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Not sure where to post this thread..

Wondering if anyone has ever couch surfed while on a geocaching trip.

I am looking into couch surfing next year on my big trip to GW8. (Not that I cannot afford hotels, but thought it might be interesting to surf fellow geocachers couches!)

Any comments, feedback from surfers, etc would be appreciated!

www.couchsurfing.com

 

Nope. Why? Or more appropriately, why would I? I miss the point, I guess.

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Not sure where to post this thread..

Wondering if anyone has ever couch surfed while on a geocaching trip.

I am looking into couch surfing next year on my big trip to GW8. (Not that I cannot afford hotels, but thought it might be interesting to surf fellow geocachers couches!)

Any comments, feedback from surfers, etc would be appreciated!

www.couchsurfing.com

 

Nope. Why? Or more appropriately, why would I? I miss the point, I guess.

The point being that I could make friends with fellow geocachers on my way to GW8.

I would much rather spend time with geocachers, than the hotel concierge...check out the website and some of the great surfer memories.

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Then you are not a couch surfer candidate... I opened thread to anyone that maybe has ever participated in couchsurfing, and to share thier experiences.

Some ppl are very hospitable and decent ppl, I am just looking for that postitive attitude on this.

Maybe someone would consider couch surfing based on this thread....

Couch surfing may not be for everyone...

I am exploring my maximum GW8 options here.

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Then you are not a couch surfer candidate... I opened thread to anyone that maybe has ever participated in couchsurfing, and to share thier experiences.

Some ppl are very hospitable and decent ppl, I am just looking for that postitive attitude on this.

Maybe someone would consider couch surfing based on this thread....

Couch surfing may not be for everyone...

I am exploring my maximum GW8 options here.

 

What is a "ppl"? I think I had a bunch of them as an adolescent, but I eventually grew out of the ppl phase. Or am I missing something?

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Then you are not a couch surfer candidate... I opened thread to anyone that maybe has ever participated in couchsurfing, and to share thier experiences.

Some ppl are very hospitable and decent ppl, I am just looking for that postitive attitude on this.

Maybe someone would consider couch surfing based on this thread....

Couch surfing may not be for everyone...

I am exploring my maximum GW8 options here.

 

What is a "ppl"? I think I had a bunch of them as an adolescent, but I eventually grew out of the ppl phase. Or am I missing something?

 

Ok...sorry my inquiry has caused disturbance. PPL obvioulsy does not to apply to forum lurkers. WTF? Go figure that one out!

 

Thread admin, please delete this topic, it has not been taken as I intended it to be.

Edited by busterbabes
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Then you are not a couch surfer candidate... I opened thread to anyone that maybe has ever participated in couchsurfing, and to share thier experiences.

Some ppl are very hospitable and decent ppl, I am just looking for that postitive attitude on this.

Maybe someone would consider couch surfing based on this thread....

Couch surfing may not be for everyone...

I am exploring my maximum GW8 options here.

 

What is a "ppl"? I think I had a bunch of them as an adolescent, but I eventually grew out of the ppl phase. Or am I missing something?

 

Ok...sorry my inquiry has caused disturbance. PPL obvioulsy does not to apply to forum lurkers. WTF? Go figure that one out!

 

Thread admin, please delete this topic, it has not been taken as I intended it to be.

Don't let these guys get to ya. They're mostly harmless. :D But they do sometimes forget what it's like to be a newbie poster, and they like to tease folks who use texting-speak in the forums. (ppl = people for you pseudo-ignoranti)

 

I hadn't heard of couch-surfing, so thanks for the info. Interesting. Sounds similar to what some orienteers do when traveling to major meets.

 

Oh, btw, I live in GW8 land, and have a guest room/bath (not just a couch); maybe I should start taking bids. :)

Edited by hydnsek
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Geez guys, listen to what the OP said - he wanted to know if anyone knew more about couchsurfing as it may relate to a geocaching event.

He wasn't telling you to do it nor was pushing it on anyone. Commenting on whether you would do it or not is one thing, but poking fun at his forum slang just to get your post count up is pretty asinine.

No wonder some people post a few times and then leave these boards for good.

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No wonder some people post a few times and then leave these boards for good.

 

Yeah, seriously. there's WAY too much internet shorthand going around here. I'm half tempted to leave again! >.>

 

Sorry, had to. (though internet shorthand IS a pet peeve of mine)

 

CouchSurfing is a rather awesome idea. It's not something I personally partake in (although for San Diego International Comic Con this year I'm crashing on a relative strangers couch). I would have a hard time offering up my home to complete strangers (if I didn't live with my parents), but this is because I am a naturally distrusting sort of person.

 

If you can trust people, or you just don't have much worth stealing, and you either live alone, or with others who are equally open minded, then it's a great thing. It lets you meet new and interesting people, and maybe feel good about helping someone.

