Why do you geoacache? What's the appeal?

[crackheadfreeze]

I'm writing a bit on geocaching and I'd like to know what you like about geocaching.

 

No need to write huge paragraphs if you don't want to... just little bits and pieces of what draws you into it.

 

Thank you!

[+wmpastor]

Active entertainment.

Change of scenery.

See new places.

Solving the puzzle of finding something hidden.

Get rich finding good swag.

[+lamoracke]

An excuse to go see places I have not seen before, to hike, in whatever weather, and a way to categorize all those places and spots I went to with maps and pictures and occasionally, find some cool cache containers to boot.

[+rdtorres3]

To get out and about for a few minutes a day during the week. An opportunity to do some hiking on the weekends and see places I haven't seen before. Plus, the hunt. There is something about hunting for hidden things that excites me. Guess I'm - and probably many others - am just funny that way.

[+The_Incredibles_]

I like feeling like I'm doing something naughty.

[+terrkan78]

It adds a fun element to the hike.

[+oxford comma]

I'd cache a heck of a lot more if the kids and non-geoHusband were even remotely as into it as I am . the kids are still at my command , so away we go half the time , lol.

my almost 2 year old son is funny . he knows that when I bring an ammo can from under a log ( or whatever) there will ( hopefully ) be something fun inside .

 

I like it . it gets me out of the house and off my butt when the weather ( hot..... rainy .... etc ) might typically make me want to hole up.

 

I like the finding part of it . I like making and leaving fun swag.

I

[+WarNinjas]

I like going outdoors. I like to fish but my daughter likes to cache so it works out great! Also I work all over. I used to be bummed when I seen I had a 3 hour drive to a job. Now I think it is really cool because I can take a break and go get a cache in a cool new area. It has made work so much more fun!

[+jellis]

Gets me out of the house

Learned to do something else to keep me busy

See places I've never been to or thought of going to

Made new friends

[+niraD]

Sometimes, it's an excuse for a trip, whether that trip is a short detour on my bike commute, a long hike through the woods, a drive somewhere off the beaten path, or a chance to try something new (e.g., kayaking).

 

Sometimes, it's about interesting places, whether those places are historic, scenic, or artistic. (I especially enjoy caches that draw attention to public art.)

 

Sometimes, it's about the challenge, whether the challenge is solving a puzzle, finding a well-camouflaged cache, or retrieving a cleverly placed container. (I especially enjoy on-site puzzles and caches with 4-star camouflage.)

 

And sometimes it's about companionship, although I don't make it to events, unevents, and group hikes very often...

[+Love Cachers]

My wife & I enjoy the road trips that we go on hunting for certain caches.

It gets us outside and hiking. We are in our 50's and we have a blast climbing mountains, hills and trees.

We get an adrenaline rush when we find a cache that others have had problems finding.

 

We've found a geocache in all 254 counties in Texas and all 77 counties in Oklahoma.

Currently we are working on getting a geocache in every county in Kansas and Tennessee.

Not too many folks can say that they've been in every county in Texas (and other states).

[+u1bd2005]

I enjoy the peace and quiet when walking, so caching gives me the extra push to walk more, discover new places, and gives me time on my own too, which I always need lol.

[+Frank Broughton]

An excuse to go see places I have not seen before, to hike, in whatever weather, and a way to categorize all those places and spots I went to with maps and pictures and occasionally, find some cool cache containers to boot.

 

My sentiments exactly. I love documenting the places I go to find a geocache with pictures. Love saving hiking tracks from my GPS of said. My BaseCamp software is FULL of info!

 

I will add, I love placing geocaches for other people to find. I love trying to come up with places and ideas of hides that people will have no choice by say so in the log, no TFTC's.....

[+ras_oscar]

It gets mee of my butt, visiting places I've never been. Each year I set a geo goal, which I pursue throughout the year. This year I set a goal of 1000 finds. Next year's goal will be to post a log on all caches within my home state still active that were placed in 2000 and 2001.

[+Dog Town]

1: I enjoy talking to police

2: I enjoy the looks on peoples faces when I try to explain geocaching

3: I enjoy the thrill of looking on clearly private areas with 'no trespassing' signs one foot from groiund zero

4: I enjoy that I'm already at walmart, so may as well get that 'lamp skirt' cache here.

5: I enjoy looking in a huge forest, with infinite spaces to hide something as big as a car...to find that 'nano'

6: Other than these personal things that I enjoy...Pretty much what all the other posters have posted. I really enjoy geocaching.

[+tamwood53]

Geocaching gets me out in the woods, where I can take the time to slow down, and focus on the small things in the world around me. I get to see the things around me I don't often, in a hurried world, take the time to see, hear, smell, or experience. In short it is my sanity time!

[+sasqwatches]

ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED

[+briansnat]

The places it brings me and the people I meet through it.

