What Activity Has Geocaching Replaced

9.3k · March 26, 2005

I'm a newby at this game, but I had an epiphany at Bass Pro Shops the other day; I walked right past the bowhunting section without even a glance! Bowhunting has been such a big part of my life, that it shocks me to find I've trivialized it. After discovering the joys of stomping thru the swamps looking for little metal boxes, I'm not sure I could enjoy sitting idle, 30' up a palm tree, waiting on dinner to walk by. I'd probably spend all day up in my treestand, checking out potential cache locations.

2k · March 26, 2005

I did not get much fishing done last year.

3.9k · March 26, 2005

My TV time is close to nil.

I hike with a GPS instead of a printed map, and to more and different places.

My yard projects are slower to completion.

My house isn't as clean as it was.

I am not chasing women as much.

March 26, 2005

Geocaching really has not replaced any activity in my life. I'm usually either outdoors or exploring something, so geocaching just gives me an excuse.

March 26, 2005

Yardwork , Home repairs , Sleep

38.2k · March 26, 2005

It hasn't replaced anything. I fish less than I used to but I think that's due to other factors...like coaching soccer in prime fishing season. Other than that, it fits perfectly with many of my other favorite activities like hiking and canoing. I even found a cache while coaching a soccer game once. It was hidden in the woods next to the field.

Edited March 26, 2005 by briansnat

March 26, 2005

Online gaming.

March 26, 2005

Inactivity. About a year before I got a GPS, I quit smoking and took up mountain biking to try and get my lungs back after 34 years (!) of nicotine addiction, but I was having a hard time with motivation. Then I got a secondhand Garmin 12 XL from an old elk hunter and stumbled onto Geocaching.com and all of a sudden I wanted to pedal to work every day just to stay in good enough shape to get out into the woods on the weekends to hunt caches. For me, there's no better way to hunt, locally, than by bicycle; you can easily cover 30+ miles in a morning, and be silent enough in your travel to see most of the wildlife that the motorized folks miss out on. Without having found this fun incentive, I really doubt I'd have stuck with it.

March 26, 2005

Staying close to home. I have been around my home state in the last two years than I have my whole life. Geocaching had also started my ghost town hunting hobby when a ghost town cache made me start researching some local ghsot towns.

24.7k · March 26, 2005

I have a 75 Blazer rusting in my backyard. When I saved up enough money to buy some of the parts I needed I discovered geoaching. Then the choice was "Fix the rig or buy a GPS". The Blazer is still rusting. I should put it up on blocks in my front yard as a redneck monument. Most people see a rust bucket but I see Flint Michigan produced art.

March 26, 2005

Guess I would have to say sleep..

Since I still haven't found what I'm looking for. :huh:

3.8k · March 26, 2005

Geocaching has replaced nothing, but enhanced everything.

Hmmm. :huh:

March 26, 2005

It hasn't replaced or displaced anything. I just fit it in with other activities...such as when I go to a HAMFEST, I now plan on looking for a few caches either on the way there or on the way back. And where my wife and I would go take more or less aimless walks in parks, we now have a purpose...but the time spent is about the same. It has added some fun, without taking away from anything else that is fun for us.

1.3k · March 26, 2005

I have a 75 Blazer rusting in my backyard. When I saved up enough money to buy some of the parts I needed I discovered geoaching. Then the choice was "Fix the rig or buy a GPS". The Blazer is still rusting. I should put it up on blocks in my front yard as a redneck monument. Most people see a rust bucket but I see Flint Michigan produced art.

Place some chicken wire over the front windows, build you a pass through door (doggie door without the flap) to replace the tailgate glass, and throw in a couple of opened bales of hay and VOILA' - Instant chicken farmer!!

Tickbait
Inactivity.

That's one of my main incentives!

Like Tickbait I smoked for years.

I quit at age 26 when I had a heart attack. I was huffing 2.5 packs a day!!

After recovering and going through all my rehab I have been able to stay smoke-free ever since.

That was almost 14 years ago, but unfortunately I compensated for not having the nicotine with food. Which now has become almost as dangerous.

