Jump to content

Urban Caching vs Forest Caching


Recommended Posts

My wife and I started geocaching last February. Our first cache was pretty urban, but it was not an LPC. It was more suburban, because of the growth near the baseball field and the proximity to some wooded trails. We hunted it while snow still covered the ground, but didn't find it until it melted away.

Until we got a hand-held GPS, our caching was kept to the urban sites, because they seemed to be easier to find and really didn't require an off-road GPS. We had our TomTom, but we couldn't figure out how to enter the coordinates.

Anyway, the more urban caching we did, the more we felt like we were retrieving a drug dealers stash. We felt awkward and very conspicuous. We loved going with others in our family who picked up the hobby, because their phone had a geocaching app, and so we were given the opportunity to go out onto the forest preserve trails and hunt some caches in the woods. That's really where the fun began for us, and so we did less urban caching. Now we have a hand-held and have gone out on several occasions to the wooded areas. We've hiked some long hikes, climbed trees, and bushwacked through the thick of it all.

My wife and I don't really consider urban caching anymore, but I have developed some mixed feelings about it. I like the thrill of the possibility of being caught. But, I don't like feeling like I'm breaking the law.

So, I decided to seek out others' points of view on this.

What drives you? Are you an urban cacher? Are you strictly a forest cacher? Are you both? Tell all and don't hold back, but please be respectful of each others' preferences. It's all a game, and we're out there to have fun.

With that, I open the floor.

Link to comment

Different strokes for different folks. I'll do "urban" (and I use the term loosely here) caches here with people who can't physically get to the ones in the woods. Or if I'm just looking for some caching to get a quick fix. Or if I know the urban ones are going to bring somewhere cool in that environment.

 

I prefer to do caching in the woods more because it's some place I've always felt more comfortable and familiar with and I kind of want to get away when I'm doing this. But I still want to go some place cool when I'm out in the woods. It's just a personal preference for me.

Link to comment

I basically like all caches, although I would say that I prefer Forest/non-urban caching about 70/30. However, depending on what mood I'm in, or what kind of day I'm having, or if my back hurts, or what the weather's like I will do either for whatever reason. :lol:

 

I like to be challenged though, whether it's mentally or physically. I love challenge caches and puzzles.

Link to comment

Interesting that you ask this now... as I just got home from working out some coords for a series placement.

Yes, it will be in the woods. The series will be designed as a quasi-power trail for All-Terrain bicycles, utilizing a USFS maintained ATB trail. With 250+ inches of snow each year, it does double-duty as a X-C ski trail.

That's where we live -- in the woods. Have often joked with others (in the forums) about LPC's because we don't have any. Heck, I don't think the town has any lampposts!

 

The closest town that has lampposts w/skirts is 50 miles away.

 

We do have nine EarthCaches within 14 miles of our house. Does that count for anything?

 

So your question will certainly get a lot of responses, but I am going to guess (with the great influx of new cachers -- most wondering why they cannot find a micro at Wal-Mart) that a majority of 70% ( that too, is a SWAG) will be urban cachers. Not that they don't hit the forest, but I am speaking of a matter of easy accessibility to cache types -- urban style.

 

I was raised urban, but left that lifestyle about 45 yrs ago, so I guess my response is that I am pretty comfortable with either. More comfortable with the deer, bear, wolves and a smattering of moose. They watch from a distance, but rarely if ever, say anything.

 

BTW -- your smart phone may or may not work around here! Need I say more? :lol:

Link to comment

For the Monday Musketeers it is weather dependent. In the summer time when things are hot we head for the high country for hiking in the mountains. In the winter, when the snow is hub deep to a ferris wheel, we cache in urban areas. Even then we try to find areas where you have an urban trail to follow and caches to find. We happen to have many open spaces for that.

 

Each setting has advantages and disadvantages, depending on what you are looking for at the time.

Link to comment

As a cacher from what I consider to be a VERY cache dense area, the concentration of caches tends to trend with the concentration of humans and ultimately leading toward a more urban environment. For me I cache in both due to necessity. Fortunately in my part of the country there are some patches of state and federal land that lend themselves toward more forest caches. I can some (based off of only 250 caches or so) that my best memory (and first FTF) was an urban cache on a pier in Long Island Sound near where they filmed the movie BIG. We definitely gave the security guard a great laugh if they were looking at the feed while we searched. From that experience I completely agree with sense that urban caches can make you feel like you are breaking the law. I tend to think that many cache hiders in urban areas tend to bend the permission requirement which can put many cachers in a bad position.

 

All in all, its enjoyable for me to find both. As I said, Team KAYRITJAY have had some great and memorable caches in both urban and forest settings. Caching frequently takes you to places you would never go otherwise and for us when we moved to the area, caching helped us find different places and get to know the area even better.

Link to comment

im kinda both but am a little more urban because are area has tons more city caches than what we do forest :lol: if we had more forest id definently be a forest cacher though

 

I like both depending on my mood. On weekends I tend to do forest, on the way home from work I might do urban...my dog would definitely say forest! She loves it and has learned to just hang out or explore a little bit while I look. I like the creativity in some urban caches. A lot of our forest caches are pretty much, hmmm, that stump or that log? Still, it's nice to be out there. I'm just enjoying this sport so much.

