Introducing Friends To The Sport

[+dkwolf]

This past weekend I was in Iowa City for a district barbershop contest, and afterwards I met up with a college roomate of mine and his wife. The last time he came to visit me, I drug him along on about 6 caches in my area to try to introduce him to the sport. He doesn't have a GPS, so he couldn't really continue on his own. So, knowing I would be hanging out with them this weekend, before I left I set up a PQ of traditional, non-micro caches in the Iowa City area we could go do.

 

After nearly spraining my ankle on the disc golf course, we decided to take a break and then try some geocaching, see how his wife liked it. Since we had two vehicles at the course, and I wasn't really familiar with the area, Jenny drove their car and Phil rode with me. During the drive, we came to a gentleman's agreement that once we left the cars, I would set up the GPS for the first cache and hand it to Jenny so she could get maximum enjoyment out of the activity. Amazingly, she understood how it worked much better than he ever had, even to the point where she could translate my technical jargon about GPS into English for Phil.

 

Walking into the first cache, I started looking for probably hiding spots from about 50 ft away. Spotted the cache instantly from about 20 feet away. Milled around for a 10-15 seconds with Phil & Jenny, then sat down on a log and told them to let me know when they found it or gave up. After a couple minutes of them wandering aimlessly, I started sorta directing Jenny with head nods to get her in the right area (so she could find it ahead of her husband--who gave up on the hide shortly after she found it and sat down next to me on the log) Pulled the cache out, showed her the logbook and the trade items--we didn't trade because we didn't have anything with us. Signed the logbook and rehid everything, turned around to see a huge grin on Jenny's face and her asking "That was fun, can we do another?"

 

Next cache...same situation. Spotted the likely hiding place from about 60 ft, when we got there one quick lap around the tree told me exactly where it was, so I leaned against the next tree over and waited again. After a couple minutes, gave them both (but Jenny was the only one listening) a hint about the unusual pile of sticks (UPS) and she found it within 30 seconds.

 

Four caches later (two of which Jenny found before me), we had to pry the GPS out of her hands and make a dash for the car because my ankle was starting to swell and we were getting hungry. The drive back to my car was filled with "HEY....I saw it on the map...there's a cache over there...can we do it??"

 

On the final walk back to the car, she was discussing how they actually had some extra money in their vacation fund that could buy a nice little etrex legend, and how they could go caching while on vacation in Spain this summer....

 

I corrupted her

[nobby.nobbs]

excellent work!!! one day we'll have addicted everyone.

[OuttaHand]

I, too, got another couple to go on a cache hunt with me.

He plays poker with us and I had talked about geocaching a couple times. At one game he asked me about it and asked if his little Foretrex would work. told him 'sure -- it'll work fine.' He asked if I'd take him and his wife on a hunt.

 

The next day I picked out a nearby cache that (from the description and ratings) looked fairly easy. We met and headed off.

 

We found nearby parking and got out. I gave a very brief description on how to follow the arrow and we walked in. The Mrs. spotted the cache hiding spot from 20' away. We opened, traded, signed the log, etc. They both agreed they loved it. We headed back to their house to log the find.

 

Once back to their house, they signed up on gc.com and picked a team name. I showed them how to log their first find. We then looked for other nearby caches because tehy wanted to try another. In the search we found a brand new cache. I explained how tough it is to be FTF around here and we headed out immediately.

 

We got to the parking area and daw other cars. We ended up being third to find. Headed back to their house to log the find.

 

I thought for sure I had created a two-headed monster couple. They took to geocaching immediately.

 

But that was it! I watched their profile periodically for a couple months and their find count never went above those two caches! Huh??? They seemed like naturals for this sport/hobby/obsession but they never continued on with it at all.

 

I guess you never know who may become addicted and who may not.

[Slyder6]

"Corrupting" a friend was a great way for me to start geocaching.

 

I had been doing some research on geocaching and GPS, and was getting pretty excited since it's right up my alley. I told a friend of mine about it, and that there was a cache on our campus (we go to York University). We decided to hunt it down right away instead of with a GPS (it took us three attempts, one clueless, one in the dark, and one in the rain) before we found it.

 

Needless to say, although we are living in different places this summer we're both buying GPSrs and we're going to see who can get the most finds before September, we're even planning a trip to go caching somewhere in the woods instead of just in the city! I'm now trying to get my summer roommate into it as well - she swears she can't even use a compass, but I bet she'll love it too!

Edited April 26, 2006 by Slyder6

[+frivlas]

That's a cool story. We too corrupted a friend. We kept talking about it over dinners with them and one time, we took him and a couple of the kids out after dinner for some caching. He was hooked. He now has more caches than I do, and has many Travel Bugs out there.

 

Then yesterday while I was waiting for my son to get out of Kindergarten, I was talking to a couple of other parents and the word "geocaching" slipped out of my mouth. You should have seen the father's eyes light up. Turn's out he had heard of it and was interested in it, had event considered buying a GPS for this purpose. We ended up talking about caching for over 30 minutes. Possible convert!

[+dkwolf]

Well, talked with my friend again the other night. When he initially went caching with me, he enjoyed it, and decided it would be something he'd pick up IF he ever got a GPS, but he didn't plan to buy a GPS specifically for geocaching. He hoped his wife would at least enjoy it so should he ever have a need for GPS, he could use it as a 'reason' to buy a unit.

 

He didn't expect what happened.....she's been actively pricing and comparing GPSr's every time she goes into a Best Buy or outdoors store, and has 'found' a couple hundred dollars extra in their vacation fund. I think the purchase of their GPS has just been expidited....

