The Muse Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 (edited) I just found out about geocaching this past weekend in Shape magazine. Hopefully my GPS will be here by the weekend, this seems like just the hobby I've been looking for. It seems that a lot of geocachers are families with kids. Is this the main demographic? Just curious because noone I know does this or has heard of it. My husband and are in our early 30's, no kids and are looking forward to meeting other cachers Edited August 21, 2006 by The Muse Quote Link to comment
+Va Gal311 Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 (edited) I just found out about geocaching this past weekend in Shape magazine. Hopefully my GPS will be here by the weekend, this seems like just the hobby I've been looking for. It seems that a lot of geocachers are families with kids. Is this the main demographic? Just curious because noone I know does this or has heard of it. Yes there are alot of family people and alot of retired people well maybe just alot off cachers. I hope that you enjoy the hobbie it is alot of fun. Edited August 21, 2006 by Va Gal311 Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I don't know if an official survey has ever been taken, or if it has, if the results have been published. Going by what I've seen at events and in the logs for my caches, I'd have to say roughly 1/3 - 1/2 of all geocachers are families. By that I mean either a husband and wife, parent(s) and kids, or an extended family. The rest are a mix of of singles, unmarried couples, and married people who geocache to get away from their families for a while. Quote Link to comment
+ThePropers Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I don't know if an official survey has ever been taken, or if it has, if the results have been published. Going by what I've seen at events and in the logs for my caches, I'd have to say roughly 1/3 - 1/2 of all geocachers are families. By that I mean either a husband and wife, parent(s) and kids, or an extended family. The rest are a mix of of singles, unmarried couples, and married people who geocache to get away from their families for a while. I would agree with that assessment (1/3 - 1/2). Of course, of those, people like me do approximately 90% by myself, and the other 10% with my family. And like the OP said, very few people have heard of it. I've only ever mentioned geocaching to a handful of non-cachers who have heard of it previously. It's like our own underground society, living on the fringes of civilization. Quote Link to comment
+NatureGuy360 Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 From my experience I have encounter mostly retired couples and families. As a single male in my early twenties I am definitely in the minority -- for my home town at least. Quote Link to comment
Team Moped Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 (edited) I'm a high school student who normally caches alone. The only other cachers I've seen was a retired couple. I think I am a major minority! Edit: Wait a second, did I say "major minority?" Wow, I must have been really tired when I posted that. Edited August 22, 2006 by Team Moped Quote Link to comment
+Airmapper Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 (edited) I'm a 19 year old single male college student, and cache with whoever will go with me. (My parents, friends, I've even taken family of friends caching.) Most cachers I meet are retired or families. Edited August 22, 2006 by Airmapper Quote Link to comment
+Nepi_und_seine_Bande Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 We are one stuffed animal , one 29/f student and one 30/m student. The most geocachers we met are single male between 35 and 60. Some families, but not that much. Some couples between 30 and 60. One single female middle age (the only one). And one 69 years old married man, but seems to to all the stuff alone. Quote Link to comment
+Marcie/Eric Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 All WASPS ? Likely. I want to start a thread on political affiliation of geocachers, but fear my annual membership fee will be lost when I get banned for such. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 (edited) I just did a very unscientific survey by looking at the logs for one of my more popular and typical caches and a recent event. In many cases I knew the loggers. In some cases the logs mentioned that they were there with their family. If they used words like "we" or "us" and mentioned that they cache as a family in their profile, I assumed they were there as a family. I counted accounts logging, rather than total individuals (which in some cases was not possible to determine), except when a husband and wife logged separately I considered them a single family. For the cache (for reference it's a 2/2.5 cache that involves a 4 mile RT hike): Individuals (singles, unmarried couples, unrelated group caching together logging as a team or individually) - 43 Families - 28 Undetermined - 6 For the event (a picnic): Individuals - 20 Families - 13 Edited August 22, 2006 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
