Promoting the sport

[Guest EcoDrive]

What can I do to promote GeoCaching in my area? I doubt that anyone, except for maybe a handful of people, in my area even knows that such a sport exists. There are a total of 3 caches within a 30 mile radius of where I live. I would like to see that increase.

What have you done in the past to make people in your town aware of the sport of geocaching & get them involved in hunting caches & placing caches of their own? Has anyone started a user group or club? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks & Happy New Year!

[Guest rgs]

I'm in St. louis and we have lots of caches in the area to hunt. But, I think it would be good to have involvement with the City or Parks department to help promote the sport/hobby. I've setup a multi cache 'course' for the City of Crestwood that they will support and sponsor. Depending on the weather, we should have it up and running sometime next week. See the thread http://forums.Groundspeak.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/001340.html for some of the details.

 

Richard

[Guest jonser]

Perhaps you could get the local newspaper or television station to do a story on it. I discovered geocaching from a newspaper article. Good luck.

Jonser

[Guest tedoca]

OR..... you could just go out and hide a whole bunch of really creative caches for folks to find... that oughta do it!

[Guest tedoca]

OR..... you could just go out and hide a whole bunch of really creative caches for folks to find... that oughta do it!

[Guest EraSeek]

quote:

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Originally posted by tedoca:

OR..... you could just go out and hide a whole bunch of really creative caches for folks to find... that oughta do it!

---

 

Exactly! When I first started I had the only caches between Everett, Wa. and the Canadian boarder. There is a ton now. Plant them and they will come. And the newspaper reporters and TV crews will follow as well.

 

Dropping a note to the local newspaper wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Guest EraSeek]

quote:

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Originally posted by tedoca:

OR..... you could just go out and hide a whole bunch of really creative caches for folks to find... that oughta do it!

---

 

Exactly! When I first started I had the only caches between Everett, Wa. and the Canadian boarder. There is a ton now. Plant them and they will come. And the newspaper reporters and TV crews will follow as well.

 

Dropping a note to the local newspaper wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Guest Clay]

I would try to get the newspaper to do an article about it in your area. Also, I see someone just hit your cache, email them and see what they think. Maybe try to kink up with them for an article.

[Guest web-ling]

ize="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:

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Originally posted by Clay:

Maybe try to kink up with them for an article.

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Now that would attract attention...

[Guest web-ling]

ize="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:

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Originally posted by Clay:

Maybe try to kink up with them for an article.

---

 

Now that would attract attention...

[Guest web-ling]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clay:

Maybe try to kink up with them for an article.

---

 

Now that would attract attention...

[Guest web-ling]

quote:

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Originally posted by Clay:

Maybe try to kink up with them for an article.

---

 

Now that would attract attention...

[Guest Ramness570]

Heres my mobile billboard on my cache hunting mobile. I had this made for the back of my Xterra

 

pic removed since I found original!!!

 

its 26" across, all the lettering and black parts of the logo were done in white. I had some pics of the decal on the window but photopoint shut down and I haven't taken any new ones yet. Its fun to read peoples lips in the rear view mirror at stoplights as they read it with a confused look on their face...

 

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Brian & TabascoX

Senior Member Southeast Xterra Club

Geocaching since October 2000.

 

[This message has been edited by Ramness570 (edited 08 January 2002).]

[Guest essay]

And maybe if the local newspaper does a story on it, the reporter will become a geocacher too! That's what happened in my case, at least.

 

A geocacher in our area emailed our features editor in the fall of 2000, and the editors' general response was, "No one actually does this, this is a joke, right?" Then when articles came up on the wire, they gave it a little more thought. I liked the idea because it sounded like a sport I could actually do, as opposed to rockclimbing and kayaking and the other death-defying sports we usually did stories on. So I eventually got the assignment in September, 2001.

 

I met with a local geocacher who put the GPS in my hand and made me find a cache he'd placed. We visited a second cache to get more photos for the story, and I realized there's a lot of pretty hiking trails around here that I didn't know about. Then when I interviewed Jeremy, he commented that geocaching is a great way to keep kids motivated when you're first introducing them to the outdoors -- hiking isn't just a long walk in summer heat with no apparent destination, it turns into a game of hide and seek. Bingo! I have two kids. And they end up finding a lot more than just the cache. Jeremy also commented (you can just refer your reporter to this message and he won't actually have to interview Jeremy ... ) that geocaching is a way to combine the hi-tech world with the outdoors. That reminded me of one of my coworkers at the paper, so I introduced him to geocaching as well.