Link to comment

I prefer rural caching. It's like an organized nature hike!

 

Urban caching does provide neat stuff, from creative hides to small parks that I wouldn't otherwise know they exist. Some are certainly less special than others. (If LPCs were banned I wouldn't shed a tear - though I'll grab 'em if they're there.)

Link to comment

there's both of both. bad urban hides and bad hides in the woods, and good urban hides and good hides in the woods.

 

+1

 

My favourite are cleverly hidden urban hides, but the same in the forest is always good too. I'd still rather be doing a multi than finding a traditional though.

Link to comment

I really like rural caches, places I can take the dogs and let them run. Forests and farmland, places where you can take your time and not worry about anyone bothering you, are the best. However, even though I am retired, I don't always have time to drive to the more remote roads, and forests.

 

Urban caches are just fine when I don't have a lot of extra time. Anything to get me out of the house for a while.

Link to comment

My preference is neither urban nor forest, but rural. The finds are usually pretty easy, but the walk's lovely.

a4f08728-aca5-4e54-8621-d77c73b14cd2.jpg

 

+1 for me.

 

I appreciate a clever urban hide. And when travelling to a new place (especially a foreign city), I appreciate urban caches as that is usually all I have the chance to do, and they often bring me to interesting parts of the city.

 

But on my home turf, it's almost always rural. The only urban/suburban ones I do are ones very close to home, or that fit in with other activities (e.g. I have to shop at the supermarket, and I know there is a cache there).

Link to comment

I'll do urban caching if I'm with a friend, but I much prefer geocaching in the San Bernardino National Forest away from any urban environment. For me, it's all about being out in nature. I'm more into the hiking aspect so if I hike several miles and come up empty, I'm just as happy.

Link to comment

When traveling on business without access to a vehicle we will get our fix urban caching. If we have a vehicle while traveling I will try to target parks or nature trail type of things. Staying in an area with a vehicle for an extended time will find us in the woods, desert....just about anywhere butin town!

 

When we are home urban caching is put on the ignore list, get us outside for a hike!

Link to comment

E. All of the above. Depends on my mood, how much time I have, who I am with, and even the weather. Yesterday was 90+ with 95% humidity until the 3PM thunderstorm rolled in. So I just did a small group of PnG's on some back roads to satisfy my urge to skip out of work early and goof off.

Link to comment

I've only done 11 so far and 2 were Urban. I do love hiking for the Forest ones but I thought the urban caches were more creative (placement, etc). I'm going to keep trying both.

I started caching out in the forest and then slowly got heavily into urban caches. Fairly recently I just got tired of it as it was getting boring and the cache quality has gone down as well. Now I'm back out in the forest/country and I'm having way more fun as well.

Link to comment

Urban caches are great if I'm out late or up early. I hate feeling like everyone is watching me.

 

Rural caches are nice for drives with short walks to caches. And discovering interesting places in the Willamette Valley.

 

Forest caches here I tend to associate with longer hikes.

Tomorrow I'm doing a 12mile hike. 6 miles in with a 4900ft elevation change to get a single cache. 4 caches on the whole loop- the others are placed within a mile of the parking area. I might as well place one while I'm out there.

Link to comment

Both have their unique challenges, but I love a good trail that takes me to a cache. I really don't like the ones that are in the most densest of urban centers, where the eyes of many muggles are constantly upon you. Give me a break! Those are uncomfortable and I always feel like I'm only looging those to boost my numbers. However, there are decent urban ones that will take you off the beaten path, or provide enough of a cover to make it look like you're doing something else.

 

Of course, where I live, there are muggles no matter where you go. I'm not kidding. Middle of the jungle, on top of a mountain, you will run into a muggle just as you are about to log your find.

Link to comment

Based strictly on my entirely biased aesthetics, at any given time, I would rather be in the woods than in a concrete jungle. As such, my caching preferences tend to focus on those hides farthest away from any sign of people. From my experience, most urban caches tend to be placed with little or no thought, so I don't even get the challenge of hunting for something. Just pull up, guess the location, check the spot, find the cache, sign the log, replace... repeat until tedium melts my brain. Roadside park & grabs have pretty much the same feel, for me.

 

Put me down for forest caching, please! :D

Link to comment

I like desert caches.

 

Ok, ok. Nature as opposed to urban.

 

I've found great ones in both places, and crappy ones in both places.

 

All things being equal, I prefer being in nature. I'd rather climb a mountain and find one cache in 10 hours than find 30 in a city in the same period of time.

 

Over the years, I have come to the realization that I like caches. Regardless of where they are placed. :D

Link to comment

Both urban and rural caches have their merits. A lot of times it is me and my kiddo, so we go and pass the time with some urban caches. When we are out camping and fishing, then forest caches are really fun.

Seeing that I am expecting I imagine urban caching will have to do when I get farther along.

I like that there is something for everyone and every situation.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

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

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

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

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

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

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...