Jump to content

Newbie to GeoCashing ... don't quite get it.


pixelpedro

Recommended Posts

Hey guys this might sound like a really stupid question, but i feel i must ask.

 

Is Geocashing more like a treasure hunt replacing the map for the GPS, or is it as simple as just plugin in the coordinates in the gps and getting to the site and looking for the price? either way I'm not trying to make it sound like is a piece of cake, i just need some clarification.

 

Thanks.

Link to comment

I agree that it's both, but I'm leaning more towards the latter. When I think of a treasure map I think of X marking the spot and when you get to that spot the treasure is there. Where in geocaching the GPS gets you to the site and the general area but then you still generally have to wander around to find the cache. When I tried to explain the whole concept to a friend he said it didn't sound like much fun but he was thinking that the GPS somehow honed in on something in the cache so it was like you just walk right up and grab it. Sometimes that's the case but more often you have to walk around and use your eyes and brain to find it and that's where the fun and challenge are. For me, anyway ;)

Link to comment

guys sorry if this sounded like a dumb question but when i explained it to my wife, she flat out said "well that's stupid!" where is the fund in that, which i have to kinda agree if it's just a walk up and grap type of thing, but if you still have to look around, i guess makes more sense.

 

I just though it was more like a clues finder to the final treasure, more like you get codes and clues to decode the next coordinate, and finally getting to the GeoCash.

 

Sound like fund, i'm gona try my first one today. Thanks.

Link to comment

guys sorry if this sounded like a dumb question but when i explained it to my wife, she flat out said "well that's stupid!" where is the fund in that, which i have to kinda agree if it's just a walk up and grap type of thing, but if you still have to look around, i guess makes more sense.

 

I just though it was more like a clues finder to the final treasure, more like you get codes and clues to decode the next coordinate, and finally getting to the GeoCash.

 

Sound like fund, i'm gona try my first one today. Thanks for all the help...

Link to comment

guys sorry if this sounded like a dumb question but when i explained it to my wife, she flat out said "well that's stupid!" where is the fund in that, which i have to kinda agree if it's just a walk up and grap type of thing, but if you still have to look around, i guess makes more sense.

 

I just though it was more like a clues finder to the final treasure, more like you get codes and clues to decode the next coordinate, and finally getting to the GeoCash.

 

Sound like fund, i'm gona try my first one today. Thanks for all the help...

 

There are MANY faces to geocaching. Some are simply "get the coordinates, find spot, search for cache".

 

Others you do have to solve a puzzle to get the right coordinates.

 

Others still you have to do tasks a little more challenging to get the find such as mountain climbing, scuba diving, etc.

 

The fun thing is that different people hide caches in different ways. Also it brings you to new areas sometimes. These areas could be right in your neighborhood and you did not know they existed. It has gotten me to walk a lot more too. Being diabetic that is a very good thing.

 

Once my son gets back in school (next week) I know what I will be doing on days that I have the time to myself.

Link to comment

..., she flat out said "well that's stupid!" where is the fund in that,...

A common reaction from muggles.

 

Just because X marks the spot doesn't mean that you can find the cache, or that it's easy to get there. Or that you won't be on the top of the cliff when the cache is at the bottom, or that you won't be on one side of the river when the cache is on the other.

 

1000 caches after I started I still cant find a good portion of the caches. Actually I think I'm getting worse at this activity.

Link to comment

guys sorry if this sounded like a dumb question but when i explained it to my wife, she flat out said "well that's stupid!" where is the fund in that, which i have to kinda agree if it's just a walk up and grap type of thing, but if you still have to look around, i guess makes more sense.

 

I just though it was more like a clues finder to the final treasure, more like you get codes and clues to decode the next coordinate, and finally getting to the GeoCash.

 

Sound like fund, i'm gona try my first one today. Thanks for all the help...

Give it a try! Gets you out in the fresh air. Its not a mindless hobbie you do alot of thinking. When you find the cache, you will realize how rewarding the feeling of that accomplishment is.

Get out there and enjoy!

Link to comment

guys sorry if this sounded like a dumb question but when i explained it to my wife, she flat out said "well that's stupid!" where is the fund in that, which i have to kinda agree if it's just a walk up and grap type of thing, but if you still have to look around, i guess makes more sense.

 

I just though it was more like a clues finder to the final treasure, more like you get codes and clues to decode the next coordinate, and finally getting to the GeoCash.

 

Sound like fund, i'm gona try my first one today. Thanks.

 

The fun is more about getting to see some new place and enjoying a walk in the outdoors than a "treasure hunt". Yes, sometimes you'll know where the cache is when you're within 100' and other times you may search for an hour due to some tricky camouflage.

 

The beauty of Geocaching (note the "c", not an "s") is that it has pieces for most anything you'd like to see...want a long hike in isolation to find a remote cache? want to see a devious micro cache in the city that blends in? want to work on clues in a devious puzzle before going into the woods? It's all there...and a lot more.

