Ever heard of "Geocaching"?

honeywell · Post by **honeywell** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 2:16 pm

I was at the dentist with my boys. While they were in back I was reading a magazine (they didn't have no woodworking ones). There was an article called "Geocaching" pronounced cashing. You use a GPS to find containers, about the size of tupperware. They have tinkets in them. Then you sign a log book documenting your find. Has anyone done this?

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 3:56 pm

honeywell wrote:I was at the dentist with my boys. While they were in back I was reading a magazine (they didn't have no woodworking ones). There was an article called "Geocaching" pronounced cashing. You use a GPS to find containers, about the size of tupperware. They have tinkets in them. Then you sign a log book documenting your find. Has anyone done this?

One of our members does this...I do not recall who right now, but it is part of his profile.

ryanbp01 · Post by **ryanbp01** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:13 am

My daughter has.
BPR

joedw00 · Post by **joedw00** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:19 am

I have not done it, sounds like it would be fun and time consuming. I guess there are clubs just about everywhere. I didn't learn about until sometime last year.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:57 am

I have a couple of friends that do. And my sister and her husband go out with friends and do it every now and then. I personally don't see the allure (but some people don't see the allure of woodworking either). That might would change if I actually did it.

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:52 pm

Hi,

I do it.

It depends on what you like to do, in my case I like to walk and take in nature so it is a good fit and keeps me active walking wise.

Last summer my wife and I set out to find one in Northern WI, we ended up eating our way to the cache. Found blueberries and raspberries almost all along the way. When we finally got to the cache it turned out to be one of my brothers birdhouses converted to this purpose. Quite a surprise! (I'll leave out the part about the rain storm that also soaked us).

[ATTACH]8401[/ATTACH]

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Lot of other interesting adventures. Some of them just lead you into the most interesting places that only the locals know about. Also a lot of nature to photograph along the way, like maybe an eagle nest or a huge boulder, or scenic overlook....

I have done some of the spider cache ones where the object to find is quite small, like one of those magnetic key holders that you hide on your car... except they do things like hide them in a drain water gutter in the curb of a street.

I've been doing this for a while now and never kept track of how many I've found but I would have to guess maybe like 700. Started out with a receiver a palm pilot, not to accurate but it worked, I now have a Garmin "Legend" c.2001(?) which is a lot nicer to use but rather dated now I would guess (haven't kept up with the technology).

Ed

honeywell · Post by **honeywell** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:59 pm

reible wrote: When we finally got to the cache it turned out to be one of my brothers birdhouses converted to this purpose. Quite a surprise!
Ed

That's my biggest concern. If I take my boys out and we spend hours looking for the cache. It might be in plain sight, but I would be looking for something less obvious. Then they would get disappointed and not want to do it again.

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:06 pm

Hi,

Most of them are easy to find. I'd say maybe 10 of the 700+ or so I have not been able to locate. In these cases the cache may have been removed or stolen or not as close to the location given as it should have been.

If you check here:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... 0607212d54

you will find the information for the cache I mentioned as well as other historic information... the educational aspect of the sport. They often have a "aditional hint" that can be helpful if you are having problems(Additional Hints ([url=javascript:void(0);]Encrypt[/url])).

I have a laptop which I use to get the general location of my days outing and then organize a route using Delorme software. The laptop has a gps attached so I can get close with the use of that, then switch to my hand held unit. I store the locations in the hand held gps before I go out to save day lite for the adventure and the evening before for the planning.

If you can find someone to ask for help or attend a beginners class it might help you get started. There are some techniques which will make the early going a little easier if you learn them first.

Ed

Lodgepole · Post by **Lodgepole** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:31 am

Just a quick word of advice regarding planting a geocache, do not put near any kind of structure. A few years ago, 2 individuals place a geocache under a bridge on Highway 55. The Idaho State Police brought in a bomb squad to check out the geocache.

Highway 55 was shut down for about 3 hours. And the 2 individuals were heavily fined and paid for the bomb squad's time.

foxtrapper · Post by **foxtrapper** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:39 am

I geocache a bit. Don't like the micro caches, but the full sized ones are fun, especially when doing it with my boy.

Far more fun imo are letterboxes and old fashioned orienteering. We have some excellent letterboxers in my area, who spin a terrific story.