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High Gas Prices Now Will Prices Effect Your Geocaching?


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The fuel prices will encourage me to cache more efficiently :D Instead of driving 30 min for one cache, I will now combine it with either a trip I was making that way anyway, or make sure I have a list of all caches in the general area so I can go for more than one and thus justify the cost a bit easier. The only things that would really deter me from doing any hobby I liked are weather (yeah, I'm a wimp, so shoot me), conflicts with other stuff, or general laziness.

 

We're driving over to Georgia for a single daytrip for another function...yeah, the gas will be OMG <_< but if you enjoy the activity, then the cost is worth it. Still cheaper than taking my family of 3 to the movies.

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The fuel prices will encourage me to cache more efficiently :huh: Instead of driving 30 min for one cache, I will now combine it with either a trip I was making that way anyway, or make sure I have a list of all caches in the general area so I can go for more than one and thus justify the cost a bit easier. The only things that would really deter me from doing any hobby I liked are weather (yeah, I'm a wimp, so shoot me), conflicts with other stuff, or general laziness.

 

We're driving over to Georgia for a single daytrip for another function...yeah, the gas will be OMG :D but if you enjoy the activity, then the cost is worth it. Still cheaper than taking my family of 3 to the movies.

I agree :( I was organizing my trips for today to combine caches hunting and be more efficient to conserve fuel use. But, I will not let the greed of others stop me from doing what I want to do when I want to do them. We also travel in a motorhome and our fuel tank's cap is 100 gals. But we do get 10 MPG...I know it is a killer <_<

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My gas-pedal foot got trained during the fuel shortages of the 70s, so I can eek out 10-15% better gas mileage by driving technique alone. I get 22mpg out of a Jeep Wrangler and 29mpg from an Audi TT (both combined city/highway and better than EPA). I walk to work, so Geocaching is pretty much my only outlay for gas.

 

When the prices drop I can go back to being a lead foot.

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Cars run on petrol (not gas) or diesel in the UK. But fuel prices don't matter if you find your caches by bike, which is how I've done most of mine.

I mentioned to my wife that maybe we should buy a Scooter :o Her reply :blink: So we will keep caching in our Wild Thing and Geo Tracker ( both get about 25 MPG ) To old for Bikes :o

Edited by Wild Thing 73
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Real life will affect things more than gas.

 

That's me at the moment, but Girl Scouts will be done soon for the summer (over half my girls visit the non-custodial parent during the summer, some out of state, so no activities until school starts back) so I should be able to do a bit more than I have been lately. It kinda bites when you pull up to a pump and it says $2.65 for regular, but even at $3/gallon we'd still drive about an hour to play disc golf or do other things we enjoy. As long as you have fun, it's worth the money. When you start worrying about the cost more than you have fun, then there could be an issue :blink:

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Figure in inflation and the price of Gas is comparable to mid '80s - maybe a tad bit higher. Last fall when it first spiked I thought it would really affect me but it hasn't that much. Will just echo some others in saying it has just forced me to be more effecient with any drives I take. No plans for any drastic alterations at this level.

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Don't get me wrong, I'm not crazy about the recent increase in the price of gasoline. My vehicle holds about 14 gal. The cost increase from $2.00/gal to $3.00/gal would cost me an additional $14.00 to fill my gas tank. The recent increase of gas in my area of Southern California has gone up about .30 cents/gal in the last few weeks. That is an increase of $4.20 to fill er up. Thats not going to stop me from doing anything, especially geocaching.

 

Lets get out and find some more! :blink:

Edited by Segerguy
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Now that the weather is warming up, I've been out doing a lot more caching as of late, but gas is still ~$2.32-2.39/gal around here and it hasn't impacted me all that much. Besides caching and my 7 mile drive to work, my only other personal gas expenses are the monthly 4x4 trail rides that take me to various parts of the state. On a good tank, my wife can go 3 weeks in her '01 Impala so it isn't horrible.

 

Compare that to the $250/month in gas for me just to get to work/back in my old Nissan pickup when I lived in AZ, and what we spend now ($124 last month for me) or an average of $104/month so far this year. Anymore, the caches I would prefer to find involve decent drives (4x4 specifically) and I want to do some sort of power-trail type cache series on a 4x4 only trail system somewhere nearby that requires travelling the entire length to find if I can get the ok for it.

