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Is Caching Disrupting Your Marriage?


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I have just started caching, and already I am thinking about caching 24-7. Every other word out of my mouth has been something on the lines of caching. I stay up late thinking of the next find, where it is, etc... I forgot to put my daughters socks on this morning because I was looking over a new GPS software. My husband thinks this is all funny, so he joined up just so we could spend more time together. I was wondering has caching caused problems in anyones marriage, or family?

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Well at least you are not in some bar. I have a family and my wife is not into the outdoorsy/gadget things. She does not mind all that much although I almost lost my GPS because I brought home a tick that got on her the other day.

 

I took her out once and that was enough for her. I do enjoy taking the kids out, they are the best cover around.

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He thinks this is a great sport. I have found myself over the past few days thinking about caching, when my mind needed to be or should have been at the home front. I am taking 30 minutes longer getting home because I want to go by and check on a location that I may want to cache in later . (scout out the area)

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Over 26 years of marriage .... I have done most of the fanatical hobbies in which my wife Koikeeper had some or no interest. Koikeeper is now the fanatical geocacher and I am here to support her passion. After one year she is not showing any signs of slowing down. I think it is great! :) ImpalaBob

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Geocaching keeps these married folk from sitting at home griping, moaning and complainting *to* each other and griping, moaning and complaining about which direction we should go, whether we should follow coordinates or the arrow, and whether bushwacking is absolutely necessary. lol Then we can smile and congratulate each other when a cache is found.

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Married 20 years, 2 kids, and she's the one that hits me in the head Saturday morning with her log book. "It's time to go caching!"

 

Alone time with the wife in the woods? :)

 

I am ever so grateful that she loves ALL my hobbies.. (geocaching, 4 wheeling, model rockets, german shepards..)

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Granted I am a N00bie - just got my receiver at Christmas - but my fella and I both enjoy caching. At first, he was apprehensive. His ex was not a big outdoors kinda gal so they did not do much hiking and the sort. I am fortunate in that he likes to go with me but does not mind if I go by myself (if he is not available). We are dating long distance so that comes up a lot.

 

At first I thought it would be nice if he was just willing to go with me and not be bored. We are now shopping for his own receiver.

 

As a note, my younger sister came along with me a few times and she just got herself her own gps and they just ordered our Dad one because he is interested in hunting.

 

I think that you have to set aside the "I know where I am going" comments, let everyone have a turn with the receiver (it is different to be looking at the screen and tracking versus walking behind someone who is following changing readings) and let everyone have a chance to find one.

 

As a note, I am reading about the caching men and their wives, let's hear from the gals out there!

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Not a marriage (yet), but definitely helps the relationship! Caching is a lot of our quality time together as a couple and a family with his daughter on our custody days. Something we all enjoy...and as someone else pointed out, gives us something new to kvetch about *to* each other instead of *at* each other <_<

 

On the down side, I'm currently on probation for hiking the Pinnacle and finding both that cache and the Pulpit Rock cache without him......but you won't catch me apologizing MWAhahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa!

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Well, I seem to be the odd man out here...

 

My wife hates my caching, and it causes a lot of problems for us.

 

She gets upset if I even bring it up, so I try not to talk about it. It kind of forces me to be a "closet cacher." (Grab a cache here and there while I am running errands!)

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No problems here. Koilady mostly stays in the car due to some physical limitations, but she enjoys navigating, managing the paperless logs, and picking through the cache swag if I can get it back to her easily.

Hey, Impala Bob, are we maybe brothers-in-law or something?

hairball45

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My husband wasn't too keen on all the time I was spending on caching either. :( I take the kiddos with me and we have a good time. The whole family went to the MOGA event and I think he has chilled out since then. He understands it makes me happy and if I'm taking the kids, he's all for that! :):):( It's great exercise and being outdoors is what a gal needs when she's feeling stressed.

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Wow, so seems most people don't have any Geo-Spouse issues. Not the case here!