+GreyingJay Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I'm Chinese 28/m, was a student when I started, now a software engineer. I generally cache alone, or if there is a "we", it is my brother or sister, a friend or two, or some of the teenagers I work with at a summer camp (14-16 years old). People I have met on the trail have frequently been 22-30 year old singles, grad students or relatively new careers like myself. Some have young kids, under 5 years old. One or two retired couples. At caching events, I've met all kinds, from the 40-something single professional worker to families with kids of all ages, young teenagers caching by themselves, elderly couples, new mothers, the works. Most have been white, but I've noticed a couple of other Asians as well. Interestingly, from my experience volunteering at the residential kids' summer camp, this is approximately the same demographic we see there too. Kids from camp tend to be white, with a minority mix of Asians, some East Indian, some African-Canadian. I guess the whole idea of running around in the woods outdoors must be a cultural thing. Quote Link to comment
+Big Max Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Let's see I am a WASP, married with 2 kids but I tend to go alone. Kids are teenagers with their own agendas and wife is a workaholic. The kids enjoy it, just don't seem to have the time between school and church functions. My caching usually amounts to what I can do between dropping the kids off and when I have to pick them up. Kills time and I enjoy it. Beats sitting in the pickup waiting or driving all the way back home just to turn around and drive back. Quote Link to comment
+mtn-man Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 All WASPS ? Likely. I want to start a thread on political affiliation of geocachers, but fear my annual membership fee will be lost when I get banned for such. Banned? Not hardly. At this point, with you being a premium member, your topic would be pushed to the Off Topic section. If it stayed civil, it would stay open. The problem is that political topics never stay civil, so they get closed. That would not be your fault as a topic starter if you word it well. I am mid 40's and cache alone or with the puppymonster. My wife doesn't get geocaching so she doesn't go unless I am caching on vacation. She puts up with it at that point. One thing I do see is a lot of "Type A" personality people, especially in the forums. Quote Link to comment
The Muse Posted August 22, 2006 Author Share Posted August 22, 2006 (edited) Thanks for your replies, can't wait to see who we'll meet! It's been a long time since I've been this excited about anything. It's like Goonies, without the pirate ship & "rich stuff". One thing I do see is a lot of "Type A" personality people, especially in the forums. Funny you should say that, my husband constantly accuses me of being "Type A" Edited August 22, 2006 by The Muse Quote Link to comment
+CJOttawa Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I just found out about geocaching this past weekend in Shape magazine. Hopefully my GPS will be here by the weekend, this seems like just the hobby I've been looking for. It seems that a lot of geocachers are families with kids. Is this the main demographic? Just curious because noone I know does this or has heard of it. My husband and are in our early 30's, no kids and are looking forward to meeting other cachers Hello Muse! I'm a single 30 year old professional who caches in his spare time, sometimes alone, more often than not bringing a friend along...several of whom have started caching themselves. I haven't physically bumped into any other cachers but my regular geocaching partner has. I love the social aspect of it - you get to go for a hike/bike/whatever looking for some "prize". What a better way to spend the day with friends than a shared goal? Quote Link to comment
Team Moped Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 (edited) All WASPS ? Likely. I want to start a thread on political affiliation of geocachers, but fear my annual membership fee will be lost when I get banned for such. Funny, because just yesterday at work during a boring moment, I thought of doing the exact same thing! I figured it would turn into a firey argument, so I withheld. BTW, what are WASPS? Edited August 22, 2006 by Team Moped Quote Link to comment
+ADK 46-R Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I would say a lot of retired people and families geocache, but then there are people like me, im 21 and just love hiking and wandering in the woods, i geocache by myself just because i enjoy being outside and wandering around without any direction. Quote Link to comment
+Isonzo Karst Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I believe MIGO polled their membership on this a couple of years back. Obviously, you've already got a self selected group there (bad polling practice) MIGO members who chose to respond to a poll. What I recall was how much younger, wealthier and better educated that Michigan group was as compared to what I see in Florida. The first Florida event we attended, my husband and I, in our early 50s, were the youngest people in attendence. Here, geocaching is mostly older - 40s, 50s and up. Some 80 year olds still out in the woods. Lots of folks in their early 60s. Some (few) 20s and 30s familys with kids and young singles. Quote Link to comment
