The Hazards of Geocaching

3.7k · August 4, 2013

I'm always telling my kids "slow down" or "don't run". I should follow my own advice. I suffered my first REAL geocaching injury today. I'd just grabbed the cache and was taking it over to my car to sign the log. I was in a hurry, so I was sort of jogging past a tree into the parking area when I stumbled. I made a good effort to right myself, but couldn't quite get there. Ended up landing on one hand and shredded my palm up pretty good. It still smarts. Could've been worse, I guess...

I'm sure there are several other threads about this sort of thing...but excluding stuff like stings, bites, poison ivy (poisonous plants in general) and thorn pricks, what sort of injuries have you sustained while geocaching? We all have our klutzy moments...so fess up!

1.7k · August 4, 2013

I'm always telling my kids "slow down" or "don't run". I should follow my own advice. I suffered my first REAL geocaching injury today. I'd just grabbed the cache and was taking it over to my car to sign the log. I was in a hurry, so I was sort of jogging past a tree into the parking area when I stumbled. I made a good effort to right myself, but couldn't quite get there. Ended up landing on one hand and shredded my palm up pretty good. It still smarts. Could've been worse, I guess...

Bolding mine...

And my question is... Why were you taking the cache to your car? I've never had any kind of accident/incident while retrieving a cache to sign the log nor have I had any need to take a cache to my car to sign the log.

August 4, 2013

I'm always telling my kids "slow down" or "don't run". I should follow my own advice. I suffered my first REAL geocaching injury today. I'd just grabbed the cache and was taking it over to my car to sign the log. I was in a hurry, so I was sort of jogging past a tree into the parking area when I stumbled. I made a good effort to right myself, but couldn't quite get there. Ended up landing on one hand and shredded my palm up pretty good. It still smarts. Could've been worse, I guess...

Bolding mine...

And my question is... Why were you taking the cache to your car? I've never had any kind of accident/incident while retrieving a cache to sign the log nor have I had any need to take a cache to my car to sign the log.

Something in my area... http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC465R0

7.9k · August 4, 2013

Plenty of stumbles, scuffs, scrapes, encounters with cacti, torn pants and/or shirts, poked by low-hanging branches, flesh ripped by cat-claw bushes, heat exhaustion, nothing too exciting.

But there was the time I was dashing back across the road after finding a benchmark.

It wasn't a well-traveled road, but a pick-up truck was coming.

I didn't properly 'look both ways', but I heard it coming as I stepped into the traffic lane.

My momentum was carrying me forward.

The driver swerved a bit.

I somehow contorted my body so that the corner of his rear bumper only grazed the brim of my Boonie hat instead of slamming into the back of my skull.

I executed a nice PLF (Parachute Landing Fall), and ended up on my feet with nary a scratch.

My camera fell out of it's belt-pouch and took a few scrapes, though...but it still works today.

August 4, 2013

And my question is... Why were you taking the cache to your car? I've never had any kind of accident/incident while retrieving a cache to sign the log nor have I had any need to take a cache to my car to sign the log.

I do it all the time,

If it's dark and I need a little better lighting to sign the log

If I need a firmer surface to write on the log

If it's raining or snowing and I don't want the inside of the cache getting wet

If traffic is high and I don't want to stand close to the road for too long

If I'm adding new paper to the caches

If I for some reason forget my pen in the car.

9.3k · August 4, 2013

And my question is... Why were you taking the cache to your car? I've never had any kind of accident/incident while retrieving a cache to sign the log nor have I had any need to take a cache to my car to sign the log.

I do it all the time,

If it's dark and I need a little better lighting to sign the log

If I need a firmer surface to write on the log

If it's raining or snowing and I don't want the inside of the cache getting wet

If traffic is high and I don't want to stand close to the road for too long

If I'm adding new paper to the caches

If I for some reason forget my pen in the car.

A great big "Yes!" to all of the above.

I'll add another reason I often take a cache away from ground zero. I don't usually cache in high muggle areas, as these places are not my cup of tea when selecting an area to recreate in. However, there have been occasions when I've arrived at ground zero to find that I'm not alone. At that point, I have a decision to make. If I can see the cache, and decide that it is small enough that I can spirit it away without drawing suspicion, I will do so. Sometimes I'll take it to a nearby bench. Sometimes back to my car. Sometimes just around the bend. This allows me to open the cache, paw through the swag and write my tale in the logbook, without fear of compromising the cache.

3.7k · August 4, 2013

And my question is... Why were you taking the cache to your car? I've never had any kind of accident/incident while retrieving a cache to sign the log nor have I had any need to take a cache to my car to sign the log.