 

I discovered a large piece of the Berlin wall that was tucked between two skyscrapers in New York city simply because there was a geocache there. I would have never know it existed otherwise. I've found numerous parks and locations around my city (and others) that were completely unknown to me until I went to seek a geocache that someone had placed there.

 

To me, THAT's the fun of this hobby. Even the geocaches that I can't find, I still have fun being out there looking.

Link to comment

I would like to add (even though I've yet to go after my first cache) that while the cache is the target. The fun of it is in the process. I work in an office, behind a desk, 9-5, M-F. This will give me a chance to get outside, enjoy nature, and see places I otherwise would not have seen. Just looking on this site, I've seen some pictures of places and read about some local history, not 10 minutes from here, that I would have otherwise probably never seen or heard of.

 

Finding the cache is just the target, the fun is in getting there.

Link to comment
The fun is more about getting to see some new place and enjoying a walk in the outdoors than a "treasure hunt". Yes, sometimes you'll know where the cache is when you're within 100' and other times you may search for an hour due to some tricky camouflage.

 

The beauty of Geocaching (note the "c", not an "s") is that it has pieces for most anything you'd like to see...want a long hike in isolation to find a remote cache? want to see a devious micro cache in the city that blends in? want to work on clues in a devious puzzle before going into the woods? It's all there...and a lot more.

 

I discovered a large piece of the Berlin wall that was tucked between two skyscrapers in New York city simply because there was a geocache there. I would have never know it existed otherwise. I've found numerous parks and locations around my city (and others) that were completely unknown to me until I went to seek a geocache that someone had placed there.

 

To me, THAT's the fun of this hobby. Even the geocaches that I can't find, I still have fun being out there looking.

 

Great answer KoosKoos! Even when we haven't found the cache, we've never been disappointed with the hunt. It turns out to be about so much more then the "prize".

NaP

Link to comment

Is geocashing worthwhile? I mean all I've found have been trinkets and toys from my geocaching. Are there some real bucks to be made with this?

:rolleyes::):huh:

I am not sure I got into caching for the money, but yes, I have been fortunate to reap the benefits of some generous FTF prizes. Just not enough to retire on.

Link to comment

Is geocashing worthwhile? I mean all I've found have been trinkets and toys from my geocaching. Are there some real bucks to be made with this?

:rolleyes::):huh:

I am not sure I got into caching for the money, but yes, I have been fortunate to reap the benefits of some generous FTF prizes. Just not enough to retire on.

 

I want to geo*cash* all I ever do is geo*cache* :o:P

Link to comment

I agree that it's both, but I'm leaning more towards the latter. When I think of a treasure map I think of X marking the spot and when you get to that spot the treasure is there. Where in geocaching the GPS gets you to the site and the general area but then you still generally have to wander around to find the cache. When I tried to explain the whole concept to a friend he said it didn't sound like much fun but he was thinking that the GPS somehow honed in on something in the cache so it was like you just walk right up and grab it. Sometimes that's the case but more often you have to walk around and use your eyes and brain to find it and that's where the fun and challenge are. For me, anyway :rolleyes:

And the game of Challenge....There is no Money prize, etc, etc, etc, and you don't even get to keep the "treasure" that you find. So why do we play this great game??? Reasons very from cacher to cacher. I would say the answer comes with time....If a person drops, or quits the game, or if that person goes on to log thousands of caches, and places many caches for others to find and joins Geocaching by becoming a premium Member etc....Then that Cacher knows why they play this challenging game, sport, vocation, addiction and just a fun thing to do. Happy Trails....

Link to comment

Hey guys this might sound like a really stupid question, but i feel i must ask.

 

Is Geocashing more like a treasure hunt replacing the map for the GPS, or is it as simple as just plugin in the coordinates in the gps and getting to the site and looking for the price? either way I'm not trying to make it sound like is a piece of cake, i just need some clarification.

 

Thanks.

if you are lucky the "price" is the experience of getting to the location and the surroundings itself.

dont expect (too much of the) stuff in the cache aka swag.

Link to comment

Hello all,

I'm new to this as well. I think of it just like that. you pop the COORDS into the unit and with some luck it will lead you to the buried(semi) treasure!

It's like treasure hunting for adults(well not all of us)

Good luck!

 

We are also new to this.............we have been out as a family (kids 10/12) to some lovely places that we wouldn't of visited.

We enjoy maps so we all sit down and plot the coordinates direct onto an ordanace survey map and navigate using the map with the GPS as a back up. If we are spending too long and the kids are getting bored then we use the GPS (amazing how far or close by you can be with the map!!!!!) Makes good team work with some real life skills being practised.

A good reason to get ooooot and have some fun! Happy daze :ph34r:

Link to comment

Well, I think it's both, and I've only been at it for a week. Places I can walk to, that sort of thing. I don't own a gps (yet, it's in the mail) but I'm fairly good with maps. For an old-timey challenge, get yourself a good (or lousy) topographic map and compass (both kinds, the magnetic and the math) and go at it without today's high-tech toys. All your gps does (if it can only talk to three satelites that is) is a simple triangulation of where you are vs. where you want to be using the satelites rather than landmarks like the old times.

