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What's The Point In Caching


Marko505

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It's about the thrill of the hunt. Exploration of places you didn't know about. Quality time with family. Research and planning of the next hide. Scenic vistas. A practical use of cool technology. Finding the unexpected. Learning to deal with frustration. Meeting nice people. Getting some exercise. Reason to finally drive down that road. Having fun. A shared interest with my boys. And as a bonus.....sometimes finding a cool trade item in a piece of tupperware.

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1) It's something else to do with a GPS receiver besides key in waypoints to have fun making routes. 2) People are always saying I'm lost in the woods. I might as well be looking for crap in an ammo can while I'm out there (not that I ever take anything unless I have a kid with me). 3) I get to leave my signature on a log, both at the cache and on the internet. It's cheap immortallity.

 

What's the point in going to a forum and asking why people enjoy something? Does everything have to be involved with keeping the world turning? ;)

Edited by ghs
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Your post in your first find stated “Found my first cache! It was easy since I live 1 minute away.”

 

There are dozens of caches within 10-15 miles of your first find. Maybe if you hunt out a few more there will be a sense of fun or a rewarding experience or at least getting out and doing something, besides “video games.”

 

I hope you keep trying this new activity and find many caches and see the wonderful experiences it can give someone.

 

Try reading the logs from some of the caches in your area. People don’t hide the fun their having.

 

Good Luck,

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At the very least, it's exercise with a little extra reward at the end. At it's best, it's a lifetime of skills pitted against someone else's lifetime of skills to out-think, out-manuever and succeed over your opponents attempts to fool you and throw you off the trail of a treasure. Along your way, you'll see things you've never seen on television, you'll meet all kinds of interesting people and you'll enrich your life with new experiences and accomplishments. It's not about the destination, it's all about the trip you took to get there. - F&tH

Edited by fox-and-the-hound
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Because it is fun! Even when it is 20 degrees out. It takes you to places that you might not of given a glance at.

It sparks interst in the kids, here where I live some one did a solor system cache, they found places that where to scale dist. from a the Basket ball hall of fame, we have all nine planets and the sun to go find, this was great for my girls as they were studying outer space when we started caching. There are historical sites, monuments, parks, ect, all begging to be discovered or rediscoverd?

 

We have checked into the parks we go to an a reguler basis and found that one of them as 8 caches now, we did a few, the family wants to go back and get the rest. For us it is great family fun, a great way to intro kids to the out doors.

 

Don't quit on it after on cache, like every thing in life it is the journy not the destination that matters. Look at the places you go on vacation you may be suprised to find one right on the beach or the camp site. Our city is full of interesting and boring caches, it all what you puy into it.

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Today my husband, daughter and I spent the day geocaching. He said about halfway through that this is making our marriage stronger. It's something we both love to do together, he is more of the techo guy and I love the search and find part. But we both love finding new places, new parks we never knew existed, exploring landmarks that we've only driven by at 60 mph, and slowing down and enjoying each others company. We do find a lot of crap in caches, but we hardly ever take anything. I leave something in every cache that's not a micro, something fun and useful for the next person. We also like to cache in and trash out, we feel like we are giving something back to the place that gave us enjoyment. If we had stayed at home today, he would have watched TV most of the day, and I would have flipped through boring magazines, talked to friends on the phone about nothing, and instead, we had a wonderful day of family time and found 18 caches to boot! We live in California and we even got hailed on today, and liked it! Also, I like figuring out the puzzle of it, and solving the riddle or second stage of a multi. Keeps Alzheimers away.

Geocaching is not for everyone, but I love it, and I hope you can enjoy it after you get a few more under your belt.

 

If not, and you want to sell your GPSr cheap, let me know. ;)

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I see in your profile that you also list Video Games as a hobby of yours. Most of my friends also like them and play them a lot, but are baffled by my interest in Geocaching. I like to think they are one and the same.

 

Many of todays best Video Games include elements of: Solving puzzles, beating challenges, finding hidden items, exploring new areas, learning the back stories, beating your previous score or that of other players, meeting new characters, Etc.

 

Geocaching has many of the same elements, except out in the world, rather than in a computer or game system. Basically for me, I've taken on the same types of challenges as those in the Video Game world, only in an environment where I feel more comfortable, namely out in the natural areas, and in new cities all over. When you include the hundreds of people I've met, it just gets better.

 

If you find yourself wondering what it's all about, it may just be "not your thing" or it may be that you just haven't seen any caches that have peaked your interest. If you havent already done this, you may want to try reading up on some caches that might lead you to a place you find interesting, or taking a look at some of the puzzle caches out there (finding the cache in the spot you've determined by solving the puzzle can be a reward in itself, even if you don't want any of the stuff)

 

Besides getting to new areas, I've really started to enjoy seeing who has been there before me, and collecting their signature trade items

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Just pretend you are working for the US embassy as a spy. You have to find a secret "dead drop" to exchange information with your unknown contact. You are given instructions to find the location of your "dead drop" and you have to get there and drop off the micro film..................

 

Just ask a NASCAR fan what is the deal with the folks driving around a circle for 3 hours <_< - I still don't get it.