I do it all the time,

If it's dark and I need a little better lighting to sign the log

If I need a firmer surface to write on the log

If it's raining or snowing and I don't want the inside of the cache getting wet

If traffic is high and I don't want to stand close to the road for too long

If I'm adding new paper to the caches

If I for some reason forget my pen in the car.

A great big "Yes!" to all of the above.

I'll add another reason I often take a cache away from ground zero. I don't usually cache in high muggle areas, as these places are not my cup of tea when selecting an area to recreate in. However, there have been occasions when I've arrived at ground zero to find that I'm not alone. At that point, I have a decision to make. If I can see the cache, and decide that it is small enough that I can spirit it away without drawing suspicion, I will do so. Sometimes I'll take it to a nearby bench. Sometimes back to my car. Sometimes just around the bend. This allows me to open the cache, paw through the swag and write my tale in the logbook, without fear of compromising the cache.

All of this. In this particular instance, the cache was in an area of VERY high visibility AND there was no good flat surface to write on.

13.8k · August 4, 2013

And my question is... Why were you taking the cache to your car? I've never had any kind of accident/incident while retrieving a cache to sign the log nor have I had any need to take a cache to my car to sign the log.

I do it all the time,

If it's dark and I need a little better lighting to sign the log

If I need a firmer surface to write on the log

If it's raining or snowing and I don't want the inside of the cache getting wet

If traffic is high and I don't want to stand close to the road for too long

If I'm adding new paper to the caches

If I for some reason forget my pen in the car.

On the rare occasion we're caching close enough to the car, we do the same.

3.2k · August 4, 2013

I've take at least one cactus spine into my calf. I had another cactus get clipped by my foot and essentially explode into so many tiny needle-like shards than I had to throw away my sock.

August 4, 2013

The only injuries I've suffered from is not physical, but mental. It's during those dreaded DNF moments, especially on D:1, T:1

August 4, 2013

No real injuries other than bug bites, scraped knees & elbows and a few cactus needles. A couple of years ago there was a geocacher here in Austin that fell while trying to retrieve a cache on a cliff side along the Barton Creek Greenbelt. When he fell he pulled a large boulder down with him that ended up crushing his chest. He was critically injured. Here is the news story link:

http://www.kvue.com/news/Man-in-critical-condition-after-boulder-falls-on-him-at-greenbelt-122534299.html

Edited August 4, 2013 by Space*Cadet

August 4, 2013

I take caches to my car when it's raining if possible. Saves a watertight container ending up damp/soggy.

I've been climbing a bank to find a cache, slipped and slid straight down onto my bum, was soft mud so that was ok but had a swollen ankle where it'd gone in an unexpected direction.

Worst was when I was retrieving a puzzle cache - there was shallow fords on the road, no grip and when crossing 1 to the side where I thought the cache container may be I lost all grip and fell on my rear rather hard - my elbows and hands were scraped where I tried to stop myself, ended up with a black bruise on the bottom of my back. It hurt. And my S2 had a swim in the river. It somehow survived too, but that incident made me realise I was too accident prone to use a smartphone for it.

38.2k · August 4, 2013

And my question is... Why were you taking the cache to your car? I've never had any kind of accident/incident while retrieving a cache to sign the log nor have I had any need to take a cache to my car to sign the log.

I do it all the time,

If it's dark and I need a little better lighting to sign the log

If I need a firmer surface to write on the log

If it's raining or snowing and I don't want the inside of the cache getting wet

If traffic is high and I don't want to stand close to the road for too long

If I'm adding new paper to the caches

If I for some reason forget my pen in the car.

and to use the car's heater to dry out the container and/or log.

Back to the OP's question, I tore my Achilles tendon caching. I actually partially tore it playing soccer a week before. I felt a pop and a sharp pain. My Dr. looked at it and said it was fine. I was waiting for appt with an orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion and was out caching. I stepped the wrong way on a root and thought a stick or rock popped up and whacked me in the in the heel. It was the last remnant of the tendon giving away. Luckily I was almost back to the car when it happened. Had it happened when I was 3 miles away it could have been an adventure getting back.

