My Geocaching Philosophy

[+larryc43230]

DISCLAIMER: Geocaching is a hobby, or obsession, or whatever, that can be enjoyed in a lot of different ways. The views expressed here aren't meant to push any particular agenda, they're simply my take on my favorite way to spend my free time. My "rules" are a bit different from those of many of my caching compatriots in this area, and one reason for this post is to help them understand where I'm coming from.

 

I starting geocaching soon after I retired. I needed to get out and get exercise after being diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic. Then, and now, my goals are to get that exercise and to visit interesting places in the process.

 

When I began geocaching, I concentrated on traditional caches as opposed to virtual caches, which were still being published at the time. I preferred to have something physical and tangible waiting for me at the end of my quest. That preference has stayed with me. I'm not that sociable of a person, so I haven't attended many geocaching events. When I have, I've never logged an event as "Attended," I've simply left a note on the event page. This way, my total find count, to the extent that it means anything at all, represents the total number of physical containers I've found, and the number of cache logs I've signed (if I can't sign the log, I don't claim the find, with very few exceptions).

 

My emphasis has always been on getting out of the house and exploring new places; that has had one down side when it comes to many of the caches hidden in my area. I'm terrible when it comes to solving puzzle caches. I can solve a good proportion of them, I just never seem to get around to it. When a new puzzle cache is published, unless the puzzle is so insanely simple that I can solve it on my first read, I immediately place it on a "puzzle caches I need to solve" bookmark list, then place it on my Ignore List. Unfortunately, I almost never find the time or inclination to go to the list and solve any of those puzzles. As a result, my apologies to those caching friends who create all those ingenious, devious, fun puzzles that I never wind up logging.

 

From the beginning, based on my reading of the guidelines on the geocaching Web site, I made a sort of personal, unofficial contract with the hobby that I would log all of my finds and log all of my DNFs. I log my finds partly because it's a simple way to keep track of what caches I have and haven't found, and it provides me a way to share my caching experience with anyone who cares, in particular the person who went to the trouble to hide and maintain the cache.

 

I log all my DNFs as well (I won't go into what constitutes a DNF, since there's been more than enough discussion of that fine point over the years; in summary, if I feel I've actively begun a search for a cache and don't find it, or can't figure out a way to get to it, it's a DNF). I log my DNFs because, first and foremost, it's part of the overall caching experience, rather like keeping a journal of my caching life. Second, on the chance that I couldn't find the cache because it's actually missing or otherwise unfindable, my log and others like it might inspire the cache owner to check on the welfare of the cache in case it's in need of maintenance. At this writing, I've logged a total of 322 DNFs.

 

I'm old-fashioned in the sense that I would much rather take a walk in the woods or visit an interesting historical spot than drive to a parking lot and lift a lamp post skirt to find a cache. I have found probably more than my share of micros in parking lots (my profile shows that a full 41% or so of my cache finds were micros). It's difficult to avoid them or resist them, since they seem to be everywhere I park my car these days. I simply have a preference for "real" cache containers, the type large enough that one of the geocoins I like to release into the wild will actually fit into.

 

I'm almost embarrassed at how large my Ignore List has become (it's more than 600 caches long at this writing). It includes all those puzzles I may never solve; caches in incredibly high-stealth areas (using ninja skills to avoid detection is not a favorite pastime of mine); some caches I've searched for multiple times and simply gave up on; and some high-terrain caches, such as tree-climbers. I envy those cachers who relish the challenge of climbing the tallest tree in the area or otherwise risk life and limb to grab that elusive cache, but those days are (mostly!) behind me now.

 

I'm not sure why I decided to write this and post this today, other than the fact it's rainy here and I can't go out caching as I'd like to. I'm certainly not trying to generate any controversy or argument about any of this, there are plenty of others here who do an excellent job of that. Guess I just felt like having my say on this public forum about how I feel about this adventure that's brought me so much enjoyment. If you've gotten this far, thanks for your patience!