 

Less than six months later he's found 18, I've found 11 -- we live in the southeast corner of Idaho, and so Utah and Wyoming caches aren't too far away -- and between us we've hidden 5 caches in our area. He specifically wanted to hide some in town so people could try caching after work or at lunchtime, and that seems to have encouraged a few newcomers -- most (but not all) who log our caches are showing as having found fewer than five. And one cacher who logged ours early in his caching career has just placed his own cache a few days ago.

 

Not everyone that uses a GPS is gonna love this sport -- a friend of mine whose husband is mesmerized by the little black line that appears on the GPS on every interstate trip they go on decided to give her hubby a "geocaching kit" for Christmas, but he didn't seem tremendously impressed. So, next step is to take him on a hunt and see if that helps.

 

Hopefully, that offers some encouragement. Good luck!

[Guest glenn95630]

Here are old threads with info

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000097.html

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000047.html

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000140.html

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000194.html

 

[This message has been edited by glenn95630 (edited 03 January 2002).]

[Guest Snowtrail]

I lead hikes for the Sierra Club and joined with the Parks and Rec to advertise a cache hunt. I had 8 people go along with me, two had a GPS already but didn't really use it. They now have an excuse.

 

I've also taken several friends on occasion and have dragged my parents out to show why I am so addicted to this game. I think my mom is going to buy my dad one now.

[Guest Ramness570]

Ah ha! I found the pic. Here is my Mobile billboard.

 

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Brian & TabascoX

Senior Member Southeast Xterra Club

Geocaching since October 2000.

[Guest Markwell]

Hey Ramness570, can you link the first image to a smaller one (or delete that reference since you found the better one)? Some of us are still on 800x600 screens

 

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Markwell

My Geocache Page

Non omnes vagi perditi sunt

[Guest Markwell]

Hey Ramness570, can you link the first image to a smaller one (or delete that reference since you found the better one)? Some of us are still on 800x600 screens

 

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Markwell

My Geocache Page

Non omnes vagi perditi sunt

[Guest Ramness570]

maybe some day ill learn how to resize images

[Guest web-ling]

t face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Ramness570:

maybe some day ill learn how to resize images

---

 

Here, use this one:

[Guest web-ling]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ramness570:

maybe some day ill learn how to resize images

---

 

Here, use this one:

[Guest RedwoodRed]

I think that this is an important topic - probably because I would love to see more folks in my area placing and hunting geocaches.

 

Since I occasionally write personal interest articles for the local paper, I put together one on geocaching and just asked my friends and the few other local geocachers I know to give me a few comments on what they like about the sport/hobby. I submitted it to the paper and it made front page, with a photo of Seesthewind (Mike) and Redwoodmama (no relation).

 

Seesthewind, attempting to have a similar reaction, printed up a flyer (complete with the Geocaching.com official cache letter on the back) and took them to every store in the area that might possibly sell GPSR's, including Wal-Mart and K-Mart. The manager at Wal-Mart says that quite a few people pick up the flyers, and most of the folks who buy GPSR's say that they will be using them for geocaching.

 

My S.O. and I also put together a GPS/Geocaching demonstration for our local Amateur Radio club this month. I printed up some information about GPSR's and the technology that makes them work for geocaching (Hams like to know the technical side of stuff), APRS, the NAVSTAR system and links to all of the info I found. We then made up a geocache filled with Ham radio related stuff (solder, PL-259's, etc.) and gave them the coordinates, but didn't post it to the geocaching website. So far, two Hams have found it.

 

But the biggest way I can see to promote geocaching is just by telling everyone you know about it. Especially Gadget Geeks. Here, the biggest employer is a state prison. The correctional officers here have a much higher disposable income, and are more likely to purchase "gadgets" or toys. I would be willing to bet that most of these folks already have GPSR's just sitting collecting dust somewhere. When the weather clears up, I hope that they will be out and about looking.

 

Hope that gives you an idea or two.

 

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Lori aka: RedwoodRed

KF6VFI

"I don't get lost, I investigate alternative destinations."

http://www.geogadgets.com

http://www.beautywithattitude.com

http://www.w6hy.org

[Guest geospotter]

Someone suggested on one of the threads that we print up brochures explaining the sport. Brochures are nice, but too large and you never seem to have one with you when you need it. So I created a folding business card that is easy to carry (I keep a couple in my wallet). It folds to the same size as a business card but gives you much more space for text.

