How do you find someone to cache with?

[+Degai]

I have been caching since the end of July, and I haven't gotten too many caches because I don't always have someone to cache with. I would love to go out more, but it creeps me out to be in the woods alone! I have talked to a lot of people I know about geocaching, but I have yet to have anyone take me up on going out!

 

I have met several cachers at a meet and greet, but to be honest, I was intimidated by them. They were all very nice, but these people could find more caches in one day, than I had in 6 months! I am sure if I were to go out with them, they would become frustrated because it still takes me a while to figure things out (although, I am getting better).

 

Any suggestions?

[+El Diablo]

You might find the local cachers a little more tolerant than you believe. As you pointed out they are very nice. Also keep in mind that probably not so long ago they were as new as you. Ask a few or post in the regional forums here or in your local caching forums if you have one.

 

El Diablo

[+PlantAKiss]

I can relate! I'm in the same situation. Most of the time I don't mind caching alone but there are some spots (heavily wooded parks with not a lot of people around) that make me nervous being by myself. Once, I was at a wooded park where there was no one around except a man in a truck. He was hanging around and obviously not at the park for park activity (he was parked up by the road, not near any recreation area). I fiddled around pretending to be messing with something in my car so I could watch him for a few minutes. Since I had my dog with me I decided to go for the cache I wanted (found it!). When I got back to my car, I discovered he had moved his truck over near my car! He was sitting inside with his door cracked open. I went to the driver's side of my car (keeping my car between me and his truck) and put my dog in on that side so I didn't have to turn my back to his truck. I got the hell out of there! Its things like that that scare me. I couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation for why he moved his truck over to my car (in an empty parking lot). I think I found all the caches in that park and I ain't goin' back! lol

 

I did join a Yahoo group of local cachers but they all seem to be friends and "experts." I don't feel like I fit in...at least not yet. I'd like to meet someone on my level who won't mind some fumbling and ignorance. I'd like to share the "learning experience" with someone on my level so I won't feel like so much a drag to the more experienced people. So for now...I muddle along by myself unless I can get a friend to go with me.

[+StarBrand]

Hold a geocaching event nearby - anybody can do it - and see who shows up - you will meet lots of nice folks and a few that might be willing to help you out.

[+laughingcat]

I have been caching since the end of July, and I haven't gotten too many caches because I don't always have someone to cache with. I would love to go out more, but it creeps me out to be in the woods alone! I have talked to a lot of people I know about geocaching, but I have yet to have anyone take me up on going out!

 

I have met several cachers at a meet and greet, but to be honest, I was intimidated by them. They were all very nice, but these people could find more caches in one day, than I had in 6 months! I am sure if I were to go out with them, they would become frustrated because it still takes me a while to figure things out (although, I am getting better).

 

Any suggestions?

 

I found one through email.. first just regarding her cache but I responded to her response and one thing led to another. I've emailed others on some pretext or other but she was the only one who was willing to get involved in an email exchange. Sort of an offhand way of finding a person interested in having a caching buddy.

[+Team Dubbin]

Just make one of your buddies go with you on a hunt or two and he/she will be hooked. My daughter (21) kept calling me a nerd for doing it until she went with me one time. Needless to say, she didn't want to stop and has too became a "nerd"

[chuckr30]

Thought I geocached for 2 years, then stopped for 2 years, now I'm starting again, I still consider myself a newbie since I have found only 11 caches (in those 2 years). I'm very adept at the outdoors but I just have trouble finding the actual cache once I get within 20 feet. So I ignore the micro and smaller caches. I even walked around a cache 5 times because it looked just like a snow covered clump of wild grass.

 

So I think we should have a forum where each thread is a city and state, where people can hook up to cache together. I think the forum should be geared toward newbies because 1) there are more of them who want to hook up and 2) they can work together to figure out where caches are typically hidden (under rocks, base of tree, crook of tree, etc).

[+Accordiongal]

How to meet others: go to events, ask others to go caching with you while at the event, make "business card" with you caching name and phone number. Just ask if you can go caching with someone else. Look in your areas forum, local, state organization, create a posting wanting a geobuddy.

 

Safety is a very real concern. Dog is a great idea. Also purchase some "bear repellant". That may be contrivesial. Have your cell phone with you all times. Fake calls, trust your instinct. Network, network, network.

[+Trucker Lee]

Try a google search using your city and geocacher, see what comes up. Many local clubs have a group (free at yahoo groups). Search there. If not one found, why not start one?

 

Check the profiles on some that have found caches in your area. If they are local, send a pm to say "hello", and ask the long-timers if there is a local group.

[+Team Dubbin]

So I think we should have a forum where each thread is a city and state

 

Do you realize how big of a forum that would have to be?

[+Renegade Knight]

Show a little leg. Kilts and Skirts seem to bring out the offers in these forums.

Edited February 8, 2007 by Renegade Knight

[+DammitNanet]

I'm kind of in the same boat. I'm a newbie and for the most part it's me and the dog - hubby and son have no interest. I have a friend who goes occasionally, but she won't go if it's cold. It's also tough because if I take Miko off her lease she bolts, so it's me struggling with the leash, gps, and whatever else; sometimes I have to tie her up to a tree and just search around until I find it. Another set of eyes would definitely be a plus!

[+Bad_CRC]

my gf lets me drag her along most days. I don't mind being alone in the woods though, so long as the weather is nice.

[+badlands]

Maryland Geocaching Society

 

If this is anything like our local group, there will be a forum where people post where there are going to hunt and asking if anyone wants to go along.

Edited February 10, 2007 by badlands

[+BlueDeuce]

I am sure if I were to go out with them, they would become frustrated because it still takes me a while to figure things out (although, I am getting better).

 

100% wrong. The more hoity-toity the cacher the more they want to ‘show’ you how to cache.

