+sixintow Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I'm getting ready to go home, from Iraq, and am looking for something me an my son can do. A just the boys activity. He is 6 and has 5 sisters... he's and I need something to do together. Is anyone out there in the same situation? What do you think about this for a boys day out? Thanks Quote Link to comment
+Bubbles&Bonkers Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I'm getting ready to go home, from Iraq, and am looking for something me an my son can do. A just the boys activity. He is 6 and has 5 sisters... he's and I need something to do together. Is anyone out there in the same situation? What do you think about this for a boys day out? Thanks Wow! First of all, "almost" welcome home from Iraq!! That's HUGE!! And second, this is a GREAT thing to do with your child! We have 4 kids, 3 boys and the last is a girl, and they all really like it! I have to say, our 6 yr old, the girl, has trouble finding them, but we give her little hints like, "Why don't you look in this bush right HERE." Try to find the ones that are large enough to hold some swag/treasures. The little ones LOVE that! This is the part our 6 yr old loves the best. Come prepared with your own swag to trade for. Also be prepared for sometimes finding not much, junk, or garbage in a container. So always make it about the time you had together and the actual finding of the treasure. Oooo, I can't wait to hear how it goes!! HAVE FUN!! Quote Link to comment
namiboy Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I'm getting ready to go home, from Iraq, and am looking for something me an my son can do. A just the boys activity. He is 6 and has 5 sisters... he's and I need something to do together. Is anyone out there in the same situation? What do you think about this for a boys day out? Thanks i only have a daughter, but i'd say heck yeah it's a good father/son thing. my wife isn't into it, but my daughter and i have a good time out together. one thing i would do is emphasize the fun of searching for the cache, not what's inside the cache. Quote Link to comment
+Kit Fox Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I'm getting ready to go home, from Iraq, and am looking for something me an my son can do. A just the boys activity. He is 6 and has 5 sisters... he's and I need something to do together. Is anyone out there in the same situation? What do you think about this for a boys day out? Thanks My kids 4 and 7 love to go geocaching. It is an activity that many parents have said re-connected them with their kids. Being 6, look for geocaches sized small or larger. These caches most often contain the kid toys or the "treasure" my kids love to find. Quote Link to comment
+ackamp Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 you and your son will love it. i just got started, and now my 16yo son is hooked too. Quote Link to comment
+kraushad Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 First of all, thank you. Second, I picked this activity up in the hopes that it will be a family thing. Right now, with my son about to turn four, and one on the way, it is not quite a family thing yet - my wife and son come along, but he is not really into it yet. I hope that when my son is 6 he will love it, and it will get better as he gets older. The sad fact is, that no matter how much we might want them to like it, it is really a crap shoot if they do. I wish you luck, and welcome home. For the record, I think it is cool that you want to have some "man" time with your son. My wife recently took her first trip away without us this past January to visit her parents in Florida for a week. I taught my son to say some fun stuff while she was gone.... when I would ask him "Logan, what time is it?" he would reply "man time! and there's no chicks allowed!". Ladies, please don't be offended by "chicks" it was done completely in fun. Anyway it was really cute, and yes, I am sure that it will come back to haunt me someday We had to make an exception for Grandmom, since she watched him while I was at work Quote Link to comment
+mousekakat Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Father son, father daughter, family!! You'll find that a great many cachers cache as families with family team names or they even go so far as to get their kids caching names so that they can log their own finds! Kids add a different dimension to things, micros have to be taken with finesse since they don't often have tradable items that the kids like, so you have to find a way to make searching for those treasures fun, but regular boxes with trading stuff... kids seem to love them! Enjoy the time with your son, but make some father daughter time, too... take the girls a few times, you'll find that not all the kids enjoy it, and before you know it, you'll have yourself a little caching team to go out into nature with, get away from the house with, get away from the tv and computer with, and you'll all be having a good time, seeing and discovering new things, and getting to know each other in ways you didn't know before. Caching is a great family hobby! Welcome home and stay safe! Naomi Quote Link to comment
+Bergie Bunch Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Caching has brought my 14 y/o son and I much closer. He and I plan hides together, cache together, we include mom, but it is great to have a guys day out, or in. He is becoming evil in his hide capabilities. We spend the wet rainy days planning our next adventure, and sunny days out caching. Best thing I ever did was get him involved in caching. Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 My 6 year old and 3 year old LOVE to go caching. They mostly like to find larger caches but very much appreciate the chance to explore new places. Thanks for keeping us all safe! Quote Link to comment
