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Who Got You Started?


Thrak

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How did you get interested in/hooked on geocaching? Who introduced you to the whole thing? Did you take to it right away or did you "stew about it" for a while? When you tried it were you instantly hooked or did it take a bit for it to grab you?

 

As a total n00b I am interested in your story. I think that perhaps other n00bs (as well as seasoned cachers) might be interested as well.

 

A neighbor mentioned it (with MUCH enthusiam) last week or so and I thought I'd check out the web site. Within a week I have signed up here, read a zillion posts, ordered a GPSr, looked at a couple of local cache sites (althouth without a GPSr I didn't really put time into finding a cache), and am waiting HORRIBLY IMPATIENTLY for my GPSr to arrive so I can try this. I'm a computer nerd (inside a LOT on the computer) but also enjoy camping and the outdoors (which I never seem to do anymore) so this seems like a wonderful way to indulge my computer geekness and get back to doing things outdoors as well.

 

Sheesh, I haven't even done it once and am going nuts waiting to try.

 

So...... What is YOUR story?

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Two years ago, a wise man by the name of Tonsil showed me the ways of things "GEO". It took a year for his babbling to sink in. I've just recently fired him as my mentor and started recording a solo album. :lol:

 

EDIT: Oh, I suppose I'll tell the story:

 

I got a Garmin E-Trex through Marlboro (no, I don't smoke :lol: ) and it sat in the box for a year. Tonsil knew I had it and told me repeatedly of a way to actually use it for fun. It finally took a vacation trip to actually break open the box and experiment with it. The rest they say...

Edited by YemonYime
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There was a thread about this very recently, but I'll repeat what I said then. I heard about it on a segment on NPR's "All Things Considered," but didn't think I would enjoy doing it alone.

 

When, months later, I finally found my first cache, I was instantly hooked and, weird as it sounds, I actually dream about some aspect of Geocaching every night . . . :lol:

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Wife and I visiting our daughter in Chicago area in late May. Her eTrex Legend had arrived the day before we got there and she was eager to give it a try. We spent the weekend with her caching. Mostly micros but did a couple regular caches too. Found my first couple caches using her GPSr.

 

Needless to say, my wife and I were hooked. Our daughter ordered my Father's Day/Birthday gift from Amazon.com before we left for home. Now I have my own eTrex Legend and I use it just about every Saturday morning as my wife and I go caching here in WPa.

 

Happy caching,

Possum48

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We receive a monthly magazine from our electric company, called Kentucky Living. Some months we read it, some months we don't. We happened to read it the month they had an article on geocaching featuring several Kentucky cachers. Sounded so cool, we immediately went to the website and signed up. We looked for caches in our area and actually found our first without a gps. We looked for the second and had no luck. We immediately got on ebay and bought a used gps and have been caching fools ever since. By the way, we found that second cache with no difficulty with the gps. We are hopelessly addicted and all things caching are never far from our minds.

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There was a thread about this very recently, but I'll repeat what I said then. I heard about it on a segment on NPR's "All Things Considered," but didn't think I would enjoy doing it alone.

 

When, months later, I finally found my first cache, I was instantly hooked and, weird as it sounds, I actually dream about some aspect of Geocaching every night . . . :lol:

What she said, except for the dreaming part! :lol:

 

Heard about it on NPR, checked the website, ordered a GPSr (I'd wanted an excuse to do that anyway), got hooked instantly. Nice thing is that my wife got hooked almost as quickly, which means I don't have to cache alone!

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I heard the NPR story, and also read the Kentucky Living article, but did nothing about it until a brewing buddy called me up and told me he had a new hobby ...

 

 

... hey, I've already told this story. Sorry

 

 

(edited to remove silly smiley face)

Edited by OHMIKY
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A friend of mine told me about it a couple of years ago. I was getting involved in Orienteering at the time, but was frustrated by the lack of events to go to (since I don't drive, I couldn't get to many of them), and neither the communal aspect nor the running around bit appealed to me.

 

So, I heard about Geocaching instead. Much more in line with my meandering, loner self. However, I didn't do anything about it until this January, and I only get out to cache once in a while. But I love it when I do go out, and I'm so glad I got the Garmin eTrex legend, it's been the perfect GPS for my caching wants and needs. In fact, I just got back from placing a travel bug back in the wild.