 

--Larry

[+bflentje]

You emphasize more than once that it's the adventure and getting out of the house. If that's the case, why then do you worry about not logging attended events? You are allowed your own method but it doesn't make sense? Why not track events? There's a nice screen that breaks down your total count..

[+larryc43230]

You emphasize more than once that it's the adventure and getting out of the house. If that's the case, why then do you worry about not logging attended events? You are allowed your own method but it doesn't make sense? Why not track events? There's a nice screen that breaks down your total count..

No really strong reason (and I certainly don't worry about it), just a decision I made when I began geocaching that my find count should represent things I've found. I have yet to attend an event I wasn't able to find, but in my book the challenge just wasn't there.

 

--Larry

Edited March 21, 2011 by larryc43230

[+CanadianRockies]

One of the things I really like about geocaching is that people largely can shape it into the form that works best for them. It sounds like you've done that. Your way isn't exactly the way I geocache, but it doesn't have to be. Enjoy!

Edited March 21, 2011 by CanadianRockies

[+larryc43230]

One of the things I really like about geocaching is that people largely can shape it into the form that works best for them. It sounds like you've done that. Your way isn't exactly the way I geocache, but it doesn't have to be. Enjoy!

Thanks, and I totally agree. Most of the folks I know who geocache don't have quite the same attitude I have, and that's wonderful. As long as it's within the "official" guidelines, and it doesn't get in the way of my having fun, to each their own.

 

--Larry

[+Chrysalides]

My avatar's alter ego said he wanted to count only physical caches. It's not how I'd do it, but it is reasonable.

 

Many of us are particular about a certain aspect of the game. Most of the time it is OK and doesn't affect anyone else, unless one starts to push it on others as "This Is How It Ought To Be Done".

 

Edit : this was in response to bflentje. While I was typing this a whole slew of responses (including from larry). Anyway, it is good that you were able to think through how you enjoy the activity and put it down in words. My own personal philosophy is shaped in a large part by what I read here in my first year of geocaching. I'm not interested in sharing mine, but I'm glad you wrote yours.

Edited March 21, 2011 by Chrysalides

[+larryc43230]

My own personal philosophy is shaped in a large part by what I read here in my first year of geocaching.

That's very true for me, too. I started hanging out (mostly lurking) in these forums not long after I started caching (silly me ), and a lot of what I read here rubbed off. And I have absolutely no interest in telling anyone "This Is How It Ought To Be Done™", though I do tend to encourage compliance with the guidelines the folks at Groundspeak have provided us.

 

--Larry

[sdarken]

I put my geocaching philosophy on my profile page. I hope some of the new players in my area will read it and think a little before they place their first cache under a lamp skirt in a parking lot.

 

To the OP - Has your philosophy changed over the years? You an I have been caching roughly the same amount of time. When I started I liked the idea of finding hidden things that most people were unaware of. Then, for a while, I played the numbers game. I got over those two aspects. I started to enjoy being part of a community and I developed an interest in hiking. Those aspects kept me involved in the game.

[+larryc43230]

I put my geocaching philosophy on my profile page. I hope some of the new players in my area will read it and think a little before they place their first cache under a lamp skirt in a parking lot.

That's not a bad idea. I might add a whittled-down version of my post to my profile.

 

To the OP - Has your philosophy changed over the years? You an I have been caching roughly the same amount of time. When I started I liked the idea of finding hidden things that most people were unaware of. Then, for a while, I played the numbers game. I got over those two aspects. I started to enjoy being part of a community and I developed an interest in hiking. Those aspects kept me involved in the game.

Good question. I still like the idea of finding things that others don't know are there (sort of the "secret world" idea). When I'm with non-cachers (hey, it happens sometimes! ), it's fun to point out a spot that, unlikely as it seems, hides a cache of some sort.