 

But as the prices creep ever higher, I am aware of that and will adjust my driving to travel smarter and combine trips to reduce overall expenses.

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I love summertime caching even if the gas prices are higher. Why? I go caching on my motorcycle. It's a lot cheaper (and more fun) going caching on my motorcycle in the summer getting 60mpg with $3.00/gal gas than it is going caching other times of the year with my car getting <$20mpg with $2.00/gal gas. :blink:

 

Before I discovered geocaching, I would go on pointless motorcycle rides to a park to go on a pointless hike or to see some publicized point of interest. Now I do the same, except now I have a reason for going on my ride and hike, and sometime the geocache brings me to an unpublicized point of interest that I never would have known about otherwise. :o

 

medoug.

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Now that the weather is warming up, I've been out doing a lot more caching as of late, but gas is still ~$2.32-2.39/gal around here and it hasn't impacted me all that much. Besides caching and my 7 mile drive to work, my only other personal gas expenses are the monthly 4x4 trail rides that take me to various parts of the state. On a good tank, my wife can go 3 weeks in her '01 Impala so it isn't horrible.

 

Compare that to the $250/month in gas for me just to get to work/back in my old Nissan pickup when I lived in AZ, and what we spend now ($124 last month for me) or an average of $104/month so far this year. Anymore, the caches I would prefer to find involve decent drives (4x4 specifically) and I want to do some sort of power-trail type cache series on a 4x4 only trail system somewhere nearby that requires travelling the entire length to find if I can get the ok for it.

 

But as the prices creep ever higher, I am aware of that and will adjust my driving to travel smarter and combine trips to reduce overall expenses.

Today here in Tn regular gas is $2.70 - $2.76 and going up :blink:

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[quote name='medoug' date='Apr 11 2006, 03:33 PM' post='2147985'...I go caching on my motorcycle...

 

Just got the handle bar mount for my legend. :blink:

My bike is street legal and dirtable, so I might even be able to ride right to a few of them.

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Gas prices affecting caching ...Not for me...

 

Since I started caching in Feb dropped from 4 packs of cigarettes a day to 3 (working for No packs) savings from that $135 a month...Also dropped beer $240 dollars a month....

 

Plenty of money for caching and getter to better health this way... 1) by cutting done on both and 2) by excersising more....

 

Even though I live in a rural area and sometimes have to drive many miles to search... The caching gas fund is full

 

Dave from Team_Talisman

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Not really. I will better organize my hunts but heck I'm retired. My summer car is a 92 Corvette. Keep my foot out of it on highway it will give 28, at 1800 rpms at 70. I'm at the end of the tunnel almost and just going to enjoy whats left. I hope I timed it right that the last check I write bounces as they stuff me in the ground, flat broke. Enjoy life its far to short.... When you get old, you will not see and think about the money your saved but rather about the good times you had and enjoyment with friends and family. summer if I'm not at a car show, I will be GPSing.

 

swampYankee

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My gas-pedal foot got trained during the fuel shortages of the 70s, so I can eek out 10-15% better gas mileage by driving technique alone. I get 22mpg out of a Jeep Wrangler and 29mpg from an Audi TT (both combined city/highway and better than EPA). I walk to work, so Geocaching is pretty much my only outlay for gas.

 

When the prices drop I can go back to being a lead foot.

Yes I acquired that technique in 70's also...It has help with fuel control driving my motothome and other vehicles...You learn to "let up" on the gas pedal ;)

Edited by Wild Thing 73
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The heat is more of a deterent than the gas prices will be. Going caching when it is 115° outside doesnt have the same appeal it does in the wintertime when it is 70°. But then, sitting in the house all day hiding from the heat gets old fast.

 

No, prices wont affect our caching.

Yes! we lived and did our Off-Roading in the Anza-Borrega Desert (Ocotillo Wells, CA) during the 70s. We could take 110-113 dg, but anything over 113dgs. No way ;) The Winter seasons were fantastic ;) But the "summer" seasons 117-122dgs... We finally gave up and moved back to the coast, Vista, Ca...

Edited by Wild Thing 73
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Gas prices affecting caching ...Not for me...

 

Since I started caching in Feb dropped from 4 packs of cigarettes a day to 3 (working for No packs) savings from that $135 a month...Also dropped beer $240 dollars a month....

 

Plenty of money for caching and getter to better health this way... 1) by cutting done on both and 2) by excersising more....

