Getting The Wife Into Geocaching

[+sstrell]

I have as yet to find my first cache. I found a nice new park we had never been to before that had 3 caches in it, but I had no luck finding any of them. My wife was against the whole idea beforehand because she thought I was just trying to have something to do when we walk since I normally don't really enjoy walking too much. She thinks I'd pay more attention to the GPS than to her. This all may have been partly true, but if it gets me out of the house, it shouldn't be a bad thing. Now, since we couldn't find anything the first time, she seems even more against Geocaching. How can I convince her that this is a fun activity and a way for us to find new and different places to walk? Anybody else ever have a problem like this with their spouse or significant other?

 

Steve

[+SamLowrey]

No wife, can't help.

 

Caching gets you walking - NO doubt about that! I might be like you - I wouldn't go out just to walk much and I certainly wouldn't have explored all the areas I have without geocaching. Also, maybe it is a male thing, when I am on the hunt I kinda get tunnel vision so I can see her point. But after I have been to these places, I am much more likely to return later just for enjoyment. Maybe that will help.

[+Go JayBee]

Try lettting her hold the GPSr.....that way she may feel like she is participating more. You could always get another GPSr for her as an anniversary or birthday present.

 

Personally, my love life has been greatly improved since I introduced my wife to GeoCaching.....she just loves the fact that we are doing SOMETHING together. She gets bummed when we don't go out on the weekend.

[+Imajika]

Luckily my hubby and I both enjoy caching.

 

Sadly, not every couple is going to enjoy the same things. For example, my hubby loves golf and I don't care for it. I like to knit and he has NO interest.

 

You can ask her to try it just once to see if she might enjoy it. But if she doesn't, maybe you can go caching without her while she does some hobby you're not into. If your walks are that special to her and she doesn't get into caching, maybe you should leave the GPS at home for those walks together and go caching some other time.

 

I have seen a lot of posts in these forums about 'getting your spouse into caching'. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. If it does that's great! If it doesn't, well then find time to go alone or with friends who are into it. You just can't force someone to like everything you do.

 

In any case, welcome to this great addiction and good luck!

[+zoltig]

First off, upgrade whatever GPS you have and then get a divorce!

JUST KIDDING

I agree, get her involved. Does she like the adventures in finding something or opening gifts? Hiking and travel and seeing new and different places?? Bet so!

Show her some pictures and stories on geocaching that we (cachers) have logged on your local caches and maybe some not-so-close.

Get her a gift, and hide it using you GPS and let her find it. ie: dinner out. book...

Let her know that this is something that you can both enjoy! It will get you out of the house and doing things.

[+Geo Ho]

I met my boyfriend, Mopar, through Geocaching. I love caching with him and we have a great time together on the trail. Yes, it's a reason to get out of the house and do stuff. But, it's also a way to get to see parks and trails that we may never have known about if it wasn't for Geocaching.

 

I think you two went out together and found a few caches she'd be hooked.

 

Happy caching and stuff!

[+Gizmo & Brazin]

I agree, maybe once she finds a cache, she will like it. My husband had heard about Geocaching and asked for the GPS for Christmas so he could try it. To be very honest...well, I thought it really sounded dumb! After we went on the first hunt and I found the cache, I was hooked.

 

Now I do the planning before the weekends and he just gets up on Saturday's and asks me where we are going. (He's not into the planning, just the doing.) If she is the type that likes planning or more creative things, she may enjoy getting into the planning and hiding of a geocache. I love that. I enjoy finding things to include and a spot that's not too hard, not too easy and that no one else already hidden a cache at. Good Luck!

[+zoltig]

Hey another thought, get some finds under your belt, then make a cache with the help of your "better half", both of you set it out then let her see the enjoyment it will bring to others to find "her" cache. Never know!!

P.S. Do your research on placing caches first.

[GFource2004]

I agree, maybe once she finds a cache, she will like it. My husband had heard about Geocaching and asked for the GPS for Christmas so he could try it. To be very honest...well, I thought it really sounded dumb!  After we went on the first hunt and I  found the cache, I was hooked.