 

I never have played the numbers game, if that means competing with others for the highest find count. Everybody has different rules for what counts as a find, so it's an apples-to-oranges comparison. I'm also not interested in things like power trails, though lots of my caching compatriots are. One cacher friend of mine recently did the Route 66 power trail, and mentioned to me just this morning that he scored more finds in just one day than I typically do in six months . There's no way I could compete with that sort of pace, and I don't particularly want to. I like to watch my own numbers go up, and have all the gory details displayed in my profile (courtesy of GSAK), just because it's fun to see them. I know perfectly well it makes no sense to compare my numbers with anyone else's, and I'm not in this for the competition anyway

 

As I mentioned in my OP, I'm not that sociable (sometimes I wish I were), and I don't attend many events. I mostly cache alone, but I've had some terrific times caching with one or two other cachers on occasion.

 

Geocaching got me back into hiking after more than 30 years away from it. When I was a teenager, my cousin and I loved to explore the woods near our homes, and we spent lots of weekends having fun getting lost in the woods. I had an office job for most of my working life, and I mostly forgot how much I enjoyed hiking until geocaching got me outside and in the woods again. I guess that's one reason my favorite caches are still the old-fashioned box-in-the-woods variety.

 

--Larry

[+wv-yen]

+1

[+Sol seaker]

Thanks for sharing Larry!

Have fun!

Cache on!!

[+jmw61]

I put my geocaching philosophy on my profile page. I hope some of the new players in my area will read it and think a little before they place their first cache under a lamp skirt in a parking lot.

 

Read your profile page. Pretty much how I feel about things as well.

[+larryc43230]

I put my geocaching philosophy on my profile page. I hope some of the new players in my area will read it and think a little before they place their first cache under a lamp skirt in a parking lot.

I like the way you've laid out your caching philosophy on your profile page; I may steal some ideas for my own. Our preferences seem to overlap, but there are some differences.

 

I totally agree regarding the types of caches I prefer to find, and the ones that don't appeal to me.

 

Once upon a time, I pretty much "cleaned out" all the caches within a 25-mile radius of my home, but there have been so many new caches hidden since then that it's become difficult to keep up. I also tend to range farther afield in my quest for caches; the pocket query I run most often covers a 50-mile radius. I prefer to do the bulk of my caching in the country (as opposed to urban caching), and that means doing quite a bit of driving to get to those places (I live in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio).

 

I don't carry a lot of swag with me, though I do carry a small amount for special occasions. I've really gotten into geocoins, and I've released a good number of my own (purchased) coins into the wild. I tend to leave my own coins as a sort of reward for well-placed caches, and as an added incentive for other cachers to visit the cache.

 

--Larry

Edited March 22, 2011 by larryc43230

[+roziecakes]

My own personal philosophy is shaped in a large part by what I read here in my first year of geocaching.

That's very true for me, too. I started hanging out (mostly lurking) in these forums not long after I started caching (silly me ), and a lot of what I read here rubbed off. And I have absolutely no interest in telling anyone "This Is How It Ought To Be Done™", though I do tend to encourage compliance with the guidelines the folks at Groundspeak have provided us.

 

--Larry

 

I didn't find the forums until a couple of years ago. Honestly, our first couple of years of caching were pretty fly by the seat of our pants, and we didn't have any good tutors or caching friends with experience to learn from. For me, it wasn't until we moved to Oregon and got involved with the awesome caching community here that we really "became cachers." I really value communication with the caching community locally, and on these forums. I've really learned a lot from both.

 

Your philosophy about regarding events is interesting. I like to log events, but I can certainly see your reasoning that they aren't actually "finds." Makes sense to me.

 

Thanks for sharing!

[+larryc43230]

For me, it wasn't until we moved to Oregon and got involved with the awesome caching community here that we really "became cachers." I really value communication with the caching community locally, and on these forums. I've really learned a lot from both.

One item really high on my "bucket list" is to do some caching in the Pacific Northwest one of these days. From what I've read, it's a great place to cache, with tremendous support from the community of cachers.

 

--Larry

[+roziecakes]

For me, it wasn't until we moved to Oregon and got involved with the awesome caching community here that we really "became cachers." I really value communication with the caching community locally, and on these forums. I've really learned a lot from both.