 

Even though I live in a rural area and sometimes have to drive many miles to search... The caching gas fund is full

 

Dave from Team_Talisman

You have to have a good reason to quit smoking and drinking and DEATH is not one of the reasons ;) Stay with it...

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I find it a bit comical and suspicious that prices are going up "in anticipation" of the summer driving season. The increased demand hasn't occurred yet. The crude prices are going up due to bidding on contacts, but the actual higher priced oil have not been delivered to your refineries. :lol:

 

I'll continue to practice route-efficient caching, which means avoiding FTFs and contests like Coin Quest as much as I can.

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No, it won't affect my caching.

 

My brother is a downhill racer, he pays for skis, ski maintenance, gasoline to drive to the mountain, race clinics, clothes & race suit, a compartment to transport all the skis, racing boots, lift tickets, and then a place to stay at the mountain...some of which is sponsored, but not everything...

 

Its also not uncommon for people to blow $200 in one night on a bar tab....

 

When comparing all that to a standard GPS, backpack, water, batteries, trades and some gasoline, geocaching is pretty cheap and low maintenance...unless you've gone all out and got some cool hiking gear! :lol:

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Cars run on petrol (not gas) or diesel in the UK. But fuel prices don't matter if you find your caches by bike, which is how I've done most of mine.

 

I thoght petrol was just a UK word for gasoline (aka gas for short here). Is there a difference? Or are you taking the term gas literally as a state of matter?

 

Anyway, probably won't effect me much at all. I'm not staying home just because of gas prices. Besides, often times my geocaching is either fairly close to home, or close to whereever I happen to be anyway. I guess I'm a geocacher of opportunity.

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I have decided against going after 2 FTFs recently due to cost of gas. Its a sad time for America :lol:

 

Yes, we're really going to the dogs when Geocachers have to choose between FTFs and groceries.

 

Actually, I was thinking we're really going to the dogs when people are living on such a shoestring budget that a 30 cent increase in a gallon of gas is a decision-maker... THAT'S what's scary. Are there really THAT many people living that close to the edge?

 

Here in Maryland a prominent energy supplier is about to hike electricity rates by 72%. Now THAT'S a hike. If I used that utility it would mean about 140 dollars a month. But gas? What's this hike mean, an extra $5 a tank? Maybe? Once a week? I'm really having a problem seeing... the problem.

 

Edit: Just did some research. It would appear that the average two-car family drives 24k miles per year. The overall average fuel economy of cars and light trucks is about 18.9mpg. So that average family would use about 1,270 gallons per year. Assuming a 30 cent per gallon hike, that's a little over a dollar per day.

 

That cache that's 100 miles away you've been dying to get to will cost you an extra $3.17. Round trip. I submit, with all due respect, that if $3.17 is a decision-maker for you, you've probably got bigger problems.

Edited by ParrotRob
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I find it a bit comical and suspicious that prices are going up "in anticipation" of the summer driving season. The increased demand hasn't occurred yet. The crude prices are going up due to bidding on contacts, but the actual higher priced oil have not been delivered to your refineries. :lol:

 

I'll continue to practice route-efficient caching, which means avoiding FTFs and contests like Coin Quest as much as I can.

 

Yes, but if I was supplying you widgets for resale and told you the widgets you were going to get in June were going to cost 15% more than they do now, you would have to raise your prices NOW to afford my widgets in June. You're not getting my widgets in June and then paying for them AFTER you resell them, now are you?

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Bought a Geo Metro, now we get 58mpg HWY, won't affect caching too much now.

 

Yeah I wish they made cars like that again, I had a '92 Metro a few years ago; noisy and WAY underpowered, but barely sipped fuel :lol:

 

Luckily, there are a lot of caches close by here, being just north of the Bronx. Of course, we are also one of the most expensive gas areas too! For the most part, Plus and Premium IS over $3/gallon (with Regular in the $2.80s and $2.90s). Of course, could be an excuse to do caches in nearby New Jersey and Connecticut where the gas is substantially cheaper due to lower state taxes. B)

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No. I drive a Honda.

 

Whoa, it's like deja vu all over again. If gas prices go up 30%, your fuel budget goes up 30% whether you're driving a Honda or a Hummer.

 

Yeah, but there is a big difference between spending $30 a week on gas than $100+. My brother goes through $150 a week in his Suburban. THAT would cut down on my caching.