+scvmeat Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 First of all, thank you for your service and all you have done for our country. Secondly, it is a perfect thing for a boys day out. I take my whole family, my wife, my 2 boys and my little princess (the little ones our 8, 6, & 4) with me as much as possible. All the kids love it! Have at it and enjoy the precious time you have with them, and don't limit it to just the boys in the family either!!! Good luck! Quote Link to comment
+StaticTank Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 YES! I brought my dad along several times and then one day I see a log on one of my caches that I know is my dad! He has been caching once a day every day now for 400+ days! StaticTank Quote Link to comment
+syfun Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 This is an awesome father/son activity. My son (10) and I have been caching for almost a year now. We will get our 400th find tomorrow. We have been together for every find. My wife and daughter (6) go with us once in a while, but usually it is just the two of us. We really like going for the hiking/biking caches in parks. These are usually the small/regular sized caches that have swag and tradable items. Any more, he is finding the cache before I get zero'd in on it. We have hidden some caches, and have travel bugs and geocoins that we also watch when we're not out caching. Make it an adventure and not just about the cache. If you find some caches, that's a bonus, but make it about the time and adventure that you share. And thanks for all you've done. Have a safe trip home. Steve Quote Link to comment
+SaltercreaseRangers Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 It works for me and my 7 year old son ! Best line so far "Dad, this is waay cool, Mum could never climb this !" ;-) Welcome home Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I'm getting ready to go home, from Iraq, and am looking for something me an my son can do. A just the boys activity. He is 6 and has 5 sisters... he's and I need something to do together. Is anyone out there in the same situation? What do you think about this for a boys day out? Thanks Anything you and your son enjoy is great for a boys day out. Keep in mind this activity will appeal to one or more of his sisters...keep the balance. Quote Link to comment
+sixintow Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 Thanks for all the positive feedback. You all have convinced me to give it a try The one thing I noticed was everyone seems to enjoy it. I'll keep my girls in mind too. Thanks again Quote Link to comment
buck.wheat Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 (edited) i learned about caching only last year. im 17 but i would have been cool if my dad would have done it with me at a younger age Edited March 13, 2009 by buck.wheat Quote Link to comment
ANDILLYO! Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 (edited) My fianc'ee and her 2 kids, boy 11 and girl 9, all started last weekend. We set out to find 5 some being virtuals and some being micros and traditionals. They really liked the traditionals, its like a treasure hunt for them. They traded and are very proud of what they found. I just sign the log and get my thrill from being outside and not on the couch. This is truely family oriented hobby, sport, lifestyle....LOL, you and your son will definitely be enjoying it in no time flat! Keep the ladies in mind though too as they will aslo more than likely really get a kick out of it, and some good excercise. Thanks for your service and have a safe trip home. *edited because I cant type fast and spell at the same time, LoL!! Edited March 13, 2009 by ANDILLYO! Quote Link to comment
+CoverOfDarkness Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 My uncle got my dad interested in the game in 2003 and in 2004 my dad joined officially. Back then we went on a few mass-family expeditions (uncle, aunt, 3 cousins, dad, mom, brother, and self). Everyone enjoyed it... except me who couldn't find anything worth... um, anything. Now 5 years later I've gotten into it myself and am much better at finding them. I say this to make an example that even if your son doesn't take to it, it might just be a good investment in future relationship between you two. Now that I'm in a different state from my dad, the fact that we're now doing something of shared interest has brought us a bit closer. So either he likes it now and there's bonding now, or he likes it later and comes asking for your advice on where to look and hide Quote Link to comment
+Woodstramp Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I'll keep my girls in mind too. I think this game appeals to the hunter/gatherer in all of us. Everybody is a has a mix of these traits, so don't leave out the little ladies. They may surprise you. Thank you for your service and welcome home. Quote Link to comment
Hill37012 Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 This is a great father /son thing. I set up my acct on friday afternoon and saturday we went and spent about 4 hrs trying to figure it all out. We found 3 out of 7 using a Garmin Nuvi 200 out of my truck. We got my best friend involved who is trying to get his dad late 50s involved as well. My son and I spent another 3 hrs sunday before I had to return him back to his mom and we fornd 8 out of 9. He now wants to place some new caches in our area when he returns this weekend. All it cost us was alittle bit of gas and alot of bonding time. Who can complain about that. Quote Link to comment