 

I don't know if you can read the text in this image. I originally used the term 'game' but later changed it to 'recreational activity' since rangers don't seem to like games but love recreational activities.

 

Anyway, whenever geocaching comes up in conversation (and I usually will get it there eventually) I have a handy explanation of what it is.

 

[Guest VentureForth]

Do you have that in Word format so we can download it and print up a few of our own? Maybe even just the text part...

 

Share!! Share!!

 

OK... I'm lazy to come up with my own, but it IS a great idea!

 

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VentureForth out to the wild, wet forest...

[Guest geospotter]

My exact text really isn't important. It was pulled here and there from other explanations. But I will include it here. If we could all agree on specific wording I would be happy to produce a PDF file of both sides of the card.

 

Here's the text (I hope it pastes well) --

 

Geocaching is a worldwide recreational activity dedicated to GPS (Global Positioning System) users. It involves a GPS user hiding a "treasure" (usually a waterproof container of trinkets) and posting the exact coordinates so other GPS users can come on a "treasure hunt" to find it. There are caches of all kinds for all ages and are usually placed in interesting locations in your area that you may not know about. That makes it all the more interesting to find! When you find one take any trinket you like and leave one of your own to keep the cache full.

 

If you'd like to play it's easy (and free). If you already own a GPS and have access to the World Wide Web, then you have everything you need. Just logon to www.geocaching.com and check for caches in your area.(I live in western Massachusetts and there are nearly 400 caches within 100 miles of my house!) So, go to the website, plug the coordinates of a cache near you into your GPS, and go find it!

 

Make changes to make it your own.

[Guest brokenwing]

quote:

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Originally posted by geospotter:

Geocaching is a worldwide recreational activity dedicated to GPS (Global Positioning System) users. It involves a GPS user hiding a "treasure" (usually a waterproof container of trinkets) and posting the exact coordinates so other GPS users can come on a "treasure hunt" to find it. There are caches of all kinds for all ages and are usually placed in interesting locations in your area that you may not know about. That makes it all the more interesting to find! When you find one take any trinket you like and leave one of your own to keep the cache full.

---

 

I would recommend changing the word treasure to cache, and the phrase "treasure hunt" to "scavenger hunt" or something similar. For some, the concept of a "treasure hunt" conjures up images of digging up buried treasure, ala pirates. This is not something most land use managers are going to go for, so taking steps to quell the suspicion would be appropriate in my book.

 

I still like the brochure idea. I'll see what I can work up when I get a chance.

 

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Brokenwing

http://www.cordianet.com/geocaching

 

[This message has been edited by brokenwing (edited 13 February 2002).]

[Guest CYBret]

I love the cards . . working on putting one together right now.

This is a great start towards getting the fun and excitement across about this activity. One thing that I think would need to be emphasized in a brochure (especially for parks) is the "Cache in/Trash out" aspect of the game. When they realize we're there to make their jobs easier I think we'll be a lot more welcomed.

[Guest CYBret]

lly for parks) is the "Cache in/Trash out" aspect of the game. When they realize we're there to make their jobs easier I think we'll be a lot more welcomed.

[Guest geospotter]

Ok, I've re-worked the language a bit to remove the treasure aspect. I agree, wrong sentiment. I've also tried to make it sound appealing to both officials and new players alike. Please feel free to use any of the wording that you like for your own cards.

 

Here's how it stands now --

 

Geocaching is a worldwide outdoor activity for GPS (Global Positioning System) users, their families, and friends. "Caches"(weatherproof containers of goodies) are hidden in exciting locations around the world and their exact GPS coordinates are then posted on the Internet. Anyone with a

GPS and a sense of adventure is invited to try their hand at finding them. When you find one, take any trinket you like from the cache and leave one of your own to keep the

cache full. There are caches of all kinds for all ages, making geocaching a wonderful family activity.

 

 

If you'd like to join in the fun it's easy (and free). If you already own a GPS and have access to the Internet, then you have everything you need. Just logon to

www.geocaching.com and check for caches in your area. (I live in western Massachusetts and there are nearly 400 caches within 100 miles of my house!) So, go to the website and read more about geocaching. Then plug the coordinates of a cache near you into your GPS, and go find it!

 

Comments?

[Guest brokenwing]

I like that better. This thread also reminds me of some "form letters" some of us have worked on in the past for seeking permission from land use agencies.