 

I tried that once, explaining that I could help them find the cache since I had been there before. After 20 minutes of searching I started to sweat. Then the newbie found it in its new location.

 

 

In all seriousness, cachers love to cache. It doesn't matter who, what, when, where, or why. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised how many people would be willing to go caching with you. Just ask.

[+Jamisjockey]

I'm never nervous going anywhere alone.....

[BRTango]

I have been caching since the end of July, and I haven't gotten too many caches because I don't always have someone to cache with. I would love to go out more, but it creeps me out to be in the woods alone! I have talked to a lot of people I know about geocaching, but I have yet to have anyone take me up on going out!

 

I have met several cachers at a meet and greet, but to be honest, I was intimidated by them. They were all very nice, but these people could find more caches in one day, than I had in 6 months! I am sure if I were to go out with them, they would become frustrated because it still takes me a while to figure things out (although, I am getting better).

 

Any suggestions?

 

The Maryland Geocaching Society is a good place to start. Although if I gather correctly you are Army. So you should really check out the Military Association of Geocachers as well, it's an international group of military and/or military related (ie retired, family, supporters, etc...) geocachers. In the DC, NoVA, MD area we have the "Beltway Bandits" led by the MAGC founder Falcon Loader (AKA Duke).

 

MAGC holds quite a few meet and greets in the area and people are always willing to head out on a hunt.

[+oprystar]

Although I also go by the same means as JamisJockey. (I am licensed and trained so that is a plus.) I do understand this issue, and I do believe it to be an issue. Early on I guess I was a bit intimidated by the more experienced cachers in the area, but as I met them, I found most (not all) to be very nice, willing to help, and very patient with me. These are cachers who had logged finds of 200 on up to 4000. On occassion I would email some of them thru their profile, and actually met some at cache sites. I think if one tries to meet fellow cachers, they will find honest, patient, safe cachers to hunt with. I have since become the person I needed when I was a newbie, I have and continue to help those who are new. I try to contact them as son as I see a newbie log a cache in my area.

[+T F T C]

Craigslist.

 

PS: If you really try this, let us know how it goes.

[+Thrak]

I have been caching since the end of July, and I haven't gotten too many caches because I don't always have someone to cache with. I would love to go out more, but it creeps me out to be in the woods alone! I have talked to a lot of people I know about geocaching, but I have yet to have anyone take me up on going out!

 

I have met several cachers at a meet and greet, but to be honest, I was intimidated by them. They were all very nice, but these people could find more caches in one day, than I had in 6 months! I am sure if I were to go out with them, they would become frustrated because it still takes me a while to figure things out (although, I am getting better).

 

Any suggestions?

 

You might be surprised by the local cachers. In my area we have a group called N.U.T.S. (Northstate Unusual Treasure Seekers). In this group we have folks who have helped brand new cachers learn their way around - they weren't adverse to revisiting caches they had done long before so that the new folks could learn - and these same folks have spent time caching with Team Alamo (the number 1 cachers in the world). Good folks are just that - good folks. Don't be afraid to talk with the other cachers at your local caching events. You might just be surprised how nice many of them are.

[Purpleblobofgoo]

I can relate! I'm in the same situation. Most of the time I don't mind caching alone but there are some spots (heavily wooded parks with not a lot of people around) that make me nervous being by myself. Once, I was at a wooded park where there was no one around except a man in a truck. He was hanging around and obviously not at the park for park activity (he was parked up by the road, not near any recreation area). I fiddled around pretending to be messing with something in my car so I could watch him for a few minutes. Since I had my dog with me I decided to go for the cache I wanted (found it!). When I got back to my car, I discovered he had moved his truck over near my car! He was sitting inside with his door cracked open. I went to the driver's side of my car (keeping my car between me and his truck) and put my dog in on that side so I didn't have to turn my back to his truck. I got the hell out of there! Its things like that that scare me. I couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation for why he moved his truck over to my car (in an empty parking lot). I think I found all the caches in that park and I ain't goin' back! lol

 

I did join a Yahoo group of local cachers but they all seem to be friends and "experts." I don't feel like I fit in...at least not yet. I'd like to meet someone on my level who won't mind some fumbling and ignorance. I'd like to share the "learning experience" with someone on my level so I won't feel like so much a drag to the more experienced people. So for now...I muddle along by myself unless I can get a friend to go with me.

 

I like in King George, VA, about an hour from Richmond, so if you wanted to meet up one day, pievendor, christaelaine, and I would be more than willing to drive down.

[+PlantAKiss]

Awwww...that's so nice of you. Maybe we can do that one day.

 

This weekend I got a friend and her son to go out with me although I just took them to some caches I'd already done. Her son in particular had a great time and said "I'm hooked" after he found the first and second stages of a multi. lol

[+Degai]

Awwww...that's so nice of you. Maybe we can do that one day.

 

This weekend I got a friend and her son to go out with me although I just took them to some caches I'd already done. Her son in particular had a great time and said "I'm hooked" after he found the first and second stages of a multi. lol

 

I haven't had time to respond since I posted this, so first, I would like to say thank you to all of the suggestions. I will definitely try a few.

 

When I read about PlantAKiss' experience with the guy in the car, it really creeped me out. Thank goodness you had a dog with you! I swear that is my worst nightmare come true. Did you happen to get the guy's license plate? You were very observant and astute and I am sure that guy noticed that and didn't progress farther. Thank God you are safe!

 

I am from the Richmond area (military brat, so I was born there and eventually came back for high school) and I went to Meadowbrook High, but graduated from Manchester High. I noticed that Purpleblobofqoo(?did I spell that correctly) invited you to geocache with them. Although, I am 3.5 hrs away from you guys, if you get your group together, I would love to join you guys!

 

Are there some cool caches near you?