Ever Gotten Hurt while Caching

[GPS-Hermit]

We always talk about safety - Just thought the newbies might want to know what can go wrong as compared to what they THINK might go wrong to get ya hurt. So HOW are people getting hurt while caching. Alot of people think people or snakes will be what is going to hurt them. I am guessing not. Lets hear it! From you or what you know happened to others.

[coachgrinnan]

POISON IVY all over my body

[+schwcoop]

As in any hike, don't forget you have to go back!!!!

especially in mountains!

And take some water and snacks with you on long hikes!!

Pierre

[+dfx]

plenty of times, nothing serious though. the obvious stuff not worth mentioning is regular bruises, mostly from getting whacked and poked by sticks and branches while bushwhacking, then scratches from thorns and burns from stinging nettles (mostly in summer when wearing shorts). got stung by a wasp once. and once i slipped on some wet wood while portaging the canoe, which caused me a nasty scratch on my arm, part of which is still somewhat visible. oh, and then a strained back from climbing a tree the wrong way.

 

household injuries have been much worse so far for me.

Edited October 18, 2010 by dfx

[+Coyote's Girl]

Could have lost an eye the other day. Thank goodness my glasses deflected that pointy stick.

[+dfx]

Could have lost an eye the other day. Thank goodness my glasses deflected that pointy stick.

don't count on that. i did manage to poke myself in the eye with a stick once somehow, and i do wear glasses.

[+zapfrog]

I concur...I too have poked myself in the eye and I also wear glasses. Other than that the usual stuff like bangs and scrapes. Nothing major though...yet.

[knowschad]

Could have lost an eye the other day. Thank goodness my glasses deflected that pointy stick.

don't count on that. i did manage to poke myself in the eye with a stick once somehow, and i do wear glasses.

Yeah, we can still see the results, too!

 

[Skippermark]

I hurt my ego once when I couldn't find a 1/1 guardrail cache that everyone said was "quick and easy."

 

I fell once and cut my hand and had to get stitches. Have also gotten bangs and bruises but nothing too serious other than the stitches.

[+J the Goat]

Oooooo, look at the mod with the double post

 

Same with me. Scrapes, bruises, some blisters from boots that didn't fit quite right. Watch out for bees, I almost grabbed a hive once. Good think I used my eyes first.

[+Semper Questio]

Oh, the usual poison ivy, snake encounters, scratches, scrapes, and so on. But my worst was...

 

As documented here.

[+J the Goat]

I just hought of a local log that's right along these lines. I'm an idiot and don't understand how to post a link. Check out the logs for GCD4. Let me try to link it.....

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=db636922-3cca-4581-b094-7d62557613a7[url/]

 

 

 

Lame...

Edited October 18, 2010 by J The Goat

[+JL_HSTRE]

3 wasp stings

[knowschad]

I just hought of a local log that's right along these lines. I'm an idiot and don't understand how to post a link. Check out the logs for GCD4. Let me try to link it.....

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=db636922-3cca-4581-b094-7d62557613a7[url/]

 

Lame...

You forgot the smiley!!

 

Here's your link [[url=http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=db636922-3cca-4581-b094-7d62557613a7&log=y]link]

[+J the Goat]

I just hought of a local log that's right along these lines. I'm an idiot and don't understand how to post a link. Check out the logs for GCD4. Let me try to link it.....

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=db636922-3cca-4581-b094-7d62557613a7[url/]

 

Lame...

You forgot the smiley!!

 

Here's your link [link]

 

[like this?]

[+J the Goat]

I just hought of a local log that's right along these lines. I'm an idiot and don't understand how to post a link. Check out the logs for GCD4. Let me try to link it.....

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=db636922-3cca-4581-b094-7d62557613a7[url/]

 

Lame...

You forgot the smiley!!

 

Here's your link [link]

 

[like this?]

 

without brackets this time?

[+Team_FussyPants]

I was placing a remote high terrain rating cache and was carrying in a 50 cal ammo can. I was carrying the ammo can by the handle and side hilling on a pretty steep hill with loose footing. The ammo can was in my uphill hand when I stepped on a loose rock that rolled out from under me, I went down on my uphill side and tried to use the ammo can to brace me as I fell, didn't work. The ammo can rolled out as well, turned my wrist pretty good and when my hand finally planted it was on some pretty sharp rocks. Got a pretty gnarly gash at the base of my thumb. Used some precious water to rinse out the cut and soldiered on. Got to GZ ok, and planted an ammo can with a little blood on it.