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TOP TEN REASONS TO GO GEOCACHING -

 

10. Discover new parts of your body that can be scratched, scraped or chafed by ill-fitting undergarments.

 

9. Sure beats sitting around waiting for the FedEx caveman commercial to play again.

 

8. Thousands of dollars in cash and prizes to some lucky winner ... but with no magazine subscriptions to buy.

 

7. Geo-babes are the hottest.

 

6. The chance to walk around town carrying a $300 piece of electronics, walking stick, camelpack, TrailMix, and PDA while jotting down notes, updating your camera and poking around a guardrail looking for a Hide-A-Key box.

 

5. Fascinating conversations with law enforcement agents of every type.

 

4. Gain valuable experience at acting nonchalant and innocent while hanging around the playground.

 

3. Discover which spiders in your area are REALLY poisonous.

 

2. Chance to find that elusive Piglet from the 1997 Happy Meals Collection.

 

1. Better than sitting at home waiting for the next Pauly Shore movie to open.

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Trust me on this one ... if you have to ask, then this sport is not for you. As we've discovered in another thread (too lazy to markwell) this sport is aligned with activities and interest of the dork community. And yes, we do have our fair share of geeks participating however, very few if any nerds stay with the sport for long.

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When I cache, it does many things for me: gives me another reason to play outdoors, it hones my observation skills...

 

Sometimes I curse the hider, sometimes I laugh out loud... sometimes I chuckle evilly...

 

I see this game partly as matching wits with the hiders. ("Ah-ha! Found it, you so-and-so, can't fool me, no sir, aren't I just the clever boots? Bet you weren't expecting someone like me, huh?")

 

I have learned much of the darkness in people's souls, searching for their hides. <_<

 

And for the cleverness and generosity of people who make this a great game. I mean, people put a lot of time into some of the hides. <_<

 

Life's too short, if it's not your cup of tea, bail....

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Trust me on this one ... if you have to ask, then this sport is not for you. As we've discovered in another thread (too lazy to markwell) this sport is aligned with activities and interest of the dork community. And yes, we do have our fair share of geeks participating however, very few if any nerds stay with the sport for long.

 

Hey now enough of the geek thing <_<

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I too have had people laugh at me and point fingers, "Why do you spend all that time with that stuff?"

 

Palm is also helping me with daily life - between the dance classes for the girls and doctor/dentist appointments, between Girl Scout meetings and Band concerts, not to mention the ever-elusive "grocery list" that I write and leave at home - keeping me organized.

 

Software is teaching me a tiny fraction of Compu-Geek-Speak. I have used several "go-around" methods, incorporated mini-programs (macros to others) and figured out some pretty tricky settings.

 

GPS unit is another one of those gadgets that I like to "collect", but it is what puts the FUN in Functional!

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Hell, we spend our lives searching for the meaning of life. I don't have time to find the meaning of geocaching, just time to enjoy it.

 

I like that statement.

 

Geocaching, like life, is what you make of it. Like anything else its not for everybody but for those of us who find something in it, it works. And it works because it gives us something that makes life better to live. For some its the hunt, for some its the stuff, for some its getting outdoors and seeing the amazing sites of nature, for some it the people, and for some its something else. Its what it brings you that makes it feel worthwhile and if it doesn't give you that something then its not for you. And guess what, that's OK too. <_<

 

JDandDD

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<_< I don't get why you would go find a box with a GPS that has crap in it? Someone tell me the meaning of Geocaching! <_<

 

It's a hobby and as with any hobby the meaning or purpose is enjoyment. You either enjoy doing it and continue or you don't and quit. Very few people get rich or find ultimate enlightenment in their hobbies. Also, hobbies are not one size fits all. For example, I don't understand why some people get all excited about collecting stamps. I started my own collection once but quickly discovered it wasn't the hobby for me. However, stamp collect is a very popular hobby that a lot of people enjoy.

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I don't get why you would go find a box with a GPS that has crap in it? Someone tell me the meaning of Geocaching!

Why do anything? We geocache because it's fun for us. Period!

 

Why would you play a board game like chess? Fun, exicitement, the challenge? That's why we geocache.

 

Why do some hike up to the top of a peak? Because they can!

 

Geocaching is just a fun sport for us and at times an adventure!

 

Like it or leave it.

 

If it's not for you then just go on your way and stop bugging us.

 

Peace.

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Here's why we geocache:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...e4-48a518613bd5

 

We've had a blast exploring parks that we either didn't know were around, or went to areas and have seen things we wouldn't have otherwise.

 

The kids like to trade, but unfortunately, there isn't always a lot to trade. But we try to make sure to point out other things while we're out, particular when we're on a trail.

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Heres my reason,

 

I love geocaching!!!! I dont care if its -15 or 108 degrees, wherever or whenever you cache you always take a little something special from a cache that you cant get anywhere else in life. whether you cache for adventure, exersize, or just for something to do, you can always make the greatest memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life while geocaching!!

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Much as RNLorna stated above, it makes our relationship stronger, PLUS we have met the nicest folks on trails, and have even gone out on some geo-caravan trips together with them. The thrill of the hunt...being FTF, both of us laughing until we cried over a deviously hidden cache. A million and one reasons to cache., I could go on all night, I assure you.

 

If someone told you that you would find serious treasure in a GC, they have done you a huge disservice. True, sometimes you do come across really neat stuff, but usually just what most would consider junk. It's all about the hunt itself, my friend.

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