Geocaching: just a stupid game?

[Entrepid]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

[+Team Dubbin]

My daughter thought the same thing until I took her to find just one. Now shes hooked.

[+Airmapper]

Make new friends, preferably Geocachers.

[+BRoKeN W]

My sister thought the same thing. Then we planted a fake cache in her backyard, marked the coords and told her to find it. Guess what? She is now a potential cacher... just saving money to get a GPSr.

[+Too Tall John]

Se how they react when you call their XBox, or football, or golf, or Bridge, or American Idol, or whatever "just a stupid game." That is, unless they play football, in which case you may want to avoid getting tackled.

It is just a game, but like Forrest Gump's mama always said, "Stupid is as stupid does."

 

Oh, here's a multi-cache of mine dedicated to all those folks who think I'm crazy for going geocaching: R U Nuts?

Edited May 12, 2007 by Too Tall John

[+Shadow's]

I have had people tell me the same thing but if you can get them to try it some will get hooked on it. I have had 4 people come up and ask me what I was doing I showed them and explained 2 are now geocachers and having a great time.

[Clan Riffster]

That is, unless they play football, in which case you may want to avoid getting tackled.

Football's for sissies. Go Rugby!

[+media601]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it.

 

...and they are not buried, and they are not electronic beacons. That's right, they don't broadcast anything, They just sit there. And, no, the satellites don't know where I am and they can't tell anybody.

[+Snoogans]

Before people start nitpicking your post, I'd like to give a serious reply.

 

 

A few years ago when I was hiding Row vs. Wade, during an annual guy's only weekend known as Buck Night. A newly invited guest to my friend's farm made some disturbing comments after seeing the cache and swag I had been given permission to hide on that property. Another newly invited guest got right on the bandwagon talking about how fun it would be to mess the game up for others just for a thrill.

 

My friend Doug is a teacher and the first thing out of his fellow teacher's mouth (the guest) after I explained geocaching in detail (at least 30 minutes) was how fun it would be to steal and trash caches just to see how folks whine about it. Needless to say, I went OFF on these two guys, who proceeded to spend the rest of the weekend trying to provoke me. They really tried to make a game of it, but I was not playing in the least. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me angry over their behavior again.

 

At the end of the weekend they tried to suck up to me and say they were just playing. I pointed out that as a teacher, I was shocked that his first impulse before it became a game to try to provoke me was to steal and destroy and I pointed out how concerned that made me of the example he set for the students he tought.

 

The look on his face was priceless. He couldn't hide the flaw in his character that he himself had exposed for all to see and it made him feel uncomfortable to be exposed like that in front of about 10 other guys that were there to celebrate the first weekend of deer season. His quite lame response was, "It's just a stupid game," as if that justified his behavior.

 

Duke, my friend's father and the owner of the farm who had witnessed the events of the weekend observed the final confrontation with a smile, but said nothing. I know this much. Those two guys have never been invited back to Duke's farm again.

 

Always beware of someone who's first impulse is to steal and destroy. Don't bother to try to educate them further about geocaching, but DO make them squirm when you point out that character flaw. There is some entertainment value there.

Edited May 12, 2007 by Snoogans

[+Too Tall John]

That is, unless they play football, in which case you may want to avoid getting tackled.

Football's for sissies. Go Rugby!

As the goal was to call into question sports/games that people watch/play while sitting in their living room, and I don't know anyone who watches rugby, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't escape uninjured if you told someone who cared "Hey, rugby's just a stupid game!" I think you would agree with that, yes? If not, try it. Get back to me after they let you out of the hospital.

[+media601]

...and yes, geocaching is just a stupid game. Get over it.

[+Ambrosia]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

That's interesting. I think that about 90% of people I told thought that it sounded really cool. Maybe 10% thought that it sounded interesting, but looked at me with a bit of a smile on their face. I've never had the reaction that you have had. Perhaps it's regional, or perhaps it's in the presentation.

[+Snoogans]

or perhaps it's in the presentation.

