Geocaching in bad weather

November 19, 2009

I don't like going out in rainy weather, so when my area is blanketed by a storm, it completely rules out geocaching for me for that day. I tried geocaching in the rain once, and it wasn't fun.

Do any of you go geocaching in bad weather, and how do you make it fun?

6.7k · November 20, 2009

Just pick a place that is so interesting that it is fun no matter what.

November 20, 2009

I like to cache in the rain. I have a nice rain proof coat. I also have a small umbrella that I use to keep the rain off the cache when it is open.

I guess I like it because there are less people out. Its nice to have the woods to my self!

November 20, 2009

Attitude is the difference between ordeal and adventure!.........OR

You go on a dry day!

November 20, 2009

I kinda like the rain too - it makes everything smell clean, and there are less muggles. It is a bit more challenging to keep everything dry, but with a rain jacket, all is well.

I just decide that I am going to go get wet and have fun with it!

November 20, 2009

You go on a dry day!

Except that the weather forecast for our area says there's no end in sight to the rain. So I'm going to have to wait a long time for the next dry day to come.

November 20, 2009

I enjoy going out caching in the inclement weather, particularly ones hidden in the woods. I find urban hides tend to be easier in the rain, especially in small parks and shopping centers!

November 20, 2009

I have a geobuddy that i cache with most of the time and some of the best times we've had as been in the rain.slipen in the mud finding water holes deeper then your boots.just go with the idea your going to get wet and have fun and you will

9.3k · November 20, 2009

Do any of you go geocaching in bad weather?

I paddled my kayak out into the Gulf of Mexico to nab a cache on an island, during a tropical storm.

That's probably the worst weather I've ever cached in. The Log

Hit the ramp at about midnight, got back at about 3:00am.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Clan Riffster

1.4k · November 20, 2009

I don't like going out in rainy weather, so when my area is blanketed by a storm, it completely rules out geocaching for me for that day. I tried geocaching in the rain once, and it wasn't fun.

Do any of you go geocaching in bad weather, and how do you make it fun?

YES just a fact of life here in the Pacific Northwest specifically Vancouver/Portland area If I didn't cache when it was raining then 1 year would be cut down to 8 Months

ScubaSonic

5.7k · November 20, 2009

My parents had better sense than to be out in the rain unless it was something of an unavoidable critical nature.

I'm really glad that my parents passed that same common sense along to me.

November 20, 2009

Right now the weather here in Seattle is pretty bad, heavy rain and windy. I will geocaching in a lighter rain though.

What would you do at home in bad weather: surf the internet, watch horrible TV, re-read books, shop, have sex, sleep, clean house or your room? BORING.

I would rather be outside looking for a plastic container or ammo can under the ubiquitous pile of sticks.

38.2k · November 20, 2009

I don't like going out in rainy weather, so when my area is blanketed by a storm, it completely rules out geocaching for me for that day. I tried geocaching in the rain once, and it wasn't fun.

Do any of you go geocaching in bad weather, and how do you make it fun?

I love being outdoors in foul weather. I guess it's all a state of mind. To me there is something about being outdoors and out of my comfort zone while everybody else is snugly in their house or at the mall. Give me rain, give me snow, give me cold, give me wind and I love it. That's how I make it fun.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

4.7k · November 20, 2009

There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

that's what i was going to say, except instead of "clothing", we say "gear". sometimes you need things that go beyond clothing.

November 20, 2009

My parents had better sense than to be out in the rain unless it was something of an unavoidable critical nature.

:laughing: But doesn't "unavoidable critical nature" define caching?

My GPSr is waterproof and so am I.

4.8k · November 20, 2009

I've gone after a cache in the rain wearing shorts and a Tshirt.

I've cached in the rain when it was cold.

I've cached where I had to cross snow to get to the cache location (cache was missing).

I've cached when it was raining AND the wind was blowing hard (basically saying it was stormy)

I've cached when there was lightning.

I've cached through tall wet grass when it was below freezing.

But I WON'T cache in inclimate weather.

