Gps Team Competition

[Smith Captain]

Hello all - I've been asked to ref two teams of 7 guys each for a 3+ hour Geocache team event near Galax, VA. None of the 14 guys have been Geocaching, and I was wondering how it would work if I had each team find the same two Geocaches, 5-10 miles apart, starting Team A heading to Geocache One first, then going to Geocache Two, and starting Team B heading to Geocache Two first, then going to Geocache One. Perhaps start both teams from the same "start point" but they'll go in opposite directions. At some point, both teams should cross each other's path while heading to their 2nd Geocache. Any suggestions from others who have had more experience? With thanks, Smith Captain

[MapheadMike]

Unless you have a decent level of athleticism in your crowd, figure 8-9 km is as far as someone is going to go on foot over three hours.

 

A rule of thumb that I use in orienteering is that your mile pace on a road or trail will be close to your kilometer pace in off-trail terrain, when slowed by having to navigate.

 

Two teams of seven? Only one person (two at most) in a group is going to be doing the navigating while the rest just follow along. Maybe place more caches out there, keep the total distance manageable, and create seven pairs or split the teams up 2-2-3 (or maybe turn all 14 loose individually) so more of your participants actually get to navigate for themselves. If navigating isn't the point, then you might as well just take a hike or a trail run.

[+Jester2112]

Check out GCQ64Q and read about The Gauntlet challenge. These folks sound pretty organized. I'm just trying to find some time to make the event.

[Stern963]

I am trying to organize an event in San Antonio using these rules or similar rules.

Basically it is just capture the flag in a local park. I'm not a scout I just copied the rules.

 

Capture the Flag

This is one of the most popular outdoor games for scouts.

 

Traditional Rules

From the 1947 Scoutmaster's Handbook, pp 447-8:

 

Space - Large

Type - Strenuous

Teams - Half Troop

Formation - Informal

Equipment - Two Signal Flags

 

Each team has its own territory in which its Scouts are free to move as they please, but on which opponents enter at their peril. The territories are separated by a boundary line such as a brook or a trail, etc. Any Scout crossing this line may be captured by the enemy.

 

The teams assemble close together at a starting point near the center of the line, each team in its own territory. On a signal the teams proceed to set their flags at any point within 200 steps of the starting point The flags must be visible, although it is permissible to place them as inconspicuously as possible.

 

After three minutes another signal is given for start of game. The object now is to enter the enemy's territory, capture the flag, and carry it across the line into home territory without being caught. Scouts may be posted to guard the flag, but not get nearer than 50 feet to it, unless an enemy Scout goes within the 50-foot circle. They may then follow him.

 

Any Scout found in the enemy's territory may be captured by grasping him long enough for the captor to say "Caught!" three times. When a Scout is captured he must go with captor to the "guard house" - a tree or rock from the boundary line.

 

A prisoner may be released by a friend touching him, provided the prisoner at that time is touching the guard house with a hand or a foot, whereupon both return to their own territory. If the rescuer is caught by the guards before he touches the prisoner, he, too, must go to the guard house. A rescuer can rescue only one prisoner at a time.

 

If the flag is successfully captured, it must be carried across the line into home territory. If the raider is caught before he reaches home, the flag is set up again at the point where it was rescued and the game as before. If niether side captures the enemy's flag within the time agreed up on (say, 1/2 hour) the game is won by the team with the most prisoners.

 

New Ideas

Hidden Flag

Allow each team to hide their flag out of sight. Before starting the game allow a scout from each team to be shown where the flag is. He must describe accurately, to his team, where the flag is. This requires that the scout be very observant.

Get Out of Jail Free

All team members caught in the jail can be set free when a single teammate touches the jail. BUT, they do not have free passage back to their territory.

Jail Break

If the game begins to stall, allow the judges to yell "Jail Break." At this moment all players in both jails are free to escape.

Orienteering Skills 1

Leaders hide flags and give 2 starting points for each team along a base line. Teams are split in two and sent to the starting points. At the starting point each group is given a compass bearing to their OWN flag. Each group follows its bearing - if they do it correctly the flag will be near where the bearings cross. Once each team locates its flag they will also find a map with bearings to the "enemy flag" which was left there. The game then procedes as usual. (Contributed by Mike Mullen, Troop 6, Boston Minuteman Council).

Orienteering Skills 2

Give both teams maps with starting points marked and bearings, and let them work it out on the map rather than having to actually walk the bearings. (Contributed by Mike Mullen, Troop 6, Boston Minuteman Council).

[Stern963]

If anyone is interested in a Capture the Flag event in San Antonio please email me at truster7463@sbcglobal.net. Thanks!!!!!

[Stern963]

Also a new way to play is to look at the HALO 2 multiplayer games.

 

Assault , neutral bomb, single bomb, multi bomb

 

CTF --- multi-flag, neutral flag, single-flag, multi-flag

 

Maybe a permutation of Slayer can be created.

[Stern963]

San Antonio Capture the Flag and Outdoor Games

[+Ran off]

Cool Idear If you have friends in Australia ask them to do the same.

[+GeoBlank]

A simple thing we have done to get a group of peole caching is to find a park or area that has 6 to 10 caches in a 1 square mile area (that is plenty if it is trails and horse/bike terrain)

 

I then create 3 teams of 3 to 5 each and give them each there own starting point and set them free. After a set amount of time like 3 hours we meet back to see who has found the most. We usually do a prep/rules talk over lunch and then meet back at the end of desert.

 

Each team must stay together and all teams use the same radio frequency to mock each other.

 

Have a few puzzle caches in the mix is alwasy good since it adds steps to the solution. Also I don't tell them where we are going before hand so there is less of a chacne to do research. I provide print out of the cache pages with the hint still decrypted.

 

Pretty basic but at the same time tadpoles as well as old Frogs have enjoyed working together and racing against one another.