 

Moral of the story, try to put a cache your placing in a backpack, never know when you'll need all your limbs to stop you from rolling down a hill

[+michigansnorkelers]

BROKE MY LEG, when a one-month newbie!

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...2a-62ac6cc0e7d2

 

Since then, I've purchased hiking shoes and a cell phone!

[sabrefan7]

If your NOT bleeding your NOT caching

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...21-6e1ad8b9b7c6

[+boda]

If your NOT bleeding your NOT caching

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...21-6e1ad8b9b7c6

 

Absolutely!

 

We do not count a caching day as successful unless someone is bleeding. Sometimes it is a little, sometime it is not.

[Skippermark]

Oooooo, look at the mod with the double post

Yeah, they bite everyone once in awhile. I thought I was good, but I accidentally refreshed the page and whoops...double post.

 

I try to delete them and any others I see that are clearly double posts to keep the reading a little bit cleaner.

[+minnesotabrad]

I have had a scratched cornea (and I wear glasses), stung by bees, plenty of cuts and scratches, but the worst was breaking my arm while caching. I had my daughter with, made it back to the car, had to have her shift the car in reverse and drive for me, had to stop for gas, she had to get my credit cards out of my pocket, then drove home before having the wife take me to the emergency room.

[+GPS Derek]

Till recently I could say nothing more serious other than sore joints (arthritis) or scrapes and bruises.

 

I say recently as Aug 28 I was looking for a cache around a mountain bike trail without luck. Step out from behind a bush right into the path of a bike. No I didn't get hit by the bike, I stepped back and tripped on a fence wire and landed on my shoulder.

 

Shoulder is of course sore as we give up on the cache, sore the next day, sore the next week. It's not getting better so I see my doctor a few weeks later who figures I pulled something.

 

Ultrasound shows a torn rotator cuff tendon. Tech asks me why I didn't come in sooner.

 

I see the surgeon this Thursday!

[+dfx]

We do not count a caching day as successful unless someone is bleeding. Sometimes it is a little, sometime it is not.

and when nobody's bleeding from the caching day, you hit them till they do?

[+tonyandamanda]

We do not count a caching day as successful unless someone is bleeding. Sometimes it is a little, sometime it is not.

and when nobody's bleeding from the caching day, you hit them till they do?

 

I'll gladly prick a finger before taking a hit. I need to be able to get out there the next day.

[+TerraViators]

slid sown a muddy hill about 6 feet. didn't hurt myself but was afraid my wife was gonna kill me since i wac cachind in her new car with leather...but I was 45 miles from home. could have driven home naked, i guess.

[knowschad]

I have had a scratched cornea (and I wear glasses), stung by bees, plenty of cuts and scratches, but the worst was breaking my arm while caching. I had my daughter with, made it back to the car, had to have her shift the car in reverse and drive for me, had to stop for gas, she had to get my credit cards out of my pocket, then drove home before having the wife take me to the emergency room.

Brad!!! You have to STOP that, dude!! I had no idea you had been beat up so badly while caching.

 

Worst for me (and maybe the only caching injury) was kayaking the Cannon River with Meralgia, Shoestorm, Millah, and Firstbass. It was shortly after a tornado tore through the area and there were submerged branches all over. I got out of the kayak and promptly tripped over one of those and hit my shin, full force, on a rock. Immediately it started to swell obscenely. Meralgia said, "It looks like an alien is going to burst out!!"

 

A few days later, I went to my Dr. because I thought I may have fractured the bone. He sent me home with a "meh!". A couple weeks after that, I went back because it felt hot to the touch, and I had a fever. An few hours later, I found myself in the operating room, having a pound of flesh removed.

 

(a few days later, though, I was driving up the the U.P. to rehabilitate at my sister's place, and stopped for a half-dozen or so caches along the way. I'm bad. Or stupid.)

[+John in Valley Forge]

WOW! Nothing but some cuts and scrapes for me so far.

Though I did come home after a long walk through a lot of high grass in Valley Forge Park, and when I went to get in the shower found MANY ticks, both regular and deer ticks parked on places you only see when you get ready for the shower.

 

I've been avoiding the high grass meadow treks until we get some frost again.

[+Mr. Wilson & a Mt. Goat]

Wow is right! The worst I've done is get some scratches, and that's usually every time I go out. (I always wear shorts) Maybe hit my funnybone a couple times too. I've been lucky!

*knock on wood*

[knowschad]

WOW! Nothing but some cuts and scrapes for me so far.

