How Do You Explain Geocaching?

[+UOTrackers]

My husband got me the etrex for christmas after I read an article about geocaching 2 years ago. He was very happy that he finally surprised me with something I wanted! I Love it! I even took off in a pretty powerful thunderstorm tonight to find a location I was unable to find on my first 2 attempts. Needless to say I'm in this for the long haul (We even bring our 9 week old with us, can't wait to start her signature collection!)

 

So my question is, how do those of you who have done this forever explain to people what it is your doing? I've tried to explain it and some people get it and others just give me this look like I'm not making any sense.

 

Any suggestiosn would be greatly appreciated!

[+Airmapper]

Geo..What???

 

Welcome!!!!

 

There is a Geocaching brochure I'll try and dig up a link to.

------------------

Here it is.

 

Geocaching Brochure

Edited December 29, 2005 by Airmapper

[+Chuy!]

I tell "muggles" I am on a scavenger hunt. Everyone seems to understand that, and puts people at ease if they are suspicious.

 

If they press for more info, I tell 'em the scavenger hunt I "play" uses a GPS receiver to help me locate the object.

[+reveritt]

I tell "muggles" I am on a scavenger hunt. Everyone seems to understand that, and puts people at ease if they are suspicious.

 

If they press for more info, I tell 'em the scavenger hunt I "play" uses a GPS receiver to help me locate the object.

That's exactly what I say, too, if someone asks me what I'm doing during a hunt.

 

To explain geocaching at other times--to people in the office, for example--I just give 'em the URL and tell them to check out the web site.

[+The Leprechauns]

Recently I had the unenviable task of delivering a geocaching-themed eulogy at the funeral of a prolific and beloved geocacher, and trying to explain the game to the 2/3 of the people at the memorial service who were not geocachers. This is what I said:

 

The game of geocaching is like a high-tech treasure hunt that we play using our parks and forests as the gameboard. Someone hides a container full of goodies, publishes the latitude and longitude coordinates on a website, and others try to find it using a handheld GPS receiver. Then you can take a present from the cache, and leave something else for the next person to find.

 

The 50 geocachers present said that they liked this short explanation. And I think I converted a muggle or two that day!

[+UOTrackers]

These are all great! The reason I asked is because I was on a hunt and my GPSr kept pointing into a restaurants garden dining area. It was inside a fenced area so I figured if the waypoint was in there then the owner would have had to ask the restaurant for permission. I mean we checked this location several times and it kept saying in the courtyard. So I finally went in to ask, they didn't have a clue. I tried to say thanks and leave but then they wanted to know what it was. This was only my 6th or so hunt and while I know what I am doing, I wasn't quite sure of a short explanation. Instead they said, "So you got up early and went out in the cold to play a game?" It was 10:30, that's not early to me, and it was around 60 out, not very cold. Warm enough in fact to bring my 9 week old. One of them knew what a benchmark was so I just smiled and said "yeah like that."

 

You've given me some great ways to explain it so I sound like I know what I'm talking about without going way into it! Thanks.

 

Brae

[+Sputnik 57]

. . . a high-tech treasure hunt that we play using our parks and forests as the gameboard.

This is probably the best description I've heard. Thank you so much, Lep. It combines the facts with a poetic touch that truly captures the essence of the game for me.

 

How lucky for those in attendance, cachers and non-cachers alike, to hear their friend's passion so beautifully described.

[+The Leprechauns]

. . . a high-tech treasure hunt that we play using our parks and forests as the gameboard.

This is probably the best description I've heard. Thank you so much, Lep. It combines the facts with a poetic touch that truly captures the essence of the game for me.

 

How lucky for those in attendance, cachers and non-cachers alike, to hear their friend's passion so beautifully described.

Thank you so much for those kind words. I put a lot of effort into writing my geo-eulogy, and I knew that I couldn't be geeky and say "hi there to all of the deceased's muggle friends." The speech needed to be about our friend and I kept rewriting it to condense the geocaching stuff to the bare minimum.

 

If you *really* want to see what geocaching is about, especially if you're a newbie, read the logs on A Walk Down Millionaire's Row. This multicache was owned by our departed friend, SherwoodForest, and it begins right on the steps of the church where his memorial service was held. My eulogy is published there in two note logs.

 

I am sorry to stray off-topic, but if you follow the link you will understand that geocaching is not about trinkets and tupperware. It is about friends, family and community.

Edited December 29, 2005 by The Leprechauns

[+Jhwk]

As often as possible, I take them caching with me, rather than explain. Two new "converts" on Saturday based on this method.

 

You can see the fire in their eyes when they follow the clues and spot the cache...