+Trucker Lee Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 First of all, and most importantly, WELCOME HOME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. This is definitely a great activity for father and son. (My grandkids love caching with me) You will get to spend great time together, working together to spot the cache, talking, or just sitting on a hill and looking at the landscape. Most caches are urban, but you can find some great challenges in a local park or out of town in the woods Add to the fun, use bikes in town for the exercise as well, or roller blades even. How you fellows cache is strictly up to you. Your son will want to swap treasures in the larger caches, so stock up on a couple trinkets for him to leave behind. Also, let him launch a travel bug and watch it move around the country or world. Be sure when you write the page for the TB to encourage pics. Enjoy, and once again, thank you. Quote Link to comment
+carpet crawler Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Hi from Hamburg, Germany, Geocaching is a great thing to do with children. We have no children, but sometimes we borrow children from friends. They loved it to find the little treasures. Try it and you will see, it is a good idea. By by Wibke Quote Link to comment
+sojourners7 Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I'm getting ready to go home, from Iraq, and am looking for something me an my son can do. A just the boys activity. He is 6 and has 5 sisters... he's and I need something to do together. Is anyone out there in the same situation? What do you think about this for a boys day out? Thanks Thanks for giving of yourself to serve us in Iraq. My son started geocaching when my wife and I got interested in it. He was 17 at the time. He is now 20 and still loves to go geocaching with me. We have had some great times together, just the two of us, when my wife can't go. We have made some special memories. The thing about geocaching that seems to appeal to young people is the technological side of it. You have to play around with this electronic gadget and you need to use the computer. Now in order to do anything at all with either of these two electronic devices you have to go on a hike somewhere. Now the icing on the cake, and perhaps this appeals more to guys than girls, is that you get to look for a hidden treasure (pirate like). Doing these things by yourself can be a lot of fun, but when you do them with someone else it takes on this wonderful social element. I love geocaching with my sons (once in awhile my 23-year-old will come along, but he likes more aggressive activities). The bottom line is when you do this with your son and/or daughters, you will have an opportunity for bonding. It is not the only activity that will serve this purpose, but it certain will lend itself to that. Plus, it is a great way to get some exercise, but don’t tell the kids that! Quote Link to comment
+sojourners7 Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) Double Post. Edited March 16, 2009 by sojourners7 Quote Link to comment
+CWagoner Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I'm getting ready to go home, from Iraq, and am looking for something me an my son can do. A just the boys activity. He is 6 and has 5 sisters... he's and I need something to do together. Is anyone out there in the same situation? What do you think about this for a boys day out? Thanks From former 3rd ID to you, welcome home.!! And yes this is a great Father Son thing. My son and I get up early on Sat morning (letting mom sleep in!!) and head out to different parks nearby or caches we can get to and back by the mid afternoon. Mom loves the time alone and CJ and I have a great time. I have heard him say "I Love you." more during cache hunting then just being at home! I place US Army pins in the caches usually or mini departmental badges (my PD) and CJ has a collection of mini frogs and dinos he has put his initials on, and love looking through the "treasure. We call it treasure hunting. He has started a clear Tupperware collection of his (treasure finds) and love is. You will have a great time. CJ's longest hike is 4 miles in one morning so far, working him up to more. Quote Link to comment
+sixintow Posted March 16, 2009 Author Share Posted March 16, 2009 First of all, and most importantly, WELCOME HOME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. This is definitely a great activity for father and son. (My grandkids love caching with me) You will get to spend great time together, working together to spot the cache, talking, or just sitting on a hill and looking at the landscape. Most caches are urban, but you can find some great challenges in a local park or out of town in the woods Add to the fun, use bikes in town for the exercise as well, or roller blades even. How you fellows cache is strictly up to you. Your son will want to swap treasures in the larger caches, so stock up on a couple trinkets for him to leave behind. Also, let him launch a travel bug and watch it move around the country or world. Be sure when you write the page for the TB to encourage pics. Enjoy, and once again, thank you. What kind of trinkets are acceptable? I read no knives, matches etc... nothing dangerous. But what is good? Small toys, I'm kind of a loss. Also, the TB, once I setup the page we just add it to a cache? thanks Quote Link to comment
+mousekakat Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Dollar store is your friend Quote Link to comment