Though I did come home after a long walk through a lot of high grass in Valley Forge Park, and when I went to get in the shower found MANY ticks, both regular and deer ticks parked on places you only see when you get ready for the shower.

 

I've been avoiding the high grass meadow treks until we get some frost again.

Ticks!! HAHAHAHA!!!!

 

(yeah, I do hate 'em, really, but they are a part of being outdoors in the spring in most parts of the country, geocaching or not)

[+briansnat]

I tore my Achilles tendon. Actually I partially tore it playing soccer and a few weeks later I was out caching. No, I shouldn't have been, but I was and I stepped the wrong way on a root and SNAP! It was not a fun walk back to the car.

 

For a log that details a horror story check out this one.

[+John in Valley Forge]

Ticks!! HAHAHAHA!!!!

 

(yeah, I do hate 'em, really, but they are a part of being outdoors in the spring in most parts of the country, geocaching or not)

 

And those deer ticks are so darn small! For the next two weeks I kept wondering how many I didn't get off of me, that were still attached where I couldn't see. I was convinced I'd soon show symptoms of lyme disease (luckily I didnt).

[knowschad]

I tore my Achilles tendon. Actually I partially tore it playing soccer and a few weeks later I was out caching. No, I shouldn't have been, but I was and I stepped the wrong way on a root and SNAP! It was not a fun walk back to the car.

 

For a log that details a horror story check out this one.

Oh, yeah... strained mine, trying to keep up with those young whippersnappers climbing up the bluffs at breakneck speed. Found out later that at least one of those young bucks had the same problem. Took me most of a summer to get over that one. Still do stretches most mornings. Danged whippersnappers!!

[JonesFamilyCaching]

Poison Ivy, Scrapes, Scratches... ect. Nothing major so far

[+DragonsWest]

Poison Ivy, Scrapes, Scratches... ect. Nothing major so far

 

Same here, though it is Poison Oak in the West. I've got some darn good scrapes and cuts which have had a good trickle of blood, no broken bones, yet.

 

[+MontyFam]

I have walked into a few tree branches - the worst deflected off my sunglasses and left a nasty little gash just under my eye... it was a close call!

[+boda]

We do not count a caching day as successful unless someone is bleeding. Sometimes it is a little, sometime it is not.

and when nobody's bleeding from the caching day, you hit them till they do?

 

I'll gladly prick a finger before taking a hit. I need to be able to get out there the next day.

 

No hitting necessary. We just attract things that make you bleed.

 

Recently I was reacting to a new medication. It caused me to bruise and bleed easily. We were on a trip caching in Northern Arizona during that time. In the woods, I ran into branches; in the desert it was cacti. Either way: take a few steps - shake off the blood; take a few steps - shake off the blood. The next day - do it all over again. Geocaching is fun!

[+dreamarcher]

Are you kidding me. I tore my calf muscle last Saturday running up a 5' high dirt incline going to a cache. I could hardly walk for a week. Still limping. It will take 4 weeks before I can go hiking again. Sucks. Doctor said I'm not old yet (43) but I need to stop acting like I'm 20. This is the 4th injury in 2 years.

[+redsox_mark]

So far nothing serious for me. The worst was a nasty gash on my forehead from a Hawthorne tree branch (those are razor sharp). It looked worse than it really was.. lots of blood. I applied pressure with leaves and eventually the bleeding stopped. But I looked scary! The worst part was I did this during a lunchtime session from work; so I returned to work and my colleagues were very concerned. I looked a bit like a zombie. But once I got cleaned up I didn't look quite so bad.

[+Panther&Pine]

I've fallen a bunch, but no broken bones. Although my GPS looks a little worse for wear after sliding down Mt. Sneffels on my bum (my pants and my underpants had to be patched after that one).

But I'm not very coordinated to start with so.... I'm probably in no more danger then when I walk around town.

[+Trail Cachers]

My wife has not had too good of luck. Three years ago she was bitten by a tick while we were caching in South Dakota and contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It took her about a year and a half to get over that.

A month ago we were caching in Utah and she stepped off a large log and did not see the smaller one hidden in the grass below it and broke her ankle.

 

She is a trooper though and even with her walking boot on we picked up 63 caches a week ago on Saturday. Of course I done all the walking and she just cheered me on.

 

She is anxious to get back on the trail.

[+Sol seaker]

OK, this one happened yesterday.

 

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT!!!

 

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

 

My physical injury only turned out to be a blistered burn.

 

But I almost lost my whole car to fire.

 

I was out caching with a friend.

 

We parked the car and started walking. I said, I'm going to go back to the car for my purse and my sandwich. If I had not we would not have had a car to go back to.