+mtn-man Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 BTW, what are WASPS? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Anglo-Saxon_Protestant It can be either Wealthy Anglo-Saxon Protestant or White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (which is redundant, but most common). I think some don't consider the "comes from a wealthy family" part of it though. Since I am not protestant either, the term does not fit me. Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, AFAIK Quote Link to comment
caledonia Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 My college student son got a GPSr at a pawn shop, then said "Come with me, I want to show you something" and took me to find my first geocache. I thought it was great and began shopping for my own GPSr. When we noticed an event and decided to go, I expected to see other young folks about his age - techie types. What I found instead, to my great surprise, was mostly folks like me ("less than young" folks, that is... sorry y'all... and white). In the past couple of years, I have noticed more young folks joining in, but we still are a mostly similar-looking group, racially speaking, with one Asian amongst us. So far, all my friends of color to whom I've mentioned the game have asked me why I would want to tromp around in the woods when I didn't have to. I wouldn't be able to say if that's representative, or just the friends I have, because they are not the only ones who wonder about me. Quote Link to comment
+Clothahump Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Most of the time, I'm the Lone Ranger of caching in our house. However, lately I've gotten SWMBO to come along and she's developing quite an eye for finding hidden ammo cans. We're both WASPS. I'm over 50 and she turns 50 this year. And I hate her because I look like I'm over 50 and she looks like she's still 30. Quote Link to comment
+Nerves Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I suspect there are alot of cachers with ADD/ADHD from what I've seen. Quote Link to comment
+GreyingJay Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I suspect there are alot of cachers with ADD/ADHD from what I've seen. How did you know?!?! Quote Link to comment
+j_czerwin Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 (edited) We are a married couple. I do about 20% on my own and she does about 5% on her own. We have mainly run in to other couples. Otherwise it is solo guys. I read somewhere the other day that it could be a good dating tool for singles, but sticking to urban/publec caches might be good for new dates as opposed to taking them deep in to the woods!!! (creepy thought) Wonder if my wife would like me doing this on business trips if it was a lot of single women....? Edited August 22, 2006 by j_czerwin Quote Link to comment
+brodiebunch Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 White male couple, 40 and nearly 42. 5.5yo West Highland Terrier Scientist Loan Officer Squirrel Chaser Homeowners 2 cars One is politically independent/indifferent other is Republican. Mac users How's that for demographically speaking? Quote Link to comment
+erikwillke Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 In my experience (nov, 2004) I have found no typical cacher. I've cached in several states and here's what I have found: married, single, overweight, skinny, gay, straight, stanist, Chrisian, muslim, child, single mom, weekend dad, programmers, firemen, et c. I've cached or met all of the above in person caching. I think that is the single biggest reason why I love this sport. Quote Link to comment
+Snoogans Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 (edited) OOOOooOOooOOoo, I LOOOOOOOVE demographic threads. Let's see which hole my peg fits in. Got a mallet? I updated it JUST for this thread! 39 Male I’m 6 feet tall. Early Adopter (Got my first GPSr in 1995. I buy DVDs all the time, but I forget to watch them.) Pisces I’m Agnostic, and I wish to God people would stop thinking that makes me an Atheist. Never been married and no kids that I know of, (I’m holding out for a rich woman who is too proud to have her husband work.) but I have the best darned girlfriend in the world, SalmonGirlHooked aka The Snoogstress. (We're gettin' married April 15th of 2007. Fingers crossed for her to win the lotto so I don't hafta settle.) I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer. On a good day, I only score in the high 130’s on I.Q. tests. I moo at horses just to see the shocked expression on their faces. I make way too much money for someone without a degree. I have been playing Poker since the mid-eighty’s. That’s wayyyy before it became fashionable. I’m not musical, but I do own an electric guitar. I can ONLY play the first part of “Smoke on the Water.” I actually saw Wang Chun & Men Without Hats in concert. YES, of course I did the “Safety Dance.” It didn't seem so gay then. I’m sure I have vast undiscovered artistic talents, but I’m a bit of an underachiever. Did I mention that I was holding out for a rich woman who is too proud to have her husband work? I spend at least a week alone in the Sierra Backcountry every year. So, I guess that means I like the outdoors. I never had much use for computers