’ll just hold one of my own. That way you know you’re going to get at least one find!
- Gadget Caches. These are a great way to have fun. I make a beeline for a gadget cache wherever I am, and try to remember to check for any TOTTs needed in advance, such as batteries or tweezers.
- Larger caches. Again, these are a good way to deposit trackables safely. They’re also fairly rare these days, especially in a city, so they always make a welcome change.
- Counties or Regions If I’m in a country for long enough, I might look to see whether it’s possible to visit different areas and colour in the ‘counties’ map, depending on local municipal organsiation.
- Cache Types. By the time I’ve drafted up a list using these preferences, I often find that I’ve earmarked a range of cache types. Which ones have I not targeted? A quick check of the area I’m staying in can then help me to add a few more types to my haul.
- Difficulty/Terrain. I’ve long since completed my D/T grid but occasionally turn my attention to completing a further loop. A visit to a new area can often reveal a handy combination!
- Adventure Labs. These rarely form a part of my priorities for a caching trip as the majority are fairly dull in my experience, but if I’m passing them I’ll certainly have a go. Occasionally I might spot a set that’s a bit different and add them to my hitlist. Some can certainly make useful tour guides and if there’s a set at the airport, there’s something to do to kill time!
- FTFs. These are difficult to plan for in advance, but if I spot one that’s been published sometime but remains unfound, I’ll add it to my list, after a bit of research. After all, there’s nothing more satisfying that snatching an FTF from under the nose of local cachers!
- Resusitator (Resus) caches. As with FTFs, these can be another very satisfying achievement, although I probably wouldn’t go far out of my way for one. Still, if I’m likely to be passing by, on the list it goes!
At this point I usually realise that my spreadsheet has 40 or 50 caches in it and I’m only there for eight hours! Oh well. Often the planning is as satisfying as the journey itself!
Andy Wright 10/9/24
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