 

I opened the car and grabbed my purse and found it sticking to a fleece jacket. Strange.

 

when I checked it out I realized the nylon webbing on the outside of it had MELTED and stuck to the jacket.

 

Why? I opened the purse. Inside the spare batteries had found my change. The whole mess was shorting out.

 

Two of the batteries were swollen and VERY hot.

 

The change was so hot that it was discolored, and I burned a blister into my fingers by quickly throwing it out of the purse onto the ground.

 

In a moment there would have been a fire. Very quickly. It takes a lot of heat to melt that much nylon into a puddle.

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU CARRY YOUR SPARE BATTERIES!!!

[Ayeaka]

Oh WOW. I'd never have thought about batteries doing that...

Thanks for the warning. O_O

 

Most I've ever had is poison ivy rashes, a few cuts and scrapes..

 

Once I fell down into a drainage channel and sprained an ankle looking for a cache that was tied to the top of the drainage tunnel in a waterproof box, haha. (And it turned out the cache needed replacing. > )

[+Semper Questio]

OK, this one happened yesterday.

 

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT!!!

 

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

 

My physical injury only turned out to be a blistered burn.

 

But I almost lost my whole car to fire.

 

I was out caching with a friend.

 

We parked the car and started walking. I said, I'm going to go back to the car for my purse and my sandwich. If I had not we would not have had a car to go back to.

 

I opened the car and grabbed my purse and found it sticking to a fleece jacket. Strange.

 

when I checked it out I realized the nylon webbing on the outside of it had MELTED and stuck to the jacket.

 

Why? I opened the purse. Inside the spare batteries had found my change. The whole mess was shorting out.

 

Two of the batteries were swollen and VERY hot.

 

The change was so hot that it was discolored, and I burned a blister into my fingers by quickly throwing it out of the purse onto the ground.

 

In a moment there would have been a fire. Very quickly. It takes a lot of heat to melt that much nylon into a puddle.

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU CARRY YOUR SPARE BATTERIES!!!

 

Another thing that can cause a fire VERY quickly is parking in the wrong spot. If your car has a catalytic converter (don't they all now?), especially one that is exposed (and a great many are), NEVER park your care over dry grass, especially if it is very tall at all. The radiant heat from the converter can ignite grass on fire. And if the grass actually touches the converter, it will happen VERY quickly.

[+DonB]

Never really got hurt bad, I just have a few scars. When I bushwhack I carry the gps in my left hand and push things out of the way with my right arm and the fact I never wear long sleeve shirts doesn't help things any.

[+Ampresearch]

I think i win this game lol. (if you want to consider it winning anyhow).

 

last sunday i cut my middle and pointer finger almost all the way off on a table saw while building our newest cache. The bad news is it was extremely painfull and my kids were standing there when it happened. The good news it that other then being about a blades width shorted (lol) they sewed it up and they will work just fine.

 

needless to say i beleive i can say i have the most blood sweat and tears into one cache.

 

cache is still not down cause i have to wait for them to heal before i can use my hand well enought to build it. still very excited about finishing it. i have no doubt it is one that has never been seen.

 

PS: for all you sick puppies out there pics are available if ya want em. Since i am just as sick as you are taking cell phone pics of my ripped up hand seemed like a good idea at the time lol

Edited October 21, 2010 by Ampresearch

[+Nicodemus3]

This past spring I jumped down a small hill through vegetation after finding a cache and was stabbed by some broken bamboo in my knee. Had to pull it out with pliers.

 

Stuck my hand into what I think was a wasp nest this past August while looking for a guardrail cache. All of a sudden my hand felt like it was on fire and I took off running and didn't return.

 

Then last month I wrecked my truck en route to a cache (within 1/5 mile from arriving) by rear ending someone. No injuries, but it cost $10k to get it fixed (thank god for insurance).

[+FloridaFour]

I vote for Semper Questio. Yikes, man! I hope your feet get better and you don't have to make that decision.

 

But boy, some interesting stories. Note to self about batteries in purse... I do that all the time!

 

I've already learned to carry a walking stick in woods, lotsa snakes here. No major injuries for me yet.

[+Semper Questio]

Thanks, FL4. They've gotten a lot better and they are pretty stable for the time being. Good shoes, careful walkin', and lots of prayers should do the trick for a while!

[+Shop99er]

I tore up the inside of my left arm while doing maintanence on one of my caches last year.

 

Took 2 hours of surgery, and 7 weeks in a cast before I could use my arm.