 

Now I do the planning before the weekends and he just gets up on Saturday's and asks me where we are going.   (He's not into the planning, just the doing.)  If she is the type that likes planning or more creative things, she may enjoy getting into the planning and hiding of a geocache.  I love that.  I enjoy finding things to include and a spot that's not too hard, not too easy and that no one else already hidden a cache at.  Good Luck!

This was me! I was totally against this. I mean $400 for a hobby he hasn't even tried! Well, I got involved in researching it and even though we have yet to go on our first hunt I am more excited than he is. I have done the planning and have set up our first hunt. I think, if she got into the planning part more she may be more interested. OR maybe go out and find a cache and then when ya'll go out go "find" the one you already uncovered and make it appear like she is the one that found it. I bet she would be hooked!

If not, then maybe it is just an activity for you. You can do that on an afternoon while she does something just for her. My husband golfs, I don't. I do yoga, my husband doesn't. Do the things you enjoy together, together, and save the things you enjoy indivdually on your own.

[+clearpath]

Now, since we couldn't find anything the first time, she seems even more against Geocaching.  How can I convince her that this is a fun activity and a way for us to find new and different places to walk? 

If you had a GPS and still couldn't find (3) caches in a park, then maybe your wife is right ... you should stick to other hobbies like bird watching. Or, you pull on those boot straps, roll up those sleeves and get your ASCII file outside and you find those caches ... and don't come home till you find one... just kidding. You should keep trying and after some success you'll find a renewed sense of confidence. If you can, let your wife take credit for the first find (that would be extremely hard on my own ego, but maybe you are stronger than me). Good Luck.

[+Karma Hunter]

My wife was excited about geocaching, but I thought it sounded silly and didn't go with her for several months. If we hadn't found any caches the first three times I went with her there would not have been a fourth. If you really want her to enjoy it, the suggestions above are good. For me the important ones were:

1. Let the new person drive the GPSr. Few things are less fun than watching someone else walk in circles while they don't interact with you. We got a second GPS to solve this problem.

2. Make sure you find something. Even if it means finding one by yourself without telling her and then taking her to it and letting her find it. Don't just stand there watching her though, that would be annoying. Pretend to help.

3. Ideally, find a cache with a travel bug so she can learn it's history, send it along, and generally bond with something. The next step is to get her her own TB.

4. Have a heart to heart. You said:

she thought I was just trying to have something to do when we walk since I normally don't really enjoy walking too much. She thinks I'd pay more attention to the GPS than to her. This all may have been partly true...

If you do some non-caching walks or something else together, maybe she'll be more receptive to caching which she perceives as less of a bonding experience.

[+briansnat]

Anybody else ever have a problem like this with their spouse or significant other?

 

Nope, I made sure I married someone with a love for the outdoors and had other similar interests.

Edited February 23, 2004 by briansnat

[+EGMUNI]

My wife and I both love the outdoors. At first, she questioned this sport(she thought of the GPSr as a tool...not a toy), until we found our first cache. Now she enjoys going with me on a cache hunt from time to time. But, what I do when she's with me is...I let her find the cache...even if I've already spotted it. I think that keeps her coming back.

[+bthomas]

Early on, maybe you should limit the caches to one or two, when you go for a walk. Also stop by a jewelry store before caching; you can palm the piece, slip it into the discovered tuperware, and say "Would you look at that!" Wink

 

I agree with the suggestion, make a cache together. Maybe the on-line feed back will give more motivation to do the outdoor thing. It would be helpful to find a couple dozen on your own, so you get a sampling of what may be interesting to the both of you.

[+woof n lulu]

The main thing is not to get discouraged, cachers are very ingenious when it comes to hiding caches. If you hang around the forums long enough..or for that matter look back at some of the older threads, you will see how different people hide and camoflage caches, some of the containers used, and lots of really neat ideas and even hints on what too look for.

 

All GPS's register different, and can be off coords. The excepted rate is 30 feet radius.

 

You do not say what kind of caches they are, wether they are micros, which can be harder to find because they are smaller and easier to miss, or traditional size.

 

And I agree....let her handle the GPS...once you get your first find you are usually hooked...and then the realization that there are so many more hidden out there sets in.

[Swagger]

All those suggestions sound good.

