aireland

Again, can't edit, but was thinking along the lines of a moon cache, or a Mars cache

Lol! Just googled it and found some cool results! Still would be a fun discussion to mull over what a cool space geocache would be like!

Can't edit on my phone, but noticed I made a rookie mistake by using "laying" instead of "lying" in bed. Will edit later for clarity...

So, I was laying in my bed, pondering the mysteries of the universe as I often do... and I decided to look up pictures from various moon expeditions. While looking through these magnificent moments in human history, and marveling at just how far we have come as a species, I thought to myself... How awesome would it be to have a geocache placed in space. I'm aware that NASA most likely will not be sending people to the moon like the lunar glory days of old, but the idea of a geocache being stored out somewhere in space for people of all origins to someday reach, is awesome to me. A geocache after all, at its most basic level is a shared treasure to be sought out by all who come to seek it, and a vehicle for recording and passing on each visitors' legacy through a signed log. My questions for the geocaching community -- Is this goal possible? When would it be able to happen? What measures would we (as a community) need to take to make it happen? And, what are your suggestions for a would-be galactic geocache? Thanks for taking to time to humor me and engage in fun and imaginative discussion, let's hear your thoughts... (By the way, here is a link to some of the pictures: http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/kippsphotos/apollo.html )

Today while I was out caching in a semi-public environment, I was stopped by a group of youths who wanted to know if I was playing "pokemon go". I use the geocaching app from the iPhone appstore to hunt for caches, and I realized today after my encounter with these mugglets that the general public probably thinks I'm playing pokemon go, while I'm really just looking for caches. I'm not a fan of the pokemon game and I'm not really comfortable with people thinking that I'm playing it. I know a "quick fix" would be to buy a GPS instead of use the iPhone app, but I'm not going to do that. I just wanted to gauge the community to see if anyone else has felt this way/had this thought.

I'm not sure if I'm treading onto an old and beaten down path with this, but I was thinking about the possibility this morning of adding a feature to the geocaching experience that would allow users to join 'Groups'. These groups would be user created and could either be exclusive or all-inclusive, and they could be centered around a shared location, a common theme, or even expertise and personal goals. Groups could either be solely for recreation and for teamwork building, or could be utilized in a way so as to create a competitive environment where groups vie for certain levels of prestige amongst each other based on various factors. Group functionality could include a group message feature on the app that allows members of certain groups to message each other and to communicate efficiently, as well as other features like a shared "Group Profile" where Group admins could post pictures and other info regarding their group's experiences. Groups could be anywhere from 1-3 people or 200 people depending on the purpose and design of the group. In addition, custom made geocoins and other gear could be personalized for use by group members. There are numerous possibilities that could be discussed, so before I get too into this I would like to address the community to gauge your thoughts and perspective with regards to adding a 'Group' function to the geocaching hobby as both an online presence and local, offline presence.

About two weeks ago, by complete accident, I fell down the rabbit's hole that is geocaching. I was out on a hike with some friends on a warm summers day and we came across a lackadaisically hidden letterbox on the bank of a river. Intrigued by the idea that throughout these woods there were hidden objects waiting to be found by those who sought them out, and only those who sought them out (with the exception of the one we found), I went home and researched. When I found various blogs and videos describing the geocaching experience, I was immediately hooked. I proceeded to download the app, send away $30 to the Groundspeak team in exchange for premium membership, and go out looking for my first few caches. My first real opportunity came last weekend while I was staying in Boston. After a Red Sox game at Fenway my friends and I had some wandering time on our hands and were keen on seeing the most of the city as possible while we were there. It was the perfect chance to break out the geocaching app for the first time, and we had an absolute blast searching for a mystery cache near Boston Commons Park and figuring out the field puzzle that granted us access to the goodies inside. Since then I've gone hiking when I could, and have found 16 caches to date (I know that is mediocre, but c'mon). Anyway, I was curious about the ways in which other people from around the world have stumbled upon this hobby, so I created this thread to give you all the chance to tell your story and to possibly share some interesting 'first cache hunt' experiences that you have had.