Where do you see Geocaching in 10 years?

[+CacheFreakTim]

I got to thinking today where will Geocaching be in 10 years. I am thinking it will be more popular than ever. With GPS prices at an all time low and GPS going into cell phones everyone will be able to join. Do you think this is good or bad? Where do you see it in 10 years from now?

[+6NoisyHikers]

I think that because geocaching requires people to get out of the house and expend energy it will never be over-popular. There seems to be a fad in that direction, marketing departments are becoming aware and probably know better than we do that when there is a chance to purchase an electronic toy, consumers will do so. They will use that electronic toy to do the park and grabs in their immediate neighbourhood (but not when it is raining, and not if they have to walk too far), then they will go back to playing Angry Birds.

 

Okay, having re-read that paragraph, it is a little cynical, but basically I believe that there will always be a level of caching that is for those who truly appreciate the seek. In ten years I think the geocaching community will still be a small but dedicated one, with cachers of all generations passing on an appreciation for the environment and the thrill of discovery!

[+StarBrand]

History has shown that some people are really into it and others think we are all uber geeks. I don't see too many changes except for more restrictions and rules about where caches can go.

[knowschad]

In ten years, Geocaching as we know it will not exist. That it has already gone ten years is amazing, but the next ten are exponentially longer. There will probably be something called geocaching, but it will all be sponsored and regulated by some organization (other than geocaching.com). No... in another ten years, none of us are going to be interested in the least at what they will call geocaching.

[GOF and Bacall]

Much will depend on who Jeremy sells out to. Hey, he's gonna want to retire someday.

[+Scubasonic]

In ten years, Geocaching as we know it will not exist. That it has already gone ten years is amazing, but the next ten are exponentially longer. There will probably be something called geocaching, but it will all be sponsored and regulated by some organization (other than geocaching.com). No... in another ten years, none of us are going to be interested in the least at what they will call geocaching.

 

Gee thanks for the positive outlook knowschad......Well based on what you see the future of Geocaching to be sounds like you won't be around ....COOL gives me something to look forward to.

 

SS

[mresoteric]

No... in another ten years, none of us are going to be interested in the least at what they will call geocaching.

 

Everything changes. Cable companies are scrambling because a lot of people no longer watch TV the way they used to. A lot of us watch the few shows we like online. I am in love with Netflix!

 

Jesse Jackson Jr. was just ranting against the iPad a few weeks ago because he says it is making books obsolete.

 

I laugh when I see old shows with boom boxes blasting music. Who would even consider polluting everyone else's aural sensibility when we have iPod's for our own personal listening pleasure?

 

Does anyone still have a phone with a cord?

 

But, people do still watch shows, read stories, listen to music, and talk on the phone. It's just done in a very different manner than a few years/decades ago.

[+popokiiti]

We still have a phone or two with cords around. Great for those times when the power is out. The cordless landlines do diddly squat then. Then again, I have a cell phone which works when I don't swivel to and fro in my computer chair.........

[+6NoisyHikers]

Maybe "official" geocaching will be regulated, but I bet there will be splinter cells, "underground" groups who organize cache events for themselves - the equivalent of sci-fi conventions but with less costuming

[+BAMBOOZLE]

The biggest change I've seen in 9 years is cache density. In 10 years the country will be plastered with caches coast to coast.....maybe 5X the current density or more.

Slicker GPS units and a PQ that can hold a million.

[Night_Hiker]

I see geocaching being one of the points of interest in State Park brochures. Instead of only 1 out of 10 people you ask having heard of the game that will now be 3 out of 10. When you see a place and say "theres got to be a geocache there" ..There will in fact be a geocache there. GPS devices will be able to auto upload caches surrounding your current position, and picking out the ones you've already found. National forest and parks will drop the need for permits after realizing they are not worth their own time. Drugs dealers and burglars will have geocaching accounts so they can scout out an area before hiding their stashes in remote locations.

[+skullsoup432]

The United States, ever looking to raise money, will require all geocachers to carry a license. Of course, this license is issued annually at a large fee. Like a fishing license. And, like a fishing license, if caught engaging in the act without said license, you will be given a large fine. You will also have to forfeit ALL previous logged caches and start from scratch.

 

No, I'm not serious.

[+power69]

The United States, ever looking to raise money, will require all geocachers to carry a license. Of course, this license is issued annually at a large fee. Like a fishing license. And, like a fishing license, if caught engaging in the act without said license, you will be given a large fine. You will also have to forfeit ALL previous logged caches and start from scratch.

 

No, I'm not serious.

