Camping and Caching

[+Parzival]

Have you ever had to bring your camping gear with you because of the distance to a cache? How about all day hikes, find the cache, camp over night, then hike back out? I'm looking to do some in Montana in the future but just wanted to hear other's stories.

[+Arndtwe]

nope. i live in illinois... that about sums it all up.

[+Muddy Chris]

New to this ... but we camp a lot. We plan to find caches while we are camping, anyway. It appears that they are placed so close to some of our favorite camping areas we have probably looked at them before.

 

Chris

Edited February 6, 2007 by Muddy Chris

[+StarBrand]

Just one cache that way but there are a few local ones with about 14 - 18 mile hiking round trips - could easily be turned into an over nighter.

 

I tried to make one cache into an over night stay once. Took the wrong branch on a trail and then decided to go cross coutry to get to the cache. I came across a 100 foot deep ravine and some cliffs had to work around them - ended up getting back to the car at 7pm after leaving at 11 am - total round trip was about 12 miles but if I had taken the right trail should have been about 7 or 8. It rained and spit snow on me, got muddy and was tough going -- but I found the cache and had fun.

[+Parzival]

Also wondered just how much survival skills play a part in geocaching. I can't imagine going off into the mountains out west and not knowing how to build a shelter or start a fire. I plan on carrying at least a daypack with me with basic camping gear just in case I need it. Better safe then sorry.

[+briansnat]

Did it twice. First was for an awesome virtual. Second was a DNF (and a good story). In both cases they could have been done as an ambitious day hike, but camping was more fun.

[+Team Quincy]

Not yet, but I did hear that Walmart will let me park my RV in their lot overnight.

[+Parzival]

Great logs briansnat.

[+Criminal]

Minor point of contention.

 

Camping is driving to a place in either your car or RV and spending the night.

 

If you’re talking about that thing where you load up your pack with everything you need to spend the night and then hiking there, that’s called backpacking.

 

On topic:

 

We did a pretty awesome HOM last summer to this summit. There’s room for only one or two tents at the top. The majority of my geocaching is day hikes and overnighters anymore.

 

[+Parzival]

Call it backpacking if you want, but your still camping.

 

Anyway, back to the topic.

Edited February 6, 2007 by Parzival

[+Bill & Tammy]

Planning a overnight trek on a 5/5 this Spring. Seems to me such a cache is really in the true spirit of geocaching.

Edited February 6, 2007 by Bill & Tammy

[+swaninwa]

New to this ... but we camp a lot. We plan to find caches while we are camping, anyway. It appears that they are placed so close to some of our favorite camping areas we have probably looked at them before.

 

Chris

Us too Chris! We've been AVID campers/hikers for 15+ years now, mostly boondocking and dry camping in USNF, DNR or BLM campgrounds. We added geocaching to our camping trips in May of 2006 and it's put a whole new spin on our fave past time. We love caches that are along a hiking trail or down a forest service road, and take a little time to get to. We have NOT hiked out and spent the night to get a cache yet, but that is a definite possibility -- there are some caches hidden in the Olympic National Forest that would provide that opportunity. There are also several "Kayak Caches" around our area which we plan to find in our canoe when the weather gets a little better. We're not that in to the uban caches, but we DO think camping and caching are a perfect pair.

 

(Edited to correct a typo and a run-on sentence!)

Edited February 6, 2007 by swaninwa

[+flossmoor]

I haven't HAD to... but camping and caching work well together. I experienced this at Cacheapalooza as well as several times since.

 

I don't know if I'd ever go "backpacking and camping", as tents made to fit in a backpack are much too small for my liking... not that I need a tent with the "Ringling Brothers" logo on the side or anything.

 

Camping will be the likely method for taking on the caches located throughout the Ocala National Forest, moving from focal point to new focal point each day.

[+AStargirl]

Not yet, but I did hear that Walmart will let me park my RV in their lot overnight.

 

They do. I see RVs in my town's Wal-Mart all the time. Thinking of going on a light post Wal-Mart caching spree???

[+Team Quincy]

Not yet, but I did hear that Walmart will let me park my RV in their lot overnight.

 

They do. I see RVs in my town's Wal-Mart all the time. Thinking of going on a light post Wal-Mart caching spree???

 

Is there any other kind of caching spree???

[Tahosa and Sons]

Also wondered just how much survival skills play a part in geocaching. I can't imagine going off into the mountains out west and not knowing how to build a shelter or start a fire. I plan on carrying at least a daypack with me with basic camping gear just in case I need it. Better safe then sorry.

 

You're on the right track. If you can't carry enough stuff with you and know what to do someone will usually wind up carrying you out in a bag. That is if the critters left enough to haul out.

Several of my caches can require a nice overnighter in the backcountry, I've gone back in and came out several days later on many of my jaunts and I usually go alone, just me, my wits and the right gear.

[Dinoprophet]

Oh, do I wish. There are certainly areas where you could do many caches and camp in the area, but there's no single cache near me that requires an overnighter.

 

Edit: hit something that posted before I was done

Edited February 7, 2007 by Dinoprophet

[+Team LaLonde]

We have camped while caching. There's nothing like waking up before sunrise and heading to the next cache to watch the sunrise! Oh, the memories. . .

 

Treasures of the McCormick

 

Mt. Arvon

[+Team Quincy]

Not yet, but I did hear that Walmart will let me park my RV in their lot overnight.

 

They do. I see RVs in my town's Wal-Mart all the time. Thinking of going on a light post Wal-Mart caching spree???

 

Is there any other kind of caching spree???

 

Seriously though, we camp alot and in the past had always searched for a few caches close to the campground (usually a Michigan State Park). We never planned our camping trips around caching, but always planned caching around camping. Now that we've discovered paperless caching and can have 500 of the closest caches loaded in our GPSr and PDA, we'll do alot more caching while camping. I doubt that we will ever plan a camping trip around a cache though.

[+briansnat]

Looks like I will be doing a little winter camping and caching this weekend. I'll be doing an overnight backpack in Harriman State Park in NY and jI ust checked Google Earth and there are a bunch of caches in the area.

 

All of the caches can easily be done as a day hike as the entire route is less than 10 miles, but camping out adds to the fun. Gonna have to bring a little Jameson to keep warm though as overnight temps are supposed to be in the low teens.

[+reddodger]

If you like camping and caching check out this link to the Rocky Mountain mega event. This will be way cool. Still in the planning stages. Stay tuned.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...146827&st=0

[nobby.nobbs]

camping?!!!!! when there are perfectly good bed and breakfasts or motels nearby?!!

 

ok so i like my creature comforts

[+Jamisjockey]

Also wondered just how much survival skills play a part in geocaching. I can't imagine going off into the mountains out west and not knowing how to build a shelter or start a fire. I plan on carrying at least a daypack with me with basic camping gear just in case I need it. Better safe then sorry.

 

I don't see how someone going off the beaten path for a cache could not bring some basics:

• First aid kit
  
• Water
  
• food (like a couple power bars)
  
• poncho
  
• whistle, signal mirror
  
• waterproof matches and firestarter bar
  
• compass, map, and the ability to use both
  

And most importantly, someone should know where you are. Remember the guy in Utah who cut his arm off? I heard words like Hero, Brave, etc....all I could think was MORON! If'n he had told someone where he was going, he'd still have his arm!

 

PS: I have a metal GI style canteen cup and a little stove that goes with it, with these little tablets that burn for a couple minutes and will boil water. I carry a couple bullion cubes and a little thing of instant coffee. My kit goes into a gallon ziploc. This goes in my camelbak anytime I go mountain-biking, hiking or fishing very far from civilization.