Edited by briansnat
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No. I drive a Honda.

 

Whoa, it's like deja vu all over again. If gas prices go up 30%, your fuel budget goes up 30% whether you're driving a Honda or a Hummer.

 

Yeah, but there is a big difference between spending $30 a week on gas and $100+. My brother goes through $150 a week in his Suburban. THAT would cut down on my caching.

 

Well it shouldn't if your brother lives within his means. I'm willing to bet that most people that drive a Suburban (except for Saxy, of course :lol: ) do so knowing full well that they are going to spend a lot more on fuel than those that drive Hondas. If you're used to spending $30 a week on gas, maybe you'll now spend $35. If you're used to spending $150, you'll now spend $175. But then, if $25 a week is a problem for you, you probably shouldn't be driving a Suburban.

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No. I drive a Honda.

 

Whoa, it's like deja vu all over again. If gas prices go up 30%, your fuel budget goes up 30% whether you're driving a Honda or a Hummer.

 

Yeah, but there is a big difference between spending $30 a week on gas and $100+. My brother goes through $150 a week in his Suburban. THAT would cut down on my caching.

 

Well it shouldn't if your brother lives within his means. I'm willing to bet that most people that drive a Suburban (except for Saxy, of course :lol: ) do so knowing full well that they are going to spend a lot more on fuel than those that drive Hondas. If you're used to spending $30 a week on gas, maybe you'll now spend $35. If you're used to spending $150, you'll now spend $175. But then, if $25 a week is a problem for you, you probably shouldn't be driving a Suburban.

 

Depends on your priorities I guess. Do I want to fill the pockets of Saudi shieks and Venezuelan politicians or spend my money on other stuff?

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No. I drive a Honda.

 

Whoa, it's like deja vu all over again. If gas prices go up 30%, your fuel budget goes up 30% whether you're driving a Honda or a Hummer.

 

Yeah, but there is a big difference between spending $30 a week on gas and $100+. My brother goes through $150 a week in his Suburban. THAT would cut down on my caching.

 

Well it shouldn't if your brother lives within his means. I'm willing to bet that most people that drive a Suburban (except for Saxy, of course :lol: ) do so knowing full well that they are going to spend a lot more on fuel than those that drive Hondas. If you're used to spending $30 a week on gas, maybe you'll now spend $35. If you're used to spending $150, you'll now spend $175. But then, if $25 a week is a problem for you, you probably shouldn't be driving a Suburban.

The point you seem to be missing about the Suburban is that I bought mine when gas was below $1.50 a gallon. The price of gas had never been above $2.00 a gallon in all of recorded history. Now gas is twice the price it was when I bought my truck. That isn't in the budget. Ever try to haul a cord of firewood with a Honda?

 

It's also pretty hard to drive a Honda here in the winter. We tried, then sold it because we couldn't even drive it up our street on an average winter day.

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Don't get me wrong, I'm not crazy about the recent increase in the price of gasoline. My vehicle holds about 14 gal. The cost increase from $2.00/gal to $3.00/gal would cost me an additional $14.00 to fill my gas tank. The recent increase of gas in my area of Southern California has gone up about .30 cents/gal in the last few weeks. That is an increase of $4.20 to fill er up. Thats not going to stop me from doing anything, especially geocaching.

 

Lets get out and find some more! :lol:

In the 40s and 50s a gal of gas was cheap...cars in those days got 4-11 MPG...So we rationalize away the $2-3.00 per gal of gas to day, because our vehicles get 18-60 mpg. The RV I had before got 5-6 MPG, now my new RV gets 10-12 mpg. When I fill-up now, I feel like I am picking up gold nuggets. B)

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Depends on your priorities I guess. Do I want to fill the pockets of Saudi shieks and Venezuelan politicians or spend my money on other stuff?

The oil producer cartels/regimes will have their pockets filled regardless. There ARE more middlemen making $ (since crude oil contracts are priced in dollars) who are exploiting the changes in prices. Nothing wrong with that, of course, it's supply and demand and perfectly legal. :lol:

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but gas is still ~$2.32-2.39/gal around here and it hasn't impacted me all that much.

 

Us poor folk across the pond pay $1.50 a litre,that about $6.00 a gallon.Luckily I've found a nice man from Iran whose gonna sell me some "enriched uranium" cheap.That'll keep me going for years!! :lol:

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