ao318 Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 What kind of trinkets are acceptable? As stated, anything from a dollar store, 99 cent store, or whatever. Some people leave marbles, old pennies, erasers, anything and everything. Just remember to make a trade of equal value or better. So have a few nice items or you'll be emptying out the whole bag for something nice. Also, the TB, once I setup the page we just add it to a cache? If you find a TB, you will have to log it as found from it's specific TB page. Just use the number to open up the page in the Trackables section. To drop off a TB, all you need to do is select the TB from a list of trackables just below your log for the cahce. Make sure you do this before you submit your log for the cache or you will have to log a "Note" for the cache and state something like, "Forgot to drop TB." You will still have to select the TB in the list before you hit submit. I have 2 daughters ages 12 and 10. They love going with me. My wife likes that I take them because she can stay home and do her own thing. I have one recommendation for you. If you do end up enjoying this game and so does your son and possibly the whole family, ask them if they want their own geocaching name before you find a lot of caches. It is easier to back log 10-20 caches than 100-200 for each family member. My daughters asked for their own id's when we were approaching 100 caches and said I was going to get a geocoin to celebrate our 100. They said they wanted their own coin with their own name. So off I went to help them log their 100 finds. Good luck and enjoy.... Quote Link to comment
+jbar Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 My boys have been coming with me since they were 5 and 7. Thier 14 and 12 now and have thier own accounts, it's starting to be a compitition with my oldest. It's great to get out with them and I feel comfortable with them in the woods now. We took up Kayaking and now go after Kayak caches. Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Caching with my son since he was 3 months old.... 7 years ago. He still enjoys it, and my 3 year old daughter seems to love it even more. Wife 75% of time as well... most people know the "oops, that was one cache too many" feeling with spouses Regardless, boy or girl, families usually love caching. Swag... go with your gut and buy stuff that you's like to see in a cache. Go shopping with your son. Quote Link to comment
+Seeker_Knight Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) BTW - Thanks for your service and a proposed Welcome Home! I just got started back in December (3 months ago) and the bug has hit me. I love this hobby! I thought I would be doing it by myself, as I am recently separated (my wife never did like the outdoors) and my daughter is a typical 17yo. What a surprise it was to find that she likes the sport as much as I do. She began by walking out to find a few caches with me on the weeks that she spends with me, and now has her own screen name. My daughter has a sharp eye, and a keen sense of where these things are hidden. She has her learners permit, so now she can even share the driving too. I'm even shopping for a second GPSr unit, so she can hunt on her own when she gets her license, or when we go out together. I think you'll find that most of the people involved in the hobby are either retired, cache as a couple or a family. Everyone who likes the outdoors, seems to like this activity. Age plays very little importance in this activity. I've even seen people confined to wheelchairs, who are active and having a blast with geocaching. You may also be surprised to find the girls like it possibly more than some of the guys. It has to do with the sense of adventure, so gender has nothing to do with it. Lot's of girls/women have a deeper sense of romance and/or adventure than their male counterparts. And don't underestimate the gals ability either. If they like it, they are probably going to be very good at it. Must have something to do with the way the female mind works, but my daughter can find the ones that absolutely stump me. And she doesn't stop till she finds them. The females inbuilt patience is a great asset here, Go figure. I'm sure you'll find your own families balance with this hobby. Don't be surprised if this turns out to be a "bring the whole gang" activity! Everyone may want to join in on the fun. One thing you may want to consider is creating a boys team and a girls team. That should make things real interesting. Could even evolve into one of those "losing team gets to clean the bathroom" competitions, if your crew likes a good clean challenge. At any rate, the whole thing comes down to, WELCOME HOME, GOD BLESS, AND WE ALL HOPE GEOCACHING HELPS YOU ENJOY YOUR FAMILY JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE! Edited March 18, 2009 by Seeker_Knight Quote Link to comment
+sixintow Posted March 21, 2009 Author Share Posted March 21, 2009 First of all thanks for the words of encouragement, it' nice to know people still care. I'm about a month out form getting home and have started buy purchasing some swag, logbook and other stuff online. But, I'm having trouble picking a good GPS, have been looking at the eTrex Vista HCx, but it's comes with a steep price. I'd hate to spend that much and have the kids absolutely hate the game. Ant suggestions on a good GPS for someone just starting out? Thanks Quote Link to comment