One item really high on my "bucket list" is to do some caching in the Pacific Northwest one of these days. From what I've read, it's a great place to cache, with tremendous support from the community of cachers.

 

--Larry

 

It's fantastic! I would say that 99% of cachers here really put in the effort and at least in the Willamette Valley it's almost like a big family. I love living here! (and caching here). Hope you make it out this way sometime soon!

[+The VanDucks]

Thanks, Larry, for posting your caching philosophy. It's always interesting to read about how someone else looks at this hobby. I think my husband and I would agree with about 80% of your caching observations!

 

We're of retirement age, but not yet retired, and I think the value to us of geocaching is that when we're out on the hunt, we don't have time to think of anything else, whether it be job-related problems, or other concerns. It provides a wonderful break from the stress of daily life.

 

It's great that you log your DNF's; speaking as a cache owner, those DNF's are invaulable in alerting the owner to provide a new log, fix a magnetic attachment, or just replace a leaky container.

 

As far as caching by yourself; that's pretty common in our area too, and maybe everywhere. Not a problem, because in a way when you go out to find something that another person hid, you're communicating through the cache itself; you receive enjoyment from the efforts the CO put into that hide, and you post your log to let him or her know you liked finding it. That expression of appreciation is what keeps us putting out caches and keeping them going.

 

Glad you are enjoying caching and reaping the health benefits of the outdoor exercise!

[+hzoi]

tl;dr

[+KBLAST]

Larry is a highly respected member of our geocaching community. I love meeting him on the trails! Good to see your philosophy, buddy. I wondered why you never came to our events!!!

[+larryc43230]

I wondered why you never came to our events!!!

Actually, I'm thinking about showing up at Sunday's Licking Area CITO & Chili CookOff event. If you attend, look for the guy doing the Boo Radley impersonation in the corner.

 

--Larry

Edited March 24, 2011 by larryc43230

[+Sharks-N-Beans]

Hi Larry. We have enjoyed this thread and your thoughts. Our philosophy is in the very early stages of development. It wasn't until recently that we discovered the forumns. Now Beans is spending much time lurking and occasionally posting while Shark is working her way through a particularly tough semester in school (read as Beans is using the forum as a caching surrogate). It's funny how GC has become a pretty big part of our life in a very short period of time, but in a good way. We are having a blast and have an activity that we share with the kids. Seems like we have spent alot of time up to this point living vicariously through them (read as watching them participate in soccer, wrestling, theatre, band, volleyball, lacrosse etc.) instead of spending time with them which is what we do now with GC. We too are in the Cbus burbs and hope to run into you sometime. Thanks for sharing.

[+WRASTRO]

tl;dr

All I can add is

[+WRASTRO]

Larry, I really enjoyed your original post and I can really relate to it. Thank you for sharing one of the best philosophy statements regarding geocaching that I have seen.

[+larryc43230]

Hi Larry. We have enjoyed this thread and your thoughts. Our philosophy is in the very early stages of development. It wasn't until recently that we discovered the forumns. Now Beans is spending much time lurking and occasionally posting while Shark is working her way through a particularly tough semester in school (read as Beans is using the forum as a caching surrogate). It's funny how GC has become a pretty big part of our life in a very short period of time, but in a good way. We are having a blast and have an activity that we share with the kids. Seems like we have spent alot of time up to this point living vicariously through them (read as watching them participate in soccer, wrestling, theatre, band, volleyball, lacrosse etc.) instead of spending time with them which is what we do now with GC. We too are in the Cbus burbs and hope to run into you sometime. Thanks for sharing.

I'm glad you're enjoying this obsession as much as I am. I never had any kids, but I know plenty of folks who use caching as a way to have fun and stay connected with their families, which is another great thing about caching. Hope to meet you on the trails some day!

 

--Larry

[+Snoogans]

I'm not sure why I decided to write this and post this today, other than the fact it's rainy here and I can't go out caching as I'd like to. I'm certainly not trying to generate any controversy or argument about any of this, there are plenty of others here who do an excellent job of that. Guess I just felt like having my say on this public forum about how I feel about this adventure that's brought me so much enjoyment. If you've gotten this far, thanks for your patience!

