How do I get my wife interested?

[+luvvinbird]

I've been geocaching for almost a year and I really enjoy it, especially when I'm on a picturesque trail or in a park. I've seen a lot of really inventive forms of caches, too. A real delight to locate. Problem is, I'd like to get my wife involved. She loves walking and easy hiking but hates bugs, dog poop, "dirty" caches (hidden under or in logs), and muddy boots or even the thought of bushwhacking. She came along with me on one or two occasions but was clearly uninterested. Has anyone had a similar situation with their better half? Were you able to "turn them around" and get them interested? How did you do it? Or should I just give up and enjoy it on my own?

[knowschad]

I've been geocaching for almost a year and I really enjoy it, especially when I'm on a picturesque trail or in a park. I've seen a lot of really inventive forms of caches, too. A real delight to locate. Problem is, I'd like to get my wife involved. She loves walking and easy hiking but hates bugs, dog poop, "dirty" caches (hidden under or in logs), and muddy boots or even the thought of bushwhacking. She came along with me on one or two occasions but was clearly uninterested. Has anyone had a similar situation with their better half? Were you able to "turn them around" and get them interested? How did you do it? Or should I just give up and enjoy it on my own?

Give up and enjoy it on your own. You are not going to change her dislike of bugs, dog poop, "dirty" caches, etc.

[+mpilchfamily]

Get to the cache before her and leave jewelry in there for her to find and keep.

[AZcachemeister]

Get to the cache before her and leave jewelry in there for her to find and keep.

 

My thought exactly!

'Salting the mine' is probably the only way she's gonna buy-in.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Not everyone is interested in geocaching, believe it or not. Regardless of what you do to interest them, it won't happen. They must have the interest of their own accord.

 

Gonna end up being a "canned response".

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

Don't push her, just make sure you invite her so she feels welcome but not pressured. Then enjoy the quiet alone time if she turns you down.

[+Ash McCloud]

Choose caches that will take you to some cool spots. That way she enjoys the hike and you get the cache. Also tell her you will do all the digging so if she can just help you look in spots that are up high or viewable. It might also help to find another geocaching couple to go with.

[Mushtang]

How do I get my wife interested?

 

Bring flowers home from work, compliment her a lot, make her laugh, light a lot of candles in the bedroom, have soft music playing, etc.

 

Or try alcohol.

[+woodhick803]

As mentioned above, not every hobby is for everyone. Does she knit? Play Bridge? Do you always join in? Everyone needs some alone space, allow her hers and enjoy yours. My wife didn't go caching for almost year when I started, then joined in on her own accord. Now she goes sometimes and sometimes not. And that's fine with both of us.

[knowschad]

Of course, you could maybe find yourself a cute young geocacher who's husband isn't interested in caching with her and hit the trails together. Jealousy sometimes works wonders.

[+Panther&Pine]

It always helps to make sure you are finding caches (types/hides) that she likes. Be picky when she goes with you, do research!

 

I cache with someone else (the Spruce part of the username, my names Bagheera- not MooseJaw) and we've got fairly opposite ideals for caching. I'm game for just about any cache, in any location that isn't going to get me eaten by a bear or shot. Spruce likes the caches with long hikes or climbs (I'm balance challenged and mobility impared) so we do a fair bit of planning before heading out.

[+geodarts]

My wife has never understood the game. She'll put up with me to a degree and might have made a good cacher - on more than one occasion she has stood next to the cache location as I search elsewhere and politely asked if I had looked there - just last weekend as a matter of fact. I can usually get her to stop for a virtual or earthcache if we are traveling. She has admitted that caching has led us to some great places we would not have otherwise discovered. But if I press too hard or use up too many caching points I am sure to hear the Whine of the Non-Geocaching Spouse.

 

So I try to choose my goals carefully. Build up spousal credits in other ways. And if she is around, put time limits on the search.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Keep asking her to go with you.

 

If/when she asks 'Why?'

 

Tell her you're fed up of being accosted by young/good looking/attractive/sexy/naked* women, because they think you're available, as you're on your own...

 

*Use whichever is applicable, or make up your own!

 

 

Edited August 5, 2011 by Bear and Ragged

[+DonB]

Take her for lunch every time you go caching. Most woman love eating out.

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

Drop her at the mall for a X number of hours while you cache. OR for every hour she caches with you, spend the same time at the mall/place of her choice with her.

As long as she doesn't resent your time away from her it seems like a non issue unless you don't like being away from her. In which case make sure she knows that!