except for doing paperwork and Geocaching. I have NEVER downloaded music, or porn, from the internet. I played D&D as a teenager for the same reasons that other teenagers smoke; peer pressure. I liked the Indiana Jones Trilogy (OK, the second one really sucked.) I bought them all on DVD, but I still haven’t taken the time to watch them. I love dogs, I have a deer head Chihuahua named Cujo & a Dachshund named Winston. My friend’s and family’s dogs go outta their minds with joy when they hear my car drive up. I’m mostly indifferent to cats, but kittens are fun for about 10 minutes. I never really ate paste, but I did try it once when I was in the first grade. I read allot of fiction. Sci-Fi is a favorite. I actually try to write Sci-Fi and Horror, but I never have really finished anything to my satisfaction. I never rode the short bus to school. I NEVER believed in Santa Claus. I don’t drink coffee or beer. Krispy Kreme is just another donut to me. I haven’t picked a sweet watermelon in over 6 years! I like them French fried potaters. I drive a red, 1998 Volkswagen Jetta (sold the GeoJetta TODAY!) and a 2005 Xterra. I haven’t cut my back yard in over 4 years. (Antonio does that for $25 twice a month.) I almost never shop at Wal-Mart. I sometimes wonder what napalm really smells like in the morning. Not counting my Mom, I have never helped an old lady cross the street. True story: I once broke my right femur trying to fly. I baby-sit adults for a living and if they're really good I let them play with guns. I never met David Bowie, Mick Jagger, or Geraldo Rivera. I have seen a blue whale close up. I have been mistaken for a Phd. twice. (Once by a nerd from NASA and another time by a really cute marine biologist.) Fact: More than a dozen people have told me that I would be one of their lifelines if they made it onto Millionaire. My father really was a rocket scientist at the time I was born. I actually “Get” Andy Kaufman’s humor. I would NEVER pay what they are asking for tickets to see The Blue Men. I own EVERY album by Alan Parson’s Project. I once paid over $200 for a rock. I cry like a wee girl at the end of Bicentennial Man. Fact: I can totally whup ANYONE at Halo, or Halo 2. I think the theory of an Ekpyrotic Universe makes allot more sense than the traditional Big Bang models. I can’t decide which of Dali’s works that I like best. I believe that Plastination is really an art form. I don’t care if someone ends a sentence with a preposition. I've never been bitten by a spider. (knock wood) I mow my neighbor's yard because he can't. Eh, he moved. The new people can mow their own dang yard. I have a Yamaha V-Max, but I haven't ridden it in almost 8 years because I think it secretly wants to kill me. I won't sell it because I love it. My highest score at Sporting Clays is 92, but I only average 75. I never got an email from Mitsuko. I have only ridden a Vespa scooter once. The first thing I do when I get to work is check my internet email. I aspire to out-weird Oregone. I never say "Cheese" when I get my picture taken. I've only had one cavity in the last 20 years. I almost never listen to sea shells. I can say Cinnamon, Aluminum, Linoleum, five times fast. I constructed a Psychomantium in my guest bathroom, but nobody from “The Other Side” has bothered to say, “Hi.” I love fried squid. I pulled skeet for Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top/Got my Eliminator album signed too.) among other notables, when I was a kid. All my “Exes” really do live in Texas. I hate to valet park my own car. I can say dirty words in more than 6 languages. In the town where I was born, lived a man who sailed the sea. Of THAT I’m sure. I’m pretty sure that if I bought a round bed, people would never be able to ask if I got up on the wrong side. Whenever I hear, “I’ll have 4 fried chickens, 2 slices of dry white toast, and a Coke,” I can only “Think” about one thing. I bought a mountain bike in 1989 and I rode it like, twice. I misplace my car keys all freakin’ the time at home, but never at work. I really did buy a book on “How to stop Procrastinating,” but I put off reading it. I have to wear a uniform unless I’m teaching a class. I have ALL of Stephen King’s novels in hardback. (Except the one’s that never had a hardback edition.) True Story: I check every Stephen King hardback, in a used bookstore, for red page numbers. I haven’t found one yet. Darn. I won’t eat eggplant either. I never met a Geocacher that I didn’t like. I have read “The Clan of the Cave Bear,” at least seven times. I HAVE to use the 10% off coupons that Best Buy sends me in the mail. I secretly think they coat the paper with a chemical that makes me crave new DVD’s. I never wanted a pony. I’m on the national “DO NOT CALL LIST” for telemarketers. I won $87 bucks on the Texas lottery (4 numbers) in January 2004, and I can’t find the freakin ticket!!! I can’t retire yet, but I’m vested at 9% dollar for dollar. I know the Latin names of all my favorite Cephalopods. I know that steamundus is not really veriovundus, but I’m not really sure what IT is. If you poke me with a pin, I'll bleed, but most likely so will you. I'm a concealed handgun instructor, but I almost NEVER carry a gun. Is that wrong? My Mom is 82 and I'm 39. All my