A search for a cache that ends in a DNF log can be a frustrating experience. You search and search all around the coordinates, looking under every rock and on every tree branch, but there’s not a logbook in sight. However, with a little perspective shift, logging a DNF becomes the first chapter of an epic geocaching story instead of a single episode of caching frustration.

Logging a DNF does not have to mean defeat. Instead, think of it as setting the stage for an inspiring comeback in the future where you find the cache and turn that blue frown into a beaming yellow smiley. We asked geocachers on Facebook to tell us about their stories of avenged DNFs and are sharing a few here. Read the stories below.

It’s hard to remember a time before geocaching, after all, it’s been over 20 years! Once geocaching comes into your life though, common household items begin to change. An everyday object may become more useful as a TOTT (tool of the trade) or a waterproof container as the start of your next geocache. We’ve listed five items that take on a new meaning after you become a geocacher. Do these everyday objects make you think of geocaching before their original purpose?