7.9k · November 20, 2009

You haven't cached in 'bad weather' until you have cached in a monsoon storm in Arizona.

Although those Florida hurricanes do tend to last a bit longer...

November 20, 2009

I don't like being out in cold rainy weather. But in the summer, I don't mind rain. We had a LOT of rain this summer, but it was also very hot. Every weekend, I was on my bike 20-30 miles, rain or shine (sometimes both). I survived. My GPS survived. You just have to shield the cache contents a bit :laughing: One time I got caught in an absolute downpour. I noticed I was the only one on the trail, but hey, it was fun.

Now, it might be a different story when it comes to cold, sleet, and slushy snow/ice. But, we'll see. I've only been caching since June. I have yet to experience winter caching.

1.7k · November 20, 2009

As long as my partners want to go...... so will I. :laughing:

Having the proper gear is basic to this sport.

November 20, 2009

As long as my partners want to go...... so will I.

Having the proper gear is basic to this sport.

Of course, the proper gear is useless in the rain if you suffer from excessive sweating at low air temps, as I do.

38.2k · November 20, 2009

As long as my partners want to go...... so will I.

Having the proper gear is basic to this sport.

Of course, the proper gear is useless in the rain if you suffer from excessive sweating at low air temps, as I do.

That is where quality gear is important. Jackets with a waterproof/breathable membrane, pit zips and generally good ventilation are key. I sweat a lot, but good gear does make a difference. Of course it ain't cheap.

14k · November 20, 2009

I don't like going out in rainy weather, so when my area is blanketed by a storm, it completely rules out geocaching for me for that day. I tried geocaching in the rain once, and it wasn't fun.

Do any of you go geocaching in bad weather, and how do you make it fun?

I love being outdoors in foul weather. I guess it's all a state of mind. To me there is something about being outdoors and out of my comfort zone while everybody else is snugly in their house or at the mall. Give me rain, give me snow, give me cold, give me wind and I love it. That's how I make it fun.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

As is often the case, briansnat hits the nail on the head.

Wearing appropriate clothing makes all the difference when caching in the rain/cold/snow. That typically means goretex (or equivalent) coats and pants, good waterproof boots and gaiters.

Regarding clanrifsters post about kayaking to a cache at midnight in the rain. I've also launched my kayak in the rain at midnight (before I got into geocaching) for a several hour paddle to a campsite on an Adirondacks lake. I've also spent three days at a sea kayaking symposium with about 70 other people when it didn't stop raining the whole time. Of course, we were all dressed for it and spent quite a bit of time in the water anyway. I don't mind kayaking in the rain at all. Wind, on the other hand, can make for a really long day.

2.1k · November 20, 2009

I haven't been caching in the rain... yet.

BUT I was a Boy Scout in Louisiana. If we had avoided camping when it rained, we wouldn't have gone camping much. So we learned how to not just survive, but enjoy, being outdoors in all kinds of weather. It comes down to having the right gear and the right skill set.

November 20, 2009

Yeah, I'm something of a fair-weather cacher myself, I have to say. I think that it depends on why you geocache -- if you're driven by finding the cache or by enjoying yourself when out caching. Is it the destination or the journey? The weather definitely defines which kind of cacher you are!

-- Jeannette on Cape Cod

November 20, 2009

North Florida pretty much rains every day of the week from May - October, so if you don't like caching in the rain, there's 5-6 months where you won't be doing a whole lot... and the other 6 months are cold.

1.7k · November 20, 2009

I got a dog , I walk him in the rain, I walk him in the heat, I walk him in the cold. He likes going geocaching so he takes me along sometimes and somtimes I take him.

3.2k · November 20, 2009

What's "bad" weather? Any day spent out in the woods is a good day.

5.7k · November 20, 2009

My parents had better sense than to be out in the rain unless it was something of an unavoidable critical nature.

But doesn't "unavoidable critical nature" define caching?

My GPSr is waterproof and so am I.