Do you work for verizon?

-

you'll be able to buy "cache paks" which come in packs of 10finds, 25finds, 50finds and of course the ever popular "powertrail pak"

-

whether you find it or not, once you're inside 100 feet of GZ, one "cache unit" will be deducted from your account. if someone favorites one of your caches, your account will be credited with 0.25 of a "cache unit"

-

Hiding: hiding a LPC, guardrail or nano will cost 0.50 "cache unit"

[+Andromeda321]

I maintain a few caches around a university where people tend to be further ahead on the technology curve when compared to the rest of the population, and what I've noticed is you have a lot of people who will download a phone app and do a few and then never surface again.

 

Granted there are always a few who like that well enough that they keep with it (myself included, I found my first several dozen caches with my iPhone) so probably a bigger community as a result. Regarding GPS units, I read an article recently pointing out that the price of a unit has plateaued because new bells and whistles are being added to them to compete with smartphones, and honestly my guess is units themselves will become less popular as smartphone GPS capabilities improve. They will probably get to the same accuracy as my Garmin within 10 years so that'll do just fine for 99% of the population who doesn't cache somewhere where they can't get a cell phone signal (and as an extension PQs will be a huge rarity because you won't need them on your phone!).

Edited May 1, 2011 by Andromeda321

[+kleetus]

By then Wal Mart will have discovered caching. They will put their own caches in their parking lots. Inside the store will be whole shelves of ready made Chinese caches. They will be camouflaged, packed with swag, have a log, and a pen that doesn't work. There will also be a wide variety of GPSr's for sale. You can get your new GPSr and make your first find in the front of the store. It will be an easy find since the accuracy by then will be much better. If for some reason you can't find it the security guy will be there to help. There will be a special lamp post cache that was installed during construction. Inside the cache will be coupons that will entice you to go back inside the store and do more shopping. Each Wal Mart will have their own special cache. This will inspire you to go from store to store to collect them all.

[+joranda]

If gas prices keeps going up like it is, who knows where geocaching will be in ten years let alone in five.

[+mikemtn]

I see geocaching being one of the points of interest in State Park brochures. Instead of only 1 out of 10 people you ask having heard of the game that will now be 3 out of 10. When you see a place and say "theres got to be a geocache there" ..There will in fact be a geocache there. GPS devices will be able to auto upload caches surrounding your current position, and picking out the ones you've already found. National forest and parks will drop the need for permits after realizing they are not worth their own time. Drugs dealers and burglars will have geocaching accounts so they can scout out an area before hiding their stashes in remote locations.

If I'm reading this (the bolded part) right, that's what smart phones do now.

Edited May 1, 2011 by mikemtn

[knowschad]

In ten years, Geocaching as we know it will not exist. That it has already gone ten years is amazing, but the next ten are exponentially longer. There will probably be something called geocaching, but it will all be sponsored and regulated by some organization (other than geocaching.com). No... in another ten years, none of us are going to be interested in the least at what they will call geocaching.

 

Gee thanks for the positive outlook knowschad......Well based on what you see the future of Geocaching to be sounds like you won't be around ....COOL gives me something to look forward to.

 

SS

I'm just looking at the rate that technology is changing. Just telling it the way I see it. No need to thank me.

[+Lieblweb]

The biggest change I've seen in 9 years is cache density. In 10 years the country will be plastered with caches coast to coast.....maybe 5X the current density or more.

Slicker GPS units and a PQ that can hold a million.

 

My husband and I were introducted to Geocaching 10 years ago. Back then - there wasn't many caches & you had to drive pretty far to find them. Our little GPS just wasn't that good. We lost interest and now we're back and lovin it.

 

Now? Caches are all over the place. You can go to the grocery store and find a cache and makes it sooo much more fun now!!

 

10 years from now? I think the hobby will grow in popularity, however - cache saturation will be at its peak (if its not close to that already). It'll be almost impossible for people to hide their own caches. It's a toss up.... Hobbyists come and go. People grow out of hobbies and find new ones. So although it may grow in new players, some of the older players might find it boring and fall away.

Perhaps some of the older, non-maintained caches be archived to make room for the newer players to hide. Afterall, hiding them is just as fun as finding them.

 

I don't think it'll go away completely. Although - with more players, the 'ignorance' factor will grow (people don't understand the etiquette). And perhaps that ignorance factor will make it less fun to enjoy. ??

[+user13371]

Tim, there are a few different ways to look at this; technology, management of the sport, players and other folks attitudes about it.