 

In my case the two idiots were really interested in the nicely camoed .50 cal. ammo can and the original contents that were worth over $25 retail.

 

ORIGINAL CACHE CONTENTS: (All items are new and unused.)

 

Log Book, Pen & Pencil, Geocaching Note (Please don't take these.) Fairy Godmother crystal laser cube w/gift box (Way Kewl!)

A Simpson's talking watch that says "Are we there yet?" almost enough times to be annoying.

Large 100mm magnifying glass

5 piece screwdriver and hammer set

6' Tape measure with level (My 1st piece of cache swag was identical to this item.)

Rocky and Bullwinkle battery operated mini-fan

Techsonic FM auto scan radio with built in light

Genuine leather wallet

Lady's fashion jewelry - matching necklace and ear rings

Marble ashtray

Block of post-it notes

2 Pocket pals

A plastic skeleton box with a skull cap.

 

 

They ASSumed that ALL caches were like mine and their first stated impulse was to steal.

Edited May 12, 2007 by Snoogans

[+Googling Hrpty Hrrs]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

 

What kind of friends do you have?!?

 

This don't smell right...

[+Ambrosia]

or perhaps it's in the presentation.

 

In my case the two idiots were really interested in the nicely camoed .50 cal. ammo can and the original contents that were worth over $25 retail.

 

ORIGINAL CACHE CONTENTS: (All items are new and unused.)

 

Log Book, Pen & Pencil, Geocaching Note (Please don’t take these.) Fairy Godmother crystal laser cube w/gift box (Way Kewl!)

A Simpson’s talking watch that says “Are we there yet?” almost enough times to be annoying.

Large 100mm magnifying glass

5 piece screwdriver and hammer set

6’ Tape measure with level (My 1st piece of cache swag was identical to this item.)

Rocky and Bullwinkle battery operated mini-fan

Techsonic FM auto scan radio with built in light

Genuine leather wallet

Lady’s fashion jewelry – matching necklace and ear rings

Marble ashtray

Block of post-it notes

2 Pocket pals

A plastic skeleton box with a skull cap.

 

 

They ASSumed that ALL caches were like mine and their first stated impulse was to steal.

That is just so sad.

[vtmtnman]

or perhaps it's in the presentation.

 

In my case the two idiots were really interested in the nicely camoed .50 cal. ammo can and the original contents that were worth over $25 retail.

 

ORIGINAL CACHE CONTENTS: (All items are new and unused.)

 

Log Book, Pen & Pencil, Geocaching Note (Please don't take these.) Fairy Godmother crystal laser cube w/gift box (Way Kewl!)

A Simpson's talking watch that says "Are we there yet?" almost enough times to be annoying.

Large 100mm magnifying glass

5 piece screwdriver and hammer set

6' Tape measure with level (My 1st piece of cache swag was identical to this item.)

Rocky and Bullwinkle battery operated mini-fan

Techsonic FM auto scan radio with built in light

Genuine leather wallet

Lady's fashion jewelry - matching necklace and ear rings

Marble ashtray

Block of post-it notes

2 Pocket pals

A plastic skeleton box with a skull cap.

 

 

They ASSumed that ALL caches were like mine and their first stated impulse was to steal.

 

Dang that's a good haul for the FTF!

 

I keep it secret.I absolutely revel in the fact that there's this huge game played right infront of people and they have NO clue.Unless I was being questioned by LE,otherwise it's a secret unless I know they could really be interested in learning the game.There's not many folks I associate myself with that wouldn't like this game,IMO,but I like to wait and see before getting further into it.

[+chuckwagon101]

McToy!!! Once you find your first McToy, you are hooked!

 

No matter what your age!!

[+Team LaLonde]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

 

(Sorry, but you're getting the 'Dad' speech on this one.)

