Jump to content

The Inevitable Question


xyzabc

Recommended Posts

Is Caching really worth it?

 

Sure, you have a great time going out and seeking a cache. You get a load of exercise and get to see locations you would normally never go to.

 

But is it really worth it?

 

$200 or more for a GPS

trinkets for caches

cache containers

gas for your vehicle

various other items

 

For some of us this might seem like a lot, but to others a small fee to pay for years of enjoyment and excitement.

 

"Make it idiot proof, and someone will make a better idiot"

 

[This message was edited by TJWilson1 on August 06, 2002 at 09:17 PM.]

Link to comment

We heard about geocaching a couple of weeks ago... sounded like fun- combines all of our favorite things- the outdoors, exercise, technology...

 

We got an eTrex (yellow) for $120- as for the other stuff... we just decided we prefered geocaching to eating, so we used our food budget for geogas and cache items icon_smile.gif

 

Tara P

 

Tara P

Link to comment

We heard about geocaching a couple of weeks ago... sounded like fun- combines all of our favorite things- the outdoors, exercise, technology...

 

We got an eTrex (yellow) for $120- as for the other stuff... we just decided we prefered geocaching to eating, so we used our food budget for geogas and cache items icon_smile.gif

 

Tara P

 

Tara P

Link to comment

I can see where your going with this. Let me consider a few of my past/present "hobbies"

 

Stock car racing at local track: $2500 car; $100/week tires; $40 week fuel; $15 week oil; $2000+ misc engine parts, body panels, helmets, seat belts, etc.; 2 rollovers, 3 or 4 near misses from wrenches being thrown at me in the pits. A lot of other stuff I'm sure I forgot. Return from that ... prob $500 winnings in 2 years.

 

Computers: Proabably $15,000 invested in all the machines I've owned and still have. Value now, probably $700.

 

Drinking: At least $10,000 invested. Return from investment - loss of memory, beer belly, and marriage.

 

Marriage: $25,000 invested, plus many hours work. Divorce, add another $4000. Return from investment - peace from ex, and a son.

 

With the exception of my son being a worthwhile return, I expect to lose less geocaching than anything else I've done. That in itself makes it worthwhile, let alone getting outdoors!

 

Never date a girl whose father calls her princess - chances are she beleives it.

Link to comment

Its just like any other hobby or sport. If you really get into it, then you can spend some money. I have fun in alot of different activites. RVing, astronomy, 4 wheeling, hunting, fishing, SCUBA,,and of course, GeoCaching. Have to say that this last hobby seems to be the most reasonable as far as cash flow out is concerned. Besides, i might find that millionaire's cache with a first finder's prize of $50,000 one of these days!!!

Link to comment

GeoCaching gets me and my family out of our house and into adventures that we would never go on otherwise. My 4-yr-old son love hunting for his "treasures." Gotta love it......

 

By the way, IrvingDog, could you get rid of the inline dog picture. Gets old after a while...

 

Thanks.

 

dteec

Link to comment

Other than gas and leisure time, we haven't invested anything other than a few sheets of paper printed from map programs. Worth it?! - considering everything my sons and I have learned and will continue to learn about area parks, outdoorsmanship and the environment... Priceless!

 

"Will you spend the $$ to get a GPS?"

 

OKAY: Who was the joker in the audience who asked THAT question?

 

icon_razz.gif MyBoys&Me

Link to comment

Other than gas and leisure time, we haven't invested anything other than a few sheets of paper printed from map programs. Worth it?! - considering everything my sons and I have learned and will continue to learn about area parks, outdoorsmanship and the environment... Priceless!

 

"Will you spend the $$ to get a GPS?"

 

OKAY: Who was the joker in the audience who asked THAT question?

 

icon_razz.gif MyBoys&Me

Link to comment

Oh Yeah.

 

I used to love going on day-hikes, but the hubby was never really into it & wouldn't go with me. He prefers tinkering around with computers & gadgets to the great outdoors. This has given him a good incentive to come with me. Gadgets & hiking, it's a great marriage!

Link to comment

Lets see, $219 for my Garmin Legend. 28 caches placed, that cost anywhere between $10-$25 (usually the higher amount) to put together.

 

It's been worth every penny. I've found numerous

uses for the GPS since I purchased it, though it was specifically bought for Geocaching.

 

And I still get a kick out of the idea that someone is out there looking for something I hid in the woods. I eagerly await each find notification and it gives me pleasure to see that I was able to help create a fun adventure for a fellow Geocacher and many times, introduce them to a new and interesting spot.

Link to comment

Magellan 310 on Ebay for 80 bucks.

Free Internet access at work.

All of the caches I have found or placed are on free access public land.

The Geotrinket budget supported in part by your kindly neighborhood drug rep. (Sometimes its good to be the doc...)

 

All in all, an enjoyable sport that gets me into parts of my town that I wouldn't have gone, gets me out with the kids and wife, and it really costs less than my other hobby of fruit growing.

 

BTW: despite the drought, the elderberry crop is spectacular. Darwin's chimps have nothing on 10,000 years of prairie evolution in the elderberry...

 

By appointment to the Court of HRM Queen Mikki I.

Link to comment

I once started a thread on the true cost of GPS. In that thread, I derived an estimated cost of $30 per cache for the average geocacher when considering wear and tear on car and clothing, batteries, ER co-payment, etc. But if you consider not only the benefits (something fun to do, excercise, experiences), as US tax payers, you are paying alot more money to maintain the all-important satellites and their guiding signals. Therfore, you're a fool to not use them.

Link to comment

I bought my Garmin Vista for traveling, hunting, hiking, and fishing. I didn't even hear about geocaching until after I had my GPS. Now I am able to use it all the time, rather than a few times each year. Geocaching has made it well worth my investment since it was not originally purchased for geocaching.

