NorthWest Arkansas Cachers

Sometimes its really important to post a DNF. A DNF doesn't mean you're a bad cacher, sometimes it signals to the owner there's a problem with the cache.

Yesterday, after peterrath61 posted a DNF for one of the Micro Mania series caches, I looked on google earth to discover that I'd fat-fingered the coordinates and the posted coords were about 600 feet from where the cache was placed. Without the DNF, I might not have checked it for a while. It was hidden pretty well and I assumed people were just unable to find it.

Tonight, when we went to move it, because a new cache had been placed 25 feet from where we first hid it, we were unable to find the new cache. We posted a DNF, and an hour later a maintenance log had been posted - "Replaced Cache".

Now, we only post a DNF if we've given it a really good look-for, and we don't jump out of our chairs to verify every time a DNF is posted to one of our caches, but DNFs do get our attention and we'll check them as soon as possible.

So, when is the last time you posted a DNF. If you're not posting them, why? We're curious.

Now I know why the one time my friend and I tried finding that Micro Mania cache, we couldn't. LOL I didn't post a DNF 'cause we'd only tried once, and weren't even sure we were in the right area.

I don' always post DNF's unless I have a pretty good idea there's no where else it could have been placed, and tis not where I think it should be. The last DNF's I posted were on the 13th. I've been caching one or two times since then. If I don' look for over half an hour or an hour, I guess I don' feel I looked well enough, and just plain missed it. I'll eventually come back and try again, and then post DNF if I still can't find it.

We post all our DNF's. The last one we posted was Tuesday. I've even logged a DNF for caches we didn't actually hunt for but intended to. All of this and the reasons are clearly stated in our log as not to discourage others from hunting the cache or having the owner make an unnecessary maintenance check.

Every DNF should be logged. Irregardless of how many times you hunt the cache or if you think that it wasn't a thorough search. DNF's are important because, as TnT stated, it's the only way an owner can get an update from the field as to the status of their cache.

More importantly though, logging your DNF involves the cache owner in your experience. Some of our best logs were DNF's. We will never forget our Pajama Cache Run. I could have easily said that since it was dark we didn't give it a good search or that we would be back again but then we wouldn't have the record of our attempt and the cache owner would have missed out in sharing our experience with us. Which is kind of the point of hiding caches in the first place isn't it?

Don't be afraid to log a DNF. The instant you start worrying about statistics and how it looks to other cachers or whatever you've lost sight of the real essence of the game. Have fun!

Why would you log DNFs for caches that you intended to find, but didnt make it them? That doesnt make sense to me. If I followed that rule Id be online all the time!!

Like take for instance, we had to travel to Kansas City to catch a plane, so I created a caches along a route file and loaded it up in my GPSr. Now I intended to try and find as many as I could, but the rest of the family, not being cache insane as I am, would only let me cache IF there happen to be a cache near whereever we stopped for restroom or dinner. Well I never got to even search one. So if I follow you rule Id post 47 DNFs !!! NOT!!

I have posted DNF's for caches we didn't hunt but intended to but that was meant as an extenuating circumstance. I don't download caches along a route or anything like that but I've skipped several before. I skipped one this weekend and I'm not posting a DNF for it. Too flippin hot and I was too tired. I did manage to score no less than three DNF's out of seven caches we hunted this weekend. Those blasted ParkCaches are kicking my (expletive).

ok, whew!! Yep it is hot!!

We need to get some night caches going around here.

Do you mean cachin at night? Or cahces made for finding at night?

I do believe he's talking about caches made for finding at night. The problem I see is that Rogers/Bentonville don't have enough parkland to make a good one.

Gruizzer wrote:Do you mean cachin at night? Or cahces made for finding at night?

Both. This heat is a killer. But *TNT* is right not to many areas to place the nighttime only caches. However the walking trails might hold some promise

Also with the gas prices we should organize car pools to hunt more distant areas.

I'm all for caching trips, specially at night 'til the heat gets better. That's pretty much the only time I've been going out caching. In fact, I'm thinking about going out tonight to grab a few more caches, maybe even #100. grins

This sounds good to me!!! Any Rogers/Fayetteville area peeps wanna go night caching next weekend the 9th?? It's more fun to cache in groups I'll bring my own flashlight this time, hehehe.

There are plenty of urban caches around that each of us should be able to log plenty without having to do long hikes. If nothing else, the We Forgot series or Micro Mania series in Rogers would be a good theme for a cache run - well unless you're *TnT* and want to log something, LOL

I'm all for a night caching group next weekend. I've found all the We Forgots and most of the Micro Manias though. I don' really care what we hunt for. lol

I was just playing with our DNF statistics to see how bad it is. We've logged 507 caches online. We've also logged 53 DNF's. Of those, 20 were missing. So, statistically speaking, if we DNF a cache there is a 38% chance that it is gone.
It was at 50% last time I checked. I think I'm losing my touch.