 

Which is worse: The fact that your friends are immature and destructive or the fact that you call these people 'friends'!? You may not need to surround yourself with geocaching friends, but perhaps you should reconsider the company you keep. Try going to a few events and meeting some other geocachers. Many geocachers enjoy other outdoor sports as well and this could lead to new friendships that are supportive and healthy. Scan the paper for free or nearly free events, classes and seminars that seem interesting to you. There are plenty of people out there who share your interests so you don't need to hang out with people who disrespect you.

 

As far as the "stupid game" comment goes, remember that geocaching is a game but the word 'stupid' is subjective and only reveals someone's opinion. The only opinion that should matter to you is your own.

[+briansnat]

If a sport that gets you outdoors, brings you to new and interesting places, often encourages you to learn a little bit about the world around you and meet new friends is stupid, then I guess it's stupid.

 

It is funny that some of the people who call geocaching silly think nothing of spending an afternoon watching cars drive around in circles on TV or trying to hit a little ball into a little hole.

Edited May 12, 2007 by briansnat

[+Snifferhound]

Last thanksgiving, I was at a cousins. Since their house backs up to a greenbelt area, I told them I was going in the backyard to see if any caches were there. My cousins daughter and wife wanted to know what a cache was, so I explained the game to them. When I told them there was one withing 600 feet of their house, they wanted to go find it. We went out and found two of them, and the daughter seemed to have a great "geosense" for finding them. She is now saving up for a GPSr! Her sister couldn't understand why you would look for something that you couldn't keep, though.

[+Snoogans]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

 

(Sorry, but you're getting the 'Dad' speech on this one.)

 

Which is worse: The fact that your friends are immature and destructive or the fact that you call these people 'friends'!? You may not need to surround yourself with geocaching friends, but perhaps you should reconsider the company you keep. Try going to a few events and meeting some other geocachers. Many geocachers enjoy other outdoor sports as well and this could lead to new friendships that are supportive and healthy. Scan the paper for free or nearly free events, classes and seminars that seem interesting to you. There are plenty of people out there who share your interests so you don't need to hang out with people who disrespect you.

As far as the "stupid game" comment goes, remember that geocaching is a game but the word 'stupid' is subjective and only reveals someone's opinion. The only opinion that should matter to you is your own.

 

 

 

 

Okay, we really need a clapping hands emoticon now. That was freeeeakin' AWESOME. I thought I had that covered when I said this:

 

Always beware of someone who's first impulse is to steal and destroy. Don't bother to try to educate them further about geocaching, but DO make them squirm when you point out that character flaw. There is some entertainment value there.

 

I was sooo wrong. I gotta learn that dad language soon, since I'll be having a child of my own to teach in about 9 months. (Yep, the Snoogstress is preggers.)

[+Packanack]

At a certain point in life you stop worrying about what others think of your choices in clothes, cars, houses, hobbies and you start learning to enjoy things a little bit , because you realize that life is indeed fleeting and there is much to enjoy. Going out to sign a log in a can is the least significant part of this game, the hike past the waterfall, up that steep hill, through the grove of pine trees, by the beaver dam, through the swamp in the company of some others that is the part that not insignificant. Thank you very much for the opportunity to think about this.

[vtmtnman]

At a certain point in life you stop worrying about what others think of your choices in clothes, cars, houses, hobbies and you start learning to enjoy things a little bit , because you realize that life is indeed fleeting and there is much to enjoy. Going out to sign a log in a can is the least significant part of this game, the hike past the waterfall, up that steep hill, through the grove of pine trees, by the beaver dam, through the swamp in the company of some others that is the part that not insignificant. Thank you very much for the opportunity to think about this.

I'll second that.

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

Always beware of someone who's first impulse is to steal and destroy. Don't bother to try to educate them further about geocaching, but DO make them squirm when you point out that character flaw. There is some entertainment value there.

 

I was sooo wrong. I gotta learn that dad language soon, since I'll be having a child of my own to teach in about 9 months. (Yep, the Snoogstress is preggers.)