 

--Larry

 

I did that a few years ago. It's good for some discussion. Mine was prompted by offhand and sometimes overheard comments about my cachin style.

 

Okay,

 

Comments keep getting made to me (at local events and forums) and about me that I'm basically not caching or not so active......

 

It's time to determine a caching catagory for me and I was thinkin' others might want to find theirs.

 

Here's my geocaching activity:

 

Finding:

 

I add about 100 finds or so a year to my stats on average. Events and caches with GOOD word of mouth are a priority as well as any cache that is convenient to where I'm traveling. I DON'T cache willy nilly to improve my stats or out of any OC need to find what's hidden. I don't find any cache beneath consideration. I'll find any cache in any catagory or any style of hide so log as it's convenient for me to do so.

 

FTF is NOT my drug of choice, but it's nice when it happens. O0

 

I NEED to find a cache in new places. Any cache will do. Coloring my world map red is my only real caching goal. (Besides getting all the cache icons.) I wish my wife understood that.

 

Travel bugs:

 

I move about 500+ TB's a year on average. Discovering does not blow my skirt up but I'll do it occasionally. I like to move 'em, move 'em. TBs and New coin icons are the only stats that matter to me.

 

I own hundreds of TB's and coins.... About a third of my TB tags are unactivated and more than 2/3 are unreleased.

 

Hiding:

 

I add about 15 to my hide stats every year on average. I host quite a few events, not because I enjoy it so much, but because I want to give back to the community that hosts so many great events for me to attend.

 

I've got literally hundreds of half baked ideas for future caches in some stage of planning or material gathering ALWAYS. The Snoogstress is NOT amused but she does tryyy to understand.

 

I'm more of a hider than a finder with a hide to find ratio of greater than 1:10. I get far more pleasure from reading a find on one of my caches than I do finding most caches.

 

Forums:

 

Whether it's here or hgcs.org or some other cachin' site, I post on geocaching forums daily.

 

SO, what kind of cacher am I. I'm certainly NOT retired, or inactive. On the contrary, I'm VERY active, but I'm also NOT into what everyone else is into.... What catagory do I fit in? Please, help me find out.

 

Well, I guess we need to define the catagories first, so I maybe some othe folks should post about their cachin' activity so we can sort them into some catagories..........

[+Team Monkeyboy]

I don't often get a chance to troll the forums, and I just ran across this posting by accident (now almost a year after the initial creation).

 

I can say that I agree with your philosophies almost 100%, with the exception of the puzzle caches... we LOVE them; but I can certainly understand if they're not your thing. I've spent far too many hours trying to solve the "unsolvable" without the first clue as to where to begin (grin).

 

I will say that we REALLY enjoy running into you at the events you have made it to, and hope to see you again at many more!

 

When we first started caching, we grabbed any and every cache we could get our hands on. In the first full month we were cachers, we logged over 100 caches... we were gung-ho to say the least. Like you, a large factor of caching was the exercise. I lost almost 100 pounds in a year hiking the long trails and high terrains.

 

Then we made a Dayton/Springfield run with some amazing friends, and found over 100 caches in a single day. While we did have a great time, it burnt us out on caching. We did very little hunting for almost 3 months after that.

 

Since then, many personal experiences we've had have led us to cut WAY back on our caching activities - a few (very few, thankfully) inconsiderate/rude fellow cachers, MANY, MANY muggled/vandalized containers on caches we've placed, negative attitudes of local government agencies towards the sport, a rash of poorly conceived/poorly implemented caches in our general vicinity, run-ins with angry property owners unaware of the cache that was hidden on their property WITHOUT PERMISSION (It's not always easy or pleasant to deal with the "uninitiated" to get permission for this strange little hobby, especially when you're explaining for the unpteenth time why anyone would want to find a tupperware container in the middle of the woods just to sign a piece of paper inside it, but it makes the experience a million times better for those finding the cache), etc...