My family and I are having a lot of fun and getting out of the house more often. I wouldn't give it up. The money I spend is worth the fun my family and I have. icon_biggrin.gif

Link to comment

I bought my Garmin Vista for traveling, hunting, hiking, and fishing. I didn't even hear about geocaching until after I had my GPS. Now I am able to use it all the time, rather than a few times each year. Geocaching has made it well worth my investment since it was not originally purchased for geocaching.

My family and I are having a lot of fun and getting out of the house more often. I wouldn't give it up. The money I spend is worth the fun my family and I have. icon_biggrin.gif

Link to comment

quote:
By the way, IrvingDog, could you get rid of the inline dog picture. Gets old after a while...

 

Thanks.

 

dteec


Oh wait. Who are you again? Oh, thats right. Nobody of any importance to me.

 

No. Now go away, you gnat.

 

boo2.jpg

 

 

Ahhhh......the moist nose of a German Wirehaired Pointer!

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by TJWilson1:

"an umemloyed student"


 

Be smart, stay in school! icon_biggrin.gif

Just kidding, sure that was a slip of the key.

 

If you like it, do what you can when you can, no need to rush it. Maybe you can share the cost with some friends and cache as a team?

 

When I was your age it was arcade games, fast cars, and drinking. I'd been much better off if I'd had a GPSr (and geocaching.com) back then.

 

Warning: Objects in GPS may be closer than they appear!

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by TJWilson1:

"an umemloyed student"


 

Be smart, stay in school! icon_biggrin.gif

Just kidding, sure that was a slip of the key.

 

If you like it, do what you can when you can, no need to rush it. Maybe you can share the cost with some friends and cache as a team?

 

When I was your age it was arcade games, fast cars, and drinking. I'd been much better off if I'd had a GPSr (and geocaching.com) back then.

 

Warning: Objects in GPS may be closer than they appear!

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Irvingdog:

quote:
By the way, IrvingDog, could you get rid of the inline dog picture. Gets old after a while...

 

Thanks.

 

dteec


Oh wait. Who are you again? Oh, thats right. Nobody of any importance to me.

 

No. Now go away, you gnat.

 

http://www.hunting-pictures.com/members/Irvingdog/boo2.jpg

 

 

Ahhhh......the moist nose of a German Wirehaired Pointer!


 

Irvingdog, keep the picture. I think its funny.

Link to comment

I have spent probably $35,000 on computers over the last 25 years, $15,000 on tons of tools, $5,000 on books, and probably a lot more on several other hobbies and interests.

I spent about $330 on the Garmin III+, and probably $100 or so on the caches I've placed and for a label maker and other stuff which isn't necessary, but makes the cache clues a lot easier to read. I spend about $100 or so extra on gas and about another $50-100 for munchies and extra pepsi per month.

So far I've found about 170 caches, had a whole lot of fun, seen many different places that I would have never seen without trying to find a cache in that area, met quite a few really good people that I would have never met, put about 10,000 extra miles on the Jeep, spent several evenings out finding caches in the middle of the woods until 10-11:00 (which irritates my girlfriend), found out a lot of history of our area because of the many virtuals, and lost about 40 pounds, reduced my triglycerides by 1/2, reduced my blood pressure by 35-30 points, dropped my blood sugar readings by 30-150 points, and reduced the amount of diabetic medications I have to take. Overall I am in much better shape that I was at the beginning of the year which is priceless. Geocaching to me is something to do that is a tremendous amount of fun and I get a lot of health benefits because of it.

One note, a lot of the caches in our area that I have found require some hiking to get to and a lot of them are out in the forests, not in town where you can drive to within 10' of them. I admit we have quite a few town caches, but I really like the ones that are out in the middle of nowhere surrouded by trees and the fresh air.

Link to comment

Totally worth it. I've had a ton of fun both seeking cahces and planting caches. I'm going to seek another of the greenhenge ranger's caches today down in a deep canyon- it almost is kinda like the deep jungle in that movie about the guy who goes up that river in Vietnam to kill this crazy Colonel guy who's played by Marlon Brando... that kinda isolated, dark environment. I think the movie's called "The Deer Hunter" or something.

 

Err, anyways, it ROCKS!

 

CODENAME: ALPHA OPERATOR

daedalus://govlink/secure/majestic/12.12.12/ops/throne/AO

MAJESTIC-12: THRONE G6 LEVEL AGENT

http://www.planetdeusex.com

Link to comment

As far as I'm concerned the money i've spent on my Meridian Gold is worth it. I've lived here for 28 years, and in the short amount of time i've been geocaching, i've been to some great places i'd never even heard of before.

 

I wouldn't advise anyone to spend their house payment on a GPS unit, but I can think of a lot of other ways i've blown a lot more money on something i've gotten less enjoyment out of.

Link to comment

The two of them go together like two pea's in a pod. Six months later, and 35lbs lighter OH YEA! I remember when I started out and .25 was scary, well today I just did a five and half mile hike round trip snagging 4 caches along the way. Elevation gain of 800ft or so give or take. Priceless addition, money is NO object. I even ask the husband to hold off on the Diamond Pendent for our 9th anniversary because a set of Rino's would do me fine.

 

Pepper

 

Horizontals where it's at!

 

[This message was edited by SuperGenius on August 19, 2002 at 06:30 AM.]

Link to comment

Well for starters i only spent about $100.00 for my Mag 315 that works absolutely fantastic. A few nice trinkets cost very little. We love to go looking around anyway and have found that Geocaching is one of the most exciting games we've ever played. Relatively inexpensive unless you have no gas money etc. Love the sport.......

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...