 

Congratulations! You'll find that it won't take long to get him or her into it (if you see our profile, the kiddies are (almost) 6 and 4 respectively and have been doing it for almost 2 years! Though I know of people who do at least the simpler caches with strollers and/or even "baby carriers"). Though you may find it a bit hard to do the more challenging stuff....

 

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

That's interesting. I think that about 90% of people I told thought that it sounded really cool. Maybe 10% thought that it sounded interesting, but looked at me with a bit of a smile on their face. I've never had the reaction that you have had. Perhaps it's regional, or perhaps it's in the presentation.

 

Though I think it may come out otherwise, I apologize beforehand and don't mean to insult cachers who live in "flat-landish" areas with this post, and I know there's been lots of threads on this, but I think it is regional in that it sounds "cooler" to people who live in places that have more of a variety of terrain in close range where things like hiking, orienteering, cross-country skiing, etc. are more popular. I'm thinking of places like most of the West Coast (including your area Ambrosia as I mean the entire states of the Pacific region), the Rocky Mountain area, most of the Northeast US (especially from NYC on north and east into New England), and maybe the lower Applachians like in western North Carolina or Tennessee or just outside of Atlanta.

 

Again, I don't mean to say that no one in other areas goes outside/hiking/etc. (when I was younger I had been to Florida many a time pre-geocaching and did many nice walks through cypress forests, coastal views, etc.) or wouldn't want to geocache, but I think in the areas I mention it's just a little bit more in the culture so that perhaps caching doesn't sound as "odd"

[+The Laughing Gnomes]

 

I keep it secret.I absolutely revel in the fact that there's this huge game played right infront of people and they have NO clue.Unless I was being questioned by LE,otherwise it's a secret unless I know they could really be interested in learning the game.There's not many folks I associate myself with that wouldn't like this game,IMO,but I like to wait and see before getting further into it.

 

I echo the above statement

[Clan Riffster]

Always beware of someone who's first impulse is to steal and destroy.

Unless the topic is film canisters. Then it's OK.

 

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't escape uninjured if you told someone who cared "Hey, rugby's just a stupid game!" I think you would agree with that, yes? If not, try it.

Sorry. It's hard to type in traction.

Edited May 12, 2007 by Clan Riffster

[+BlueDeuce]

When I first started I thought everyone would want to hear about geocaching. I quickly found that the majority of people are not interested beyond asking, ‘what is it?’.

 

Now when asked I usually just hand them the Geo-University brochure.

 

Even the people I know who do cache don’t want to talk about geocaching as much as I do, which is why I hang out here in the forums.

[+welch]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

I think geocaching only appeals to some people, and those that it appeals to have a variety of reasons why they like it. My guess is your friend weren't interested on itself, so they immediately began thinking of things to change to make it more interesting to themselves. Have you ever met someone that their version of something was very different than your own? Card games, board games? I know a couple friends that when they go 'fishing' they really mean go to the river bank under a bride and drink until it takes them a few minutes to find the end of the line to rebait the hooks... .

[Trinity's Crew]

<snip>

In my case the two idiots were really interested in the nicely camoed .50 cal. ammo can and the original contents that were worth over $25 retail. They ASSumed that ALL caches were like mine and their first stated impulse was to steal.

I was going to make a joke along the lines of "Then thank God for LPCs. After a dozen of those the thieves would give up!" But seriously, if ALL caches started out with 25-50 dollars worth of prime merchandise I'll bet the theft problem would be a bigger factor.

[+Team GeoBlast]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

 

Has anyone else experienced a little trouble doing Geocaching justice in a cursory explanation? I'm still not happy with mine and I have worked at it in earnest. If you asked me today, it would go something like.

 

"An international treasure hunting game played with a GPS. The treasures come in all sizes and shapes but rarely are they of any significant value... the real treasure is in the places that you see and the people you meet that you never would have if you didn't play."

 

After many attempts at this, I've come to the conclusion that going on a hunt is really the only way to get someone to understand it.

[+Kabuthunk]

or trying to hit a little ball into a little hole.

Does my chainmail ball inside a PVC cache count?