I mean look at columbus... He was right where he wanted to be, if he'd hapened to be on the other side of the world :ph34r: . Using the maps of his day, he was pretty well on target. We have a print of an antique map on the wall(dated 1617), and while it's not totally accurate for travel today, it'll still get you in the general area.

Besides, on "pirate maps" what was "10 paces north?" Did they understand declination? How tall were Pirates anyway? What was the inseam of the man making the map??? There's lots to concider.

Link to comment

Have you (or your wife) ever walked in the woods? Just because you know you need to go "one mile straight north" does not mean you will be able to actually walk to the stop in a straight line. There are rivers, mountains, swamps, impassable jungle out there, and you need to be able to figure out the best way to get to the spot. Unless you consentrate on WalMart parking lots.

 

And even after you find the right spot, you are not guaranteed to find the cache.

 

On the way to the cache you can see and hear and experience all kinds of nature and beautifull sights.

Link to comment

Being that I am little new to the 'biz' myself, I have to say that it is a little of both. You have to think of this as exactly what it is: a game. The more players you are with, the more entertaining the game is going to become.

 

It's not always about just plugging a coordinate into a gps and finding a cache either, though. The biggest reason I started getting into caching is that it takes you to places that you may not ever visit otherwise...

Link to comment

Is geocashing worthwhile? I mean all I've found have been trinkets and toys from my geocaching. Are there some real bucks to be made with this?

:rolleyes::santa::santa:

I am not sure I got into caching for the money, but yes, I have been fortunate to reap the benefits of some generous FTF prizes. Just not enough to retire on.

 

I want to geo*cash* all I ever do is geo*cache* :santa::santa:

 

If that's what you want to do, then I would suggest you take up metal detecting! I belong to a group of amateur detectors, and some of them have sold their booty for $$.

 

Geocaching serves a much different purpose. First of all, it is goal oriented, meaning there is an end to the means...secondly, it has the potential to build strong bonds with those who you geocache with. Third, you are outdoors for the most part, so you get to interact with nature.

Link to comment

Well - I have found it to be fastinating...sometimes a history lesson, sometimes a park I have driven by many times and didn't realize it was there, visiting cemeterys - well kept or forgotten (appreciating the people who have gone before), long (and I mean long) walks in parks or nature reserves and the exercise that I get taking those long walks and the appreciation of the scenery and God's creation. My husband prefers benchmarking although he will go caching with me. My mom has been once and seemed to enjoy it (but she, like me and my husband reads the comics too), while my dad (who doesn't read the comics) seems to hate it. I have visited a Supreme Court Justice's grave, Wilma Rudolph's (Olympian) grave, and Frank Sutton's (Sgt Carter on Gomer Pyle USMC) grave. I have hiked trails in Scotland (great views I wouldn't have seen otherwise), visited Castle Mound in Thetford England, and look forward to caching where ever I might travel (Hawaii, Alaska, Ireland, etc.) I am sorry your wife had the immediate reaction, without even giving it a chance. At least my dad went along before he starting complaining! :rolleyes:

Link to comment

although I haven't had my first cache yet, (will change in about 7-8hours hopefully)

 

I have decided to give it a shot for the challenge aspect of it. Plus I hope to become healthier and happier by doing it!!!

 

Get out of the house for a few hours by myself, enjoy the peace and quiet, plus it will cause me to get up off my rear end.

 

Once you get the GPS, there isn't any other lump sum expense involved. by doing a search in my small town, I see that I can probably put $10 in the gas tank and be able to attempt 10-15 geocaches.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

Link to comment

I was in a park following my GPS to the spot. I got a walk in the woods,two baseballs, and two golfballs. I got a heart workout, hills and valleys you know, freshair,and sore mussels. A pretty good return for not finding the cache. New to this madness and enjoying it. TRB :rolleyes:

Link to comment

When I was first introduced to Geocaching, we only found about 3 but I knew them that 3 thats its a game im going to like a month later and I have found loads and gone to places I wouldnt normally visit.

 

You can also incorporate geocaching with other activites, I like Mountain Bike riding so now when im biking im armed with my GPS and Palm Top and look for them whilst riding.

 

I mentioned this activity to a muggle friend and they also said its sounds boring and that they would rather play online games, where ths exercise in that, lol.

 

I work for a call centre and need all the exercise I can get.

 

Enjoy

 

Icarus.

Link to comment

My husband's a pretty big muggle, and he thinks I'm a bit mad. Then I mentioned we could use it for LARPing or just as an aside for a regular RPG. I think he's trying to figure out how we'd go about it. It only took me maybe 15 seconds to come up with a plan, but he likes to over-think things. It wouldn't be too hard to have different challenges set up as a temporary cache; in this box, you'd have to defeat 250 kobolds, or something crazy like that YK? Then you get the coords for the next challenge (an Orc, a Dragon or whatever), and so on until the end where the players all actually get "treasure" for thier efforts. Small gift certificates, an "I survived Fox's GeoRPG" tag or something like that. It can be integrated with other activities, no problem.

Edited by Butterfly Fox
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...