I have been on "restriction" more times than I would like to count. My good friend and caching partner cache at night, and have a weekly Tuesday outing. We have come back way after midnight a couple of times. That has prompted the midnight curfew. We are also a couple of the FTF-Hounds in our area. My wife puts up with me and caching. I have actually heard her tell a friend that it's a cool thing, but does not have the FTF addiction that I have.

 

Well pager just went off... gotta go!

http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=08...32-9255b9bf7bf0

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Been married 12 years to greatest woman a man could find. She loves sports and anything to do with outdoors. When I found goecaching and told her about it, she said "Comes on let's go find one". We don't ever plan on stopping. The kids can't wait to go find the next cache or to hide the next one of our own. Heck, goecache is one of better that we found to do as a family. :lol:

 

If my wife and I are not caching, we're on the computer plan to go caching, or talking about caching, or we're in the bedroom. :laughing:

 

Caching a problem? An addiction maybe, but not a problem. :D

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Geocaching has brought my wife and I closer. I enjoy mountain biking, too, so we got her a bike and now we combine the two activities. We both have lost lots of weight and feel much better about life in general. My eighteen y/o son has even taken an interest so sometimes all three of us go tegether. When we attend the Sault Ste. Marie GTG this weekend we are taking the bikes so the car can stay at the hotel. For us, geocaching was practically a lifestyle change.

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When I first started this log, my husband thought caching was OK. Now he is going out there on his own and finding most of them first without me. I am now trying to keep up with him. No competitiveness here. Smiles.

 

I am glad to hear that so many geocachers can share the wonderful experience with their significant other. Lets keep it up.

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I am ever so grateful that she loves ALL my hobbies.. (geocaching, 4 wheeling, model rockets, german shepards..)

Holy cow! You must be my long lost brother? Did your mama have a milkman named Bob by chance? HAHA!Q

 

I am into 4X4, geo, rockets with my daughter, and I have 2 and 1/2 german shepherds. PM me some time we can pass some info.

 

Anyway, onward to the post...

 

Been married 16 years, the wife doesnt take interest in anything I do. I cant figure it out, Im ADD and stay busy with everything. My daughter and I are doing caching now, I think she likes it, but this is the first time shes really been *IN* the woods so shes getting used to it. She likes the hikes and all. Sometimes she gets a little worried, I gotta tell her "Honey, daddy was in the Infantry for 16 years, I know how to navigate in the woods" and "I wouldnt take you somewhere that something can happen to you". At any rate, shes warming up to the woods, but like many kids that get exposed to the woods late (shes 9 now), theres a certian sense of danger going into the unknown. This I beleive is my fault, I should have had her on trails as soon as she was old enough to walk upright then it would be second nature. Oh well, they say hindsight is 20/20.

 

Anyway, about the marriage, Im like going nuts over my new GPS unit (Im using a PocketPC with GPSDash2 software, and its awesome!), so I guess she would grow tired of me and my toys, but shes pretty much gotten used to me and my toys thing by now.

 

I dont cach but when ever I have some free time, and put priorities first. Also you gotta focus. If your putting socks on the dog and giveing the kid Kibbles & Bits for breakfast, I say get your head and your arse wired together and get with the program. Geocaching isnt a way of life, its a sport and a past time, a hobby and a game, an adventure and a form of exercise. But when you make something your total focus, you need professional help. :-) But in all seriousness, give it a rest between treks, you will burn out faster if your too intense in the early stage. I learned that from many ventures in the past. Pace yourself, and keep a reality check going at all times.

 

Good luck!

Andrew

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When I first started this log, my husband thought caching was OK. Now he is going out there on his own and finding most of them first without me. I am now trying to keep up with him. No competitiveness here. Smiles.

 

I am glad to hear that so many geocachers can share the wonderful experience with their significant other. Lets keep it up.

My wife was a little sceptical to start with, however, after her 1st find (our 2nd) she is just as hooked as I am. she even has our gear out before the words "lets go" are out of my mouth. This has definitely brought us even closer than we already were. :D

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I have just started caching, and already I am thinking about caching 24-7. Every other word out of my mouth has been something on the lines of caching. I stay up late thinking of the next find, where it is, etc... I forgot to put my daughters socks on this morning because I was looking over a new GPS software. My husband thinks this is all funny, so he joined up just so we could spend more time together. I was wondering has caching caused problems in anyones marriage, or family?