 

But yeah... any of the kids I speak with (and by 'kid', I mean anyone about age 15 or younger) think that it's fascinating, and want to do more of it. The only problem with THAT set is that they seem to think that either a) the swag is all for the taking, or they can put whatever worthless trash they want in and take all the 'good' items.

 

I've been repeatedly trying to teach them otherwise... but it's quite difficult to get through their heads.

 

 

In either case... the older the person I speak with (who's never heard of it before), the more they completely don't understand it, either thinking it's a completely silly waste of time, or just simply can't understand what I'm talking about to begin with.

 

There's several exceptions though. My parents definitely had fun when we took them out.

 

But yeah... most of my "my-age" friends just see it as an outdoor hobby, and since like... none of them leave the house except to go to work or Computer Boulevard, simply don't have an interest in it. They understand it, understand the draw of it, but it's not their cup-o'-tea, so to speak.

 

I'm EXTREMELY happy to say that I've never yet met someone who, upon telling them about geocaching, indicated they wished to either ruin, steal, or otherwise destroy the caches.

 

And if a stranger comes up to me when I'm on the hunt, asking what I'm doing... I say geocaching. Noone yet has known what that was... so I just give a quick explanation that it's like a giant scavanger/treasure hunt. I don't show them the GPS, the cache, or anything whatsoever. If they're interested in a giant outdoor hunt, they'll look it up. Otherwise, since I have no clue what type of person they are, showing them either my GPS or the cache would just give them an opportunity to steal or destroy one or both of them. Yay for security through obscurity!

 

EDIT: Just remembered something... with 99% of all older people I talk to (ie: 40's and up), they're completely dumbfounded by the fact that you LEAVE THE CACHE THERE. They just can't wrap it around their heads that you go there... and then LEAVE IT?!?

Yes... you leave it for others to find.

But... you just LEAVE IT? Then what's the point?

To find it.

But why are you even bothering to look if you leave it?

 

*sigh* Seriously... some forms of entertainment don't involve turning it into a salvage yard in taking everything you find.

Edited May 12, 2007 by Kabuthunk

[+TrailGators]

I usually tell people that's it's a combination of treasure hunting and hiking. If they like those things then they'll probably like geocaching. I usually try to get a sense of that before I bring it up. I don't worry if someone likes it or not. I just know that I like it.

[+Renegade Knight]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

 

I think you have stupid freinds.

 

Edit: I guess I should not leave it at that.

Your friends are what they are. Now that you know their limitations, you can work within them. Assuming you want to keep them as friends.

Edited May 12, 2007 by Renegade Knight

[+mamid]

The three friends of mine who I brought out geocachine, one was not interested in playing beyond spending a bit of time with me and having some fun, another is waiting for her student loan to come in so she can get her own gps and the third is planning on staking out the most recently placed cache just to watch people find it. He too is waiting for the day he can buy his own gpsr.

 

No one else has said "it would be fun to steal the cache." So, I guess I'm lucky. Even my neighbours are involved, with watching my cache and stuff...

[+HercMaster]

I've tried explaining geocaching to some of my friends, but they don't seem to understand it, that you cannot take the cahce, and that there is no money involved, or that you get no prize for fionding it. some threaten to reveal the location to untrustworthy mugglers. furthermore, they call geocaching: "just a stupid game". what are your thoughts on this?

 

You could tell them:

 

"It sure beats watching stupid games on TV! You get more exercise, you often get to see interesting sights, and it's much more of a challenge for your brain."

 

If they disagree with that also, you might want to consider finding some new friends....

[+mamid]

agreed about finding new friends.

 

all of mine have been: you get to hide and find stuff? that's, well, okay. you can cammo? and you can use puzzles to make it harder to find? I'm in!

 

usually at that point they are cackling evily.