+crockett3663 Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 My whole reason for getting into caching was also to spend more time with my son, who LOVES to go "treasure hunting". I'm sure you and your son will have a blast!! Just be sure to take into account HIS physical limitations when caching!! At 6 years old he will not be able to climb trees as well as you, and his little legs will require you to take more breaks, or even plan shorter caching excursions. It might be a good idea to let HIM decide how long the two of you go hunting. There's nothing worse than being out in the middle of the woods with a cranky child who's suddenly "tired of walking"!! Quote Link to comment
mylt1 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 First of all thanks for the words of encouragement, it' nice to know people still care. I'm about a month out form getting home and have started buy purchasing some swag, logbook and other stuff online. But, I'm having trouble picking a good GPS, have been looking at the eTrex Vista HCx, but it's comes with a steep price. I'd hate to spend that much and have the kids absolutely hate the game. Ant suggestions on a good GPS for someone just starting out? Thanks hit up EBAY, the for sale forum on here, or even craigslist maybe you can get a deal. if all else fails just wait for a sale. some of the basic GPS units sell dirt cheap and people are always getting rid of there basic GPS to step up to a newer/better unit. something else for you and your son to do is teach him gun safety and take him out shooting. there was nothing better than going out plinking with my grandfather and my dad. my kids are still small(almost 3 and 4) so i still have some time to get strait but both will be taught to shoot and both will start with a BB gun then move up to a .22LR. at 6 you should have no problem getting him to learn the basics of gun safety and red rider BB guns are cheap and so are the BB's. Quote Link to comment
+crockett3663 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 First of all thanks for the words of encouragement, it' nice to know people still care. I'm about a month out form getting home and have started buy purchasing some swag, logbook and other stuff online. But, I'm having trouble picking a good GPS, have been looking at the eTrex Vista HCx, but it's comes with a steep price. I'd hate to spend that much and have the kids absolutely hate the game. Ant suggestions on a good GPS for someone just starting out? Thanks hit up EBAY, the for sale forum on here, or even craigslist maybe you can get a deal. if all else fails just wait for a sale. some of the basic GPS units sell dirt cheap and people are always getting rid of there basic GPS to step up to a newer/better unit. something else for you and your son to do is teach him gun safety and take him out shooting. there was nothing better than going out plinking with my grandfather and my dad. my kids are still small(almost 3 and 4) so i still have some time to get strait but both will be taught to shoot and both will start with a BB gun then move up to a .22LR. at 6 you should have no problem getting him to learn the basics of gun safety and red rider BB guns are cheap and so are the BB's. Why does he need to teach his son gun safety?? He doesn't mention whether or not he hunts, and even if he does, his some may show no interest. I'm the youngest of four kids, and I'm the only male member of my immediate family who never went hunting. I used to like to go when my dad and brothers would go out to sight in their rifles, and I even got to shoot them, but I never actually went hunting. Just because the thread starter is a man and has a son, that doesn't mean that the desire to hunt is there for either one. Quote Link to comment
+scvmeat Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 GUNS??? ummm... I think geocaching is great for my boys and I (8 & 6). Guns? Whatever happened to throwing around the baseball with your boys??? I guess to each his own! Quote Link to comment
mylt1 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 OMG, didnt know there were so many libs on here. guess you guys think we need more anti gun laws even though if the ones on the books were enforced there wouldnt be so many problems. TO QUOTE THE OP "am looking for something me an my son can do." that leads me to believe he is open to suggestions and that is why i SUGGESTED something. jesus, you guys need to take something and chill. also, i never once mentioned anything about hunting. i said, PLINKING which is not hunting, its target practice. Quote Link to comment
+BCandMsKitty Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 First of all thanks for the words of encouragement, it' nice to know people still care. I'm about a month out form getting home and have started buy purchasing some swag, logbook and other stuff online. But, I'm having trouble picking a good GPS, have been looking at the eTrex Vista HCx, but it's comes with a steep price. I'd hate to spend that much and have the kids absolutely hate the game. Ant suggestions on a good GPS for someone just starting out? Thanks hit up EBAY, the for sale forum on here, or even craigslist maybe you can get a deal. if all else fails just wait for a sale. some of the basic GPS units sell dirt cheap and people are always getting rid of there basic GPS to step up to a newer/better unit. something else for you and your son to do is teach him gun safety and take him out shooting. there was nothing better than going out plinking with my grandfather and my dad. my kids are still small(almost 3 and 4) so i still have some time to get strait but both will be taught to shoot and both will start with a BB gun then move up to a .22LR. at 6 you should have no problem getting him to learn the basics of gun safety and red rider BB guns are cheap and so are the BB's. Why does he need to teach his son gun safety?? He doesn't mention whether or not he hunts, and even if he does, his some may show no interest. I'm the youngest of four kids, and I'm the only male member of my immediate family who never went hunting. I used to like to go when my dad and brothers would go out to sight in their rifles, and I even got to shoot them, but I never actually went hunting. Just because the thread starter is a man and has a son, that doesn't mean that the desire to hunt is there for either one. It was just another suggestion of something to do with his son. This is a bit ot, but gun safety has nothing to do with hunting or not. If someone is using even a bb gun they should have basic gun safety. Quote Link to comment