No, it doesn't.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Team Cotati

6.7k · November 20, 2009

A great new story on this topic was just published in The Online Geocacher - http://onlinegeocacher.com/issue/real_time...rainy-day-cache :signalviolin:

9.3k · November 20, 2009

One thing that put a damper, (pun intended), on my caching in the rain was my late realization that any cache I open in the rain is going to get moisture in it. Even if I use an umbrella, the air is so saturated with moisture that I am letting water in. If a cache is secure enough to keep water out, (as all caches should be), it is also secure enough to keep water in. A pattern I've noticed is, upon reading a needs maintenance log about one of my ammo cans having damp contents, I can make a list of the found dates and locate one very close to the NM, on a day that it was rainy. :signalviolin:

3.6k · November 20, 2009

I don't mind caching in the rain. I prefer a long hike in the rain rather than park and grabs where you're in and out of the car, getting seat wet, getting hot in the car, getting cold outside.

Our GPS is waterproof, so that's good. I won't bring my iPhone along and will print out the hints and cache info so no electronics get wet. If I bring my pack, it has a rain fly to keep dry. If I don't bring it, I just put things in pockets of my rain coat. Doing that I can usually stay pretty dry.

If you get your hands dirty while looking for a cache, there's usually a puddle nearby where you can wash them off. I have waterproof boots if it's cold, but in the summer, I've cached in sandals and shorts, and it's no big deal walking through a stream to get to the cache.

I've cached in tropical storms with 50+ MPH winds, a blizzard where there was 8 inches of snow on the ground and still snowing and loved it. I have some great memories from those times.

As noted by CR, keeping a cache container dry can be the biggest challenge.

4.7k · November 20, 2009

North Florida pretty much rains every day of the week from May - October, so if you don't like caching in the rain, there's 5-6 months where you won't be doing a whole lot... and the other 6 months are cold.

uh, that's a joke, right?

to add to briansnat's list-o-gear to help with sweating, a base layer of a light wicking fabric underneath your breathable raingear and whatever else you've got on is really important.

you still sweat, but when you've got that clothing thing going properly you're comfortably dry.

and ladies, that means no cotton undies, top or bottom. either wear technical underwear or go without.

November 20, 2009

What would you do at home in bad weather: surf the internet, watch horrible TV, re-read books, shop, have sex, sleep, clean house or your room? BORING.

Ummmm.......not in my experience. :signalviolin:

Mrs. Car54

November 20, 2009

Today is my first rainy day since I started geocaching a few wks ago. I found one parking lot cache in front of The Container Store where I got some waterproof (I hope) containers to hide. Now about to head to Home Depot for camo paints, tape, glue etc :laughing: So that's my suggestion for a rainy day - make some caches for others to find :signalviolin:

November 20, 2009

What would you do at home in bad weather: surf the internet, watch horrible TV, re-read books, shop, have sex, sleep, clean house or your room? BORING.

Ummmm.......not in my experience.

Mrs. Car54

Now THAT's the ultimate hobby - geocaching trumps the other stuff for sure though :laughing:

1.5k · November 20, 2009

"There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear." (Ridgeseeker at Trail on Lake in his log after paddling a two state multi in a raft in the rain in Moose Pass, Alaska.

Slip a set of breathable raingear over polypropylene or capilene or one of the newer wicking fabrics and go for it. The same gear works for subfreezing caching in the snow as well. Plastic raingear that doesn't breath is worse than no gear at all.

I've caches in all sorts of weather in temperatures between -48° F and +109° F and would pick a temperate rainy day over either of those two extremes any day.

November 20, 2009

A rainy day Geocaching, beats a day at work anytime :angry:

RAIN, thats what they make GoreTex for :signalviolin:

Even GoreTex lined boots, you can not bet it!

3.3k · November 21, 2009

I had one DNF and one find this afternoon. For the DNF it was cold, windy and raining. For the find it was much nicer. It must have been since I didn't notice what the weather was like even though the find was about 15 minutes after I gave up at the DNF. I guess finding caches makes the weather much less noticeable. :signalviolin:

November 21, 2009

I don't like going out in rainy weather, so when my area is blanketed by a storm, it completely rules out geocaching for me for that day. I tried geocaching in the rain once, and it wasn't fun.