August 4, 2013

I've had the usual scratches from brambles, a few minor cuts, etc. But on May 18 of this year, my husband and I were going to ride down a bike trail to pick up a series. We had to ride through an abandoned railroad tunnel. This tunnel is paved, about a mile long with a bend near the far end. It gets very dark once you get a little way in. We did have flashlights so we could see within a circle of light. Now this tunnel was only paved about 10 feet or so in the very center of the old railroad bed, with the sides sloping down towards the walls on either side. There is something about riding in the dark that causes me to weave slightly so I try to stay in the center of the trail as much as possible. About halfway in, I felt I was veering to the left and before I could correct, my front tire went off the pavement. Even with applying the brakes, my momentum carried me down the slope and I hit the wall with my left shoulder. At first I thought I had broken a rib. I had all the air just knocked from me. I finally got my breath and tried to stand up. At that point my left air just wouldn't cooperate. I told my husband, maybe we needed to give up on the caches and go to the ER for an Xray. We walked back out of the tunnel with him pushing both bikes. I found I had broken my upper arm at the shoulder in two places. Went back out caching the next weekend, although I was very careful with the caches we picked to do.

August 5, 2013

I had carpal tunnel surgery a few weeks ago, and today I did my very first paddle cache (and 1000th find milestone!). As an inexperienced paddler, I had a hard time getting back into the boat after finding the final. I wound up slamming my hand down on a rock, which hurt my wrist badly, but not seriously. Of course, I'm known to my friends as Captain Hubris, as I often regret it when I say "no problem, I can handle this!"

And of course, I'm rather fond of saying that it's not a real day of caching unless someone bleeds...

3.7k · August 5, 2013

Banged up my left knee pretty good...3 injuries to the same knee in about 2 weeks time. 1st injury was tripping and falling on pavement, with a bad scrape. 2nd injury was slipping on a wooden bridge and landing on that knee adding a scrape upon an already healing scrape. 3rd injury was slipping on wet rocks and landing on the already twice injured knee. Lay on my back for quite some time, thinking I'd never be able to walk again, but the pain subsided and I was able to get back to my car. I now have a purple mark on that knee. Not sure if it will eventually go away, but it's been months.

8.4k · August 5, 2013

And of course, I'm rather fond of saying that it's not a real day of caching unless someone bleeds...

Nothing wrong with giving a little blood for the cause. Some of my best caching memories involve a donation of blood (especially redeeming a DNF) or a near death experience.

That said, I'm a Safety Professional and I get that, in my case, my injuries were a result of my own at risk behavior.

I could have lost an eye night caching without my safety glasses, in Wisconsin, on a recent business assignment. That would have been hard to explain to my employer. Especially since I maintain the OSHA logs for 6 companies. Stuuuupid on my part. Luckily it was a near miss and I know enough not to make that mistake again.

Always wear the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when caching...

Safety glasses in the woods or even poking around bushes.

Leather or denim gloves when reaching into the unknown. (I also use mirrors and flashlights to look into blind reaches.)

The list goes on an on. Know your search area and terrain and plan accordingly. AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS let someone know where you will be.

I've analyzed a few geocaching deaths and 99% of them are the cacher's own fault as a result. Preparation, caution, and knowing one's own limits will save you a world of hurt.

2.8k · August 5, 2013

And of course, I'm rather fond of saying that it's not a real day of caching unless someone bleeds...

Nothing wrong with giving a little blood for the cause. Some of my best caching memories involve a donation of blood (especially redeeming a DNF) or a near death experience.

That said, I'm a Safety Professional and I get that, in my case, my injuries were a result of my own at risk behavior.

I could have lost an eye night caching without my safety glasses, in Wisconsin, on a recent business assignment. That would have been hard to explain to my employer. Especially since I maintain the OSHA logs for 6 companies. Stuuuupid on my part. Luckily it was a near miss and I know enough not to make that mistake again.

Always wear the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when caching...

Safety glasses in the woods or even poking around bushes.

Leather or denim gloves when reaching into the unknown. (I also use mirrors and flashlights to look into blind reaches.)

The list goes on an on. Know your search area and terrain and plan accordingly. AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS let someone know where you will be.

I've analyzed a few geocaching deaths and 99% of them are the cacher's own fault as a result. Preparation, caution, and knowing one's own limits will save you a world of hurt.

My wife always told me "if you're not in pain you're not doing it right"

2.8k · August 5, 2013

Oops

Edited August 5, 2013 by Roman!

8.4k · August 5, 2013

My wife always told me "if you're not in pain you're not doing it right"

I have a feeling that she wasn't talking about caching. That was probably a subtle hint that you missed. :anibad:

August 5, 2013

Let's see

1) Dumped my kayak twice in one day with no spray skirt or wet suit on in December (was a warm day and the water not terribly cold) - this was after not being able to retrieve a cache.

2) nearly snapped my ankle in half on a tree climb

3) Scratched my eye on a tree twig, couldn't see out of it for 3 mile hike back - had to have drops and antibiotics.

4) And the usually scraps, gouges from briars, ticks, chiggers, skeeters, spider bites, wasp stings, etc.