 

Also, our kids are getting older, and we've burnt them out by doing too many too fast... it's tough to talk them into going out with us to spend an afternoon caching these days. Not to mention their personal schedules are busy with scouts, band, sports, etc...

 

Don't get me wrong - we still LOVE to go caching when we get the opportunity. But these days we're MUCH more selective about which caches we go after. They have to be unique or interesting, or at least involve unique and interesting people (grin). We really like events, but the majority are 20 miles or more away from home, and many are on weekdays. That usually means getting home around 9:30-10pm (so taking the kids isn't usually an option... so we've even become selective about the events we attend.

 

Our philosophies about caching have changed dramatically since we started. It used to be about the numbers, but now it's about the hide. The container. The location. The over-all experience. We'd rather hike a beautiful trail and find breathtaking scenery than a film canister in a lamp post... unless that film canister contains the log for an extremely well crafted puzzle cache. We'd rather spend hours searching for a cache in an amazing location with fellow cachers to chat with and share stories with than spend 30 seconds grabbing yet another key container off the back of a guard rail in an obvious location.

 

We still find our share of 1.5/1.5 caches... you hit the nail on the head - "It's difficult to avoid them or resist them, since they seem to be everywhere I park my car these days". A quick grab while you're in a new area can still be fun. But our PREFERENCE is for those few and far between caches that we end up talking about at the next several events that we attend!

 

Hope to see you one the trail again soon my friend!!!

[+Fugads]

Once again reviving an old thread... hope no one minds. I find it interesting when cacher's get philosophical and thought I'd add a little fun to this thread. Below is text from one of my puzzle caches (not the puzzle though). It is mostly tongue-in-cheek with the main purpose of providing a nice theme for the puzzle/hide. With all the squawking in these forums over P&Gs and power-trails I thought some would find this amusing. I wouldn't mind others revealing their deepest geocachisophical thoughts either.

 

GEOCACHISOPHICAL DIALOGUE

 

[socrates] - Let me show the manner in which our nature is enlightened... or unenlightened. Behold the Geocachers chained to their vehicles. See how their GPSrs have been corrupted such that they only display Traditional Geocaches.

[Fugads] - OK, I'm envisioning this. Go on.

[socrates] - These Geocachers no doubt believe that finding these “Park and Grab” caches is all that exists, that it encompasses the philosophy that we call Geocaching, would they not?

[Fugads] - They would.

[socrates] - Do you not suppose that they would discuss between themselves their views of geocaching and relate tales of how accomplished they were at locating these caches? Tales of finding roads and caches so numerous it boggles the mind.

[Fugads] - I can imagine so.

[socrates] - Now suppose we take one of these Geocachers and unbind him from his vehicle. Would he not see that many new places are opened up to him, that many Traditional Geocaches exist in places without roads?

[Fugads] - He certainly would.

[socrates] - Imagine the struggles he must overcome as he attempts to locate one of these off-road geocaches. His muscles are atrophied from disuse, his lungs burst from the need for more oxygen than his metabolism is used to, and his heart races from the exertion.

[Fugads] - I see how he would feel these symptoms.

[socrates] - But do you not see also that this geocacher has attained a new level of geocaching exhilaration. The whole world is opened up to him to explore now that he is not constrained by his vehicle. The possibilities are endless, the adventure beckons. He would no doubt want to share this feeling with his companions back in the vehicle. But they would not understand his wild tales, because they could not imagine a world of geocaching outside of the bounds of a vehicle.

[Fugads] - That would be true.

[socrates] - Now imagine we unscramble this Geocacher’s GPSr such that all manner of geocaches are available to him. Where once he was limited to only looking for caches with simple posted coordinates, he now can delve into the complex and stimulating world of geocaches which challenge the brain. Once again, this geocacher will find these new caches perplexing. Do you not doubt that his mind will ache from the exposure to this new idea of what makes a geocache.

[Fugads] - I do not doubt it.