[+Ambrosia]

Though I think it may come out otherwise, I apologize beforehand and don't mean to insult cachers who live in "flat-landish" areas with this post, and I know there's been lots of threads on this, but I think it is regional in that it sounds "cooler" to people who live in places that have more of a variety of terrain in close range where things like hiking, orienteering, cross-country skiing, etc. are more popular. I'm thinking of places like most of the West Coast (including your area Ambrosia as I mean the entire states of the Pacific region), the Rocky Mountain area, most of the Northeast US (especially from NYC on north and east into New England), and maybe the lower Applachians like in western North Carolina or Tennessee or just outside of Atlanta.

 

Again, I don't mean to say that no one in other areas goes outside/hiking/etc. (when I was younger I had been to Florida many a time pre-geocaching and did many nice walks through cypress forests, coastal views, etc.) or wouldn't want to geocache, but I think in the areas I mention it's just a little bit more in the culture so that perhaps caching doesn't sound as "odd"

This is an interesting obvservation, one that I've talked a bit with others about. It would be interesting if it could be studied.

 

EDIT: Just remembered something... with 99% of all older people I talk to (ie: 40's and up), they're completely dumbfounded by the fact that you LEAVE THE CACHE THERE. They just can't wrap it around their heads that you go there... and then LEAVE IT?!?

Yes... you leave it for others to find.

But... you just LEAVE IT? Then what's the point?

To find it.

But why are you even bothering to look if you leave it?

 

*sigh* Seriously... some forms of entertainment don't involve turning it into a salvage yard in taking everything you find.

I have never once had someone get bothered by the fact that you leave the cache there. I talk to people about caching a lot (yes, I am a bit obsessed with caching), and I think that I've only had a handful of people even ask if you take the cache or leave it, and when I explain that you leave it they're fine with it. Very strange to hear that others have gotten that reaction.

[+Skytracker]

That is, unless they play football, in which case you may want to avoid getting tackled.

Football's for sissies. Go Rugby!

 

Now you're talkin'.

 

All Blacks forever.

[+simplyred]

I think part of the appeal is the solitude, the lack of human presence. I think if more people were out there, and you saw people everytime you went for a cache, it would lose it's appeal. So it's good that some people think it's stupid. I just hope the search and destroy types don't come around. But then again, most caches I do are far enough away that they would never put in the effort.

[+wimseyguy]

I was sooo wrong. I gotta learn that dad language soon, since I'll be having a child of my own to teach in about 9 months. (Yep, the Snoogstress is preggers.)

I sure hope you got the contact and health insurance info from that sting ray, and it has lots of squid!

 

Back OT-they are all stupid games if they are explained in a certain fashion.

Golf-you put a little ball on a wooden peg and whack it with a metal rod that has a knob on the end. Walk up to it where it landed, and do it again, repeat until you are close to a hole in the ground with a flag, and roll it into the hole. Remove it, and repeat 17 more times over the next 4+ hours. PS it can cost a lot of money to do this.

 

Basketball-nail two peach baskets with the bottom cut out to the walls on opposite ends of the room. Try to throw the large ball through the basket, and you can not carry the ball closer to the basket for an easier shot, you must bounce it. The other team tries to stop you.

 

Soccer, build two large rectangular nets on opposite ends of a large grassy field. Try to kick the ball into the net. You cannot touch the ball with your hands, you can only kick it or use your head. The other team tries to stop you.

 

...and so on... So perhaps you do need different friends, or perhaps you need to improve your delivery?

 

My beautiful wife says we like to geocache so we can act like little kids playing in the woods again. She's smart too.

Yesterday I got to jump two flooded creeklets, climb a tree, and use a log like a balance beam. I got to play in the rain, and saw some deer, ducks, woodpeckers, blue herons, and the biggest fox I've ever seen. No one bothered me all day long.

 

BTW I also like the opportunity for solitude, and the fellowship, as well as the 'secret society' aspects of the sport too. I love finding a hidden out in the open where only someone looking for it will see it cache as much as one hidden out in the woods.

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

or trying to hit a little ball into a little hole.

Does my chainmail ball inside a PVC cache count?