August 5, 2013

Two weeks ago in really dense wooded area we went biking. Mine wasn't a thorn prick but a thorn puncture- the thorn broke off flush against my skin, at first I thought it was a little something in there - maybe a tick - never saw one so didn't know, I tried to squeeze it out. Turned out a thorn had gone about 1" deep into my ankle - luckily it missed any tendons or veins, it didn't really bleed at all when my son pulled it out. 2 weeks later I can still feel the bump near the injury site. Don't recall feeling it go in, good thing we had our bike helmets and our sunglasses on... My son didn't want to cache anymore after than one.

3.7k · August 5, 2013

Two weeks ago in really dense wooded area we went biking. Mine wasn't a thorn prick but a thorn puncture- the thorn broke off flush against my skin, at first I thought it was a little something in there - maybe a tick - never saw one so didn't know, I tried to squeeze it out. Turned out a thorn had gone about 1" deep into my ankle - luckily it missed any tendons or veins, it didn't really bleed at all when my son pulled it out. 2 weeks later I can still feel the bump near the injury site. Don't recall feeling it go in, good thing we had our bike helmets and our sunglasses on... My son didn't want to cache anymore after than one.

I'm always a bit squeemish about thorns since a neighbor was scratched pretty bad, developed a serious infection and ended up losing a finger after a few days in a hospital on IV antibiotics...all from a rose bush.

August 5, 2013

A minor injury, but my only geocaching mishap so far (it's early in the game, give it time).

Don't view the log if blood makes you squeemish! Fair warning...

My failed FTF

August 11, 2013

Getting stopped by a police officer was one of the worst hazards lol

Falling in a creek and having to ride home pantsless.

Countless thorns and blisters.

So yeah, nothing too bad. I think the worst was scratching my belly up on some thorns. My poor belly

August 11, 2013

Kept worrying if I had an intercranial bleed for a few days after this.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=19e5ddb6-9e9a-49b4-a4b9-9a2a1ecd3757

August 11, 2013

My left foot has a special power of finding just about very hole there is. So I tend to limp a bit now :laughing:

August 11, 2013

This one scared the heck out of me. Don't want to be in the middle of the woods during a blow down. Thank you Jesus I made it out of there.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=8cec90f6-0b6f-46db-a8b2-0e6a1c0f6297

August 11, 2013

Then there was the time I was caching along the river in winter and I heard a loud "crack" beneath my feet and realized I was no longer walking on land.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Luckless

2.8k · August 11, 2013

Kept worrying if I had an intercranial bleed for a few days after this.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=19e5ddb6-9e9a-49b4-a4b9-9a2a1ecd3757

This one scared the heck out of me. Don't want to be in the middle of the woods during a blow down. Thank you Jesus I made it out of there.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=8cec90f6-0b6f-46db-a8b2-0e6a1c0f6297

Then there was the time I was caching along the river in winter and I heard a loud "crack" beneath my feet and realized I was no longer walking on land.

Seems your name suits you well.

August 11, 2013

Aside from the possibility of lyme disease try picking off tics that are climbing up your neck while your driving 45 miles an hour in bumper to bumper traffic after looking for a cache. Think I picked up about ten of those nasty little hitchhikers and I didn't even find the cache.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Luckless

August 11, 2013

Last year we headed out to place our very first cache. While hiking through the forest I tried to step over a log about waist high. As I threw the first leg over, my whole body pivoted...except for my knee...it tore. We were about a mile into the forest and it was a pretty painful hike out. Went straight to Urgency Care....they kept asking how I hurt it. I would start with, "have you ever heard of geocaching?" After several blank looks I just stuck with "I was hiking" Evidently my type of injury usually happens to football or soccer players. I am short and overweight...obviously not an athlete. The joke of the day from me,,,,"Geocaching-it's how fat people get sports injuries in the woods"

Side note: While in the Urgency Care, I found a news story that two bears were seen in the area and that hiking was not advised. Yikes!

August 11, 2013

New one: Popping a fresh burn blister. Ouch. Probably should have skipped the caching actually.

August 11, 2013

No real injuries other than bug bites, scraped knees & elbows and a few cactus needles. A couple of years ago there was a geocacher here in Austin that fell while trying to retrieve a cache on a cliff side along the Barton Creek Greenbelt. When he fell he pulled a large boulder down with him that ended up crushing his chest. He was critically injured. Here is the news story link:

http://www.kvue.com/...-122534299.html

This was so sad. The BC Greenbelt is very challenging - especially the section where you have to cling to that chain to get over the narrow, slippery limestone ledge that's about half a shoe wide. I've really been scared a few times retrieving cliff caches in there and am always thanking my lucky stars when we get out.

