How did we all find out about geocaching?

[+Dovsport]

A friend on Facebook kept posting things like 'off out caching', 'found 15 caches today', I decided to google it to find out was it was and had a very brief read still not 100% understanding what it was, I decided it seemed like a bit of a sad past time and left it at that.

Then a few months later I had another google search and got a slightly better idea but still binned the notion off. Then a few weeks ago I had a week of work, after the first few days of doing the usual bits of DIY & gardening I decided since the weather was good it would be a shame not to take my youngest dog out for a nice long walk, however having 2 golden retrievers I've done most of the local country park walks many times so decided to look into geocaching a bit further to see if it could perhaps take away a bit of the boredom of walking around the same areas. I had a read proper read through to fully understand what it was all about and then looked at some GPS reviews.

Being of a slightly impulsive nature I then started checking local shops online to see who had any of the GPS's I had been looking at in stock....no-one did locally which was a bummer, and I didn't have the patience to order one and wait for it to come (I had decided that I wanted to try it there and then and not having an i-phone etc. couldn't download an app).

 

So I then looked further afield and eventually found a shop in Edinburgh who had 1 Garmin GPS in stock so reserved it on line jumped in the car and 2 hours later I was home with my new GPS. I then downloaded the co-ordinates to the first cache I was going to look for, threw the dog in the car and headed off........unfortunately I hadn't read the instructions for the GPS first and as such ended up in the right area but couldn't find the cache and every time I checked the GPS it was telling me a different direction and differing distances.

Slightly in the huff I went home unhappy that my first time out I had failed. However I then read the manual, and became slightly more educated on the operating procedure for the GPS and went out looking for another local cache, hey presto I found it (I would never have believed finding a glorified lunch box under a rock would have been as exciting). So for the next few days I went out finding more and more local caches, and recently some further afield, think its safe to say Im well and truly hooked (although the dog has been a bit tired of late with all the walking).

[+BillyOC]

I had bought a handheld gps over the winter with the intention of using it for hiking and kayaking (have had "are you sure this is the way" moments night fishing)So, while checking out "how to" videos on Youtube, it seemed that half of them related to Geocaching. I started digging, and the more I read, the cooler it sounded. Finally, had a nice day last month so I just went for it. I found my first one, and though that was cool, the real moment for me was when I logged it on my PN-40, and the next screen asked if I wanted it to find the next closest. It's been a little over a month now and I have found 31.That includes 2 travel buggs that I have moved, and I did my first 2 multi's today. (no longer intimidated by them) I'm having a ball!

[+DrgnTrappr]

Way back when, the wife and I were living in Florida we loved camping and hiking, and the outdoors, at the time we were going to a lot of native american Pow Wows, good people interesting places and free camping. We had three kids and not a lot of extra money and did things on the cheap. Well one night we saw this story on some TV show about "The GPS Stash Game" or something like that, and we thought how neat that would be, we looked into it, but like I said we did not have the money for a GPS so we just pushed it aside to memory.

Well the years went by the kids grew up, I had changed careers and was gone most of the time, gained weight and had gotten a little out of shape. Then near the end of 2007 I was diagnosed with cancer, and lost a kidney, after the surgery the doctors kept after me to get out and walk to help speed the recovery time. My wife had not forgotten about that game and so that Christmas she gave me a Garmin Legend GPS and a Premium membership to Geocaching.com to give me a reason to get out there and walk more. We have both been hooked ever since, now we dont have big numbers and I am still having issues from the cancer, but we still go out and cache. It has been a great family hobby and even our teenage daughter loves going out with us.

 

DrgnTrappr, DrgnTrainr and DrgnRydr. AKA Team Drgn

[+Harry Dolphin]

Saw an article in the Outdoors section of the local paper 8 years ago. Bought an $89 yellow etrex at REI, took the blue pill and was hooked ever since.

 

Yup. That was it. Almost 7 years ago. The geeky section of the local paper. I had a yellow Garmin that I had gotten from Marlboro Miles. Let me give this a try. There's one near the trail I was maintaining at that time. 2/3.5 by Briansnat. Took me a while, but I was hooked! Only a mile hike in, with a few hundred feet of climb. So, blame Briansnat that I expect quality cache hides. (All of his are quality cache hides!) Yeah. I started on a 2/3.5!

[jasonh3773]

I was looking up ohv roads and came across something about it on a website.

[+Charlie Fingers]

Law & Order rerun "The Unblinking Eye"

[+Charlie Fingers]

Law & Order rerun "The Unblinking Eye"

[+AlohaBra and MaksMom]

My 2 cents...I had heard about geocaching..always have been hiking...

 

Had some pseudo GPSr/Palm things from Garmin and one day put the two together.

 

Soon bought a Garmin Vista HCx, and then discovered pilotsnipes macro for the Nuvi...

 

Total paperless...go anywhere approach after that.....

 

Added a PN-40... and now an Android....

 

*****************

If caching alone....I use the Nuvi to get there and the PN40 for the walk out and the find...

 

The Android may or may not work [depending on reception]..

Edited May 25, 2011 by alohabra

[dougp01]

I was shopping for a GPSr and in reading reviews and forum comments I ran across one response that mentioned using the receiver for geocaching. "That's a new word, I wonder what it means?" Well after digging in I was hooked.

 

BTW - I had as a birthday present from my family on a recommendation from someone else, the Garmin 60CSx. It was my choice as well.

[+Nytngale]

My husband stumbled across a geocache several years ago in a park while he was out on his motorcycle. We talked about getting into the hobby then, but for some reason didn't. I upgraded to a Verizon iPhone 4 in February and noticed that there was a geocaching app. One nice Sunday in April we were bored and I said maybe we should try finding some geocaches. I loaded the app on my phone, he picked up his gps and found our first geocache. We enjoy making the finds and getting outside. I think we are hooked!

[+ThePetersTrio]

I saw a local t.v. program called Grant's Getaways in 2006. This is one from 2009 (couldn't find the one I actually saw but this is pretty darn close!) I think he does a good job of explaining the game/sport/hobby.

 

Grant's Getaways - Geocaching