Do any of you go geocaching in bad weather, and how do you make it fun?

I went with a friend in a literal DOWN POUR! We both got totally SOAKED! but I had 3 TB's I'd brought back from OZ that I just had to place... had them for almost a Month and I don't like hanging on to them too long. Soooo .. yeah... I didn't mind it too much.. but my friend wasn't too impressed by the weather. LOL

6.7k · November 21, 2009

Ah, great memories... 7 cachers in a rented Suburban one long rainy weekend, no rain gear or spare clothes, finding dozens of caches on a non-stop 36-hour run around Nashville... the rain and the laughter never stopped! What a blast! :signalviolin:

Edited November 21, 2009 by TheAlabamaRambler

19k · November 21, 2009

As long as my partners want to go...... so will I.

Having the proper gear is basic to this sport.

Of course, the proper gear is useless in the rain if you suffer from excessive sweating at low air temps, as I do.

That is where quality gear is important. Jackets with a waterproof/breathable membrane, pit zips and generally good ventilation are key. I sweat a lot, but good gear does make a difference. Of course it ain't cheap.

Amen!! I spent far too many years learning the hard way about the importance of getting the right gear, from head to foot. Of course, it takes a lot of research, and often many mistaken purchases before you "get there", but it is well worth it! Winter caching in particular here is abominable without the right gear, but can be very pleasant with it, but caching in the rain, as well as in summer heat all have particular needs for the right gear, as well. While they are expensive, I have become a believer in REI for most of my gear (but only followed by a lot of internet research and questioning my friends)

1.2k · November 21, 2009

Gee, knocked off 5 Counties, 3 DeLorme pages, and 3 Virtuals for a "Vitual Kansas" challenge series that included 7 caches over 250 miles and 6 hours today in pea-soup fog. Sometimes had trouble seeing beyond the hood of the truck and everything was soaked. What else do you want for fun?? :signalviolin: Just kidding, it is what you make of it. Make it fun, and it is. Make it otherwise....

November 21, 2009

Rainy weather is a good day to do your park and grabs and maybe your cemetery caches. Not so fun to go out in the woods. I have done it already but yes I do prefer to go when it is not raining. Caching in the dark can be interesting with the right people. I wouldn't do it alone. I tried doing it alone once but got too scared being in a strange woods all by myself so I gave up. I figured I can't make enough noise by myself to scare off the critters and I am counting potential human ones as well. I am more afraid of people in certain scenarios than animals. In my own woods I feel comfortable walking around at night as long as I have a flashlight to scare the bears away.

November 21, 2009

The only downside to hiking for caches in rainy weather is when you get a DNF. Then it seems like the rain is colder and you are wetter.

19k · November 21, 2009

The only downside to hiking for caches in rainy weather is when you get a DNF. Then it seems like the rain is colder and you are wetter.

Actually, one other downside to caching in the rain can be wet caches and logs. An umbrella can help with this on the more urban caches, but I hate carrying them with me through the woods.

5.7k · November 21, 2009

It gets much deeper, we're gonna need wetsuits and snorkels.

9.3k · November 21, 2009

What would you do at home in bad weather: have sex? BORING.

Uh... OK. If you say so. :signalviolin:

19k · November 21, 2009

What would you do at home in bad weather: have sex? BORING.

Uh... OK. If you say so.

LOL! Somehow, I totally missed that post!

surf the internet, watch horrible TV, re-read books, shop, have sex, sleep, clean house or your room

November 21, 2009

After years of guiding kayaking, climbing, and backpacking I have amassed a collection of gear that far exceeds the price of my car. This is my armor. I call it my armor. Now that I'm not guiding as much, I love a reason to put several hundred dollars of technical gear on my body....

That makes going caching in bad weather great fun for me.

Edited November 21, 2009 by delphic

6.7k · November 21, 2009

After years of guiding kayaking, climbing, and backpacking I have amassed a collection of gear that far exceeds the price of my car.

How you liking that '64 Falcon? :signalviolin:

Geocaching in bad weather

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