Anybody here Geocache?

Guyon

Guyon

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I have some growing interest in Geocaching, though I've never done it. Just ordered a GPS handheld (Garmin 60CSx) for hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking. However, I may give it a workout with a little geocaching too.

Any tips? Any good sites for geocaching info?
 
www.geocaching.com

When you register, you get to fill in your home coordinates. Then you can see a list of caches closest to your home.

When I started, I found 3 caches less than 1 km from my home. :thumbup:
 
I have some general interest in this too, although I have never done it. I just picked up a Garmin eTrex Summit HC and entered a few coordinates around my area off geocaching.com.
 
I just discovered this on Monday. Signed up, went out and found one, very cool. Going out today to locate a couple of benchmarks.
Something to do.
 
Thanks for reminding me, I was thinking of doing this last winter but some of the geocaches in my area were unaccessible.

I'm heading out the door as we speak with my daugther for the day.
 
Thinkin' of tryin' it out in the next day or two, seems like good times and a good excercise in orienteering potentially!
 
I used to geocache, but in my area, they started to get REALLY redundant.. all 1 star difficulty with 2 star terrain. we have one cache in my town that is a 5 star difficulty, but 1 star terrain. it's one of those PITA nano-cache things.. the container is smaller in diameter than a dime.

all in all, it's a fun hobby, but unless you live in an area with creative 'cachers, you'll get bored in a few months.

some of these people are sick in the head though.. for example:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=e75f749a-79a9-4dd1-8ce8-903ee31f66df
 
I won't be looking for caches in pools of crap. :p
 
BF member Sasha is pretty big on geocaching if I recall correctly, maybe he'll chime in here too as well :thumbup:
 
Ken_McCarty said:
all in all, it's a fun hobby, but unless you live in an area with creative 'cachers, you'll get bored in a few months.
Click to expand...

This is what happened to me. I do like to grab some cache coordinates before I go somewhere on vacation, that can be fun.
 
Ken_McCarty said:
all in all, it's a fun hobby, but unless you live in an area with creative 'cachers, you'll get bored in a few months.
Click to expand...

Well, you could be a creative cacher yourself, right? Take some folks off roads and into interesting terrain.
 
Guyon said:
Well, you could be a creative cacher yourself, right? Take some folks off roads and into interesting terrain.
Click to expand...

this is true, but I'm also quite busy, and the general rule is don't place a cache unless you feel you can properly maintain it.. and I don't have that kind of confidence in my schedule. I also live in a city that has no "interesting terrain":grumpy:
 
Hey Guyon ... I dont know if im a big time Geocacher as Rksoon says. But been doing it for a few years. I dont go for the # but more as a good reason to find new trails and adventures. Here in SO CALI we have many Cachers and they keep it very intresting. had to climb up dry waterfalls up some cliffs and bushwack where only jack rabbits should go. I get Poison Oak atlist 4 times a year. Done a 15-18 miles hikes just to find one cache... Over all i love it and do it as often as i can. I found some of the best trails and great view from top of the mountains. Always carry a walking stick in case you need to check under rocks. A multi tool is great to have as well as more water then you think you need... Oh i got the Garmin 60cx and i love it the best GPS out there for the outdoors. And welcom to a new addiction.

Sasha
 
I do a bit, and it's a good excuse to go out with a goal in mind, as opposed to just wandering, there are a probably a few caches around places that you've been before, but it is fun to look at things with new eyes. the geocache mother site has links to local groups, many that have periodic get togethers. I plan on doing a bunch when I travel to austrailia, just to have somewhere to go. lots of urban ones are lame because the good ones get snagged by the cops in our lovely post 9-11 world.
 
I geocache all the time with my kids. They love it! My son thinks it is treasure hunting.

I no longer use the GPS. I program it up, and let my son use it. I print out my USGS maps, with UTM grids, mark the cache location and navigate with maps. I just like the practice of map and compass work.

However, I can tell you that once you get close to your cache, the GPS will start bouncing around, telling you to go every which direction. You will find out that the "claimed accuracy" of the units is under ideal conditions, of which you will probably never be in :D

So, what I always did is get within about 100m of the cache, and let the GPS tell me what it though the bearing to the cache was. I would then shoot that bearing with a compass. I would then walk that bearing, estimating distance, and looking for likely cache locations based on the bearing and distance.

That method worked well for me.

It is a lot of fun, good way to practice navigation, and gives you an excuse to stop around in the woods :D

B
 
I just went for the first time last weekend. Found 6 caches in a 5 mile route. Was a good time. I can see where it would get boring if the difficulty was always low. Even some of the "easier" ones weren't real easy for me though. I found them all within a couple of minutes but they were decently hidden and I wouldn't have seen them if not specifically looking for them. Good time though.
 
Ken_McCarty said:
I used to geocache, but in my area, they started to get REALLY redundant.. all 1 star difficulty with 2 star terrain. we have one cache in my town that is a 5 star difficulty, but 1 star terrain. it's one of those PITA nano-cache things.. the container is smaller in diameter than a dime.

all in all, it's a fun hobby, but unless you live in an area with creative 'cachers, you'll get bored in a few months.

some of these people are sick in the head though.. for example:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=e75f749a-79a9-4dd1-8ce8-903ee31f66df
Click to expand...

I have been geocaching for 4 years, and sadly have found Ken's statement true in this area. I have become more selective in the caches I go after; more woodland hides, historical themes, and such. Just ignore the "PITA nano-cache things".

Maryland is blessed with a very active and innovative geocaching organization, as well as many imaginive hiders which keeps the interest up.

For those intersested in the Garmin GPS60CSx, check out this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=642363
 
I've done it. They always yell at me for putting knives in them. I'm Joezilla (go figure) on the site. I was just told of an underground tunnell geocache near here. Can't wait!
 
that is the top of the line for montain climber and expolers if your realy seirus you should order a unit that does paperless cacheing when your on there site look me up sk1ppe77 i geocache all the time im up to 185 miles this year from cacheing grear sport and what a way to find thing in your everyday world you never knew where there. go for it you'll love it. i have the oregan 400t
 
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