Does Anyone Ever Go Alone?

[+ADK 46-R]

I been geocaching for about 3 months now and i only have one good friend that enjoys it as much as i do. hes the only one i can get to go with me because we both love to hike to new areas. so i guess im asking 2 things...am i a complete loser because i will do 5 caches in a day by myself and does anyone else enjoy this sport by themselves all time?

[+KoosKoos]

Often, I can get our entire family to go...or sometimes, just one or both kids. But, many times, I've gone out by myself for an entire afternoon of caches...especially if I'm after micros or crazy hikes that the little ones have no interest in completing.

 

It's always more fun to go with others, but many, many geocachers trek out alone.

[ImpalaBob]

I am not alone ALL the time .... but I do cache alone.

[+LuvMyRitz]

I like to go alone a lot. I enjoy the time away, but play it smart. Always let someone know where you're going and have a plan. That way, if something happens, at least someone will have an idea where to start. You may know EXACTLY where you are, but no one else does if you don't tell them.

[+entropysedge]

I'm geocaching by myself all the time because I don't know anyone else who does.

Edited July 15, 2005 by entropysedge

[+BlueDeuce]

Could this be moved out of the Getting Started Forum? I have a bunch of great innuendoes and Double entendres.

 

(Sigh) oh well.

 

Typically I cache alone. Team caching can be a good time too.

Edited July 15, 2005 by BlueDeuce

[knowschad]

Sure. I frequently cache alone. But if you are looking for others in your area that are interested, try emailing some of the owners of caches placed in your area. It has worked for me.

[+reveritt]

I frequently go caching alone. Friday evenings after work, for example--or all day on Saturday if I don't have family obligations. Yeah, I like going alone.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I cache alone when I can. The wife doesn't like long hikes and the kids can't do them. We tend to do the easy caches together though.

[+Flag_Mtn_Hkrs]

I go alone more of the time than I do with my family. We started the sport as a family experience but excitement has wained in the passing months.

 

I live in a rural area with not many caches, so I will head to another town to do some caching alone. It is much quicker than hauling everyone in and out of the car.

 

I prefer to go alone because it gives me that down time I am looking for once in a while.

[+dblrngr]

Unless I'm on vacation with family, I'm usually alone. Enjoy the time and don't have to worry if I'm taking to long to hunt something down when someone else is ready to go after 5-10 minutes.

[+Miragee]

I have never hesitated to cache alone. I found almost all of my first 100 caches by myself.

 

Some caches are certainly easier to do if you are with someone. I would completely avoid most urban micros if I didn't have someone with me for those.

[+OzarksJim]

I almost always cache alone, but if I have friends or family along, that's even better.

 

But most of the time...

 

I walk this empty trail

On the Boulevard of Caching Dreams

Searching with full avail

and I'm the only one and I cache alone

 

I cache alone

I cache alone

[+AuntieWeasel]

I love doing the long hikes and the scenic ones by myself. It's just a wonderful feeling to be out in the woods or on the shore all alone.

 

I don't like the urban ones alone, though. I feel so conspicuous. Two people together, even if they're acting stupid, can chat and laugh and generally look like they're not up to something.

[+ADK 46-R]

nice...thx guys i love going alone like many of you said sometimes the downtime is necessary!

[+Packanack]

..am i a complete loser because i will do 5 caches in a day by myself and does anyone else enjoy this sport by themselves all time?ndefined

 

That is two questions: Answer to first , uneqivocally the answer is yes. Kidding of course. I have often thought there is no point in rusing to bag a certain number, enjoy the outing, I usually prefer one at a time, sometimes it takes a few trips to get that one, but hey if it continues to be fun I'll still go. Try hiding a new one, that can be fun too, and that you do by yourself.

 

And the answer to second: Of course. Sometimes I can get my son to go.

