Young Geocachers

[+Twitch Hugs Trees]

It seems like I am pretty much the only person over the age of ten and under the age of thirty that likes to Geocache. This leaves me wondering, are there any other teenagers that enjoy this hobby? Either alone (like me) or with their friends/family?

 

Forgive me if this is in the wrong section.

[ao318]

My daughters do, they are 10 and 13. I also know of many others that cache with their parents. Not many cache alone.

[+Chrysalides]

I know people in that age group who geocaches. They may not hang around the forums much though.

[DarthJustice]

Well, I'm not a teenager anymore but I am over ten and under thirty. I'm twenty-three.

[+Team Cotati]

It seems like I am pretty much the only person over the age of ten and under the age of thirty that likes to Geocache. This leaves me wondering, are there any other teenagers that enjoy this hobby? Either alone (like me) or with their friends/family?

 

Forgive me if this is in the wrong section.

 

From my personal observations, you are quite correct. The Team often observes adult and small children with adults geocaching.

 

We very rarely observe teens. This has been true in every region where we have cached.

 

As with most things in life, there are of course exceptions and we see those just as others do. What we hardly ever see are teens caching.

 

Now if I was looking to hook up with teens doing outdoors type stuff, I'd go where the mountain bikers and skate boarders and snow boarders and roller bladers hang.

[trentryan]

I don't hang around the forums much, but I do geocache . I am fourteen.

[+cachensfun]

My two brothers and I are the three members of Cachensfun. I'm 17 the next one is 15 and then 13. Our Wonderful Uncle (Michigan Cacheman) got us into this great sport. We love doing it. Dose that answer your question

[+brodiebunch]

Transportation maybe an issue for teenagers to go geocaching. Especially if their under 18.

[tamarab64]

I'm 18 and my sister is 16... We love it

[+bittsen]

I think the reason there might be less percentage of younger geocachers is because teens are often spending a lot of time testing out those new hormones. Before they find the hormones, they are often too young to be let out of the house on miles-long trips off into the wilderness.

 

Just a theory based on my own personal history.

[+iwikepie]

Well I'm 13 and i cache alone/without adults about half the time. Biking is my main mode of transportation.

 

My non Geocaching friends-they don't get it at all whenever i even try to explain what it is but don't really care.

[+Twitch Hugs Trees]

Great to see some other teenagers here, I was starting to feel like a weirdo. I just wondered, since I went to an event on Saturday and was by FAR the youngest one there. Thank you for crawling out of the woodwork.

 

My two brothers and I are the three members of Cachensfun. I'm 17 the next one is 15 and then 13. Our Wonderful Uncle (Michigan Cacheman) got us into this great sport. We love doing it. Dose that answer your question

I'm seventeen too!

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

We are teenagers (a few times over)!

[+popokiiti]

I was a teenager once upon a time............. Anyways, a friend of mine and her teenage daughter love to go geocaching..and are often at the scene of a FTF.

[+Brantflakes]

I'm 16 and I started geocaching all by my self. It was hard at first because I biked around to a few local parks, but when I got my license it was a lot easier to go caching on the weekends especially. I've convinced one of my friends to come caching too, and he loves it. Even though we are a lot younger than the other cachers I have met on the trail, it's always easy to talk to them. This hobby seems to be accommodating to any age.

[+Twitch Hugs Trees]

I'm 16 and I started geocaching all by my self. It was hard at first because I biked around to a few local parks, but when I got my license it was a lot easier to go caching on the weekends especially. I've convinced one of my friends to come caching too, and he loves it. Even though we are a lot younger than the other cachers I have met on the trail, it's always easy to talk to them. This hobby seems to be accommodating to any age.

 

It is definitely easier with a license. I'm trying to convince my friends to get into it, but I don't think any of them have a GPS unit. ... While I was typing I just had an epiphany: Maybe the absence of teens is due to the fact that hardly any teenagers own/have access to a GPS unit. I think I may have just answered my own question.

[+Team Cotati]

I'm 16 and I started geocaching all by my self. It was hard at first because I biked around to a few local parks, but when I got my license it was a lot easier to go caching on the weekends especially. I've convinced one of my friends to come caching too, and he loves it. Even though we are a lot younger than the other cachers I have met on the trail, it's always easy to talk to them. This hobby seems to be accommodating to any age.

 

It is definitely easier with a license. I'm trying to convince my friends to get into it, but I don't think any of them have a GPS unit. ... While I was typing I just had an epiphany: Maybe the absence of teens is due to the fact that hardly any teenagers own/have access to a GPS unit. I think I may have just answered my own question.

 

Where you live, is there a minimum age requirement in order to purchase a GPSr?

[+Taoiseach]

Well... I recently turned 20 (a couple of weeks ago)... So I don't really count anymore

 

I've been caching since I was 17, though

[+Twitch Hugs Trees]

I'm not aware of an age requirement to purchase one, but I can't imagine most people my age would just walk into REI or whathaveyou and buy one. A little on the expensive side for a teenager.