 

You can see the forum topic where that was discussed here. I'd guess geospotter's card and the stuff in that post could be reworked into a brochure pretty easily.

 

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Brokenwing

http://www.cordianet.com/geocaching

[Guest brokenwing]

I like that better. This thread also reminds me of some "form letters" some of us have worked on in the past for seeking permission from land use agencies.

 

You can see the forum topic where that was discussed here. I'd guess geospotter's card and the stuff in that post could be reworked into a brochure pretty easily.

 

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Brokenwing

http://www.cordianet.com/geocaching

[Guest beetle]

Someone posted a car windshield "sticker" that read something like "Warning... Geocacher on board and may make frequent stops" and then the geocaching URL. I can't find that post anywhere! Can anyone help or tell me who posted it so I can e-mail him/her to order one?

 

Thanks,

- beetle

[Guest Blindman]

Getting people together tends to build momentum too. When people start caching together, they tend to spread the word automatically. Whether an organized event, or just a few guys going out on hunts on weekends, cool things happen when people get together.

 

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My boy, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[Guest VentureForth]

I added the following paragraph to Geospotter's card for our Ranger friends. Let me know what I can change:

 

Geocaching.com encourages a friendly attitude towards natural resources with its ?Cache-In, Trash-Out? philosophy. Geocachers are encouraged to tread lightly in the wilderness, respect private property and to remove litter from public places whenever possible. Geocachers understand that the future of this activity depends on maintaining respectful, open communication with local, state, and federal officials.

 

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VentureForth out to the wild, wet forest...

 

[This message has been edited by VentureForth (edited 15 February 2002).]

[Guest geospotter]

VentureForth, I love it!

 

You actually found room on the card to add more? Must be a very small font!

 

Great job. Anyone else?

[Guest VentureForth]

quote:

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Originally posted by geospotter:

You actually found room on the card to add more? Must be a very small font!

---

 

Well, actually, no. I'll just have to see how it turns out. I could put it on both inside flaps and, if necessary, the outside back flap. I'll play with it and let you know how it goes.

 

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VentureForth out to the wild, wet forest...

[Guest VentureForth]

quote:

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Originally posted by geospotter:

You actually found room on the card to add more? Must be a very small font!

---

 

Well, actually, no. I'll just have to see how it turns out. I could put it on both inside flaps and, if necessary, the outside back flap. I'll play with it and let you know how it goes.

 

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VentureForth out to the wild, wet forest...

[Guest VentureForth]

I did find more room. I use Century Schoolbook font at 8 point and italisized. I put the GEOCACHING.COM logo on the front, the first two paragraphs inside the front cover, my added paragraph and the Groundspeak logo on the inside of the back cover and the 'Cache-In, Trash-Out' logo on the back cover. I don't have anywhere online to store the file I put together or photo's of the cards. Maybe someday soon.

 

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VentureForth out to the wild, wet forest...

[Guest VentureForth]

I did find more room. I use Century Schoolbook font at 8 point and italisized. I put the GEOCACHING.COM logo on the front, the first two paragraphs inside the front cover, my added paragraph and the Groundspeak logo on the inside of the back cover and the 'Cache-In, Trash-Out' logo on the back cover. I don't have anywhere online to store the file I put together or photo's of the cards. Maybe someday soon.

 

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VentureForth out to the wild, wet forest...

[Guest YaesuMan]

You could make sure people see you... and when they give you that weird look only a geocacher could get, offer to tell them about it!

[Guest Lincoln]

quote:

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Originally posted by beetle:

Someone posted a car windshield "sticker" that read something like "Warning... Geocacher on board and may make frequent stops" and then the geocaching URL. I can't find that post anywhere! Can anyone help or tell me who posted it so I can e-mail him/her to order one?

 

Thanks,

- beetle

---

 

Try this: http://www.gpscentral.ca/accessories/geoaccessories.htm

 

- Lincoln

[Guest Lincoln]

rial" size="2">Originally posted by beetle:

Someone posted a car windshield "sticker" that read something like "Warning... Geocacher on board and may make frequent stops" and then the geocaching URL. I can't find that post anywhere! Can anyone help or tell me who posted it so I can e-mail him/her to order one?

 

Thanks,

- beetle

---

 

Try this: http://www.gpscentral.ca/accessories/geoaccessories.htm

 

- Lincoln

[Guest Lincoln]

Originally posted by Lincoln:

 

The first post was for Canada.

 

Here is one for Groundspeak

 

Try this:

 

[http://shop.Groundspeak.com/