 

On the tech side, it's a no-brainer to expect improvements. Smart phones will get rugged and accurate enough and have long enough battery life to completely absorb the market for "dedicated" GPS units. And that shift will affects a much wider range of activities than just geocaching.

 

But the rest? Surprisingly, I don't expect much change. While there are dedicated fans who would argue otherwise, this is really just a "niche" hobby with a very small following -- akin to letterboxing (which has been around for over 150 years). If you ask a dedicated letterboxer "where do you see your hobby in 10 years" you might get an emphatic reply. If you ask someone who is only casually interested (or not at all interested), you'll get shrugged shoulders and "I dunno..." at best.

 

Apathy rules the world, but I don't care.

Edited May 1, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[nobody137]

1) Floating geocaches that you need your personal jetpack to get to and sign.

 

2) Time Geocaches - Geocaches placed at certain places in the past that you need your Deloreon to get to.

 

In all seriousness, I see the rise of the Commercial Cache. They're disallowed at the moment, but in a way for Groundspeak to make money, I can see where, for a price, businesses can place their own Geocaches in an attempt to make money for their business. I could see a restaurant having a cache inside their place, and to get the cache you have to order something specific off the menu. Then you are presented the cache and get to sign the log.

[+Chokecherry]

1) Floating geocaches that you need your personal jetpack to get to and sign.

 

2) Time Geocaches - Geocaches placed at certain places in the past that you need your Deloreon to get to.

 

In all seriousness, I see the rise of the Commercial Cache. They're disallowed at the moment, but in a way for Groundspeak to make money, I can see where, for a price, businesses can place their own Geocaches in an attempt to make money for their business. I could see a restaurant having a cache inside their place, and to get the cache you have to order something specific off the menu. Then you are presented the cache and get to sign the log.

 

I could see the ride of commercially sponsored caches as well as long as they pay a fee to Groundspeak for the advertising.

[knowschad]

In ten years, I see Geocaching becoming a very popular game in senior citizen centers and nursing homes.

[+Chokecherry]

In ten years, I see Geocaching becoming a very popular game in senior citizen centers and nursing homes.

 

I did version of geocaching in my last nursing home I worked at. With out the gps but set it up like a multi (clue one to clue two to final cache). My older people LOVED it. And it was good exercise for their brains. Made little cards they could carry with in case they forgot the clue.

[nobody137]

In ten years, I see Geocaching becoming a very popular game in senior citizen centers and nursing homes.

 

I did version of geocaching in my last nursing home I worked at. With out the gps but set it up like a multi (clue one to clue two to final cache). My older people LOVED it. And it was good exercise for their brains. Made little cards they could carry with in case they forgot the clue.

 

Without the GPS, isn't Geocaching just a Scavenger Hunt?

[knowschad]

In ten years, I see Geocaching becoming a very popular game in senior citizen centers and nursing homes.

 

I did version of geocaching in my last nursing home I worked at. With out the gps but set it up like a multi (clue one to clue two to final cache). My older people LOVED it. And it was good exercise for their brains. Made little cards they could carry with in case they forgot the clue.

 

Without the GPS, isn't Geocaching just a Scavenger Hunt?

 

More like letterboxing. As I understand it, a scavenger hunt is where you need to find a list of objects.

[GOF and Bacall]

New York, California, Alabama, Nebraska, Iowa, The isle of man, Queensland Australia, Quebec, parts of Germany, Italy, all of Norway, and at least half of Tuvalu.

[knowschad]

New York, California, Alabama, Nebraska, Iowa, The isle of man, Queensland Australia, Quebec, parts of Germany, Italy, all of Norway, and at least half of Tuvalu.

You'd better get busy!

[GOF and Bacall]

New York, California, Alabama, Nebraska, Iowa, The isle of man, Queensland Australia, Quebec, parts of Germany, Italy, all of Norway, and at least half of Tuvalu.

You'd better get busy!

 

Me? I just said that I thought there would be caching in all those places. Seeing to it isn't my responsibility.

 

The only question mark on the list is Tuvalu.

[+yawppy]

The United States, ever looking to raise money, will require all geocachers to carry a license. Of course, this license is issued annually at a large fee. Like a fishing license. And, like a fishing license, if caught engaging in the act without said license, you will be given a large fine. You will also have to forfeit ALL previous logged caches and start from scratch.

 

No, I'm not serious.

 

Soon they will tax the air we breathe..not serious.. well wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[+Team Dromomania]

I think the methods and "rules" will change a lot but that the basic rule - sign the log sheet and claim a find - will remain the same. I also think the numbers of cachers will reach a peak but that muggles will know what caching is about. A little like baseball - you have the players - a very small number of the population, the spectators - a large number of the population and those who knows what it is but just don't care about it - also a large number.