+scvmeat Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 OMG, didnt know there were so many libs on here. guess you guys think we need more anti gun laws even though if the ones on the books were enforced there wouldnt be so many problems. TO QUOTE THE OP "am looking for something me an my son can do." that leads me to believe he is open to suggestions and that is why i SUGGESTED something. jesus, you guys need to take something and chill. also, i never once mentioned anything about hunting. i said, PLINKING which is not hunting, its target practice. Is geocaching a right wing activity? No need to chill on my part. My feathers weren't ruffled. I ALMOST found it quite humorous until I realized you were not kidding. Then I chuckled...at how different people look at things. Note that I never said it was wrong, just not something I would think to do with my kids. Like I said, to each his own. That is what makes this country so great...and we both love geocaching! I prefer dawning some catcher's gear and a catcher's mitt for target practice with my kids...LET'S GO PHILLIES!!!!! Quote Link to comment
mylt1 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 i figured the baseball thing was just about standard for father/son things. that why i suggested something outside the norm. my kids, even though there young enjoy being outside so once there older they will be going with me on caching hunts but will also be going with me to the range. daughter and son. Quote Link to comment
+blue elephant crew Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 hello there! we use a garmin etrex venture hc and love it. every once in a great while i clear out the caches we've already found to clear up the memory, but it has basically all the features of the vista. color screen, etc... but will a little better price range. al and i started caching in september and didn't want to get a gps that was too expensive if we ended up not liking the sport. turns out not only do we love to cache, but we love the gps too! and also, yes dollar store/ dollar tree... is good. also, hitting up walmart after a holiday to gain some trinkets. i find some items off ebay in bulk at times too, since we're "team spongebob" and pick up spongebob related items pretty reasonably. hope you enjoy your homecoming with your family and have a safe return! and oh, definitely include the girls in the caching at some point. not all of us are into frilly pink things... i love bugs and outdoors and a still a woman through and through! kristy Quote Link to comment
+Lou_U Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I see your occupation is US Army. Thank you for your service to our great country. By now you have enough feedback to determine that geocaching is a great activity to do with your children. I am just chiming in to tell you that I believe in your cause and I also want to let you know how truly thankful my family and I are that you and many like you have chosen to join the fight to help protect us against our enemies. Quote Link to comment
vagabond Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 It's even a good thing for grandfathers and grandsons, when I started a little over 8 years ago I used to take my 2 oldest until they found our about girls and cars, then it was my daughters 2 oldest but now its girls cars and football and band. So now its just me and Tag-A-Long and Rufus Quote Link to comment
+O-Mega Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 First of all thanks for the words of encouragement, it' nice to know people still care. I'm about a month out form getting home and have started buy purchasing some swag, logbook and other stuff online. But, I'm having trouble picking a good GPS, have been looking at the eTrex Vista HCx, but it's comes with a steep price. I'd hate to spend that much and have the kids absolutely hate the game. Ant suggestions on a good GPS for someone just starting out? Thanks Congrats on finding this hobby, I suggest you head over to MAGC and PM me or one of our other members. I am sure one of our deployed members can help you get a cache while in country. No need to wait to get your first one, and I would hate to have you miss the opportunity to get another country knocked out (I know you don't want to return to get one ). OT: Yes this is a great father-son activity, as well as taking him out fishing, hunting and maybe see what his sport interest is. What ever you choose, remember its not the activity, its the company you keep. Quote Link to comment