 

A couple things I'd add is to make sure that you're searching for caches with a difficulty of one star for your first few finds and to make sure that your GPSr is set to use the WGS84 datum before you enter the coordinates. If you're using another map datum (i.e. NAD27), you could easily be off by several hundred feet.

 

Good luck and happy caching!

[+KaiserKlan]

Perhaps you could download waypoints in the area of your next vacation spot. If you could show her all the wonderful sites you find only because of caching, she would see how great it is. My husband and I use this method of sight-seeing when we visit a new city. It is really awesome the places it takes you.

 

good luck!

[+Criminal]

Here are my suggestions:

 

Guilt, Level One “Gee honey, all the other Geocacher’s wives go with them.”

Guilt, Level Two “Yeah, you go to the mall, and if I fall and die, you won’t be there to hear my last utterance.”

Guilt, Level Three “If you loved me you come.”

Threat, Level One “If you don’t come, I won’t let you come next time.”

Threat, Level Two “I’ll be trading your cat today, you should come if you want to grab her back out.”

Threat, Level Three “If you’d rather stay home, I’d rather not give you the big O for couple months.”

Threat/Guilt Combo "I’ll be caching with an attractive geocacher today, I just might let her ‘do’ me.”

 

EDIT: missing spaces and typos

Edited March 1, 2004 by Criminal

[+woodsters]

I really haven't gotten my wife into the sport either. She has found one, but that was when we were bike riding and I took the GPS to find a cache right of the path. We have a toddler and normally the places where we cached (massachusetts) it was hilly and hard to take the toddler. So she ended up staying with her. She has gone to places with me, but usually doesn't go on the search.

 

A suggestion I have would be to set a few of your own caches out just for her. Place them ahead of time without her knowing in a place she likes to walk. Put romantic things or something she will like in each one. I can easily think of things to put in caches for my wife, but I can't mention them on a family site...lol Tell her you want to go walking with her and sneak the GPS with you. Let her hold the GPS as others suggested and let her find the caches you planted. It will at least put taking the GPS with you on a good side!

 

Hmmm now I'm getting some ideas for myself....lol

[+Lolita]

Trade up, of course:

 

"Honey, if you come out with me for a little while this morning, we can stop off at the nursery on the way back, pick out that coral bark maple you've been talking about "

 

"Darling, please join me. I'd love to spend a little time together before I climb up on the roof to install that new skylight"

 

"Sweetheart, it'll be fun. By the way, I can't remember the last time we went out for lobster and champagne, can you ?"

 

I've been fishing many, many times.

Edited March 1, 2004 by Lolita

[+rover-r-us]

my wife likes to go but only if it is warm outside.

[+forman]

I can get my son to go out caching sometimes for a first to find, might try that.

As far as my wife, we once found a condom in a cache that was on a beach(unused of course) so we had to use it right there. That does give you another way to have fun caching. Maybe plant some of those in a cache ahead of time, then go find it.

 

That's my .02 Don

[+shunra]

As far as my wife, we once found a condom in a cache that was on a beach(unused of course) so we had to use it right there. That does give you another way to have fun caching. Maybe plant some of those in a cache ahead of time, then go find it.

 

That's my .02 Don

A condom? With your wife?

[IronMaiden]

I was a bit unsure about this geocaching at first. In fact, I thought it was a bit dumb. But once I got started with my husband, we like going out together. We enjoy the outdoors and each others company. Even when I have a "brain fart" in the middle of looking for a cache. He knows it will pass.

 

Haven't found a unused condom in a cache. Found a unused tampon in a cache. Didn't need it been fixed.

[+Team Grizzly]

My wife loves caching with me, but hates all the time I spend on the computer entering logs and looking up/planning new caches. I usually try to sneak away to the computer while she is doing dishes and this does not make matters any better! The best thing that helped though - she inherited my old eTrex, so she has her own GPS to watch when we go - GOOD MOVE!

[+SamLowrey]

Is your wife into caching eh? Wink wink, nudge nudge say no more....

[+Bull Moose]

My wife is pretty tolerant of my caching habit, but unless we're hiking and a geocache "happens" to be on the route, when my wife does come along she usually guards the car and reads. In rare cases she becomes the official dog holder.

[+JohnnyVegas]

Let her use your GPS to find the micro in your backyard with the diamond earings in it.