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I was visting long distance with a friend, she was telling me about how she and a mutual friend went geocaching. I couldn't grasp it on the phone and said, oh well. About a year later the mutal friend and I were on vacation in Seattle and he pulls out this machine and hands me a piece of paper. My first cache "Welcome to Seattle-The Original" I was hooked. My third cache that trip was "Wreck Beach" OMG I thought I was gonna die. Terrain of 2. Now mind you I am not a hiker. I climbed down and up I believe 315 steps (handmade from railroad ties). To this date I have not attempted a 3 and probably never will. But we did have a great time. BTW I got on e-bay while on vacation and had a GPSr setting in my mailbox when I arrived home :D

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I read a topic on a local forum that someone wrote. He was asking for someone to go geocaching with him and gave the Geocaching URL. I didn't call him because I was busy that weekend but my interest was peaked. I already had an E-Map, and decided to try it out. My first find was in knee deep snow, I got "lost" meaning I walked about one mile more than I should have, but ever since then, I've been hooked. It's gotten so bad, I've even taken time off work to be FTF. Help me, I need a life. :D

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I have a friend in TX and she told me about geocaching. Benz915 is my friend. {And she has gotten another person hooked on this too.} She sent me the website and I read the site.

 

Then I was suffering from cabin fever and decided I needed to get out of the house. So hubby and I bought a garmin gekko 101. I did not want to put to much into something that I was not sure I was going to enjoy. The rest is history. :D

 

The first cache my hubby and I found he asked me if I knew how to read the gps. I said no but I will figure it out. We followed the gps and foot prints {it was the winter time}. :lol: We found 3 caches that day and the rest is history. :D

 

Then in the spring I got a garmin Vista because I wanted a downloadable gps and gave my sister the gekko and she is hooked and she is still using the gekko.

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Bought my husband a GPS for his birthday because he drives a truck, and I thought the mapping info would come in handy for him on the road, especially when he had to make unexpected detours off-route to go around accidents or when the directions to the place he was going were wrong.

I ran across geocaching while I was researching the best GPS to buy. There were some caches near our home, so we tried them. We were fascinated by the fact that these caches were everywhere around town and we knew nothing about them for years. Then the caches took us to a few interesting places in our own town that we never knew existed, and we were hooked!

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I was out at the beach house for the 4th of July and found a copy of "Attache" the US Airways magazine on the coffee table that someone had knowingly or not left me. On the cover was a etrex with the words "Satellite Technology Comes Down to Earth". Inside was an article explaining the game. As I read it I started to twitch like a crack addict needing a fix. OH YEAH, I'M IN! :laughing:

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Wildbird did it. I told him about Letterboxing, and that we wanted to try it.

 

He basically said, "Pfft!" And plugged in some numbers into his GPSr and said, "Go try this." So we blindly followed this arrow thing and were blissful at the reward!

 

We did a few and bought a GPSr of our own by the next week. We now have three.

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A couple of my moms friends took her out geocaching one day and she told us about it. We thought it sounded like fun, so we checked out the website and then bought our first GPSr. We're new to this area and geocaching has been a way to find great places near our home.

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It was random chance that got me caching. When President Clinton lifted the restrictions (likely before going out to celibrate May Day 2000 at a party) I ran out and bought a GPSr. In trying to learn about this new tool/toy, I bookmarked an interesting web site.

 

On March 20th, 2002, I was cleaning up my bookmarks and ran across the Geocaching bookmark. Before the day was over, I had found my first three caches and have been chiping away at 'em ever since. 643 finds, 49 stashes and solved many puzzles that I've yet to hunt. :laughing:

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Short version: Younger sister's husband got a GPSr for Christmas and got involved... the next time we were together, husband went with them and was hooked (I was recooping from surgery and a bit skeptical)... as soon as I could hobble down the trail, I tagged along. Was hooked from the word go. Then we got his parents, our mom, older sister and her son recruited into the fold. It's quite a hoot when we all go together - someone could get hurt in the fray. ha ha ha

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I happened to be looking for a GPSr for use at work, and searched in Google and came across the Geocaching web site. The more I read about it,the more I became interested. I ended up buying a Garmin Legend, that was over a year ago. I did a few caches, then sort of set the GPSr aside, but continued looking at the web site religously. Finally at the beginning of last month, I got back into it, and the obsession is coming back in full force. If we are going anywhere, I always check to see if there are any interesting caches nearby.

