History of Geocaching Types

[+FloridaJim]

Does anyone know if there is a list showing when the various geocaching types were first used?  I think we can all agree the first traditional was placed in 2000.  I know the first trackable was released in 2001, the first Earthcache was done in 2004 and the first Wherigo was published in 2008.  The first A.P.E. Cache was also 2001.  But what about the first unknown/mystery, multi, virtual, letterbox hybrid, web cam, event, CITO, mega, or giga? 

The reason I ask is that the Space Coast Geocaching Association is hosting it's 18th Annual Picnic in the Park on January 25, 2025 and we are hiding 25 new caches, each with a theme to Geocaching events and milestones.  Knowing when various cache types were first used would provide some theme suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

[Moun10Bike]

This list of mine might provide some info: https://www.geocaching.com/plan/lists/BMA9PHT

[+The Leprechauns]

You might also enjoy the story and pictures in this Geocaching Blog post about the first cache of each type.

 

Best regards, from the host of the world's first CITO Event.

[+igator210]

18 hours ago, Moun10Bike said:

This list of mine might provide some info: https://www.geocaching.com/plan/lists/BMA9PHT

Interesting about Letterboxes. Is there no way to confirm when Letterboxes were introduced?

[+arisoft]

2 hours ago, igator210 said:

Interesting about Letterboxes. Is there no way to confirm when Letterboxes were introduced?

 

1854

 

Geocaching and different cache types are a continuum of Letterboxing. Some of them have been published as letterbox hybrid geocaches.

 

See more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterboxing_(hobby)

[+FloridaJim]

Thanks Moun10Bike!  Somehow I knew you would have the answer.  This list is excellent.

[+igator210]

21 hours ago, arisoft said:

 

1854

 

Geocaching and different cache types are a continuum of Letterboxing. Some of them have been published as letterbox hybrid geocaches.

 

See more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterboxing_(hobby)

Thank you for pointing out that I needed to use more words and my question was ill formed.

I was wondering if there was no way to figure out when Letterbox Hybrids where added to the Geocaching digital database as a cache type, regardless if other cache types were converted to a letterbox hybrid type. 

Edited October 24, 2024 by igator210

[+The Leprechauns]

The birth of cache types, including the idea for a Letterbox Hybrid type, can be traced back to this forum thread from May 2001.  "Guest jeremy" is, of course, Jeremy Irish.

[Moun10Bike]

Thanks for the link to that old forum thread, Lep! I've added it to the description on my bookmark list.

[+Clongo_Rongo]

On 10/22/2024 at 6:29 PM, Moun10Bike said:

This list of mine might provide some info: https://www.geocaching.com/plan/lists/BMA9PHT

looking at the list

 

i thought https://coord.info/GC3E - Lane Cove

 

is the oldest virtual in the world ? ..

[Moun10Bike]

4 minutes ago, Clongo_Rongo said:

looking at the list

 

i thought https://coord.info/GC3E - Lane Cove

 

is the oldest virtual in the world ? ..

 

It may be the oldest cache listing with that designation now, but it was initially listed as a traditional and was converted to a virtual in late 2002. Many other virtuals had been published prior to that.

[+Clongo_Rongo]

11 minutes ago, Moun10Bike said:

 

It may be the oldest cache listing with that designation now, but it was initially listed as a traditional and was converted to a virtual in late 2002. Many other virtuals had been published prior to that.

 

ok i get that

 

but what is the official statistic  - as in i can say i have found the oldest virtual in the world ?

[Moun10Bike]

14 minutes ago, Clongo_Rongo said:

 

ok i get that

 

but what is the official statistic  - as in i can say i have found the oldest virtual in the world ?

 

Well, who's defining what "oldest" is in this scenario? There's no such thing as "official" for something like this, especially when there is so much uncertainty around true dates. I could see some challenge considering Lane Cove as the oldest just because it has the lowest ID in the database, but in my opinion, the oldest would be the first listing that was published and available with the quality in question (in this case, the virtual cache type).

[+Clongo_Rongo]

8 minutes ago, Moun10Bike said:

 

Well, who's defining what "oldest" is in this scenario? There's no such thing as "official" for something like this, especially when there is so much uncertainty around true dates. I could see some challenge considering Lane Cove as the oldest just because it has the lowest ID in the database, but in my opinion, the oldest would be the first listing that was published and available with the quality in question (in this case, the virtual cache type).

 

i presume Project GC is the official Statistics information 

 

if a challenge cache was set on the oldest of each type = would Lane Cove be the first ? 

Edited October 25, 2024 by Clongo_Rongo