 

If for whatever reason CouchSurfing isn't your thing, at least be respectful to the OP. Consider that plenty of people fail to see the point in GeoCaching. How would you feel if someone was like "Yeah, sure. Let's just go tromping in the middle of the frelling woods looking for an ammo can filled with happy meal toys! Probably get bitten by thousands of bugs, and maybe a snake or two. That sounds like a GRAND day!"

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I've heard of CouchSurfing before - I found it accidentally when looking for cheap accomodation sites for my daughter when she was travelling in Australia and New Zealand. I looked through the site and thought "Hmmm, yeah... OK... If I was 20 years younger..."

 

We have an decent bed settee available for geocachers "surfing" south Wales, but only those who are known to us and have had all their necessary vaccinations. :rolleyes:

 

MrsB

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Then you are not a couch surfer candidate... I opened thread to anyone that maybe has ever participated in couchsurfing, and to share thier experiences.

Some ppl are very hospitable and decent ppl, I am just looking for that postitive attitude on this.

Maybe someone would consider couch surfing based on this thread....

Couch surfing may not be for everyone...

I am exploring my maximum GW8 options here.

 

What is a "ppl"? I think I had a bunch of them as an adolescent, but I eventually grew out of the ppl phase. Or am I missing something?

 

Ok...sorry my inquiry has caused disturbance. PPL obvioulsy does not to apply to forum lurkers. WTF? Go figure that one out!

 

Thread admin, please delete this topic, it has not been taken as I intended it to be.

Don't let these guys get to ya. They're mostly harmless. :D But they do sometimes forget what it's like to be a newbie poster, and they like to tease folks who use texting-speak in the forums. (ppl = people for you pseudo-ignoranti)

 

I hadn't heard of couch-surfing, so thanks for the info. Interesting. Sounds similar to what some orienteers do when traveling to major meets.

 

Oh, btw, I live in GW8 land, and have a guest room/bath (not just a couch); maybe I should start taking bids. :mad:

You haven't started yet? I have... :rolleyes:

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Then you are not a couch surfer candidate... I opened thread to anyone that maybe has ever participated in couchsurfing, and to share thier experiences.

Some ppl are very hospitable and decent ppl, I am just looking for that postitive attitude on this.

Maybe someone would consider couch surfing based on this thread....

Couch surfing may not be for everyone...

I am exploring my maximum GW8 options here.

 

What is a "ppl"? I think I had a bunch of them as an adolescent, but I eventually grew out of the ppl phase. Or am I missing something?

 

Ok...sorry my inquiry has caused disturbance. PPL obvioulsy does not to apply to forum lurkers. WTF? Go figure that one out!

 

Thread admin, please delete this topic, it has not been taken as I intended it to be.

 

Please accept my apology... there was no reason for my attitude. I was trying to be a smart*ss.

Link to comment

Then you are not a couch surfer candidate... I opened thread to anyone that maybe has ever participated in couchsurfing, and to share thier experiences.

Some ppl are very hospitable and decent ppl, I am just looking for that postitive attitude on this.

Maybe someone would consider couch surfing based on this thread....

Couch surfing may not be for everyone...

I am exploring my maximum GW8 options here.

 

What is a "ppl"? I think I had a bunch of them as an adolescent, but I eventually grew out of the ppl phase. Or am I missing something?

 

Ok...sorry my inquiry has caused disturbance. PPL obvioulsy does not to apply to forum lurkers. WTF? Go figure that one out!

 

Thread admin, please delete this topic, it has not been taken as I intended it to be.

Don't let these guys get to ya. They're mostly harmless. :mad: But they do sometimes forget what it's like to be a newbie poster, and they like to tease folks who use texting-speak in the forums. (ppl = people for you pseudo-ignoranti)

 

I hadn't heard of couch-surfing, so thanks for the info. Interesting. Sounds similar to what some orienteers do when traveling to major meets.

 

Oh, btw, I live in GW8 land, and have a guest room/bath (not just a couch); maybe I should start taking bids. :rolleyes:

 

Get a Futon. They're like dirt cheap, and they're awesome.

 

Ever since I inherited my daughter's old cell phone with a flip-out QWERTY keyboard, I'm like a texting maniac. I type out every word, no shorthand. Now back when I had to hit the 5 button 4 times to get an L, that was a different story.

 

Couch surfing sounds interesting. You'll probably get better accomodations then blindly booking a cheap little motel (been there done that). :D

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Oh, btw, I live in GW8 land, and have a guest room/bath (not just a couch); maybe I should start taking bids.

You haven't started yet? I have... :rolleyes:

Actually, I also have a queen Aerobed, a regular air mattress, and a pull-out twin bed - and two couches - in addition to the queen bed in the guest room. Hmmm, if I'm still unemployed then, I guess I could go into the hotel bidness for a week. :mad:

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Sounds good! It's certainly nothing new, my family and friends have done this all of my life!

 

I have stayed with cachers I had previously only known online a number of times in several states. When I was headed for a caching event in Massachusetts Briansnat offered his couch as I passed through. I didn't have time but that's just an example of how friendly geocachers have been couch surfing for years, we just didn't call it that!