[+jasondulac]

I'm 20 does that count I actually found geocaching in my last year of high school in are outdoor education class for are exam we had to hide and maintain a geocache mine the only one left from sre class

[+jmbjacobs]

Both my teenagers (13 and 15) geocache every chance they get.

[+jasondulac]

here is a similar thread

[+Bergie Bunch]

I belong to TeamEmtFireKids, we have 14 teenagers that cahce with us, they love it and several have their own caches also. They have been caching from 2 years to 6 months. They go out alone and together

[savyiscute]

I'm 9 and I somtimes do caching by myself, depends where it is...

[+brodiebunch]

I think the reason there might be less percentage of younger geocachers is because teens are often spending a lot of time testing out those new hormones. Before they find the hormones, they are often too young to be let out of the house on miles-long trips off into the wilderness.

 

Just a theory based on my own personal history.

 

Then they need a GPS-to help find the hormones and then the geocaches.

[+Team Cotati]

I'm not aware of an age requirement to purchase one, but I can't imagine most people my age would just walk into REI or whathaveyou and buy one. A little on the expensive side for a teenager.

 

And compared to those snowboards and mountain bikes........and why on earth would you go to REI?

[Mushtang]

Just a theory based on my own personal history.

I would guess you're a teenager. Maybe... 14?

[+bittsen]

Just a theory based on my own personal history.

I would guess you're a teenager. Maybe... 14?

 

Ha, I wish. If I knew then what I know now...

 

I do REMEMBER being 14 though. Even though it was a while ago, my memories linger.

[knowschad]

I think the reason there might be less percentage of younger geocachers is because teens are often spending a lot of time testing out those new hormones. Before they find the hormones, they are often too young to be let out of the house on miles-long trips off into the wilderness.

Just a theory based on my own personal history.

You know, I'm probably not the only one here that is getting tired of hearing about your lack of... romance. TMI, thank you. I'd like to politely ask you to please keep that sort of talk to yourself. It feels kinda creepy. Edited November 17, 2009 by knowschad

[+Twitch Hugs Trees]

I'm not aware of an age requirement to purchase one, but I can't imagine most people my age would just walk into REI or whathaveyou and buy one. A little on the expensive side for a teenager.

 

And compared to those snowboards and mountain bikes........and why on earth would you go to REI?

 

I don't know why REI in particular, just throwing out an outdoors store. It's pretty much the only one here. I do know a few snowboarders, but that's a much more widely known and easily explainable hobby. Asking one's parents for a GPS unit is kind of a strange thing to explain. I know my parents are a little confused by the whole thing (though I have brought my dad with me to search for a cache, and he went with me to an event on Saturday).

[+bittsen]

I think the reason there might be less percentage of younger geocachers is because teens are often spending a lot of time testing out those new hormones. Before they find the hormones, they are often too young to be let out of the house on miles-long trips off into the wilderness.

Just a theory based on my own personal history.

You know, I'm probably not the only one here that is getting tired of hearing about your lack of... romance. TMI, thank you. I'd like to politely ask you to please keep that sort of talk to yourself. It feels kinda creepy.

 

So far it's been over 30 seconds and I'm still laughing.

Thanks for the laughs, chads friend.

[knowschad]

I think the reason there might be less percentage of younger geocachers is because teens are often spending a lot of time testing out those new hormones. Before they find the hormones, they are often too young to be let out of the house on miles-long trips off into the wilderness.

Just a theory based on my own personal history.

You know, I'm probably not the only one here that is getting tired of hearing about your lack of... romance. TMI, thank you. I'd like to politely ask you to please keep that sort of talk to yourself. It feels kinda creepy.

 

So far it's been over 30 seconds and I'm still laughing.

Thanks for the laughs, chads friend.

 

The name is Knowschad to you.

[+sTeamTraen]

The OP mentioned "over 10 and under 30"... I'm not sure about the teens (although my son has come along caching with me most chances he got, from the age of 14 to now at 20), but there are plenty of young adults caching. The geocaching demographic varies quite a bit from country to country in Europe, but I'm trying to remember the last time I met a Czech cacher who looked over 35.

 

Here in France, I think the age range matches the US average pretty closely, although the median US cacher has us beat on the weight front.

[+firemanjim903mfd]

My son geocaches with my . He is only 9 but he has his own users name and also is starting to do his own logs

[+Rockin Roddy]

I think the reason there might be less percentage of younger geocachers is because teens are often spending a lot of time testing out those new hormones. Before they find the hormones, they are often too young to be let out of the house on miles-long trips off into the wilderness.

Just a theory based on my own personal history.

You know, I'm probably not the only one here that is getting tired of hearing about your lack of... romance. TMI, thank you. I'd like to politely ask you to please keep that sort of talk to yourself. It feels kinda creepy.