 

But yeah... any of the kids I speak with (and by 'kid', I mean anyone about age 15 or younger) think that it's fascinating, and want to do more of it. The only problem with THAT set is that they seem to think that either a) the swag is all for the taking, or they can put whatever worthless trash they want in and take all the 'good' items.

 

I've been repeatedly trying to teach them otherwise... but it's quite difficult to get through their heads.

 

 

In either case... the older the person I speak with (who's never heard of it before), the more they completely don't understand it, either thinking it's a completely silly waste of time, or just simply can't understand what I'm talking about to begin with.

 

There's several exceptions though. My parents definitely had fun when we took them out.

 

But yeah... most of my "my-age" friends just see it as an outdoor hobby, and since like... none of them leave the house except to go to work or Computer Boulevard, simply don't have an interest in it. They understand it, understand the draw of it, but it's not their cup-o'-tea, so to speak.

 

I'm EXTREMELY happy to say that I've never yet met someone who, upon telling them about geocaching, indicated they wished to either ruin, steal, or otherwise destroy the caches.

 

And if a stranger comes up to me when I'm on the hunt, asking what I'm doing... I say geocaching. Noone yet has known what that was... so I just give a quick explanation that it's like a giant scavanger/treasure hunt. I don't show them the GPS, the cache, or anything whatsoever. If they're interested in a giant outdoor hunt, they'll look it up. Otherwise, since I have no clue what type of person they are, showing them either my GPS or the cache would just give them an opportunity to steal or destroy one or both of them. Yay for security through obscurity!

 

EDIT: Just remembered something... with 99% of all older people I talk to (ie: 40's and up), they're completely dumbfounded by the fact that you LEAVE THE CACHE THERE. They just can't wrap it around their heads that you go there... and then LEAVE IT?!?

Yes... you leave it for others to find.

But... you just LEAVE IT? Then what's the point?

To find it.

But why are you even bothering to look if you leave it?

 

*sigh* Seriously... some forms of entertainment don't involve turning it into a salvage yard in taking everything you find.

 

I find that extremely interesting since various forum threads here surveying caches seemed to show that while a wide variety of age groups cache, that the "typical cacher" is around the "big 4-0" or slightly older in age (which includes us as well as the family member who introduced us to it all). In fact, I have seen many articles saying how the sport is becoming an increasingly popular retiree activity that actively gets them out.

[Entrepid]

Well, actually, I'm no longer friends with this person. it turned out that he was a total a****** anyways, and that he was just jealous of me. he failed to meat the minimum IQ for geocaching anyway, so it all worked out in the end.

[+Driver Carries Cache]

First... a quote (which may or may not have been said by Ernest Hemmingway)...

 

"There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games."

 

Is Geocaching a stupid game... probably, but that's why I love it! It's my stupid game!

 

If I follow something, it's got to be fairly obscure to downright strange.

 

Normal people are boring.

 

Own it folks, own it!

 

Driver Carries Cache

(madmike)

[+Renegade Knight]

.....Has anyone else experienced a little trouble doing Geocaching justice in a cursory explanation? ...

 

It's not easy to explain in simple terms. "A Treasure Hunt" is as close to simple as you can get. It's wrong, but does the best job capturing what makes it fun.

[+boda]

or trying to hit a little ball into a little hole.

<snip>

 

EDIT: Just remembered something... with 99% of all older people I talk to (ie: 40's and up), they're completely dumbfounded by the fact that you LEAVE THE CACHE THERE. They just can't wrap it around their heads that you go there... and then LEAVE IT?!?

Yes... you leave it for others to find.

But... you just LEAVE IT? Then what's the point?

To find it.

But why are you even bothering to look if you leave it?

 

*sigh* Seriously... some forms of entertainment don't involve turning it into a salvage yard in taking everything you find.

 

Team Boda are both in our 60's. In all our conversations with folks in our age group the subject of keeping the cache has never -ever- come up.

 

The real question is: What do I do with all those ammo cans, decon containers, and tupperware pieces once I've brought them home?

