Why Do We Geocache?

[+JakeBond]

when it comes right down to it, someone watching what we do, it looks utterly futile and pointless. We sit at a computer, then walk out of our house, go somewhere, sign a notbook, then go home, and sit at out computer again. Dont get me wrong, I enjoy the sport/game/whatever very much, but, why do we do it?

 

Why do you do it? what do you feel you get out of it?

 

BTW, I've been mulling over an idea of placing a cache in a place that absolutely no one would ever want to go in order to try and find out why people chose to go there. I'll call it my "ugly ultra urban" What do you think?

Edited May 11, 2006 by JakeBond

[+Renegade Knight]

The first cache I sought out because it was there.

After that it was fun and remains enjoyable. When it's not, I quit for the day and go do something else. If I don't feel like caching I don't. It keeps it fun.

 

Some of the spots other's dont enjoy I do. It takes all kinds to fill this world. Your cache would be found.

[+JakeBond]

i go out really to find my inner peace, and to have a chance to be alone. i found gc.com when i was where's georging back in college, but didnt geocache until i was a few years out of school...

 

i gotta say i love going places i never would have before...

 

however i regress, would you go to a cache taht you knew was in a place that wouldnt have a scenic view? maybe a run down wharehouse district near commuter rail tracks...

[+cudlecub]

There's various reasons for my caching. The two primary ones are to have fun with others and to rediscover the area I live in. I'm always amazed at interesting areas in my area that I never knew existed.

[+ReadyOrNot]

For me it's all about the challenge. It's a competition, but only against myself. I love the caches that take 30 minutes to find as opposed to knowing where it is before you even get out of your car. With the advent of instant notifications, I've really started enjoying night caching and getting FTF's. If you've never done a night cache, search for one in your area and give it a try. It's a whole different world in the woods at night

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

I have no idea why we do this lol. We began this after we saw a newspaper article on geocaching, and it appealed to the wild side of us. We had a rough couple of years in our personal lives dealing with family tragedies and just wanted to have some fun. Its still fun. I think it may be a bit of an obsession. An addiction. Maybe just a way of unwinding from other work I do. Quality bonding time with my husband. Gets me out of the house. I cant think of a solid reason why I would use a gps to hunt an altoids micro on the back of a sign. And yet....we will eagerly run to get it, and be thrilled when we log it. Have we become trained rats in a maze? Whatever the reason, we love geocaching.

[+Team JSAM]

We geocache because its quiet and its gets us away from people and its quiet and theres no people!

Edited May 11, 2006 by Team Jsam

[ImpalaBob]

Koikeeper and I are curently enjoying ourselves cachinq on Cape Cod. I am sure we have seen things the average tourist has not. Most of the locals are unaware of the cool places we have seen. WIFI for breakfast to make our posts, and get new queries. ImpalaBob

[+wesleykey]

I geocache because I am addicted. I Have not logged a cache in 3 days and I'm already feeling dizzy.

[+ThePropers]

I geocache for the fame, fortune and the women.

[+Night Stalker]

Wasn't it Flip Wilson who said "the Devil Makes me do it"! He obviously was a geocacher.

 

[+JakeBond]

where wouldnt you want to look for a geocache?

[+CYBret]

I geocache for the fame, fortune and the women.

First ju get the cache, then ju get the money, then ju get the weemen.

Edited May 12, 2006 by CYBret

[+JakeBond]

where wouldnt you want to look for a geocache?

 

West End in Atlanta GA

 

how many caches are placed there?

[+2_Stand]

Well put.

 

I know that grin.

 

I do it for a few reasons... silly, questionable, whatever.

 

1) To get outside. Usually I will just stay inside and read books, play video games, sleep. Or I will go drive somewhere to be inside again.. like to drink!

 

2) I feel sneaky... it's like "ha, look at all those ignorant people... they don't KNOW this thing is here! ha!"

 

3) I get to play with cool gadgets. Never before have I been armed with a cell phone, GPS unit, laptop, compass, and "camo" all at the same time.

 

4) As for still being new to this, I am still amazed at the fact that some places I have been to.. I never would have thought people hid things there for only the initiated to find. I do not look at those places the same.

 

5) I get to explore places I never knew existed.

 

6) I like looking for things when it does not involve me getting stressed because I am running late (OMG where is my wallet?!)

 

7) Mental challenge... I get sleepy when I do not challenge myself.. perhaps I am a dopamine junkie... maybe cocaine would be easier?

 

8) I am getting a tan!