 

Quite the contrary for us. We're slow on the go mind you, but we've been caching as a family since the begining of February or so this year. Husband and I are not "outdoorsy", we're more "sit on the couchy" so discovering this game has given us something to do outside besides whine about the heat, the bugs, the general idea of not hiding in the house. All three of our kids have been better behaved since we started going on weekends, even their teachers noticed that each were improving in the critical thinking areas. Since many of the teachers also cache, they felt it was a great way to spend time together as a family, working as a team.

 

Now if only we had friends that would join us I'd be thrilled. You guessed it, all of my friends are couch spuds and have no interest in a game where the pay off isn't a hugely expensive reward. mleh on them.

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Married for 8 years with 2 boys currently.

 

We're all into it (me far more than the rest though)

 

It's either caching or watching a pineapple under the sea.......

 

:laughing:

 

....Let's go for a hike! :laughing:

I know *exactly* what you mean!!! :laughing:

 

We're in an urban area, so even if one of us wasn't into trekking, hiking, bushwacking, etc there are plenty of urban caches to explore. The kids are 3 and 1 so obviously the baby doesn't care yet, but even he likes getting out and about!

 

I've been wanting to get into caching for a few years now and finally took the plunge this summer.

--Kristin

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Divorced here - so that won't be a problem.

 

I'm hoping, once I get my GPS (hurry up mailman!) that perhaps I'll find a new husband IN a cache someday. LOL Just kidding of course. <_<

 

start going to events and you just might get lucky. :mad:

 

the big doop doesn't mind caching, but he hates the forums. <_<

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Divorced here - so that won't be a problem.

 

I'm hoping, once I get my GPS (hurry up mailman!) that perhaps I'll find a new husband IN a cache someday. LOL Just kidding of course. :o

 

start going to events and you just might get lucky. <_<

 

the big doop doesn't mind caching, but he hates the forums. <_<

 

Actually, after 30 years of marriage, Geocaching has brought us together again....In the past few months we have seen locally many places we did not exist within 50 miles of us.... :D

 

Sometimes we go back to a few of these places, just to drop a fish hook in the water. Or to watch the sunset from a high bluff. Soothes the soul...

 

Do to age and health some caches higher up in Colorado Mountains will have to set, maybe my sons and daughters and grand children will tell us their experience as they find them :mad:

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Well, here's a different take on the question.

My marriage was already disrupted when I started caching. In fact, I started caching not too long after things were to the point of being irreconcilable. But caching helped me through the rough times by getting me out and getting me going, and getting me not thinking about all that crap.

And that is a value of caching that I think people overlook. The value of not thinking about anything for a while.

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What an interesting topic... as I've pondered to myself how good that GC has been for us.

 

We both have very different 'other' hobbies - Strat-O-Matic online baseball and off-loom beadweaving (guess who does what...) But, we share the same level of passion for our interests - full blown obsession.

 

I'm the one that discovered, and was initially enthusiastic about GC. He was hesitatnt, but pliant at first. We've only been doing this for a few weeks, but already the Hubster has created his own moniker - FoulTip B). He's really a competitive guy, so he likes finding things and hates it when we can't. I knew we were onto a good thing when he returned from a bike ride and announced that he'd found a good place for a cache. Wow - was I ever suprized!

 

This is really the first thing (besides watching films - but we differ in what we like there) we've done together with equal, but different interest. We also have a daughter we drag along for fun. Most of the time she only complains a little - but it's a really great way for all of us to spend some time together. We even met some great local folks at a RCGDS gathering this past month.

 

All-in-all this has been a really great thing for us. My feined baseball interest was only going so far...

 

Momma Nomen.

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Just a few minutes ago my hubby teasingly suggested that I must have a geocaching boyfriend because of the time I spend on the forums. I had to explain to him that I hadn't been on since yesterday afternoon and that they've been down all day today so I just had to catch up!