[+TerraViators]

Soylent Green...it's peeeeoo-ppplllleeeee!!!!

[+J the Goat]

In ten years, I see Geocaching becoming a very popular game in senior citizen centers and nursing homes.

 

I did version of geocaching in my last nursing home I worked at. With out the gps but set it up like a multi (clue one to clue two to final cache). My older people LOVED it. And it was good exercise for their brains. Made little cards they could carry with in case they forgot the clue.

 

Do you keep them in the shed in the backyard?

[+Chokecherry]

In ten years, I see Geocaching becoming a very popular game in senior citizen centers and nursing homes.

 

I did version of geocaching in my last nursing home I worked at. With out the gps but set it up like a multi (clue one to clue two to final cache). My older people LOVED it. And it was good exercise for their brains. Made little cards they could carry with in case they forgot the clue.

 

Without the GPS, isn't Geocaching just a Scavenger Hunt?

 

More like letterboxing. As I understand it, a scavenger hunt is where you need to find a list of objects.

 

They preferred to call it geocaching and yeah it was a huge step away from the website and coordinates. It started after I started telling them about my adventures on the weekend and a bunch of them expressed a great deal of interest in it. But since most of them are not able to negotiate outdoor terrain safely at all it had to be indoors. And the learning curve with the gps was just too steep (we tried). They were happy to be doing this modified like that and just for them.

[+Coldgears]

In ten years, I see Geocaching becoming a very popular game in senior citizen centers and nursing homes.

 

I did version of geocaching in my last nursing home I worked at. With out the gps but set it up like a multi (clue one to clue two to final cache). My older people LOVED it. And it was good exercise for their brains. Made little cards they could carry with in case they forgot the clue.

That's so nice of you. I love it when people love their job so much, other people would have just did what they needed to do to get paid. You actually went above and beyond because you care for these people. I love that!

 

Although, the comment on "good excercise for their brains" worries me. I thought unless you get Alzheimer's your brain ability doesn't really weaken with age.

[+J the Goat]

In ten years, I see Geocaching becoming a very popular game in senior citizen centers and nursing homes.

 

I did version of geocaching in my last nursing home I worked at. With out the gps but set it up like a multi (clue one to clue two to final cache). My older people LOVED it. And it was good exercise for their brains. Made little cards they could carry with in case they forgot the clue.

That's so nice of you. I love it when people love their job so much, other people would have just did what they needed to do to get paid. You actually went above and beyond because you care for these people. I love that!

 

Although, the comment on "good excercise for their brains" worries me. I thought unless you get Alzheimer's your brain ability doesn't really weaken with age.

 

Off topic, but this isn't entirely true. There are MANY different reasons for diminished mental issues with age, Alzheimer's being only one. Aging doens't mean for sure you'll be losing some of your mental capacity though, so on that count you're correct.

 

The "excercise for your brain" thing is good for any age though, and very beneficial for somebody living in a home where the routine is the same day in and day out.

 

Back on topic; I see Geocaching in 10 years in the title of this thread

[+Chokecherry]

In ten years, I see Geocaching becoming a very popular game in senior citizen centers and nursing homes.

 

I did version of geocaching in my last nursing home I worked at. With out the gps but set it up like a multi (clue one to clue two to final cache). My older people LOVED it. And it was good exercise for their brains. Made little cards they could carry with in case they forgot the clue.

That's so nice of you. I love it when people love their job so much, other people would have just did what they needed to do to get paid. You actually went above and beyond because you care for these people. I love that!

 

Although, the comment on "good excercise for their brains" worries me. I thought unless you get Alzheimer's your brain ability doesn't really weaken with age.

 

Most of my folks did have some dementia and ranged from high to low functioning (which is why I had the little cards with clues they could carry around). Also had some stroke victims. Other residents did have other issues which affected their brains as well their bodies. I had prizes though for the various levels of functioning so even the lower functioning folks could get some enjoyment out of it too. But for the most part people in facilities don't get a lot of mental stimulation. They don't have to use problem solving skills and work their brains like that. And it also gave staff a way to interact with the residents beyond just cares. It was quick and easy to bring to the folks who couldn't get around as well to the different locations. Some of the residents would go out in groups when I would move it around too.

 

The higher functioning folks liked to call it their geocaching and then they would tell me about their adventures when I would tell them about mine. It was really interesting.