What are Instant Notifications?

If you’ve been around the geocaching community for a little while, you have probably read the words “as soon as I got the notification, I ran out the door” written on a FTF log.  Have you ever wondered what they were talking about? How can I get these supper secret notifications?

Well it’s not really a secret.  It’s just one of the benefits of being a Geocaching Premium member.

First To Find

With a Geocaching Premium membership, you can set up notifications to be sent directly to any email address you choose.  You select a central location.  This can be your home coordinates or you can select some other coordinates.  If I am traveling out-of-town, I will set up notifications for the area I am traveling to so that I will get notified of any new caches in that area. After selecting your location, you also choose which types of geocaches to get notifications for. (Yes, you create a separate notification for each cache type in each location.  A bit of a pain!)

How to set up instant notifications

1. Visit the Instant Notifications page to add a new notification.
2. You will be given the option to name your notification.(very useful if you plan to set up many instant notifications)
3. Next you will choose the type from a list of more than a dozen types.
4. Choose the type of log you would like to be notified about (there are lots of these).
5. Enter your location’s coordinates.  (If you don’t know what they are, you can use the zip code)
6. Next, you decide the distance from the center point you would like to watch. (Remember this is as-the-crow flies. 10 miles could be an hour away)
7. Select the email address where you would like to receive the instant notification.
8. Check “Enable Notifications”
9. Click the “Create Notification” button.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf_EYL6KK8A[/embedyt]

So, if you have ever wondered how the same people keep getting first to find (FTF) on every new geocache within minutes of it being published, now you have the answer.  If you would like to get these notifications and join a few crazy cachers in your area in a race to be FTF, set up instant notifications.

Instant notifications do require a Premium Membership ($29.99/yr), but this is a small price to pay for being first.

Come on all you GeoNuts, purchase your Premium Membership at the geocaching website, get your instant notifications set up and I will see you at the next newly published geocache.

THE RACE IS ON!!