brothers and sisters are at LEAST 10 years older than me. Heck, I have a nephew that is a year older than me. I think I may have been an accident...... I didn't vote in the last election. I couldn't bring myself to choose between an idiot and a liar. Eh, six of one.... I planned to complain either way. I haven't been to the Zoo in like, 8 years. The snoogstress took me there a few months ago. I really hate getting "ice cream cone" headaches. I can speak, read, and write a little Arabic. (not fluently) I'm pretty indifferent to reality TV, but I love the Osbournes. If I had multiple personalities, they would probably inhabit the town of Cicely, Alaska. I have hidden like a half dozen new caches, but I'm not motivated to post them for some reason. Just listed them over 1 year later. Conium Masculatum is poison ya know! (Well it is, but this phrase's hidden meaning is now revoked.) If anyone has an old NES copy of Black Bass, try this code to catch a MONSTER bass: P2AAJI2TGGNQY1VN I keep hoping that the next time I drink tequila, the brain cell that code is stored on will get fried. Strangely, I worry about burning the one with my phone number on it. I got 100% in coding on the ASVAB. They made me take that section again and I got 100%. I have never seen Morgan Fairchild naked. I bought my first car at the age of 12. A 1961 Olds F85. I bought it for my brother for $200. He needed a car. In 2004, I had a face to face encounter with a 600+ lb. bear. (not my first) He just walked away. My favorite color is red. MY MANTRA: Some day my Ferrari will come. (Please God let me have all of my teeth when it does.) I have always been suspicious of Dr. Quest and Race Bannon's relationship. I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy. Edited August 23, 2006 by Snoogans Quote Link to comment
+mtn-man Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 OOOOooOOooOOoo, I LOOOOOOOVE demographic threads. Let's see which hole my peg fits in. Got a mallet? I updated it JUST for this thread! <yack, yack, yack, yack....> My favorite color is red. <MORE yack yack yack > I KNEW there was something good in there somewhere. Quote Link to comment
+geognerd Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 my husband and II have this habit of assuming most of the forum members here are male. Every so often there's a surprise like this where I find out someone is female. I think your shark (or is that a fish?) threw me. No pink hearts or kitties for an avatar? Quote Link to comment
+team moxiepup Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 Let's see.... White female couple, 38 (me), and 42, and a miniature pinscher/pomeranian mix, 1 1/2. We own a home in the country. We both love geocaching. She handles most of the tech stuff, (she's an engineer after all) I mainly look around and say "there it is"! I'm an artist/ substitute teacher. We also have 4 cats, but they're not into geocaching. Have to admit, we never really tried to take them, as they meow loudly and persistantly whenever we take them in the car. (Our fault... most car visits for them have brought them to the vet's office.) We also love gardening, fishkeeping, camping, snorkeling, snowmobiling, reading, and puzzles. Quote Link to comment
+Loch Cache Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 I suspect there are alot of cachers with ADD/ADHD from what I've seen. I don't know why you would think that a lot.... Is that a new cache? Loch Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 I'm 40, Wife is 41, 1 4 year old and 1 10 month old. 80%+ we do together the rest mostly me alone. Quote Link to comment
CacheNCarryMA Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 (edited) 39 y.o. Asian male Married Three daughters. My youngest daughter caches with me the most. The rest of the family goes infrequently. Regular church attender (Protestant) I have an Austalian Shepherd - she can't find caches, but she knows the word "caching" and recognizes my geocaching pants and boots. My body mass index is 22.3 I prefer hiding caches over finding them. I buy stuff online, but have never sold anything online. I have Vonage VoIP and subscribe to Netflix. I'm an IT consultant I read more non-fiction than fiction, although I do read Stephen King, Dan Brown, and used to read Tom Clancy. East of Eden is my favorite novel. I drive a VW. I bake excellent pies - apple, blueberry, cherry. I think I have artistic ability. I know I have no musical ability. I have built two cameras obscura. In the fall, I consume large quantities of apple cider. I spent most of my adolescence in a video arcade. I took the ASVAB (got out of a half a day of classes). It recommended that I'd make a good drill press operator In high school, I received a $50 scholarship from the Knights of Columbus. I've never done the Safety Dance, but I've seen AC/DC and Willie Nelson in concert (not the same concert) I've never met Mick Jagger or Geraldo (but he stood next to my wife in the audience at his show), but I have met David Bowie (at the Metropolitan Museum of Art giftshop, he was with Iman, buying an armload of coffee table books), rode an elevator with MC Hammer, saw Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman crossing the street with their kids, and Geena Davis winked