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Surfing the net one night for Florida treasure hunting, happened upon a link, checked out the site, thought..."this has gotta be a hoax". Friend of mine came over that night, mentioned it to him, found one listed very near the house that I just knew where it had to be, went out and found it that night. Came back to the house, looked up another that we just knew where it was, went out and found it that night. Went to work the next day, friend was off, he went looking for one which he couldn't find as neither of us had a GPSr at the time, he got mad, hit Wally World and got his eTrex, found it, called me and rubbed it in. Got my GPSr a couple of months later for Xmas and that's the tale. Getting hooked was easy...finding a clinic to get over this addiction is going to be the hard part! :P

Edited by Jester2112
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Hi all!!

 

my hubby bought me my Garmin etrex Legend at xmas time, cuz he is always worried about me wandering the bushes at hunting season and getting hopelessly lost,, (I tried to tell him that his troubles would be over then) lol

 

and it sat till the beginning of this month,, I struggled with mapping programs, and I just couldn't figure out how to install them to it,, but hubby come through for me and figured it for me,, and I went out on my first geo cache after a buddy of mine from a hunting site (he was the one who helped me with maps and stuff, and belongs here) and told me that there was fun to be had with a gps!! he was right!! I am so hopelessly hooked now, and the only thing that stands between me and geocaching is my job!! lol :lol:

 

I love the outdoors, and love to be active, and my daughter gets a kick out of it too!! I would love to find someone in my area who also enjoys it,, I need a buddy to go out with... :P

 

Sue :lol:

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Over a year ago my dad told me about this "game-sport" called Geocaching and told me where to go. I was instantly hooked and found my first three without a GPS. The next day I went and bought a GPS however and have never looked back. The only thing with me is that with two young boys, it is hard to geocache. I will be so glad when school starts that way I will be able to start hitting them again.

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Over a year ago while at work, I was looking for a map on line for somewhere in Florida. I probably did a google search for the name of the state park or something and I found a cache page. I looked at it and thought it looked interesting. I told the hubby about it when I got home from work. I told him it sounds like fun, but we could never afford a GPSr. Then I promtly forgot all about it. Months later, I stumbled onto the web site yet again and I looked up caches near where I live, near where I grew up, near friends houses etc, and I lurked in the Forums gaining knowledge. I told the hubby about it again, but still thought we couldn't afford a GPSr. Apparently, hubby thought that since I mentioned it twice in a year or so it must be something I would really like to do becasue for Mother's Day this year he bought me an etrex Legend and we've been hooked ever since.

 

Our teenagers think we're crazy and never want to come with us, but that's okay becasue it's nice getting to spend time alone in the woods with the hubby. We actually talk a lot more, and it gets me off my duff! :P

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I was Googling my favorite hiking venue, hoping to find an on-line trail map. What I found instead was a cache page. That led me to the GC.com site, and the discovery that there were two of these cache thingies within walking distance of my house. I already had an old GPS, and was lucky enough to find both nearby caches on the first attempt. I was hooked.

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I bought a GPSr mainly so I could keep from getting lost while out ATVing or snowmobiling (and also do to trail maps for my local clubs) . . . and figured that I should at least attempt to justify the purchase of this "high tech toy" by using it as a hobby and motivation for me to get outside more often. I knew about geo-caching from reading some info about it in a local newspaper column.

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I read an article about a renatl car agency using GPS technology to keep track of their cars, followed the link to GPS units and that led to GC.com. My wife loves to hike, I needed a reason. Here we are.

 

Since then I've actually cached very little. I think I have 93 finds in 4 years. However I make up my interest in caching by publishing a little known magazine about the game.

 

El Diablo

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I heard a story about it on NPR on my drive to work one day. It sounded like a blast (even though to balance the storythey included some comments by a park ranger who was opposed to caching) so I borrowed a GPS reciever that evening and headed off to a nearby cache.

 

I found it on my first try and have been at it ever since. Liek El Diablo, I haven't attacked it with the passion of some cachers. I'll usually get a few locations for an area that I know I'll be in. If I have time to get to them I'll go, if not, I don't worry about it. That's why I've got only like 25 finds in 3 years or so.

 

With a house and two active kids to raise there's not alot of time for it. But when we do go we love it!

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Sort of Funny I got a GPS to use for hunting and fishing. Very similar to the first post I went to show my neighbor and low and behold he has the same unit! He told me about geocaching and took me the next day. All day now I am checking out locations in my area and have also now got my wife into it!