Last week I ran full speed into a prickly pear when I was bushwhacking - it was in waist high grass and I just didn't see it. I spent the next 20 minutes pulling spines out of my thigh - some were so deep it almost made me ill. Then I was left with the teeny ones that are like fiberglass that I just had to live with for a while.

I cache with a nurse and we are always getting stabbed and scratched with smilax and God knows what else. She keeps telling me to go get a tetanus shot - I probably need to do that soon.

August 11, 2013

I've been pretty luck with just the usually thorns, scrapes and scratches. However, after reading about "Chuck", I do try to remember to leave a note of where I am headed. This cache was renamed "Chuck's Last First" as Chuck was the first to find the cache but he died on his way back to the car. My link I've never tried to add a link to these comments before, so I hope that worked. Otherwise, you could search GC3PXG1. Stay safe out there people!

August 11, 2013

The coords for this particular cache were good, but my GPS was wonky. I bushwacked my way up a steep hill and then realized it was at the bottom. Lost my footing, and rolled down the steep hill. Didn't get injured however.

My worst "injury" was after I got a new tattoo on my leg and grabbed a quick P&G while wearing shorts. Some kind of plant touched the tattoo and caused it to become infected even though I cleaned it plenty of times. Sucker for self inflicted punishment I guess.

August 11, 2013

Stay safe guys!

1.8k · August 12, 2013

I walked into a broken branch in a rest area in CT while caching, caught it hard enough to scrape skin through the jeans and leave a mark on the thigh. A few inches higher, and the quarter mile back to the truck would have been a bit difficult.

August 12, 2013

And my question is... Why were you taking the cache to your car? I've never had any kind of accident/incident while retrieving a cache to sign the log nor have I had any need to take a cache to my car to sign the log.

I do it all the time,

If it's dark and I need a little better lighting to sign the log

If I need a firmer surface to write on the log

If it's raining or snowing and I don't want the inside of the cache getting wet

If traffic is high and I don't want to stand close to the road for too long

If I'm adding new paper to the caches

If I for some reason forget my pen in the car.

On the rare occasion we're caching close enough to the car, we do the same.

I do it when my 84 year old mother wants to come with and cannot make the walk. I bring it to her and take her picture with it. Makes her feel good.

2.3k · August 12, 2013

I was stung by a wasp just the other day. Does that count?

After poking my fingers and hands into all sorts of hidey holes looking for caches, this was the first time I've been stung. I think the last time I was stung by a wasp was more than 35 years ago. Guess I've been really lucky.

--Larry

August 12, 2013

Broke my right wrist once. Ok, so I had to go to the hospital and they did surgery and put in a bone splint(I guess that is what it is called to hold both sides together). its all godd nw, though!

10.2k · August 12, 2013

I was just told a couple weeks ago by a Dayton, Ohio area cacher that a SW Ohio cacher took a fatal fall at a tree climbing cache. Does anyone know about that? I'm sure it was never noted here in the forums.

1.9k · August 12, 2013

I was just told a couple weeks ago by a Dayton, Ohio area cacher that a SW Ohio cacher took a fatal fall at a tree climbing cache. Does anyone know about that? I'm sure it was never noted here in the forums.

A SW Ohio cacher had a fatal fall related to rapelling. He was not caching at the time.

I know of a couple tree climbing injuries, but not fatal.

August 12, 2013

Been on crutches since last Wednesday after severely spraining my ankle while out caching. Big geocaching trip this weekend,that we've had planned for months, is basically shot now.

10.2k · August 12, 2013

I was just told a couple weeks ago by a Dayton, Ohio area cacher that a SW Ohio cacher took a fatal fall at a tree climbing cache. Does anyone know about that? I'm sure it was never noted here in the forums.

A SW Ohio cacher had a fatal fall related to rapelling. He was not caching at the time.

I know of a couple tree climbing injuries, but not fatal.

That could be it! Sorry if I'm spreading any disinformation. And my memory is foggy. Lots of beer on that little vacation.

Caching or not, that's horrible news. We're all Geocachers here.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Mr.Yuck

August 14, 2013

this year, on my second day on holiday in Cyprus I did a cache on a wave braker structure some 50 meters away from the beach in the sea - and stepped on a sharp edged boulder: deep cut in my foot 10cm long. No problem, still had 8 days of vacation left to spend at the beach resting my hurting foot.

However, what irritates me more, is that I was the last to find this cache for 3 months now, the 3 subsequent searchers did log DNFs...

The Hazards of Geocaching

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