The History Of Geocaching. Where did it start?

[+ricko19]

I'm interested in learning about who and when Geocaching was started. My 10 year old daughter wants to talk about Geocaching for show and tell and I thought it would be cool for her to have that info.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[+HappyHabanormal]

http://www.geocaching.com/about/history.aspx

[vtmtnman]

Try here as well.

 

It's on my "Before I die" cache list.

[+briansnat]

Here is one of the better historys I've seen. It is complete with links to the actual Usenet posts that started everything.

 

For example here is the second post on the subject, from 3 am on May 3rd, 2000 where the concept was outlined:

 

The Great American GPS Stash Hunt !!

 

-- Now that SA is off we can start a worldwide Stash Game!! With

Non-SA accuracy it should be easy to find a stash from waypoint

information. Waypoints of secret stashes could be shared on the

Internet, people could navigate to the stashes and get some

stuff. The only rule for stashes is: Get some Stuff, Leave some

Stuff!! The more valuable the stuff the more stashes will be

started.

 

I'm thinking of half burying a five gallon plastic bucket with

lid at the stash point. Putting in some stuff. Adding a logbook

and pencil so visitors can record their find. The log should

contain: Date, Time, What you got, and What you put in. Scanning

the log book should give you a quick inventory of the stash.

 

I'll look for a place near a road where few people would

normally go... Put in some cash, an old digital camera, and some

antique silverware!! I will come up with a cool name for my

stash and post coordinates soon!!!

 

Make your own stash in a unique location, put in some stuff and

a log book. Post the location on the Internet. Soon we will have

thousands of stashes all over the world to go searching for.

Have Fun!!

 

Dave...

 

The last line was quite prescient, but I doubt even he realized how many thousands would be placed.

Edited April 27, 2007 by briansnat

[+CSpenceFLY]

Or what kind of junk would end up in the caches. Thanks for the info. Cool stuff.

Edited April 27, 2007 by CSpenceFLY

[Donald, Daisy and Kids]

Here is one of the better historys I've seen. It is complete with links to the actual Usenet posts that started everything.

 

For example here is the second post on the subject, from 3 am on May 3rd, 2000 where the concept was outlined:

 

I'm thinking of half burying a five gallon plastic bucket with

lid at the stash point. Putting in some stuff. Adding a logbook

and pencil so visitors can record their find. The log should

contain: Date, Time, What you got, and What you put in. Scanning

the log book should give you a quick inventory of the stash.

 

Dave...

 

The last line was quite prescient, but I doubt even he realized how many thousands would be placed.

 

 

I agree with the statement that cache logs should include TIME, not just date. When you get to a cache and someone was there just before you, it is nice to know if you missed them by minutes or hours, not just days.

 

When we log a cache we almost always put the time on both logs (online and in the cache notebook) but we have noticed that the vast majority dont do this.

[CacheNCarryMA]

See my Not the Original Can of Beans Travel Bug for some more links to some geo-history info.