+kraushad Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 (edited) Since you are still in Iraq, I had a thought... Regardless of people's opinions on the war, I think I would find it very cool to find some Iraq related SWAG in a cache. Perhaps instead of buying all your swag, you could bring home some neat little trinkets, coins, etc., that people might find interesting. I know I would value such neat items that you can't run across on an everyday basis back here. Just a thought.... Edited to add: I know the Vista HCX is a bit pricey, but if you do decide to go with it, you will love it! It is great. Regardless of what you buy, most people seem to suggest that you make sure it has the "H" in the name somewhere. The "H" signifies that it has a newer design, higher quality receiver that will enable better signals, and increase the accuracy. Edited March 25, 2009 by kraushad Quote Link to comment
+JakeInPA Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I got the Legend HCx for about $160 on ebay. I know it's not the best out there, but so far we've found 16/17 of our caches (the one we didn't find I think we're just being dummies on) and it serves the purpose. Still not the cheapest out there, but I'd say if you can manage that amount, try it out. Everyone else pointed out the obvious. This hobby is awesome for father/son/daughter/whatever. As far as the gun safety thing. LOL @ the guys who never handled guns who think it's a terrible idea. The person who suggested it, never said anything about hunting. See, back in the day when parents still existed and kids weren't running around getting into trouble, you could give your kid a BB gun and know they wouldn't get in trouble. I have taught all my younger cousins the importance of gun safety, mostly because I know they'll be hunters, but also, because if they ever run into a situation where friends have guns and I'm not around, they will know how to properly use it and avoid any injury. The guy is right. A kid and his dad with BB guns can be tons of fun. It's not all about violence. Quote Link to comment
tailslid1 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Actually, I'm going to offer another opinion. I know money is limited sometimes, particularly for things you aren't sure you need or even will enjoy. I'd suggest looking long and hard at the Garmin Oregon. Yes, its pricey. Here's my logic. Say you DO get into geocaching really heavy. You'll be glad you had it. Say you DON'T get into it. You'll be able to recover a greater percentage of your investment because its a populare item. Oregon 400T - $425 after rebate Vista HCx - $220 You'll probably get $350 for your Oregon if you don't like it. So you are out $75 or so. You'll probably get $125 - $150 for your Vista. So you are out the same $75. Yup, its more money up front. But it offers paperless caching, tons more storage options, Wherigo compatibility, a larger touch screen, and much more. Just something to consider anyway. If $400 is completely out of the question, then the point is moot. But if the possibility exists, I'd go for it. I'm looking forward to getting out and using mine. Quote Link to comment
+Lassendograiser Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 While I am very new to this hobby I am already hooked. I have not yet convinced my room mate to join me but her grandson who is turning 4 will be starting to join me soon. I am going to try to teach him the fun in the hunt vs. the treasures you may/may not find. Thank you for serving our country and welcome home. Whatever you choose to do with your son and daughters make sure it is quality time. Again thank you. Lassen Quote Link to comment
+TEAM HARTSOCK Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Got 3 kids (girl 15, boy 11, girl 10) and just had a baby on Thursday (well, my wife had him) and I would like to say this is an awesome family activity. Absolutely the coolest that we have done as a family group. I would say go for it! Oh, I have a Garmin eTrex Legend HCx and as another said on this thread, it isn't the best as far as what is out there, but it has never let me down. Great battery life, has led me to all of my cahces and when there have been DNFs it is due to them being muggled or to "user error." lol. You'll have great fun with this. As someone else said, Iraqi trinkets would very cool swag items, especially if you included a note with it or in your log when you find the cache. Also something to think of is that you are already there. Not sure what cache status is in Iraqi at the moment....would kinda think most would get blown up due to people thinking they might be IEDs, but if it is safe and there are some planted there, it might be cool to log a few of those before you come home. Although I can't imagine it would be a safe activity there at the moment. Thanks for doing what you do. I and my family are proud of you for giving your all. Quote Link to comment
+Gypsydawg & Hobokitti Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 "WELCOME HOME"!!!!!!!!! I found out about geocaching while I was in Iraq last year. I'm also a member of Military Association of Geocachers (www.MAGC. com) Although I'm still a "Basic" member, I'm thinking about an upgrade. And yes, the "man bond" with your son is great. I have three grandchildren under age 10 and tell them we are going "treasure hunting". In fact, I bought each of my grandkids a Garmin Etrex H for Christmas and put together a little caching backpack for them filled with their Garmin, extra batteries, swag trinkets, notebook, writing utensils, and the ever so popular, "emergency cache repair kit". I've had some opportunities to take the kids with me. They especially like it when they get to "carry their own bag" and I just follow them around just to make sure that no one gets hurt or lost. Or as I like to say, "letting the GPS settle down" . They really like it. So, go ahead and cache on with your son. At least you know what he is up to. Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
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.