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Injuries while geocaching


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Has anyone else been injured while geocaching? Five weeks ago I stepped in a depression on a level grassy field and broke my ankle. Of course, we went on to find the cache before heading for the clinic. I was in a fracture boot until this week. That wouldn't have been too bad except eighteen months ago...same thing...different ankle...different state. And, once my husband slipped on wet rocks and broke a piece of his collar bone. Are we just klutzy? Should 66-year-olds give up geocaching? Or, have others done the same thing?

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No . . . you shouldn't give up Geocaching, but if you don't use a walking stick, or trekking poles, I highly recommend getting those. I don't go anywhere without my walking stick, or trekking poles.

 

I dislocated my kneecap three years ago, but fortunately didn't need surgery. It took several months before the knee was stable and back to normal. Now, because of all the exercise I get because of Geocaching, I am in the best shape of my life. :unsure:

 

So . . . keep on cachin'! :(

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I partially tore my Achilles playing soccer and finished the tendon off when I stepped the wrong way on a tree root while geocaching last Nov. I just spent the last 3 months on crutches and got rid of my cam walker 2 weeks ago.

 

I'm now going through physical therapy and ready to get out there again!

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I'm still new at this... so I'm injury-less so far.

 

But I fully expect to injure myself at some point. I'm a bit of a klutz myself (says the mermaid who broke her ankle once walking down a handicapped ramp! :) ).

 

I wouldn't stop! No way! Just take smart precautions. A walking stick/trekking pole is a great idea. Also, if your ankles are weak and you like to hike, wear boots or something to support your ankles a bit. Taking smart precautions and choosing your caches wisely should mean you can keep on caching for ages!

 

My grandfather was a woodsman his whole life. Still out hiking and camping and taking on the world when he was 80!

 

~Ariel

Edited by Ariel_PSU
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I haven't had any serious injuries from geocaching yet, but I don't doubt that it will happen eventually. What I am most afraid of is getting in a car crash because I am looking at my GPS rather than the road. But I have had lots and lots of thorn scratches, and chigger bites. I almost stepped on some snakes a couple of days ago, but I don't think they were poisonous.

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first, check over in The Hunt/The Unusual thread, they got a number of threads about injuries

 

second, i just got pinched in the back by a jagger bush while caching saturday, and had to wait for my caching partner to cut me free. That hurt.

 

while helping him "place" a cache, my kneecap slipped out of place, again, and rolled down the hill. that hurts even more. i put my kneecap back in place, walked around a bit, then tried caching again, with a limp. Taught me to now use my Knee.............guards? while caching. which helped me greatly. That same day as i said about, if i wasn't wearing it, i would have dislocated my kneecap again. not good when in the woods

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It's not the dangerous stuff that gets you anyhow. On a recent hike, I got a minor cactus jab in the foot. No big deal. Until it got seriously infected :) Wouldn't have mattered whether I'd been puttering in the garden or scaling a cliff at the time--it was a stinkin' microorganism that nailed me. To add insult to injury, I got my first post-infection furlough from house arrest and went to the movies. Gimping across the mall, I stubbed the damaged toe on the kiddie-stroller rack. :)

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Worst for me was a rock falling on my hand. PROTIP: Be careful looking for a micro on a loose rock face. Hurt for about a week, no permanent damage. Geocaching is no riskier than nearly any other outdoor activity. Things happen, you live and learn, and move on.

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Should 66-year-olds give up geocaching?

 

I hope not, if that was the case I would only have one more year of caching because I'm 65 now.

 

We've been caching a year now with no serious injuries. Looking forward to several more years of caching.

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