[+TheOhioBears]

We managed to get my baby sister hooked on caching. She's in the Coast Guard, currently stationed in Wisconsin-Coastiegirl04. Mr. OhioBear and myself are cachers who tend to cache when we're looking for something to do. Coastiegirl has made it an activity that she does whenever she has a spare moment! She's invested in an excellent GPS unit, as well as a PDA. She's FAR surpassed us in finds and has even started hiding her own! LOL!

[+Blaidd-Drwg]

I don't know how many I corrupted, or in a more PC way of refering to it, introduced to GC. but here was my experience. I recently took a tour of New Zealand. Throughout the entire tour I had my GPSr stuck in the window of the bus using a suction cup mount. Regularly, folks would ask me what I was doing, and I would give them a short brief of geocaching. Finally, during one of our final stops at a photo op, I looked at my GPSr and saw that a cache was only about 20 ft away. I told my wife I was going for it, and moved off at a rapid pace, as the stop time was short. Immediately, after my pole vault of the wall, folks from the tour started asking what I was doing. My wife explained that I was looking for one of the caches I'd told them about. Immediately, I had half a tour bus of muggles watching me search for a cache. I even had one intrepid wanabe help me look. As I mentioned, time was short and we were about to call it a DNF. Half the group was moving back to the bus, when I spotted the cache. Upon my announcing that I'd found it, they all came back to see what the excitement was about. So how many took up the hobby when we got back to the states, I can't say, but I think there are at least 25 new folks out there who at least have an idea about this pasttime.

[+brian617]

I'm very new here myself and I have a pretty good outdoors background...

 

But my girlfriend has almost no hiking/camping experience and although she's expressing a lot of interest, I think the first time we're out looking for a cache together and she sees a snake or wasp's nest or gets a tick or spider on her it's gonna be all over and that will be the last cache she ever helps out on...

[+Bleeder973]

I think the first time we're out looking for a cache together and she sees a snake or wasp's nest or gets a tick or spider on her it's gonna be all over and that will be the last cache she ever helps out on...

 

I have this situation a little myself. When I do get the chance to go caching with the wife, I TRY to make sure that the cache fits both of us. Actually, she's coming along very well, so maybe you just need to give her the benefit of the doubt. You never know...

Edited May 10, 2006 by Bleeder973

[+dkwolf]

I'm very new here myself and I have a pretty good outdoors background...

 

But my girlfriend has almost no hiking/camping experience and although she's expressing a lot of interest, I think the first time we're out looking for a cache together and she sees a snake or wasp's nest or gets a tick or spider on her it's gonna be all over and that will be the last cache she ever helps out on...

 

When you take her out with you, give her the 5-minute crash course in how to operate the GPS, set it up for the cache you're looking for before you hit the trail, and hand it to her. Let her play. Only help if she asks for it. When I took my friends out, I made sure that if I saw the cache before them, I would walk away a bit and sit down on a log and let them continue to look.

 

Plus, if she's watching the GPS, she won't notice the snakes, spiders, wasps, and ticks. Keep an eye out, and maybe if you spot something like that, stop her a short distance away and watch nature at work for a few minutes....might be educational for her.

[70mmkrypto]

i got started in this almost five years ago, when i bought a GPS for when i go offroading. My buddy phoned my up and gave me 20 sets of coordinates on a old logging road. so off i went int the truck....finding cleverly stashed cold beers all the way up to the campsite. And so it began........every summer we would all stash goodies in the woods, and go look for them. . Last year i finally bought a computer ( iknow i know !!!!) and recently discoverd geocaching.com.

 

thats my story of how i got corrputed (and drunk later at the campsite) .

 

[+JakeBond]

thats an awesome story 70mm! i wish my friends would give me coords to beer! then again, i probably wouldnt be able to find any after i found the fourth or fifth one...

 

I have a 50/50 record with converting muggles. my current roommate thinks im an idiot for hunting for tupperware in the woods. i took him cache hunting in NYC central park, and i had to log a DNF, but then I took him to one nearby that i had found earlier and showed him what it is we do. he was not impressed.

 

however, another friend who i havent even taken out with me yet is totatlly enthralled and has bought a gpsr and is constantly asking me about what caches i've 'hit' recently...

 

i guess it just goes to show that this sport isnt for everyone...

[70mmkrypto]

well the rule was (as it should be) no drinking the beers until everyone was at the site. Every year our group draws straws and that person gets to buy the beer and hide them.

 

some of my fishing buddies have "fly" caches set up at the lakes they fish at....you find the cache and trade one of your flies for another fly. its pretty cool!

 

[RubiconJW]

A long time friend of mine & I were talking one evening at the local Legion Post. He's an avid Bass fisherman & "tournament ho".. So of course he's got a nice GPSr for his boat & has some of his favorite spots marked. So this brought on the conversation of GPS technology etc and I lead it into Geocaching. Well he thought it was a neat concept & armed with the GC.com addy he headed home. The following Saturday theres a knock on the door.. "Watcha doin?" .. "Lets go find a couple caches!" Needless to say after a couple outings & some excellent hikes in the toolieweeds he was hooked. He's also talking it up with his fishing partner.

We've also got the manager & her husband interested in checking it out..we'll see...

 

JW

[+Night Stalker]

I would like to give you a point of view from the other side.

 

I was the corrupted one.

 

I resisted. My first thoughts were "gee this is dumb". I then ignored the whole thing until the next time i was taken caching. This went on for about 4 months until my wife got into the act and bought me a GPS. After that we started caching on our own and, of course, I was sunk. I started caching as often as I could. I found that I enjoyed caching while working on the road also. So now I am totally lost to this game/hobby/sport. I was working on a model railroad when I started. I look over that way every once in a while, but haven't done anything on it since. I am now up to 1158 finds and on weekends my wife and I try and justify our caching excursions by combining them with other activities that would require driving to those areas also.