+Trafcon Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 I have been geocaching for almost a year now and have seen many logs of family finds. How many family cachers are there out there? My wife thinks I'm nuts but tolerates my geocaching quirks well. I have also taken all four of my kids out at one time or another and they are all kind of ho-hum and I get no volunteers when I ask enthusiastically "Who wants to go Geocaching?" I really envy folks like Ger in Florida and PDXMarathonman here in Oregon. They both have wonderful young kids who love to go caching with them. Some folks even have spouses who race them to make the find. I envy all of you. So what does your family think of this crazy sport?? KTF !!! GBWY !!! Quote Link to comment
+seneca Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 Trafcon, my geocaching experience with my wife and three kids is almost identical to yours - even down to the gray hair!. My wife and kids will occasionally come with me "to humor the old guy". In fact, for a fathers day gift my 16 year old son agreed to come geocaching with me - it turned out that he really did enjoy it (I think) . You may not agree with what I say, but I will defend, to your death, my right to say it!(it's a Joke, OK!) Quote Link to comment
+a182pilot Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 While my wife is a fan of the 1/1 caches and really like to go on those. The rest of us (daughter and son) like the more difficult caches and really enjoy going when I say "Who wants to geocaching". For the kids it's still the thrill of the treasure hunt. A182pilot & FAmily He who angers you, controls you. Quote Link to comment
+Dawgies Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My family loves it! That's the wife and 3 kids. Ages vary so when the terrain and difficulty increases we have to make ground zero changes. Normally my oldest boy and I do the crawling, poking, scaping and screaming thru the thicket while the wee little ones enjoy the nearby parks, but we all keep in touch with radios. ~Honest Value Never Fails~ Quote Link to comment
+jhwf44 Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My whole family enjoys geocaching...although sometimes not the real hard ones. It's a great way to enjoy some family time...it helps to spread the RASH!! jhwf4 Quote Link to comment
+GrnMtn Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My wife always sighs but my 4 and 6 year olds are very enthusiastic. But sometimes I think they would be just as happy to take something out of my bag of stuff to trade and skip the hike in the woods so it is hard to say. Quote Link to comment
+Web-ling Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My two kids, Miss Pumpkin (age 6) and Curly Tiger (age 3 1/2) each have over 120 finds with me. My wife Nutri-Mom tolerates it. She's good for one or two easy caches at a time. Quote Link to comment
+DutchBoy Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My wife enjoys going along with me on the hunts. She helps me keep proper perspective on the hobby, or I could easily get obsessed. My 7yo and 10yo like to go also, but they hate driving longer than an hour to get to the cache site. Once at the site, they love the hikes, and the hunt. Especially if there are toys in the cache. My wife and I actually have more fun when it is just the two of us. It is our quiet time alone. I usually do the boring caches myself and save the family caches for the four of us Quote Link to comment
+Belleterre Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 Hubby-thinks I'm too obsessed, occassionally goes on easy ones, better to leave him home. Dad-thinks I'm too obsessed, has gone on a couple easy locals, he did enjoy Extremophile and would go on others that involve a good hike. Mom-has enjoyed a few easy locals. Brother-enjoyed Extremophile and would go on others that involve a good hike. Son-age 25-has gone on a few-would be a great caching partner if he didn't live 2 hrs. away to the NE and work on weekends when I'm off. Daughter-age 23-went snow-shoe-caching with me this winter. Would do a lot more but she's 1-1/2 hrs. away to the S, working and going to college. If this had existed 10 years ago, when it was just me and my two teen-agers, I'd be pushing 1000 for a find count. They would have been great caching partners! Quote Link to comment
+Kfam Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 We try to get the time to go as a family. Sometimes if there's one near my daily travels, I'll do a lunchtime quickie or scope out a cache area to take the family to later. Dan Quote Link to comment
+brawdy Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My family is lukewarm about it mostly. Daughter (13 yrs) is more of a Nintendo freak than stomping through the woods/ferns/brambles kinda gal. Son (16 yrs) has gone a few times and seemed to enjoy it. Amazingly, he is always most anxious to open up the cache and find some cheap trinket. Husband has never been much of a techno-geek so geocaching is not high on his list of priorities. It never does to leave a live Dragon out of the equation. Quote Link to comment
+Borgt Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My wife and I are equally as enthusiastic about our new-found hobby. The kids (19, 18, and 15) think we're dorky... but they thought that even before we started Geocaching. Our 15 year old daughter has gone on a couple occasions, but would much rather "hang-out" with friends. Typical, I suppose. Quote Link to comment
+Moore9KSUcats Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 We started geocaching as a family, and usually plan our Saturdays for geocaching. Anywhere from 1 to 4 kids go with us.. 20, 18, and 16 yr old girls, and 10 yr old boy. Sometimes, unfortunately, other activities keep the girls from geocaching with us, but we try to plan around their activities, too. We even gave the most frequent babysitting clients our cell-phone number, since they often call with just a few hours notice! I will admit, though, that the 16 yr old misses the geocaching expeditions when she has plans with her friends or boyfriend. Both 16 and 20 yr old have taken their boyfriends geocaching, though, too, and other friends of each kid come with us from time to time. We have tried solo-caching, and it isn't near as fun! Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My wife seemed to enjoy, or at least tolerate Geocaching. We enjoyed hiking together, so it wasn't that much of a stretch. But we were out in Sacramento recently and I had printed about 2 dozen area cache pages before we left. It soon became her mission. I'd be sitting by the pool enjoying a local micro-brew and she would come down and suggest that we head out to look for some more caches. Our 12 year old daughter on the other hand, doesn't look forward to it. She's been hiking and backpacking since she was 3, but never developed a liking. When she's actually out there Geocaching, hiking or backpacking, she seems to enjoy it, but when I suggest a Geocaching, hiking or backpacking trip she is not pleased "Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing" - Helen Keller Quote Link to comment
