Caching Injuries

[+Masher]

Last week, I did a cache up Cambridgeshire way. As the weather was unexpectedly pleasant, I stupidly chose to wear shorts. Not only did I get stung to hell on the nettles, but I got bitten to pieces by insects. The following day, both legs had swollen badly and I could hardly walk!

 

Yesterday, whilst rummaging through the undergrowth in search of an elusive cache, a small branch sprung back on me and poked me in the eye. Don't laugh, it didn't half hurt! It actually scratched my eyeball, and I spent the rest of the day walking around with only one working eye.

And on top of that, with all the rain, I think I've probably got trench foot!

 

It got me wondering if anyone has had any 'serious' injuries as a result of this hobby.

 

I can't find anything in the small print of my Life Insurance that mentions Geocaching

 

Mark

----------------------

I was technical once

[+The Hornet]

All sounds horribly familiar Masher! I made the "shorts mistake" one sunny day a few weeks ago. Never again ;-(

 

I've also twisted my ankle about a mile away from the car, been torn to shreds by brambles and soaked to the skin.

 

Despite all this we keep coming back for more. Maybe people who think I'm mad have a point!

[+John Stead]

Sounds oh so familiar! Been lucky so far to have nothing worse that cuts and scratches and bites and bruises and soakings and ....

Most of my friends think we're mad - maybe so but its fun.

Geocaching kit when I remember to pack it includes gauntlet gloves (for the nettle and bramble patches), stick (for the same venues and mud), trowel for buried caches (not sure if those should be around because of possible damage?), glasses to protect the eyes but needed anyway to see! (have so far only lost one lense), whistle (well maybe) plus the usual navigational gear!

[LazyLeopard]

Worst I've managed is about 6 square inches of blisters after a day's hot hard bush-walking to find Cache Number 12 in Western Australia... Ok, so it did suggest taking a 4x4...

 

Purrs... LazyLeopard http://www.lazyleopard.org.uk

[+Lassitude]

Just got back from a driving holiday round Europe and had an absolute nightmare in Denmark. The first cache was after a rainstorm at the end of a runway so every time a plane took off large water droplets fell from the leaves drenching me. Then the monsterous mosquitoes dined on me and that left me looking like a leper the next morning. The following morning I did a cache which I failed to find, lost my GPS pouch and got torn to shreds by brambles thrashing through undergrowth, got stung so bad by nettles that my legs were still burning the following morning (along with the itching of th inflamed Mosquito bites).

 

I don't know why but I seem to ignore pain when I am trying to find a cache and only realise what I have done afterwards.

 

I know pack a pair of leggings and mosquito repellant (Deet based stuff is best! It kills 'em if they come near you!).

 

Chris

 

LASSITUDE- (noun) Tiredness and apathy: a state of weariness accompanied by listlessness or apathy[15th century. Via French from Latin lassitudo , from lassus 'weary'.]

[+honeychile]

Poison ivy/oak/sumac is my biggest problem. Because I get scratched a lot in the hunt (fair skin, red hair), I have to be really careful not to let a bruised poison ivy leaf touch a fresh scratch or I go systemic within 24 hours.

 

As I'm enjoying a nice dose of steroids for the next 10 days (along with break-out from head to toe), I'm rethinking my position on barrier cremes.

 

The doc said, "well, this proves that you have a healthy, intact immune system."

 

-honeychile <--- chanting "leaves 3, let it be"

 

'*+.,_,.+*'`'*+.,_A joyful heart is good medicine!_,.+*'`'*+.,_,.+*'`

[+element14]

Not me, but someone who found one of my caches also found a wasps nest beforehand. OUCH! !