[7rxc]

Keep asking her to go with you.

 

If/when she asks 'Why?'

 

Tell her you're fed up of being accosted by young/good looking/attractive/sexy/naked* women, because they think you're available, as you're on your own...

 

*Use whichever is applicable, or make up your own!

I use the last option - ALL of the ABOVE

 

Doug 7rxc

[+terrkan78]

I used to drag my ex with me hiking (pre-geocaching) - it wasn't his thing. Vistas that I thought were jaw-dropping would get a "meh, can we go now" out of him. It kind of put a damper on my enthusiasm.

 

You'll enjoy it more alone or (better yet) with people who enjoy it like you do. Bring the wife along for the easy hikes/walking sans geocaching. Leave her home and find someone else to go geocaching with.

[+lamoracke]

mine will never appreciate the caches themselves, however, she likes to go on road trips. Thus we can combine them. For instance, she is willing to go on a road trip say 150 miles to enjoy the sun out there (as opposed to Seattle) and in return, we do 5 caches. She would never enjoy 30 caches in a day but 5 or so, yep. She will help look if I am striking out and sometimes does find them before me.

[+GroveBird]

My wife started enjoying it after we went on a few that were longer hikes. Shes and outdoors person...so that an advantage. She a bit competative so She REALLY got into it when we started a friendly "numbers" competition with some Cacher friends of ours. Maybe you should try that angle with her. My wife doenst mind parking lot caches, or other urban caches because it adds to our numbers.

[tomowens]

I think that you'll not have very much luck trying to get someone to enjoy something that they don't like very well. Perhaps if your wife likes the hiking, but not the caching, she would just enjoy the first part and tolerate your stopping a few times along the path to pick up the 'prize' while she does her own thing for a few minutes.

 

When my wife and I were still dating, some of our first 'dates' were excursions into the middle of nowhere high in the Rocky Mtns. while she was on seed hunting trips. This is before handheld GPS and even before GeoCaching was thought of.

 

We would hike around an area for hours while she searched for that one plant that she just seemed to remember from a few years ago. Another copy of the same plant just wouldn't do because 'this one had slightly larger leaves' or some thing like that.

 

Sure enough, after a while she would find what she was looking for and then point out a small metal hidden tag in the dirt under a shrub with her name on it and a date from 5 to 8 years earlier.

 

She took to GeoCaching like it was second nature to her. The big problem is that she thinks using a GPS is like cheating.

[MisterEFQ]

Invite another woman along. The next time she will want to go.

[+niraD]

I'll never convert Mrs. niraD into a geocacher. You just can't make someone like something that they don't like. But she has been happy to join me occasionally on a geocaching hike or at an event. She gets a nice hike to an enjoyable location with pleasant company, or she gets a meal and a chance to visit with friendly geocachers. I get the same thing, plus a smiley.

 

And occasionally, she'll let me grab a quick cache, but she generally stays in the car (reading and/or crocheting) while I find the cache.

[+captnemo]

How do I get my wife interested?

 

Bring flowers home from work, compliment her a lot, make her laugh, light a lot of candles in the bedroom, have soft music playing, etc.

 

Or try alcohol.

and hide a micro with jewery in it under the pillow.

[Narcosynthesis]

She will only ever want to come if she finds it entertaining...

 

If she is the sort of person who classes shopping as an activity above all else, and has a panic attack every time she steps in a puddle because her shoes won't be pristine then I doubt she will ever really 'get it'

 

On the other hand, if she can appreciate getting to go out on a bit of an adventure, find somewhere cool to go for a new walk and an excuse to spend some time with her loving husband, then she may be persuaded. It might just require a promise from you that she can stay on the nearest path holding some wet wipes prepared for your return from the undergrowth clutching some new piece of swag...

[+ventura_kids]

Perhaps if you took a different girl along.......

[+luvvinbird]

All very helpful suggestions. I particularly like the ones involving another woman, lol. Ahh, but I'd miss the nagging after awhile....Thanks to all for your input.

[+geodarts]

On the other side of the coin, my wife has been known to ask if I would give up caching if she wanted me to do that. I usually reply that I know she would not ask because Kaiser Permanente has recommended games as one way to thrive and I know that she wants me to thrive.

[+Vater_Araignee]

Woo her with a cache.

 

Get some expensive gold and diamond swag put it in a private cache with a hand written declaration of eternal love. Then you tell her you have a surprise but she has to find it and give her the coords and the gps.

 

Then she can relive the memory with every cache.