My bro-in-law invited me to go out on my first hunt with him back in January.

I quickly realized that my excess 185lbs (yep you read that right!!) was about to put me down. I'm a big guy already , but that put me at 5lbs shy if 400lbs!

I didn't even get half way to a .5 mile flat sidewalk hike before I was completely out of breath and had to stop and rest for about 15 minutes before I could continue. Then had to rest at the hide and then again on the way back to the truck.

What should have been a quick in and out, took me over an hour!! :huh:

I made up my mind I was going to get back in shape and loose this weight!!

20 lbs lighter and up to the ability to handle an easy 2 mile walk, means I'm on my way.

All because of Geocaching.

When you go to the first results page for the caches closest to my home co-ords, all of them are found except for one that is number three on my list.

It is only about 4 miles from my back door.

But it is inaccessible to me.

It is a pretty severe hike to get to it, since it is on top of a mountain.

The parking spot to where you enter the trailhead is at approximately 850ft, the cache itself is about .70 miles away, BUT at around 1700 ft..

I could hit the ignore cache button to remove the cache from showing up but I'm not.

THIS IS MY GOAL!!

To one day be able to find that cache!!

It's a long way off, but to quote the country group Alabama, "One day I'm gonna climb that mountain, mountain, mountain!!"

D-man

Edited March 26, 2005 by gridlox

March 26, 2005

I've had the same experience. The only thing caching has replaced in my life is spending my lunch hours at Taco Bell and sitting around the house watching TV all weekend. Instead, now, I spend my entire lunch hour out tramping around, and every spare weekend moment doing the same. I know where every park within 20 miles of home is now (and oh my, there's about 10 times as many parks around as I thought,) and can see and feel the difference physically after just a couple months of constant caching. Caching has replaced almost all the unhealthy parts of my lifestyle.

March 26, 2005

Not sure what it replaced but my family (wife + 7year old + 3year old) spend a lot more time outdoors together hiking and exploring new parks.

Before caching we probably sat around on nice days more.

My lawn does need mowed now that I think about it....

5.3k · March 26, 2005

Sleep, it has replaced Sleeeep, to much time reading threads in the forums, Sleeeep, some day I will have to Sleeeeep again. Sleeeep------Sleeeeeeeeeeeeep

2.2k · March 26, 2005

Since geocaching, I have almost no time to be a couch potato.

March 26, 2005

Before geocaching my wife and I were total internet junkies!It has got us out of the house exploring area's we never knew exsisted!Every vacation now is a geocaching adventure.

March 26, 2005

I had an epiphany at Bass Pro Shops

I thought at first you were talking about bass guitars and it peaked my interest being I play bass..but not very well..and then I looked again and bass=fish....Even better.....I want to go fishing...random thought....LOL

Delay

March 26, 2005

Oh and my GPS has totally replaced my pot smoking activity. Its great...So much time I have wasted and money.......WOW....I love life changes...Thanks Geocaching.com Really..Not a plug....

delay

March 26, 2005

I have a 75 Blazer rusting in my backyard. When I saved up enough money to buy some of the parts I needed I discovered geoaching. Then the choice was "Fix the rig or buy a GPS". The Blazer is still rusting. I should put it up on blocks in my front yard as a redneck monument. Most people see a rust bucket but I see Flint Michigan produced art.

Place some chicken wire over the front windows, build you a pass through door (doggie door without the flap) to replace the tailgate glass, and throw in a couple of opened bales of hay and VOILA' - Instant chicken farmer!!

Tickbait
Inactivity.

That's one of my main incentives!

Like Tickbait I smoked for years.

I quit at age 26 when I had a heart attack. I was huffing 2.5 packs a day!!

After recovering and going through all my rehab I have been able to stay smoke-free ever since.

That was almost 14 years ago, but unfortunately I compensated for not having the nicotine with food. Which now has become almost as dangerous.

My bro-in-law invited me to go out on my first hunt with him back in January.