at me at a cafe on the Upper West Side of NYC. I only played D&D a few times in high school. I like World Cup soccer. My mom is 77. I'm 39. My sibling are more than eight years older. I know I wasn't an accident. My mom says she was worried my brother would get sent to The Nam. I buy used Playstation games. I'm currently working my way through "007 Agent Under Fire" and "Red Dead Revolver" I've never been to paradise and I've never been to me. I have subscriptions to Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian, and Mental Floss magazines. I think hockey and golf are boring. I'm a registered Democrat. I've voted in every presidential election since I was old enough to vote, but I couldn't bring myself to vote in 2004. I think George Bush doesn't deserve another term. I've had a hard time finding a "clever" avatar. I like Maxfield Parrish. I think plastination is weird, although all those Chinese prisoners weren't doing anything, anyway. I think I can't keep up with Snoogans. I spend too much time in the Forums. I think some forum posters take this game WAY too seriously. Edited August 23, 2006 by CacheNCarryMA Quote Link to comment
+nameless301 Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 From what I heard there is alot of families. My brother goes geocaching with his son usually and my dad goes by himself since I am not at home anymore but sometimes my brother goes with my dad and I usually go with my girlfriend, it is always fun no matter what. Quote Link to comment
+Harry Dolphin Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 WASP means White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant. Which leaves me out, since I'm only a fifth of Scotch, and an atheist. And, I'm rather on the dark side of 'White'. But, WASP is a very racist term anyway, and most people who claim to be miss one or more of the requirements. (Not even sure if Scottish qualifies as Anglo-Saxon! I am also part German (which is definitely not Anglo-Saxon) and part Czech (which is also not WASP.) That being said (dolphin being a stickler), I find family (which I will define as one or more parents caching with one or more children), to be about ten percent of the cachers I'm met. Last event I attended had three families, five or six male/female teams, and fifteen or so men either by themselves, or attending with other men. IMHO, this seems to be predominately a sport appealing to men of European descent. Demographically, I am a middle-aged male of European descent, tall, somewhat chubby (especially since I stopped section hiking the AT.) Quote Link to comment
+Team Merlin Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 I'm a 33 yr old American white dude & my wife is a a 31 yr old American white chick(Team Merlin). We sometimes cache with a 28 yr old German dude & 23-25 yr old white chick (Team K&J). Quote Link to comment
+TrailGators Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 (edited) And like the OP said, very few people have heard of it <geocaching>. I've only ever mentioned geocaching to a handful of non-cachers who have heard of it previously. It's like our own underground society, living on the fringes of civilization. This is so true! I'm to the point that I tell everyone that I'm going hiking. At least that way I don't have to explain it 5 billion times... As far as the topic....I was going to say it's a family thing when the kids are younger. My teenagers think it is boring now and would rather do other stuff like spend all day on the darn computer. But I really think geocaching covers a very wide array of people unlike most activities. So it would be very difficult to stereotype a goecacher. Edited August 24, 2006 by TrailGators Quote Link to comment
+Kwitzats Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I see a good amount of cachers in the military but i cache around military bases i'm surprised however there are few people i work with (in the Army) that cache since most of us own gpsr Quote Link to comment
+parker313 Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I am 30 and my husband is 28. We're pretty WASPy (though very moderate politically) and we have a 3.5yr old and a 1yr old. I like to cache with them, but am also perfectly happy going out by myself, while I doubt my husband would go out and cache just for the solo fun of it. He is Army but I knew about geocaching long before he did and have wanted to get into it for several years now. I don't remember where I first heard about it, I assume it was online... Quote Link to comment