[+ipodguy]

Go caching with a hot babe. Your wife won't let you out of her sight!

[+Roman!]

Simple, get a new wife.

[+BaylorGrad]

Don't.

 

Couples should enjoy hobbies together--yes. But they shouldn't enjoy every hobby together. Maybe this is just something that you can do alone. Surely, you and your wife have other things that you love to do together!

[knowschad]

Don't.

 

Couples should enjoy hobbies together--yes. But they shouldn't enjoy every hobby together. Maybe this is just something that you can do alone. Surely, you and your wife have other things that you love to do together!

 

[+Chokecherry]

My mom goes caching with me. My dad, who was much more the outdoorsy sort throughout his life, just isn't into it. So what my mom does since dad doesn't want to join us ever is tell him all about her trip and the places she went. Sometimes she shows him pictures. He can relate because he usually hunted in those places in his younger years before the key to the gun cabinet got lost.

 

I usually hear all sorts of questions when I go visit them after these trips from dad. He's just not that into the searching thing. He doesn't have the patience for it.

[7rxc]

' timestamp='1312587597' post='4800219']

Simple, get a new wife.

Then he would have two that didn't like caching!

 

Doug 7rxc

[+redsox_mark]

My wife will join me caching occasionally, and has enjoyed it, but only if they are particulaly good caches. She likes:

 

- Interesting containers and hides

- In a nice scenic area. But not too long of a walk.

- Combine it with a nice lunch out at a pub

 

Also I need to make sure I don't push things and try and find too many.

 

So I look for caches with good logs and also favourite points; or recommendations for others when she is joining me.

 

When caching alone, I also like these same things, but I'm less fussy. I'll also do longer walks; maybe skip lunch....

[Mr.Yuck]

I'll never convert Mrs. niraD into a geocacher. You just can't make someone like something that they don't like. But she has been happy to join me occasionally on a geocaching hike or at an event. She gets a nice hike to an enjoyable location with pleasant company, or she gets a meal and a chance to visit with friendly geocachers. I get the same thing, plus a smiley.

 

And occasionally, she'll let me grab a quick cache, but she generally stays in the car (reading and/or crocheting) while I find the cache.

 

That's pretty much my story. Except Mrs. Yuck will probably never go to an event. And it's been 8 years of Geocaching. As a matter of fact, I have a rare picture of her out caching with me in my profile right now, because most Geocachers I hang out with have never seen her. I rotate the profile pics every couple of weeks.

 

So just roll with it. Unless you run out and find 1,000 Geocaches a year, you probably won't end up divorced.

[+Trucker Lee]

Blow gently in her ear.

Bring flowers.

Rub her feet with moisturizing lotion.

Do the dishes for her.

 

 

Oh, nevermind. You were referring to interested in caching.

[+Scubasonic]

How did you do it? Or should I just give up and enjoy it on my own?

I think there is nothing wrong with having a separate interest than your wife. Good to have a lot of things in common but something that you do without her, and with your buddies is healthy, wouldn't even go there with her anymore. JMO

 

Scubasonic

[+Scubasonic]

[unless you run out and find 1,000 Geocaches a year, you probably won't end up divorced

 

Hmmm I get over 4,000 a year and my wife hates Geocaching,and I'm not divorced I must be doing good.

 

SS

[+luvvinbird]

I'm back, now. And, believe it or not, my wife enjoyed the Earth Caches and the "in town" caches. I inadvertently disturbed a wasp's nest in Whistler, B.C. and got stung twice, once on my thumb and again on the bridge of my nose, so all that hard work converting my wife went quickly down the drain. She started to question why she enjoyed the caches we got "pre-wasp". Oh, well. Back to square one.

[+horstfamily]

I don't know....my two sons and I have now found 50 caches and we can't get my husband to join us at all.

[+Coldgears]

The dirt, mud, ticks, and bugs are the best parts.

 

It's almost as though you guys never been in the woods before geocaching...

 

I've been in the woods since the age of 6. In fact, I just visited my childhood, "Playground" (100 - 150 acre set of woods by my old house) with my childhood "Playbuddy" (my best friend, who geocaches with me). I jumped over a hill and over a stream, falling straight into a mud pit, and couldn't help but be happy with the pain and mud. I had to walk in 2.5 feet deep water to cross an even bigger stream. Bushwhacked 200 feet through stickerbushes. We walked through a mud pit and I lost a shoe. Got hit with spiderwebs, had a few crawling on me. Sat down in tall grass for a minute while bugs ants crawled all over me.