I quickly realized that my excess 185lbs (yep you read that right!!) was about to put me down. I'm a big guy already , but that put me at 5lbs shy if 400lbs!

I didn't even get half way to a .5 mile flat sidewalk hike before I was completely out of breath and had to stop and rest for about 15 minutes before I could continue. Then had to rest at the hide and then again on the way back to the truck.

What should have been a quick in and out, took me over an hour!!

I made up my mind I was going to get back in shape and loose this weight!!

20 lbs lighter and up to the ability to handle an easy 2 mile walk, means I'm on my way.

All because of Geocaching.

When you go to the first results page for the caches closest to my home co-ords, all of them are found except for one that is number three on my list.

It is only about 4 miles from my back door.

But it is inaccessible to me.

It is a pretty severe hike to get to it, since it is on top of a mountain.

The parking spot to where you enter the trailhead is at approximately 850ft, the cache itself is about .70 miles away, BUT at around 1700 ft..

I could hit the ignore cache button to remove the cache from showing up but I'm not.

THIS IS MY GOAL!!

To one day be able to find that cache!!

It's a long way off, but to quote the country group Alabama, "One day I'm gonna climb that mountain, mountain, mountain!!"

D-man

dude, thats freaky..I smoke maybe 10 cigs a day and at least a pack a day on the weekends..Ok I need to stop now!!! i'm 25.....................

Delay

March 26, 2005

Sleep, it has replaced Sleeeep, to much time reading threads in the forums, Sleeeep, some day I will have to Sleeeeep again. Sleeeep------Sleeeeeeeeeeeeep

Delayed sleep..........Sorry I had to.............

Delay

9.2k · March 26, 2005

Please don't laugh at me.

Geocaching replaced karaoke singing as my main hobby.

Please don't laugh at me. Well, maybe a little is OK.

1k · March 26, 2005

One of my main pleasures before geocaching was hiking in the woods. In fact, I was looking for an online trail map when I discovered Geocaching.com. Caching did not replace hiking--it just augmented it.

I did hire a guy to mow my lawn, though.

March 26, 2005

I spent a lot less time on radio control airplanes since I discovered geocaching. But I think I'll even it out a bit, and start flying again, now that the warmer weather is coming.

March 26, 2005

My airplane only flew 50 hours last year compared to 120 hours the year before, but the good news is that I have found 260 caches since last June!!

I don't think caching has replaced flying yet, but it sure has slowed it down. Caching is a lot less expensive hobby even with the price of gas. The GPSr cost about $200 and the airplane costs me at least twice that much per month just to keep it!!!

March 26, 2005

I used to get out hiking in the Black Hills area near my home with a group call Volksmarchers.It is an international group started in Germany,hike marked trails for fun(no competition) but keep track of numbers and earn "awards" Now I have not done a volksmarch - except for the annual hike to the top of Crazy Horse Monument each June-for a couple years.

7.3k · March 26, 2005

Turning the manure pile. I still get compost, it's just slower and maybe not quite so uniform. Gotta give up something to snag a cache or two per day.

March 26, 2005

In my case, it allowed me to discover all the hiking trails in the East Texas / Huntsville area. Man. I didn't know there were so many--I have lived here for 11 years! And all these trails are only about a 15 minute drive from the house.

Already I have a cache that will be my ultimate goal. Just like one of the previous messages, I have a #3 cache. From what I have read, you will see it and immediately want to give up. But heck, you are already several miles deep in the woods. So, Old #3 will be my year goal.

March 26, 2005

What Activity Has Geocaching Replaced, in you life?

positively:

TV

computer games

negatively:

socializing with non-geeks

dating

fly-fishing

mountain biking

racquetball

hmmmmmm

maybe it's time to rethink this addictive hobby

March 26, 2005

It has replaced housework and laziness and I am not complaining.

March 26, 2005

for me it has replaced much of my idle time between work and school and unfortunatly taken more than that. i need to work on my time managment.

peace, bob

March 26, 2005

Guess I would have to say sleep.. Since I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

You, too?