[+unicyclist]

If I get asked by a person such as a security gaurd I say that My friend and I hid clues for our birthday presents that are in one week. The area has a secret clue to our present.

[+TEAM RETRIEVER]

I try to explain it to friends. Some of them get it and others don't. When I get someone that doesn't get it, I simply tell them to look up www.geocaching.com! LOL!

[+Alan2]

High tech hide-and-go-seek.

[+Thot]

I tell people it's like a high tech easter egg hunt (there is no treasure), and if they want to know more read this http://factsfacts.com/geocacher.htm

[+Chuy!]

If I get asked by a person such as a security gaurd I say that My friend and I hid clues for our birthday presents that are in one week.  The area has a secret clue to our present.

You know, you should always be truthful to security people 'cause the next person they encounter may tell a different story and pi$$ off the guards. Matter of fact, I have used their presence to challenge the placement of the cache by offering to remove it if they want me to.

 

On one occasion, at a public cemetery, when I told the head groundskeeper I was participating in a scavenger hunt, he raised his voice and stated, "NOT IN MY CEMETERY YOU'RE NOT." I immediately offered to remove it, and to my surprise he asked what exactly were the rules of this game. It just so happened the cache was a patriotic puzzle cache, and the cache was near a flag pole. His main concern was people running through the cemetery in wantom disregard. I think (I hope) I impressed him with the level of intelligence (don't laugh San Diego people) I displayed for someone playing a scavenger hunt game. The point is if I would have lied to him and the next cacher told a different story, he would have very likely thrown out the cache. As a result of my frankness, the cache owner met personally with the groundskeeper to further explain our level of responsibility. The cache remains active.

[+Les Nomades]

Everytime I tried to explain the game with the word cache, people would say "oh it's like a treasure hunt" so now, thats what I tell them, ....it's a treasure hunt

[BRTango]

I used the treasure hunt explanation with my mother and my 5 year old nephew. Of course the nephew was pretty excited about that and wanted to go. We went out and did 3 caches that day... he loved it. On the final cache, the treasure he left was a spinning top and the treasure he was really excited about taking was a highlighter... strange kid that one.

 

Anyway... I usually use the treasure hunt explanation.

[+saxdiva and mr. vibes]

I usually explain it as a treasure hunt for geeks. People who know me seem to get that right away.

 

-Leanne

[+nomad_penguin]

High tech hide-and-go-seek.

 

Yeah, we explain it like this: "four words - geek hide and seek". People seem to get that.

[terrible2u]

i had never thought of the "geek" in all of this. but somehow i always get stuck in geek-things. funny hows that..

[+JegMag]

We generally use the treasure hunt explanation, but I like GUILT.

 

Grown up idiots looking for tupperware.

[+vw_k]

I usually check the they know what GPS is, then explain that it's a kind of treasure hunt using GPS to find hidden boxes and sign a logbook.

[+q22q17]

I've come to use the term scavenger hunt more than a treasure hunt, especially in high-muggle areas. Because if the muggle sees you, no matter how hard you are trying to be stealth, the word treasure connotes that there may be something of high intrinsic value there. Scavenger means that there probably isn't anything more there than finding 12 paperclips, or something like that.

 

The goal is to remain as quiet and stealth as possible, and not to allow the cache to be muggled or stolen.

[+hikerT]

At the first cache I ever found I traded for a homemade magnet that said "I use multi-billion dollar military satellites to find tupperware hidden in the woods. What do YOU do?" I think that sums it up.

[+Juicepig]

I tell them I was skydiving, and lost my camera. I am certain I dropped it somewhere around here...

[terrible2u]

I tell them I was skydiving, and lost my camera. I am certain I dropped it somewhere around here...

 

that ones cool, then they will adore you, not thinking "my god, what a nerd, doesnt he have anything else to do?!"..

[+badlands]

I tell them that I am hunting for Tupperware. That usually gets their attention and then I give them the longer explanation about geocaching being a high tech scavenger hunt.

[+mithuth]

At the first cache I ever found I traded for a homemade magnet that said "I use multi-billion dollar military satellites to find tupperware hidden in the woods. What do YOU do?" I think that sums it up.

 

That's quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever read. lol.

[+hukilaulau]

I tell this abbreviated version of the history of Geocaching:

Once there were two guys who both had gps receivers and they both hiked and camped a lot. One day one of the guys said,"If I hid something in the woods and gave you the coordinates, would you go look for it?"

The other guy said, "Yeah!"

[gobuzz]

I tried explaining it a friend once and he said "so you tramp through the woods to find things that many other people have already found?". I don't think he gets it at all...