[+JimC61]

1. It gets me out of the house.

2. I have found some really cool places near me that I never knew existed.

3. I have met some very friendly people.

 

And most importantly, I got to spend some quality time with my 3 daughters. We spent the summer tracking down caches around our house. We got to hike in the woods. We had to sneak up on some hides to avoid the muggles. We laughed a lot. And then we laughed some more. I am so glad we found this hobby.

[+Oxford Stone]

Thrill of the find

Poring over maps

Knowing more corners of that map than I would otherwise

Poring over stats

Walking

Subversion

Meeting people (though lone caching has its plus points too)

Educating my son - observation, map-reading, respecting nature, getting out for a walk on a Saturday. And again on a Sunday.

Solving puzzles / challenges

Setting puzzles / challenges

[+KazumiSun]

I love hiking, And really enjoy the challenge of finding a cache. THERE hard to find..... : ). I enjoy reading up on geo. it's a new hobby for me stil learning how to use a gps, And I DIY cache to look like a log....I get a lot of positive remarks on my cache....and I love there caches all over the world and open to all, children to extreme hikers......

[+geodarts]

I began caching because it was fun to have specific focus for a hike - to be on new trails, to revisit ones that I had not walked in quite a while, to look for photo opportunities. So location, friends I made through this game, a reason to write a log, and curiosity are all important. The search is probably the least interesting thing about the game to me. When I think about it, these are reasons that I both cache and do not cache.

Edited October 22, 2013 by geodarts

[+Oxford Stone]

I began caching because it was fun to have specific focus for a hike - to be on new trails, to revisit ones that I had not walked in quite a while, to look for photo opportunities. So location, friends I made through this game, a reason to write a log, and curiosity are all important. The search is probably the least interesting thing about the game to me. When I think about it, these are reasons that I both cache and do not cache.

OP, see also the thread I started a month or two ago about changing priorities, which got some really interesting answers about how caching can evolve for people.

[+Psychoticjesters]

It saved me from all the hours I wasted playing video games all day long lol. I'd actually feel guilty about that former hobby. Like man, I just wasted the whole day in my room beating (insert popular game of the month here) and never even stepped outside today .

But now that I'm into geocaching I'm actually out there exercising, finding new cool places and learning stuff (I favor the 7m< hiking trail caches and solving puzzles to heavy urban caching). I've since begun sighting various types of wildlife I never even knew lived around my area growing up! Combine that with photography, another little hobby of mine, and I've gotten more great picture opportunities in a month of caching than in a years worth of just hanging out around the house, mall ect. Then I get to go and upload the pics I took that day for the caching community to see. Nothing spoilery to the cache itself, but more like close ups of birds, snakes, sunsets ect. Anything interesting I find along the way. I might not have gotten into it as much as I am now if it wasn't for being able to share my pictures and all the other online features that come with logging them.

[+Ma & Pa]

Caching is not simply about going out and finding caches. Caching can take over your life.We are two obsessed cachers in our late sixties. Here are some of the positive aspects of caching which keep us busy, active and mentally fit. :

 

*Making new friends

*Events

*Travel

*Spending the day caching with friends

*Meeting cachers in far away places (UK, USA, Other provinces)

*Caching adventures

*Hiking & Biking

*Discovering back roads and new places

*Entertaining the grandsons

*Solving puzzles

*Learning and using new software and hardware.

*Reading interesting logs

*Corresponding with cachers about puzzles, etc

*Moving TB’s and coins

*Reading forums and other caching sites

*Writing in forums

*Learning and sharing techniques for hides, camo etc.

*Enjoying & Marvelling at some of the wonderful intrigung caches.

*ETC ETC.

[+TJPost]

We used to want to go for a walk, but didn't know where to go. Thanks to geocaching we now know where there are tons of parks nearby. We're getting exercise, our 2-year-old German Shepherd loves getting out on the trail, we've gotten family members interested so now we're spending more time with them while caching and we've made lots of great friends through attending events. Also, we do disaster response for 3 weeks at a time and we have the weekends free. We go caching and find lots of great hiking trails and historical plaques. We love to go camping and spend hours hiking/caching and we also enjoy going out for an afternoon, especially if friends or family are available to go with us - then we can talk, hike, and cache.

[+suchanana]

touching base with nature and treasure hunting are both primal needs filled with the joy of geocaching...

 

also, let's not forget the bonuses of moving travelbugs towards their goals, meeting other geocachers at events, sharing remarkable finds' tales and lastly,

the selfies pix i take at the most unlikely locations...

Edited October 23, 2013 by suchanana

[crackheadfreeze]

Thank you so much to everyone who has responded so far. This is all very insightful and helpful information.

 

All of this information is going to be complied into an introduction to my photography book about geocaching.

 

Here's an example of the format structure: http://www.behance.net/HaleyFriesen/wip