6.4k · March 26, 2005

It hasn't really replaced any, just made me re-arrange things a bit to fit everything in. If I do everything in moderation, I have time to do it all. Of course I would love to have MORE free time to spend on all my different hobbies/activities, but there just arent enough hours in the day.

Besides, geocaching has enhanced so many of them (traveling, camping, hiking, paddling) that its a worthy tradeoff.

March 26, 2005

The first thing geocaching replaced in my life was the winter blues, this year I had no time to be down I was too busy out running around hunting caches instead of sitting in the house at the computer wishing for spring. I was also feeling very old and realizing that I just couldn't walk like I have all my life. Now I can see my weight dropping and my fitness level increasing. I'm seeing places I didn't know existed in my newly chosen home area, before I knew where to shop, eat and fish and that was about it. I'm fishing a little less, eating less and definitely shopping less. I have met a lot of great people I wouldn't have met otherwise and I think geocaching is one of the more positive aspects of my life.

1.3k · March 26, 2005

Mudding (online gaming, not offroad riding).

sd

March 27, 2005

Only made three autocross events last year. But geocaching is something that I mostly (but not always) do with my kid. Much better.

3k · March 27, 2005

Didn't really replace anything for me when I'm around my home area. I just fit in Geocaching here and there when I can.

For those times when I travel away from home, it has replaced sitting around the hotel while waiting between obligations. I try to fill in all the idle time with trips to find caches.

3k · March 27, 2005

I did hire a guy to mow my lawn, though.

That reminds me - you still owe me five bucks! :huh:

March 27, 2005

Sleep, it has replaced Sleeeep, to much time reading threads in the forums, Sleeeep, some day I will have to Sleeeeep again. Sleeeep------Sleeeeeeeeeeeeep

yup, that about sums it up for me. sombody should do the same kind of thread, but with posting in the forums instead of caching

March 27, 2005

What has it replaced? Hmmm.... Where to begin?

Housework

Yardwork

Boredom in the winter

Reluctance to leave the air conditioned house in the summer

TV on the weekends

I'm sure there's more, I just can't think of anything right now. All in all it's been a good trade off!

1.3k · March 27, 2005

Well the only thing I had to give up was taking care of the house repairs. Funny, the only person that seems to bother is my wife. :huh:

Unfortunately, my geocaching activities are about to take a back seat to boating on the Chesapeake Bay for the next 5 or 6 months. I'm primarily a late fall/winter/early spring cacher. Dang!! Still no time for the house repairs!

Edit: Spelling

Edited March 27, 2005 by Trinity's Crew

March 27, 2005

The main thing that's been replaced is sitting around in hotel rooms while out of town on business. I travel a fair bit, and I now always get pocket queries of an area before I head there. As I posted in another thread, in the last six weeks I hit caches from Belfast, Northern Ireland to San Diego, California, and many others in between. I used to look for places to hike or drive while on business trips, but caching has made it more rewarding. I've found so many cool places that aren't in the guide books, because people have wanted to share special places they've found. How cool is that?!?

When I'm not travelling, I'm replacing time that my family used to spend just sitting around watching TV or playing video games. It's a great way to get out and do something healthy while exploring together.

This is definitely time and money well spent!

March 27, 2005

Notice time? ^^ Then sleep is your answer. I find that I am spending more time in Home Deopt & my garage looking for inovative containers to hide - when I plant these, they WILL be good!

March 27, 2005

For us, we aren't sitting around watching tv on the weekends anymore. It has given us more family time. We make Saturdays our family caching day.

March 28, 2005

I work less now.

March 28, 2005

I want to work less now. Geocaching has replaced TV and sitting in front of the computer for me

6.5k · March 28, 2005

My golf clubs have spider webs on them. House and yard work doesn't get done quite as much any more. I never did sleep much; it's overrated.

2k · March 28, 2005

I was building a model railroad when I started geocaching seriously. I guess you could say that I am still building that railroad, but I notice that the same building I was working on two years ago is sitting on my workbench gathering dust. :blink:

What Activity Has Geocaching Replaced

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