GeoStars Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My husband was not at all impressed when I first discovered geocaching and thought I wasted my money on a GPS unit. He's since come around and enjoys it as much as I. However, he is (unfortunately) the more responsible of the two of us and will actually stay home to mow grass instead of geocaching! Our 7yo is the most enthusiastic of all the kids. He has always loved hiking and loves computers and gadgets so this is a perfect activity for him. Our 5yo is our reluctant hiker. Geocaching has made him a bit more willing to tolerate a stroll through the woods but I'm sure once he's old enough to stay home alone, he'll be done geocaching. Our 2yo loves hiking and geocaching. She can hike about 2 miles in moderate terrain already. Up until last fall we used a backpack carrier for her (or all-terrain stroller depending on conditions) but she now refuses either. She will ask to be carried briefly from time-to-time but usually is fighting with her oldest brother to be the *leader*. We also often geocache with my sister and her son or a friend and her two boys. It's hard to keep all the kids quiet and discreet at times but we do enjoy geocaching as a family activity. GeoMedic - team leader of GeoStars Quote Link to comment
SunCrush Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My fiance thinks that he is bad luck for me. I find them when he is at work but when ever we are together we have tried 2 of them and only found one, and he complains about the bugs. Poor Baby! Quote Link to comment
+DenaliNW Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My wife goes occassionally, but isn't really interested. Thankfully she happily lets me go often (A very good woman, who richly blesses me). My 4 month old son, simply sleeps in his stroller or in the carrier. Soon, I suspect he will find more interest. Quote Link to comment
+McIrish Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 My husband will go geocaching if there isn't anything else to do....my 17 year old son used to go, but now girls seem to be more important. Luckily my 80 year old dear dad loves it. He is in excellent shape and actually wears me out sometimes. He has planted a couple of caches himself. I guess, like father like daughter. "Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life." Quote Link to comment
the federation Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 The Federation is a collective whole.Dad,Mom,Son-in Law, 4 grandkids 3months to 10 years old. We all hunt together and in different combinations. Usualy Grandad, Grandma James 10 Phillip 7. We all like various types of caches, but havenot tried benchmarking yet. We love the variety of activities that geocaching offers us. Quote Link to comment
+TeamBullivant Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 Yes I am lucky. The wife really likes it and so do the kids (son 12, daughter 6) but the dog goes just nuts over it. We do other things on the same hunt day like start out at a dollar store or Wal-mart and get stuff for the hunt and stuff for each of us (dog included). Then we do the hunt and spend time in the area if there is other stuff to see or do. If it is hot we work swimming into the equation. If it is aways from the home coords we do the camping thing....life is great!! Quote Link to comment
PioneerGal Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 When my husband first started geocaching I thought he was crazy. I didn't really get involved in the sport heavily until this spring. Our son (5 years old) is a 1/1 kind of guy. He likes the caches, but sometimes whines about the hikes. He enjoys the outdoors and visiting new places, though, so that usually convinces him it will be a fun day! It's a family affair when possible and a partial family affair (husband and son, me and son, me and hubby) often. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. E Roosevelt Quote Link to comment
+Feros Family Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 My wife has to work on sat. and I have the kids (boy 12, boy 11, girl 6). The 12 year old has his choice on sat. (it is 50/50 with him) whether to go with us or not. The other 2 have to go but they love the swapping of the toys. Sundays my wife likes to chill at home and relax from the her work week, but she does do the more family oriented caches (picnic caches) with all of us on a sunday. Now if on Sat. I burn out the kids and my wife say's it is cool with her (I ask out of respect) than I will leave very early and go 3 hours away (or so) and cache till it is very dark. In summery we as a family do caches about 50% as a family. Me I am 100% addicted!!! And my wife tells me I have lost at least 10 lbs Quote Link to comment
+culpc Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 My wife is lukewarm on geocaching, however, our 16 year old daughter will usually go along. I do fear that she is about to become too cool to hang with Dad so I may become a solo-cacher! I guess the dog can keep coming. She is the real enthusiast! Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son! Quote Link to comment
Mossy Oak Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 My wife and I with 2 girls, ages 9 and 2. The 9 year old loves finding the cache, the 2-year-old just loves being outdoors being able to run around. The best thing of all is, just getting outdoors and finding a sport that a family can to together. Quote Link to comment
solohiker Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 My name says it all. Wilderness is best explored alone. Quote Link to comment
+bitbrain Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 We cache as a family and individually. The kids (Girls 10 & 8, Boy 4) love it. It's hard to get them out of the house on a hot Memphis afternoon, sometimes, but they have a ball hunting caches. The boy thinks everything -- everything -- is something good to put in a cache. The girls have each planned and placed their own caches. Since my wife doesn't get to go with me every time I go out, I set her up with her own ID. I think she likes getting out in the woods, but she hates spiders. - "This river don?t go to Aintry. You done taken a wrong turn." - Quote Link to comment
+Mudfrog Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 No kids here but my wife has really taken a liking to this. She has been very helpful, punching in coordinates, reading maps, helping me keep track of logs at the different caches. Of course we are still newlyweds, only been married 17 years, so maybe we just enjoy hanging around with each other no matter what we're doing! Quote Link to comment
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