 

On topic--> Some people will always think the game is stupid - I did, when I found out about it - but then I actually went out with a cacher and learned more about my community in one day than I had in the last 20 years. I found that many people don't understand what we are saying when we explain what caching is and their eyes glaze over. Time to stop talking then and move on to a subject they are interested in. If they are really interested, they'll come back. If they don't, they probably think you are playing some stupid game.

[+Team Sweeney]

Team Dubbin got me hooked

[therat]

well geocaching dose not mske alot sense but it could be called finding things that are hidden in a forest and sometime a city i would still go out there and find them.

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

or trying to hit a little ball into a little hole.

<snip>

 

EDIT: Just remembered something... with 99% of all older people I talk to (ie: 40's and up), they're completely dumbfounded by the fact that you LEAVE THE CACHE THERE. They just can't wrap it around their heads that you go there... and then LEAVE IT?!?

Yes... you leave it for others to find.

But... you just LEAVE IT? Then what's the point?

To find it.

But why are you even bothering to look if you leave it?

 

*sigh* Seriously... some forms of entertainment don't involve turning it into a salvage yard in taking everything you find.

 

Team Boda are both in our 60's. In all our conversations with folks in our age group the subject of keeping the cache has never -ever- come up.

 

The real question is: What do I do with all those ammo cans, decon containers, and tupperware pieces once I've brought them home?

 

On topic--> Some people will always think the game is stupid - I did, when I found out about it - but then I actually went out with a cacher and learned more about my community in one day than I had in the last 20 years. I found that many people don't understand what we are saying when we explain what caching is and their eyes glaze over. Time to stop talking then and move on to a subject they are interested in. If they are really interested, they'll come back. If they don't, they probably think you are playing some stupid game.

 

Interesting again, my kids of course find the swag aspect most interesting, but that is what turns me on, is that I've learned more about parks, etc. in my community than I never knew all my life (my wife falls kind of in between, liking both the swag and educational/explorer aspect). I got to explore a great stretch of woods again I would bike through a lot as a teen but despite still living nearby haven't seen in over a quarter-century! (Have since put 2 hides in this park). Maybe if there's a way to explain "it's a way using the GPS to learn about what's around you" people will understand (my mom who's in her mid-60s had a lot of misunderstanding the swag/box aspect (like why you would take someone else's toys, etc.), but when I told her that locals who never knew about the woods I biked in as a kid use this to learn and love the place she thought it was exciting and that I was doing a great community service, etc.).

[+sseegars]

That is, unless they play football, in which case you may want to avoid getting tackled.

Football's for sissies. Go Rugby!

 

I wouldn't want to say that football is for sissies....I can't write in a family friendly forum what football is compared to rugby. GO RUGBY!

[+TreeSqueezers]

At a certain point in life you stop worrying about what others think of your choices in clothes, cars, houses, hobbies and you start learning to enjoy things a little bit , because you realize that life is indeed fleeting and there is much to enjoy. Going out to sign a log in a can is the least significant part of this game, the hike past the waterfall, up that steep hill, through the grove of pine trees, by the beaver dam, through the swamp in the company of some others that is the part that not insignificant. Thank you very much for the opportunity to think about this.

I'll second that.

 

...and I'll third it, because I am exactly at that point in my life. (And for the record I am at that magical 4-0)

 

But it is a stupid game and so what. It's still fun, and when it comes right down to it, all games are pretty stupid. I also enjoy golf, and that's probably more pointless than most all of the other games put together.

 

As for explaining it to others. I usually try to start with a serious explanation. Then, after explaining what is hidden in the caches (it seems that that's all they really care about) for the third time I end it with saying there's stuff hidden in there to keep the kids interested. It makes them want to go in the woods and find it. They get lots of fresh air. Once they've found it, they don't argue about going back to the car.

 

Then I'm met with a blank stare and an ooooooh.

 

The funny thing is how many tell me a month or two later that they met someone else who does it.