 

If you are going to be in Birmingham come on by! http://www.couchsurfing.com/people/thealabamarambler/

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but poking fun at his forum slang just to get your post count up is pretty asinine.

 

 

thinking that people would bother to type an answer just to raise their post count is pretty asinine, too.

 

poking fun at internet slang is its own reward.

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but poking fun at his forum slang just to get your post count up is pretty asinine.

 

 

thinking that people would bother to type an answer just to raise their post count is pretty asinine, too.

 

poking fun at internet slang is its own reward.

....and just when the thread was getting back on topic.... :laughing:

 

I wish I could do this for my sister's wedding, but she's making us all stay at some fancy beach chalet. What a pain in the arse (not to mention the pocketbook).

Edited by DatCrazyMongoose
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busterbabes,

Sorry for the "old timers" giving you crap.

You have a very valid question and a new concept that old ppl just don't get.

Amtrekker, traveled throughout the country couchsurfing last year.

He traveled with a purpose, not spending money while ticking off specific tasks he wanted to complete. Oh, and he geocached along the way.

This was the first time I had heard of couch surfing.

Podcacher did a show or two on him, really cool stuff.

But, I digress, couch surfing is an interesting concept, but not for me. NYers are usually very leery of strangers, I, included

If you can't find something nearby, have you thought about a hostel?

Anyways, LMK if u test ride CS b4 GW10

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If I get "into" this couch surfing thing...is it ok if I bring my Arm Chair caching supplies along? Ya see, I got this Lazy Boy 2000 with Rapid Shift handle thwarts and velcro stickies for upgrade notes. I really love it. :laughing:

 

On a more serious note, I hadduhh couch surfer person in my domicile once......showed up wearing a sock on their ear! Didn't bother me too much but got to haranging me for steel cut oatmeal! WTF!???? I told him I didn't take him to raise and he still got all "huffy". Oh well. :)

 

Couch Surfing.......Hmmmmmmmmmmm...Kinda reminds me of the hippie communes back in the 60s.

 

Excuse me, I feel my arteries beginning to harden up again.....and it's time for my morning nap! :wub:

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TAR, after seeing your profile, I decided to give it a shot and will add more personal info once I get home. I'm not sure if my wife would be open to the idea of "strangers" staying with us, though.

 

I liked your description of the couch. :D

If you don't have total buy-in from your wife and kids you can expect rather unfunny results. :D Trust me, unfunny results are not worth it!

 

You can safely couch surf while traveling since you are in control and can leave if you don't like the host. As I said the phrase 'couch surfing' may be new but the practice isn't.

 

This is a common practice amongst my family and friends, but hosting is something that involves your entire family... if they aren't the type to readily accept and entertain strangers (and the emphasis may be on 'strange') then hosting probably isn't for you! :D

 

If you say "I'd like to host this couch surfer from EastWherever for a few days while he's in town" and your family says anything besides "Great! We'd like to meet him, he probably has some great stories to tell! We can show him around our town" then you probably should not do it.

 

If you get to know folks on the various local geocaching forums a bit you will get invites to stay with cachers when traveling all over the place. I can think of ten cachers off the top of my head that regularly host other cachers, and I have stayed with several of them, but couch surfers are a different story... all you know about them is their profile and references, and no telling who the references are.

 

GeoRose, myself and our college-age kids have no problem with it, we like people in general. We have 2 to 8 college-age kids overnight in our house almost every week... my son had two buddies and three girls stay over last night, kids on couches and beds and air mats on the floor, our house has always been the hang-out. Two of them were strangers to me, and so were essentially couch surfers. I give them a few simple rules, just as I would couch surfers... no drugs, period, full stop. If you drink you don't leave, and no sex with anyone underage. Violate any one of those or act snarky or unpleasant and I will show you the door. It keeps things simple, everyone knows what is acceptable. If any of my family were ever uncomfortable with a visitor I would be quick to give that visitor the boot, and "I don't have anywhere else to go" would not impress me.

 

If you don't have total buy-in from your wife, if you work and the visitor would be in your home while you are gone, or if you would have a hard time giving a visitor the boot if it is not a comfortable 'fit' then hosting is probably not such a good idea.

 

Or consider tent surfing, the same concept but you are offering a place for them to camp in your yard, so except for bathroom privileges you needn't have them in the house. Frankly if I didn't like them well enough to offer my couch I probably wouldn't want them in my yard either, but everyone's different! :D

 

Edit to add: If you don't know how or don't want to regularly preventativly treat for bedbugs, don't host guests (or stay in hotels!)! The popular misconception is that bed bugs travel with 'dirty' people, but that's not correct - they travel with all travelers, mostly in their gear. Nothing 'icky', just a fact of life every traveler should be aware of and prepared to deal with.

Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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I actually dig the concept of couch surfing, but, then, I'm a musician who's done it quite a bit, so it's nothing new to me.

 

There's another site that is the same concept, www.globalfreeloaders.com.

 

In September, we're doing a start of finish drive of Route 66 and will be doing a bit of couch surfing!

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