But no always, so sometimes I go for a walk myself. There seems to be more clubs forming as things progress and that is good for the long term health of the activity. Clubs will promote an evolution of the game so that survives long term and will provide support to the sport. Seek out a club in your area, if you want a social interaction type of experience. If not continue to go it alone. The sport is yours, it is not what someone else says it should be.

[+deimos444]

Usually just me and the doggie.

That way it is all mine.

Yes, I do have a teeshirt that says

"doesn't play well with others"

[+JohnnyVegas]

I do the real easy hikes with my Gorlfreind, but the longer days of caching I do alone, She will not drink water while hiking so I do not take her on the longer days. Besides she works and I am retired so I have more time for geocaching than she does.

[+ADK 46-R]

she doesnt drink water while hiking??? what???

[+Smitherington]

Yep. I cache alone most of the time. I love to take grandkids so that happens at times. There are a few that I can't or won't do myself. Most are quite do-able alone.

[+Bull Moose]

90% of the time I'm the only human on my hunts, but the dog is usually with me.

[+Team Neos]

she doesnt drink water while hiking??? what???

My guess (being female) is that it is an issue with the lack of facilities for recyling the water.

[+BilboB]

Most of the time it is me, myself and I. I would prefer it that way anyhow. Sometimes (and it is very rare) my wife will come with me, and sometimes my kids (2 and 5) come with me. We all tend to go for the easy ones. They get so excited when finding them it is worth it. On vacation, we tend to all go for the locationless ones. Sometimes these are harder to find than some actual caches.

[+shawhh]

mostly cache alone. just my schedule being different from the regular 9 to 5 crowd. -harry

[+ADK 46-R]

well grant it...my reason for caching alone is lack of interested friends/family and honestly i like to smoke a little herb and walk for a while in the woods...most wouldnt agree but o well...thanks everyone for all of your feedback you have been helpfull! keep it comming!

[+StarBrand]

On about 80% of caches - the whole family goes. The other 20% - Just me.

[Apollo Bob]

I have found that caching alone is a good way to get "me" time. I've cached a little with my girlfriend, and want her to come along more. Of course, that will entail having to accept that she's generally better/quicker at finding them than me.

[+Team Zappy 45]

I am doing my geo caching alone most of the time. As soon as I get to know some other cachers I would like company some of the time. There will always be times when getting out alone is my first option

[+denali7]

we cache alone almost all the time.

-denali and nugget (woof!)

[+bigdog999]

I always cache alone. None of my friends are into it, and I don't really know any other cachers.

[+deimos444]

well grant it...my reason for caching alone is lack of interested friends/family and honestly i like to smoke a little herb and walk for a while in the woods...most wouldnt agree but o well...thanks everyone for all of your feedback you have been helpfull! keep it comming!

Naughty Naughty

Smokey the Bear says be vigilant with that butt(roach).

[+BlueDeuce]

well grant it...my reason for caching alone is lack of interested friends/family and honestly i like to smoke a little herb and walk for a while in the woods...most wouldnt agree but o well...thanks everyone for all of your feedback you have been helpfull! keep it comming!

Dang, you're in New York.

[+diverhank]

I cache alone. A couple of times my kids tagged along but they were more of a distraction than help. I find the caches better by myself and I've discovered I like the solitude.

 

Like you, I don't find very many per day. I like to take my time and enjoy the act of looking and finding. Numbers are of secondary importance since I don't compete against anyone. By doing it slow, I find I can remember my experience better.

[+sbell111]

I almost always go alone, unless I am trying to convince a friend or relative that I'm insane. I like to take Darby the Wonder Pup, sometimes. She's good for a chuckle.

Edited July 15, 2005 by sbell111

[WH]

I love caching with others but, unfortunately, willing partners are difficult to come by so Im usually out alone.

[+Kllr Wolf]

I usually cache alone. Most of the caches in the town have been placed by the only frequent cachers here. Of course there is a fairley new cacher (besides me) that I want to talk to about going caching together, but if not I will continue to cache alone.

