How can you get so many?

[+AnnieLoups]

This was my first posting on the forum and I am staggered by the response. It has been really interesting reading all the different opinions. I don't think we have power trails in the UK but, reading the comments and from my perspective, I don't think they'd be for me anyway. I like finding 'crafty' caches in interesting places. I often think geocaching does more in the way to inform us of places to visit and sites to see than travel guides!

[+thebruce0]

I often think geocaching does more in the way to inform us of places to visit and sites to see than travel guides!

So very true! I visited Iceland, and geocaches were my primary 'tour' guide Since it's such a popular tourist destination right now, pretty much any place you look for the 'usual' attractions will be overwhelmed by visitors. But there are just as many, if not more, amazing places that are less known, if only because they're more out of the way. Plus, geocache listings feel like a more direct first-hand report of a location/site than even reading "reviews" on the internet.

Edited June 19, 2017 by thebruce0

[+J Grouchy]

I often think geocaching does more in the way to inform us of places to visit and sites to see than travel guides!

 

One other way to think of it: Geocaching can familiarize a person with their own home town more than practically any other activity. I've lived in Atlanta, Georgia for over 30 years...since I was in 4th grade. Most of that time, I always felt like I knew roughly how to get around our confusing network of winding roads and knew the layout of most of the major parts of town. Then I started geocaching and I've seen more little unknown parks and corners and landmarks and shortcuts and out-of-the-way places in the past 4+ years than I ever did in the almost 30 years before that. When I visit some place that is new to my family or friends, I now will often recognize that I'd been there before and can find my way around better because of the fact that I have already had to find a place to park or find a trail through the woods or access a neighborhood because of a geocache.

 

For me it isn't just about finding some scenic spot or challenging hiking trail. It's about learning my way around my own home town in a way I never had to before. That's far more valuable than anyone ever seems to acknowledge in here.

[+Team Microdot]

I often think geocaching does more in the way to inform us of places to visit and sites to see than travel guides!

 

One other way to think of it: Geocaching can familiarize a person with their own home town more than practically any other activity. I've lived in Atlanta, Georgia for over 30 years...since I was in 4th grade. Most of that time, I always felt like I knew roughly how to get around our confusing network of winding roads and knew the layout of most of the major parts of town. Then I started geocaching and I've seen more little unknown parks and corners and landmarks and shortcuts and out-of-the-way places in the past 4+ years than I ever did in the almost 30 years before that. When I visit some place that is new to my family or friends, I now will often recognize that I'd been there before and can find my way around better because of the fact that I have already had to find a place to park or find a trail through the woods or access a neighborhood because of a geocache.

 

For me it isn't just about finding some scenic spot or challenging hiking trail. It's about learning my way around my own home town in a way I never had to before. That's far more valuable than anyone ever seems to acknowledge in here.

 

That observation resonates with me in a form I've come to refer to as small world effect.

 

I've found it quite pleasant on a number of occasions to come to the realisation that places which have felt quite distant from one another, especially where line of sight is limited and probably as a result of how I've arrived there, often 'rub shoulders' with one another in reality. Sometimes that realisation has been followed up by the further realisation that with only slight adjustment I can get to places more quickly on foot from a familiar parking location that previously would have involved more driving to what appeared to a parking location closer to where I was headed.

 

TL;DR - the more you explore the world the smaller it seems to become.

[+cerberus1]

I have heard tell of a team that goes out to a park or cache-rich area and spreads out, each member with a stamp with all the names on it. So you have separate people on separate trails finding caches and stamping everyone's name on each cache they find. Then they all return to the car and move on. Everyone's name gets on every cache, but each individual was only present at 1/4 or so of the cache finds.

We've seen similar, and when I saw this new "Tagging" feature (meant for "friends" lists I guess...) from a week ago, unfortunately this is what I thought of.

Not it'd be so much easier.

[+J Grouchy]

I just had my busiest caching day ever yesterday. 50 caches (45 of them part of a Geo-Art series based on the show "Survivor"). I feel confident in saying I'll probably never do that much in one day again.

 

Got the whole 45 cache series in just under 7 hours, a combination of driving and walking trails. Completely solo.

 

Edited June 26, 2017 by J Grouchy

[+Sachef]

Adventure Labs can make finding many quite easy as well. It’s very possible to find a cache every minute for half an hour with a combination of ALs. (Just running, not driving.)