 

I didn't find this post out of order, this is a true obsevation I too have made! Kids do what their parents do until they hit the "crazy" years, the years when the hormones kick in and the parents get kicked out a bit. Why did you find tis post offensive?

 

My teen (16) god-son and I cache as often as we can afford to, he sometimes brings a friend with him and we all have a good time! He now has his own GPS, but even without one, he would often give me competition on making the finds!! We've discussed the logging of caches and having his own account, but he's not into the "work" part yet, so we share my account which he will take over one day when I am no longer around!

[Bryan_T]

Im 17 and mainly go on my own. I introduced my family to it! I don't have many friends who are very interested in Geocaching, though. I just started in August, so I haven't even met any other Geocachers other than those who I recruited :/

[+Andromeda321]

The OP mentioned "over 10 and under 30"... I'm not sure about the teens (although my son has come along caching with me most chances he got, from the age of 14 to now at 20), but there are plenty of young adults caching. The geocaching demographic varies quite a bit from country to country in Europe, but I'm trying to remember the last time I met a Czech cacher who looked over 35.

 

Here in France, I think the age range matches the US average pretty closely, although the median US cacher has us beat on the weight front.

 

I'll agree to the fact that the demographics are definitely skewed towards the younger side in Europe. I was usually the youngest by a few years when I went to events in the USA (I started caching when I was 22) but there are a fair number of caching buddies I know in my age range in the Netherlands.

 

Back to the original question though, I have run into groups of teenagers twice while caching- they were definitely on the younger instead of older side of teenager-dom though.

Edited January 4, 2012 by Andromeda321

[+frinklabs]

My 17-year-old daughter is resistant every time I ask her to go caching with me. Conversely, she cannot name an instance of caching when we did not have fun.

 

Here's another way I motivate her:

 

 

My log entry

 

Her log entry

[+Mr. Wilson & a Mt. Goat]

I am 16, so to answer the 3 year old question, yes there seem to be many of us!

[+JL_HSTRE]

I've met geocachers under the age of 21, but I'm pretty sure every one of them either cached with family or as part of a Scout troop. I do know of 1 teenage geocacher in the next county though (just never seen them in person). Transportation for teenage geocachers is probably a big limitation. Being able to afford a GPS used to be a big limitation, but now so many kids seem to have smartphones that's not so much of an issue anymore. The hobby does seem inclined toward middle-aged or older people, presumably because they are more likely to have the time and money to spare.

[+brennan7]

I just turned fifteen. I LOVE the sport, though it doesn't help to not yet have a driver's licence or parents who truly enjoy it. Seems like I am always begging them to go out, and I never get more than an hour. I bike on my own most of the time. There are two other teenage boys in the area who I know also en joy it, but I rarely find an opportunity to go with either of them due to extremely tight teenage schedules.

 

All the same, I am a teenager who caches.

[+Team Pixos]

My DD is 11, she would cache alone but I won't let her. She loves events and has met other cachers and I'll let her go with them. There are a number of Geocachers in her middle school, two boys in grade 8; team up and go together all the time.

[+FalseFruit]

Hello,

 

I am 14 and my friends (also 14) and I also cache alone. We live in a relatively safe city, so there is little danger. We often ride bikes since we can't drive yet.

[+BCandMsKitty]

It seems like I am pretty much the only person over the age of ten and under the age of thirty that likes to Geocache. This leaves me wondering, are there any other teenagers that enjoy this hobby? Either alone (like me) or with their friends/family?

 

Forgive me if this is in the wrong section.

 

LOTS

 

Edit:

Drat! I didn't look at the age of this thread. I usually don't respond to old ones like this.

Edited March 31, 2014 by BC & MsKitty

[+brutemus1]

Im 22. My friends are the same age as me and they geocache too. Sometimes I take my teenage sisters with me on geocaching adventures

[komak1er]

I'm 23 and recently started Geocaching. My friend from Cali (22) introduced me to it. I got my GF (23) and another friend (22) into it. Hoping more young adults pick up on it so we can have events that focus around my age group. I have run into a couple Geocaching who couldn't have been over 30 yrs old, looking good so far! = )

[+Ambrosia]

Well, I was 28 when I *started* caching. That feels pretty young at this point.

[daniela_lotta]

I'm 25 and some of the best caching trips I've had were with my 10 year old cousin. My 18 year old brother did some caches as well, only he didn't log them.

[+crazypig88]

Well I'm 13 and i cache alone/without adults about half the time. Biking is my main mode of transportation.

 

My non Geocaching friends-they don't get it at all whenever i even try to explain what it is but don't really care.

 

you just said what I do when I cache! that probably sums up everything, even the thirteen part. But then again, this is five years later so you're 18 now...

[+michellepluseight]

My 16 and 15 year olds sometimes go caching with me, and my 12 year old just asked if he can have his own account. But mostly when I say I want to go, it's the 9 and 11 year olds who want to come with. We've been doing this less than a year, though, so those two may continue the hobby as teens and even as adults.