 

This was all to get to my bike, which I left at his grandmom's. I could've taken the *ROAD*, but this way is much more fun.

 

We do this every other day, except now, due to the fact we have bikes, and are allowed to go farther, we do this in new and different woods. And geocache! But, we still get muddy, buggy, wet, and the more pain we experience by the end the better!

 

 

How are you guys just *NOW* figuring out your wives/husband's dis-taste for the woods. You've never gone... Errm, hiking without geocaching being a carrot on a stick?

[+Ambient_Skater]

...I just visited my childhood, "Playground" (100 - 150 acre set of woods by my old house) with my childhood "Playbuddy" (my best friend, who geocaches with me). I jumped over a hill and over a stream, falling straight into a mud pit, and couldn't help but be happy with the pain and mud. I had to walk in 2.5 feet deep water to cross an even bigger stream. Bushwhacked 200 feet through stickerbushes. We walked through a mud pit and I lost a shoe. Got hit with spiderwebs, had a few crawling on me. Sat down in tall grass for a minute while bugs ants crawled all over me.

Pics or it didn't happen.

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

The dirt, mud, ticks, and bugs are the best parts.

 

It's almost as though you guys never been in the woods before geocaching...

 

I've been in the woods since the age of 6. In fact, I just visited my childhood, "Playground" (100 - 150 acre set of woods by my old house) with my childhood "Playbuddy" (my best friend, who geocaches with me). I jumped over a hill and over a stream, falling straight into a mud pit, and couldn't help but be happy with the pain and mud. I had to walk in 2.5 feet deep water to cross an even bigger stream. Bushwhacked 200 feet through stickerbushes. We walked through a mud pit and I lost a shoe. Got hit with spiderwebs, had a few crawling on me. Sat down in tall grass for a minute while bugs ants crawled all over me.

 

This was all to get to my bike, which I left at his grandmom's. I could've taken the *ROAD*, but this way is much more fun.

 

We do this every other day, except now, due to the fact we have bikes, and are allowed to go farther, we do this in new and different woods. And geocache! But, we still get muddy, buggy, wet, and the more pain we experience by the end the better!

 

 

How are you guys just *NOW* figuring out your wives/husband's dis-taste for the woods. You've never gone... Errm, hiking without geocaching being a carrot on a stick?

Come back in 40 years and post again.

 

It doesn't always have to be a hiking cache - some people just don't like the stop, search, sign, go, stop, search, sign - they don't see the fun or the point.

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

I'm thinking about getting back into dating - maybe geocaching should be in the same list of questions with "do you have a job" "do you have a wife" "do you live with your mother"

[knowschad]

I'm thinking about getting back into dating - maybe geocaching should be in the same list of questions with "do you have a job" "do you have a wife" "do you live with your mother"

 

By all means, ask how they feel about Challenges and whether or not they should count as a part of one's total finds!

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

I'm thinking about getting back into dating - maybe geocaching should be in the same list of questions with "do you have a job" "do you have a wife" "do you live with your mother"

 

By all means, ask how they feel about Challenges and whether or not they should count as a part of one's total finds!

I was off line since last Thursday, I couldn't ask that until I know what the challenges are about.

However being with me could be a challenge in it self

Edited August 23, 2011 by Scrabblers

[+TofuKat]

I just got into geocaching recently after I googled "hobbies for men". I'm a lady, but I was looking for something that might interest my boyfriend. He likes electronics and tv, so I was hoping to find something for Christmas (like sports gear, fishing stuff, etc etc.) that I could get him.

 

He's been out with me briefly, but doesn't like bugs, mud, dirt, ticks, etc. Our first cache was by a log with some branches and he wouldn't touch it... I don't think he would like going to any events either. I go to terrier trials and he thinks "those people" are weird--they're just passionate.

 

Blergh. It's so frustrating, so until I find some local geo friends, it'll just be me and "GeoJack" (that's my jack russell's code name while out caching).

 

So if you see a girl with her terrier and a giant sun hat turning in circles (stupid droid) say hi--I need some geo friends!

[+The Fall Guy]

That is a great question! My wife is not really interested in caching either but she does go with me occasionally when I say "It's not going to be in any woods and you don't even have to get out of the car." That's fine for a light post or guard rail hide but beyond that I go alone or with my Dad. I think for me at least it is going to be just my activity!

[+5g]

You tell her for every cache you find **with her** you'll spend time doing something that she likes to do.