+cameltrophy3 Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I am a 37-year-old guy who is involved with a beautiful 30something lady who has a 9-year-old daughter. We try to do things together as a family and in order to keep a 9 year olds attention for any great length of time I have to really make it really cool and interesting. I was into Letterboxing before I found Geocaching, and now that I have a nice GPS, I am into it quite a bit. It is a wholesome family or group thing to do that does not require a TV. Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 (edited) Demographics? I'm Last edge of the Baby Boomers, the first of Generation X. I think WASP applies if for no other reason that's all I know though according to Harry Dolphin I don't actually qualify. In college I got lucky an became a DINK, but nature quickly took it's course and then it was D.A.M.N. (Dad a$sets Mom Nurturs aka I work she stays home and takes care of the kids). Now it's WTF as I look at college costs and another WTF since we just had to buy a house at the peak of the boom, after selling one BEFORE the boom, so now I'm in EWE denial. EWE = Everyone Works Everyday. Hmmm... I'm conservative, but have come to dislike both parties because they seemed to take the good things about their own beliefs and trade them in for the worst of the other party. I remember when the parties actually had meaningfull differences. Now it's all just smoke and mirrors. Edited August 25, 2006 by Renegade Knight Quote Link to comment
Guyute1210 Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I'm a 27 year old male Performance Analyst (in IT) and cache with my 25 year old fiance. We have seen only a few people out caching, and one was a mother with two kids and a guy friend, and the other was an early 40's guy (who i know has a child that caches). Of our 140 or so finds, 75% we are together, 20% me by myself and 5% her by herself. I'm agnostic and conservative. I've gotten 2 coworkers to start caching and one of them got their family into it as well. I also took my brother and his friend out and now they cache too. Quote Link to comment
+Red_Devil35 Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Single, white female...wait, wasn't that a movie? Agnostic. A mix of Danish, Scottish and American Indian. 36, I work full time and go to school. I did have a caching partner, but I finally managed to ditch him. I cache alone (& carry a big stick) or with a group here in the Twin Cities. 2 cats, I leave them at home to keep the fish in line. They do a good job too! Quote Link to comment
+Yellow ants Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Mr. Ant is 28 and a GIS developer. Mrs. Ant is 27 and a grad student majoring in history. At the latest (and so far only) event we attended, we were the youngest present (cacher's kids excluded). Also, all cachers I've met or talked to are white, but given the ethnic makeup around here that's not totally surprising. I'd expect to see some asians (Korean adoptees mostly) and perhaps a Turk or two, but so far haven't run into any. I am also part German (which is definitely not Anglo-Saxon) Sorry to interrupt, but both the Angles and the Saxons were Germanic people who sailed to England and settled there Quote Link to comment
+ChicagoCanineCrew Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I just did a very unscientific survey by looking at the logs for one of my more popular and typical caches and a recent event. In many cases I knew the loggers. In some cases the logs mentioned that they were there with their family. If they used words like "we" or "us" and mentioned that they cache as a family in their profile, I assumed they were there as a family. Well, personally I might say "we" in a log once in a while without realizing it. If I do, I am referring me me and my dog(s). I rarely cache alone unless it's an area where dogs are not allowed. Quote Link to comment
+TrailGators Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Mr. Ant is 28 and a GIS developer. Mrs. Ant is 27 and a grad student majoring in history. At the latest (and so far only) event we attended, we were the youngest present (cacher's kids excluded). Also, all cachers I've met or talked to are white, but given the ethnic makeup around here that's not totally surprising. I'd expect to see some asians (Korean adoptees mostly) and perhaps a Turk or two, but so far haven't run into any. I am also part German (which is definitely not Anglo-Saxon) Sorry to interrupt, but both the Angles and the Saxons were Germanic people who sailed to England and settled there My understanding is that the Saxons from Denmark also invaded Normandy and then became Normans who invaded England and later on invaded Ireland. I know my family tree on my mother's side followed that path. So I am a WASC because her family is not orange Irish. However, my father's side is Orange Irish by way of Scotland so I am a WASP from that side. But part of my father's side also settled in America from the Netherlands back in 1650. This is all so confusing because I am a mismash of so much stuff! So I guess I'm just a 45 year old American!!! Quote Link to comment
+VeryLost Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I updated it JUST for this thread! Great list! I once paid over $200 for a rock. I assure you, that's perfectly reasonable. I cry like a wee girl at the end of Bicentennial Man. For reasons I've never quite understood, Armageddon does that to me. I can't bear to watch Liv Tyler cry, perhaps. I'm sure she'd appreciate a hug from me. Quote Link to comment
+Yellow ants Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 (edited) I once paid over $200 for a rock. I assure you, that's perfectly reasonable. So Mrs. Ant keeps telling me when she bugs me for another diamond in her wedding ring. And yet, when we urgently need a better GPSr ... Edited August 25, 2006 by Yellow ants Quote Link to comment
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