[socrates] - But once the true beauty of these caches has been experienced, it will be difficult to go back to seeing geocaching as only traditional park and grabs. He will no longer want to go back into that cave that was his vehicle and seek out park and grabs, but will instead endeavor to strengthen his mind and body in the noble pursuit of the wide expansive world that Geocaching has to offer. And when he remembers his previous life of caching and fellow shackled cachers, will he not congratulate himself on his newfound education, and pity them for not seeing the true beauty that is the Idea of Geocaching?

[Fugads] - Quite so.

[+larryc43230]

Once again reviving an old thread... hope no one minds. I find it interesting when cacher's get philosophical and thought I'd add a little fun to this thread. Below is text from one of my puzzle caches (not the puzzle though). It is mostly tongue-in-cheek with the main purpose of providing a nice theme for the puzzle/hide. With all the squawking in these forums over P&Gs and power-trails I thought some would find this amusing. I wouldn't mind others revealing their deepest geocachisophical thoughts either.

 

GEOCACHISOPHICAL DIALOGUE ....

Very nice!

[+tozainamboku]

Once again reviving an old thread... hope no one minds. I find it interesting when cacher's get philosophical and thought I'd add a little fun to this thread. Below is text from one of my puzzle caches (not the puzzle though). It is mostly tongue-in-cheek with the main purpose of providing a nice theme for the puzzle/hide. With all the squawking in these forums over P&Gs and power-trails I thought some would find this amusing. I wouldn't mind others revealing their deepest geocachisophical thoughts either.

 

GEOCACHISOPHICAL DIALOGUE

 

[socrates] - Let me show the manner in which our nature is enlightened... or unenlightened. Behold the Geocachers chained to their vehicles. See how their GPSrs have been corrupted such that they only display Traditional Geocaches.

[Fugads] - OK, I'm envisioning this. Go on.

[socrates] - These Geocachers no doubt believe that finding these “Park and Grab” caches is all that exists, that it encompasses the philosophy that we call Geocaching, would they not?

[Fugads] - They would.

[socrates] - Do you not suppose that they would discuss between themselves their views of geocaching and relate tales of how accomplished they were at locating these caches? Tales of finding roads and caches so numerous it boggles the mind.

[Fugads] - I can imagine so.

[socrates] - Now suppose we take one of these Geocachers and unbind him from his vehicle. Would he not see that many new places are opened up to him, that many Traditional Geocaches exist in places without roads?

[Fugads] - He certainly would.

[socrates] - Imagine the struggles he must overcome as he attempts to locate one of these off-road geocaches. His muscles are atrophied from disuse, his lungs burst from the need for more oxygen than his metabolism is used to, and his heart races from the exertion.

[Fugads] - I see how he would feel these symptoms.

[socrates] - But do you not see also that this geocacher has attained a new level of geocaching exhilaration. The whole world is opened up to him to explore now that he is not constrained by his vehicle. The possibilities are endless, the adventure beckons. He would no doubt want to share this feeling with his companions back in the vehicle. But they would not understand his wild tales, because they could not imagine a world of geocaching outside of the bounds of a vehicle.

[Fugads] - That would be true.

[socrates] - Now imagine we unscramble this Geocacher’s GPSr such that all manner of geocaches are available to him. Where once he was limited to only looking for caches with simple posted coordinates, he now can delve into the complex and stimulating world of geocaches which challenge the brain. Once again, this geocacher will find these new caches perplexing. Do you not doubt that his mind will ache from the exposure to this new idea of what makes a geocache.

[Fugads] - I do not doubt it.

[socrates] - But once the true beauty of these caches has been experienced, it will be difficult to go back to seeing geocaching as only traditional park and grabs. He will no longer want to go back into that cave that was his vehicle and seek out park and grabs, but will instead endeavor to strengthen his mind and body in the noble pursuit of the wide expansive world that Geocaching has to offer. And when he remembers his previous life of caching and fellow shackled cachers, will he not congratulate himself on his newfound education, and pity them for not seeing the true beauty that is the Idea of Geocaching?

[Fugads] - Quite so.

I know who Socrates' reviewer would be