 

He's been on a couple cache hunts (our running joke is how his 2 finds are both FTFs.) He'll go with us when the weather cools down. He enjoys it, but can't handle the heat or the bees this time of year. He's pretty understanding.

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Two 60's something seniors here, married for 40 years. Just got into caching two years ago. It has provided us with even more quality time together (in the bush, where we enjoy being); and the distinct plus of 'outdoor exercise'. It has become another passion. Although only 'newbies', currently with 125 caches, we've racked up 19 FTFs to date. We're retired and have introduced a few other retirees to the sport. Also introduced our children and grandkids to the sport. When we're not out in the bush, getting lost, looking for Tupperware, we're following the stories of our 14 caching children (the TBs) on GC.com

 

Geocaching has certainly provided extra 'glue' to this marriage!

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When I found this hobby I really got addicted, so my hubby went with me and the kids a couple times, now he is addicted to. Once in awhile we sneak away and do a few on our own. Its a great way to spend time together. Plus we both really needed the exercise, its a great way to get it without thinking about actually exercising. Its definately helped our marriage.

While on vacation last week, there were 3 caches I wanted to do and printed them out. One was on an island that you had to actually walk/swim to from another island. He never would have done something like that before, me either for that matter, but we both did, it was great, it feels like such an accomplishment to do something like that, and doing it together makes it so much better.

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20 plus years of marriage, lived in sin a couple before that :ph34r: 4 kids, only the boy left at home. We did some hobbies together before, 4 wheeling, Season ticket holders for our local JR A hockey team ( she suggested we get them :laughing: )

When I found Geocaching, I was looking for a GPS to use 4 wheeling, it looked like an interesting game. I borrowed a GPS, got skunked on the first hunt. Called her down because I locked the keys in the truck. She helped look, still skunked with a 'What a stupid game' thrown in for good measure. :D

Next day, found a cache on my own, dragged the wife down with the pretense of lunch on the water front. Had a great lunch, convinced her to give that cache another try. Found it and the significant other could see some merit in the game. 2 weeks later we had our first GPS and we were off.... and boy did she take to the game. :rolleyes: We now own 4 gps receivers and she does not hesitate to go out caching on her own. Who knew....

It's been great to share something that we both totally enjoy.

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Top 15 reasons why Caching is better than Sex:

 

1. You can GET caches without trying very hard.

2. You can safely hunt caches when you are driving.

3. You can make caching last as long as you want it to.

4. You can cache in public.

5. Two people of the same sex can have cache without being called nasty names.

6. The word "commitment" doesn't scare off caches.

7. You can have caches on top of your desk during work hours without upsetting your workmates.

8. You can ask a stranger to cache without getting your face slapped.

9. Caching can't get you pregnant. (Well……)

10. You can cache at any time of the month.

11. You can share caches without fear of catching anything really horrible.

12. Caches won't mind if you have other caches.

13. You are never too young or too old for caching.

14. When you cache, it doesn't keep the neighbors awake.

15. You know that caching is always going to be enjoyable

Edited by Pigshanks
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Quite the contrary for us. We're slow on the go mind you, but we've been caching as a family since the begining of February or so this year. Husband and I are not "outdoorsy", we're more "sit on the couchy" so discovering this game has given us something to do outside besides whine about the heat, the bugs, the general idea of not hiding in the house. All three of our kids have been better behaved since we started going on weekends, even their teachers noticed that each were improving in the critical thinking areas. Since many of the teachers also cache, they felt it was a great way to spend time together as a family, working as a team.

 

Now if only we had friends that would join us I'd be thrilled. You guessed it, all of my friends are couch spuds and have no interest in a game where the pay off isn't a hugely expensive reward. mleh on them.

 

Hey that's us! Well, I'm more the cacher, and she says it's my hobby, but whenever I ask, "Wanna go get a cache" she's all for it.

 

And my friends don't seem to be very interested either. Even the guy that got me started has somehow lost the bug.

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My girlfriend pretty much hates it. She usually ends up going with me because she doesn't want to stay at home, but she pretty much complains the whole time. The only ones she remotely enjoys are the ones that are within mere steps of the parking place and take zero effort to find. It is very frustrating. My dog loves it though!

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