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I had never heard of it before. Then one day, I was hiking in the woods and I heard a voice exclaim "MUGGLE!!!!" Next thing I knew, I was in a headlock and hogtied by 5 or more people. They carried me off to a secret cave lit only with aromatherapy candles and with a giant image of Jeremy on the wall. There was several GPSr's around a giant ammobox altar, where I was "initiated" over the course of several days.

 

WHY?? Isn't that how all of you guys got in ????

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very complicated. I read about geocaching (or some very close equivilant, I don't remember) in my brother's Boys-Life, like, 5 years ago. I thought it was extremely neat, but not having a gps receiver is a huge hurdle I couldn't jump at the time. I put geocaching.com in my favorites.

 

3 years later, my mom gets a pda.

 

half a year later, my dad gets a street gps locater. But, my parents as themselves, they couldn't get it to work.

a month later, the pda refuses to talk to my moms computer. It goes to the basement (dum dum duuuuuum!).

 

not too long ago (say, 8 months) I get a new computer. My Favorites is transferred to the new computer via disk.

 

1 Month ago: The important part= my dad one day decides to give me the pda, stating that IF I get the GPS to work, I may keep everything to use at my liesure(sp?). I came this | | close to not getting it to work, but I found the manufacturer's drivers, and it was all good! :lol:

 

*crickets*

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I had never heard of it before. Then one day, I was hiking in the woods and I heard a voice exclaim "MUGGLE!!!!" Next thing I knew, I was in a headlock and hogtied by 5 or more people. They carried me off to a secret cave lit only with aromatherapy candles and with a giant image of Jeremy on the wall. There was several GPSr's around a giant ammobox altar, where I was "initiated" over the course of several days.

 

WHY?? Isn't that how all of you guys got in ????

YOU TOLD!!!!

 

You know what happens next...

 

Don't say you weren't warned...

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GeoBlank and I worked on the same team and he told me about it.

 

Apparently a previous team he was on had gone as a team event and he got hooked. So the two of us persuaded our teams manager to buy devices for the team and then we proceeded to go on several team events and thats when I got hooked.

 

Now the kids and I look forward to going as a family.

 

Cheers,

Gadget

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I read about it somewhere in 2001 maybe Inquest but I really dont' remember. Once I read it, it slipped into the back of my mind. A few months later I was sitting at my computer and all of the sudden rememberd geocaching and that it might be worth looking at. I figured if there was such a thing as geocaching there had to be a geocaching.com. There was. There was also Geocachingworldwide.com. I signed up for both looked at the closest caches. Texas for GCW.com and 4 miles away on GC.com so I went and looked and got skunked, and hooked.

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Almost the exact same story as Renegade Knight, I read about it (on several occasions, even saw a local TV news piece on it) and always seemed to slip in the back of my mind.

About a month ago, I was talking about in-car GPS/navigation systems with someone and geocaching popped back into my mind. Funny thing was, I forgot what the game was called so I Googled "GPS games" and this was one of the sites that came up. Read up on how to play and what to get, bought me a Magellan Sportrak Pro and been doing it since.

I originally thought it was be a cool active hobby my fiance and I could do together, but she dropped out because the high nerdy factor. Oh well, I enjoy it, and putting together my first hide.

 

Glad I found this site, learned alot from all the active posters.

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well for me i was camping with my youth group and aminul is a member of that group and one day hes just like who wants to ge treasure hunting.. im like alright sounds cool and all that so 4-5 of us left the camp ground went to find what was called a cache and i LOVED it it was soo fun im hooked vut dont have a gps yet and dont drive yet so i can only do ones that ar near were i live lol

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In 2002 I was looking up GPSs to replace my Garmin GPS 48, ( I bought the Rino 120) and found Geocaching that way, but didn't start until my Friend Jeepdogs, told me he had found a few, so I looked it up and saw there was a cache right by my kids Dojo, so instead of waiting in the car I went Geocahing for the 1st time, that was Sept '04, been hooked ever since.

Edited by Cruiserdude
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There was a article in our local news paper about Geocaching,I cut it out of the paper and put it on the refrigerator.

It wasn't till this year that I became a member and started spending time in the forums reading.

I'm still saving for my first GPS unit,after I get it i'll get a premium membership. :P

I'm planning on being at Pizzacache Bash III Aug 24 05,in Lincoln Park, Rock Island,IL. put on by NiteCacher.http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=649a12e0-54e4-498f-93e2-4b1c95376b66 :P

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