 

9) I like driving.... geocaching gives me an excuse to do it... stick shifting is fun

 

EDIT: I would like to add that the first cache I ever found was a micro and a 2 star rating. For about 10 minutes I just walked around and hoped the GPS on my cell phone wasn't lying to me. I was about to give up while thinking "what the heck am I doing anyway?" I then saw a "rock" and thought it wouldn't hurt to see if anything was under there... it wasn't a rock but a clump of cement painted to look like a rock with a match container inside of it. The grin I made couldn't be faked. I laughed numerous times and since then been looking for more. Trading items is also fun... I found neat travel bugs and movies. I even got a cool pair of sunglasses now

Edited May 14, 2006 by 2_Stand

[+Seek+Hide]

Why do we do it... for "kicks". There is a natural high - Possibly even addictive for some - that you get at the moment of the find.

[RexBloodman]

I geocache for the excercise mainly, the quietness of remote caches, and just to get away from the family!!!!!

 

But seriously, What can you get addicted to that is NOT bad for you? I can say Geocaching is better than sitting in front of the boob toob, Right!!!!

[+Treasure Hunting Family]

A friend told me about geocaching and called it Yuppy Treasure Hunting. I told my family about it and my son then 7 got excited. So we started and I fell in love. It gets us outside. It is something we do as a family. For that time we aren't sitting at home on the couch. We are walking and feeling better about ourselves. The hunt is fun and the trades are like finding treasures. It's amazing how excited we get over finding worthless stuff in the woods haha.

[+One of the Texas Vikings]

Easy to understand ! ......

 

42

[+Nels_Anderson]

I do it as an excuse to get out of the house and get some exercise. I generally spend all day in front of a computer, so I need to exercise. If I just go out and walk for the sake of walking I'm bored after a few minutes and don't do enough. But if there's a reason to walk somewhere, like a cache to be found, I'll walk for miles without a problem. As a result I've found many interesting places nearby that I never would have known about, and that are even worth a re-visit even without a new cache to find.

[+JakeBond]

im thinking about a dumpster cache...

[+Harry Dolphin]

where wouldnt you want to look for a geocache?

 

Lessee, I've been to:

Riveview. Largest rats that I've ever seen. DNF. I ain't sticking my fingers in there!

Hogger's First Cache Second ugliest place I've cached. See above.

i points revenge Absolutely disgusting!

Then there was Mount Morris (definitely did not feel safe there. But it was a waypoint, and not a cache. Someone actually stole the cannon from the top?!?) Morningside Park is interesting.

Did find 4quA5 Interesting area.

But, I ain't going here! Spooky Island

[+Team Cotati]

Because it's fun, there can be no other reason.

[+Katerbug]

I do it because it gets me out to places I wouldn't have known existed, and because it's amazing exercise for someone who normally nerds it out in front of a computer all day. It lets me be a techy, get out in the woods, and enjoy myself all at once. Plus, it's fun to think of geocachers as modern day pirates since we are certainly treasure hunting.

 

Oh, and as far as the dumpster cache goes, JakeBond, there would still be people to come find it...and the horror story count on the hunt forum would climb...

Edited May 26, 2006 by Katerbug

[+cqedens137]

Why do you do it? what do you feel you get out of it?

I spend my work days repairing equipment all over se georgia. And dealing with owners that want to argue over the repair bill. So geocaching helps breaks up the long daily drives and is relaxing to me. I even find the enjoyment with dnf's just cause of the stop. It's very interesting all of the things that I would not normally see or notice if it wasn't for caching.

 

I geocache for the fame, fortune and the women.

the fame: don't want it

 

the fortune: still looking

 

the women: haven't found the cache of those yet

 

cqedens137

[nobby.nobbs]

why do we do it?

 

well over here it's called care in the community! ie they shut all the psychiatric hospitals and turned them all out onto the streets. caching keeps them occupied!!!

[+GeoBlank]

Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul

"A battle to fight, a beauty to rescue, and an adventure to live."

 

The battle is no doubt those puzzle caches, the beauty is caching in nice parks and new places with my wife and kids, and the adventure to live is bushwhacking at 6am with buddies that like the harder caches.

 

Not to steal the words from John Elderidge's book "Wild at Heart", but I thought they worked

 

It may also help counteract the comment above regarding "the devil made me do it"...

Edited May 26, 2006 by GeoBlank

[+JakeBond]

where wouldnt you want to look for a geocache?

 

Lessee, I've been to:

Riveview. Largest rats that I've ever seen. DNF. I ain't sticking my fingers in there!

Hogger's First Cache Second ugliest place I've cached. See above.

i points revenge Absolutely disgusting!

Then there was Mount Morris (definitely did not feel safe there. But it was a waypoint, and not a cache. Someone actually stole the cannon from the top?!?) Morningside Park is interesting.

Did find 4quA5 Interesting area.

But, I ain't going here! Spooky Island

 

I am totally going to Spooky Island! I cant wait to make my trip out there! I think its the perfect place for a cache!

[+Jhwk]

I consider myself a clear-cut cacher. If you place it near me, I will find it - no matter what.