[+JimmyEv]

Almost always alone, except for night caches. A friend of mine thinks those are really cool. But on regular caches, my dog won't even come with me. She doesn't like thickets. But solitude is a good thing.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

My wife and I use a team name for our finds, and we do tackle all the tough ones together, and even most of the easier ones. However, we both feel totally free to gou out hunting alone. And, we live in the wilderness, near a large state wilderness park. Sometimes in the mornings, if Sue is feeling the need for a bit of exercise, she will head out alone on foot with the GPSr and our dog, and hike/bushwack 2 or 3 miles in the nearby state park to visit four of our caches and to read the logbooks in each one.

[+Pork King]

I go it alone all the time. Most of the time, I am by myself when I geocache, too.

 

I occasionally make plans with other local cachers to team up, but my regular caching bud is in S. Korea at the moment fulfilling his obligations to Uncle Sam. I will usually go out on Saturday and find 10-20 by myself in an unfamiliar area. Well, not TOTALLY by myself...My good friend, Springfield Armory .45 semi-auto is a good caching buddy in questionable areas.

[+geo_trekers]

Cache alone? Like others have said, down time for myself. Alot of the time it is just me and my dog. He really likes to run and crash through the bush! I have taken others with to show what it is all about, but most of the time alone. I do let someone know where I am going just in case.

[+Cryptid]

On occasion my Girlfriend and her kids will go with me, they will chase lizards and snakes, yes she chases lizards, catches them and kisses them on their heads. (Sorry guys, she's all mine). But they have no interest in caching with me, so I'm alone most of my hunts.

Edited July 16, 2005 by Cruiserdude

[+Jhwk]

Lately (95+ deg) I find myself caching alone. Often my daughter will join me, but I have been going farther and farther out to hunt. Have almost seriously injured myself the last two times out (caches on or near bluffs) so now I leave a list of the caches I am targeting for the wife in case I disappear.

[+ADK 46-R]

hahah hell yea pork king gotto be packin in some areas....

[+Team Cotati]

No.

[+TrailGators]

When I go alone I ALWAYS feel weird if I'm in a public place looking around in bushes or under almost everything in sight. I think to myself that these people must think that I'm a nutcase or something.

But if I'm with a buddy it doesn't bother me because it's OK to be a nutcase if you're with one!

Anyhow, whenever I go by myself, I usually go for hikes (away from all the embarrassing situations).

Those are actually better by yourself because you don't have to worry about hiking too fast or too slow!

But I think caching is always best with a group! Post when and where you are going on the local forum and you might find some takers!

Edited July 16, 2005 by TrailGators

[+ATMS]

2/3 of Team ATMS 88 tend to only go when the weather is just right...and the terrain is easy. And they don't like micros. So I tend to go out on my own. I have yet to run into another cacher out there, but I would like too! Just so I know I'm not the only one obsessed with this! I do have a lab that is almost behaved enough to take with me, but her sister is still to hyper. I don't mind caching by myself and I would love to do night caches, but my husband doesn't think it is as safe. So for now, I'm out there alone in the summer heat, in the woods looking for micros. Fall will be here soon and we can be a team again!

[+JohnnyVegas]

she doesnt drink water while hiking??? what???

Thats right, thats why I do not take on hikes, SOmething to do with lack of restrooms on the trail

[bogleman]

I base my decision on the type of cache I am going after. I will take the kids along with me when looking for in town micros and some easy regular caches. A majority of the time it's just me. My wife has gone along for a few hunts, she could care less it's not her thing. So it's just me, myself and I.

[+briansnat]

I have around 380 finds and my wife has 180 I think. So not counting maybe 20-30 or so that I found on hunts with other geocachers, the rest were done alone.

[nobby.nobbs]

not much choice really, only get my daughter at weekends and don't fancy going caching with ex! so unless one of the rare trips with friends always on my own.

 

who am i kidding, ilove the peace and quiet of the walk.