Another Newbie logs in + need your help

[+Siberian Cacher]

I'm stoked. I first saw GC on the Travel Channel a few weeks ago and I was impressed. I don't know who thought of it, but how cool!

 

I purchased my etrex today from REI. I read the comparions from this site and I guess, for $119.00, I couldn't go wrong with my first GPS. The Magellon was $170.00.I figure my kids will get it anyway sooner or later, and then I'll upgrade.

 

I'll be heading out to my first "quest", probably Monday, with my kids - a 2.5 year old and a 5 year old. I'm hoping to make this a weekly or biweekly event for the whole family.

 

I'd appreciate any help/tips from other's taking little kids along. Since I have not done it before, I'm not sure what to expect.

 

Thanks

[+RangerRick]

Hello Shingld and welcome to the sport. Just one tip seeing you are taking two young ones along, I suggest your first caches should be rated no higher than a two. These should be easy enough for you to find and enjoy and then you can work your way up as you get a feeling for the conditions you will encounter along the way. Good luck and have fun!

[+briansnat]

You might want to let the kids hold the GPS and let them follow the arrow. If you find the cache first, don't spill the beans. Let the kids find it. Other than that, its no different from hiking with kids.

 

Like the previous poster says, start out with the easy caches and work your way up.

 

"Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing" - Helen Keller

[+Ron_L]

Some cachers will put items in caches specifically for little ones. Look att he logs for the chache(s) you want to go after to see if there are any kid-friendly items in there. You could also take your kids to the store and let them pick out a few things that they would like to leave behind for other kids.

 

Have fun!

 

...ron

 

-----

Ron, Amy, Sunshine and Sable, the Cache-a-dor Retriever!

The Cache-22 Geocaching Team

[+Night Stalker]

I suggest you look for 1 1 at first until you get the hang of it. This will give you and your kids a chance to be successful right away and let you see how they are hidden. I have to admit that my kids found the caches before I did at first which brings me to my next suggestion. Once the GPS says you are close get your nose out of it and start looking around. I spent so much time tyring to see how close I could get with the GPS that my kids found the caches while I still had my nose in my GPS.

 

Lost? Keep going. You're making good time anyway!

[Little's Cache]

Have fun, enjoy the kids, enjoy nature and enjoy what you have.

 

HAVE FUN!

 

Doug

[FISUR]

My wife and I geocache with our three kids, ages 3, 8 and 12. Here's a few comments and observations: (1) Be sure to bring enough water and snacks for them, or they might get grumpy. (After we got into geocaching, we bought Camelbaks for 2 of them.) (2) All of my kids carry compasses, even the youngest who pretends to use it. Whoever has the GPS will occasionally call out the bearings for the others to check on their compasses. (3) On our longest hike (an 8 mile multi-cache), we borrowed a jogging stroller for the youngest who got in and out along the way. (4) On each geocache, we let the kids make the decisions as much as possible, such as deciding which way to go when we come to a fork in the trail. (5) On the longer hikes, I will end up carrying the 3 year old on my shoulders for a good portion of the time. She pretends I'm a horse. (6) Choose some fairly easy caches at first until you feel comfortable. (7) Let them find the cache, even if you know where it is (our 3 year old actually found one when we were close to giving up), (8) my kids have been accidentally learning a lot (e.g., how to read maps, identifying trees, etc.). (9) And obviously, their safety and enjoyment comes first. Cache On and Good Luck, FISUR

[+carleenp]

Everyone has already said the same things that I would. I will just stress that kids love geocaching and they really like it if they find the cache first! My boyfriend and I take his son out caching and he always loves it when he is the one who finds the cache. I think his getting to beat us to it has been something that has gotten him into it. What is funny is that we don't usually let him beat us to it!!!!

[+DirtRunner]

Be prepared to carry them and expect things to freak them out.

 

Little girl knows she can ride on my shouldes from the cache to the car or from the car to the cache. but not both.

 

Little girl was really scared of dense forests at the beginning, but bless her heart, she stuck with it until now she's ok with it.

 

Caching with little kids takes twice as long, but it's also twice as satisfying.

 

DirtRunner.

 

Your not first...But you could be next.

[+ZingerHead]

Don't head out with the kiddoes if you are intent on a 5 cache day. You'll likely spend a whole lot of time picking up rocks, leaves, salamanders, etc. and making very slooooow progress as a result. But they will have a great time, and THAT is key to getting them out there again. It still amazes me, the things that fascinate kids.

[+Gary and Mary Adventurers]

We have taken our 3yr old grandson with us on some caches, and he has a great time. The first time we took him we called it a "Treasure Hunt". He got to help us find the treasure, and we let him pick a treasure for himself. Since then he often asks us to go on a treasure hunt. He is our little mapreader.

 

Thanks for the Adventure

 

Gary and Mary

[Mr*BOMB dog]

I attempted my first search yesterday. I never found the cache and got muddy in the process. I am ready to try again. Is it easier to go with another enthusiast?

[+sbell111]

The more eyes that you bring, the easier it will be to find the cache...

[+Sea_Dog]

I've been Letterboxing and Geocaching with my Triplet daughters since they were 3. I used a backpack child carrier for my youngest until just recently. Now she rides on my shoulders a lot. They are now 5 1/2 and 2 1/2. With small children it's best to avoid the unexpected. Bring plenty of bug spray in the summer and plenty of clothes in the winter. Set yourself up for success by using all the tools the site has to offer. Print out the Topozone map and the cache description. Use Mapquest and print out directions to the cache. Decrypt the clue and read it. Do a google search for the park the cache is hidden in. Often times you can find trail maps or directions that are not on any map program. Camelbaks are great if you are carrying it. You can give the kids a drink with little effort. I've found that if the kids carry one they will drink the water until it's gone. Bring plenty of snacks. The kids love to carry their own snacks in small back packs. When they say they're tired go a little further and stop for a quick snack. Find them good walking sticks. You'll end up carrying the sticks when they get tired of carrying them but they're pretty handy. Bring trash bags for "cache in trash out". My kids enjoy finding trash almost as much as finding the cache. We call it treasure hunting and the GPSR is the treasure finder. I usually carry it and show them the "go to" arrow when they ask. When we get close I tell them that the treasure finder says it's right here somewhere and then they start looking. Whoever finds it first gets to pick what they trade for. Teach them about nature and how to respect it. More feet equals more damage. Teach them to watch where they step and reach. We have a few dangerous snakes and spiders in Virginia. Bring extra batteries. May sound like a lot but we've been pretty successful and have had lots of fun. It's all about the journey but finding the cache is a great bonus. Good luck!

[+Zahrim]

I agree with everything said so-far.

 

Also, get some good pictures of the local hazards to look out for and make sure the young ones know what to stay away from.

 

Things like poison ivy/oak.

 

Any bugs to watch out for... I can still recall a time when I brought my mom a tick to ''See the funny looking ladybug'', (It was a big tick...), and she just about dropped the pot of soup she was cooking...

 

Snakes, scorpions, spiders, etc...

 

Make sure you know the terrain you will be visiting. Cliffs, big rocks, and lot's of places to fall off of are out there.

 

Carry a first aid kit with you at all times.

 

It is always better to ''Be Prepared'' and not get stuck in a hard spot. I did a cache today that when I started, thought this ought to be an easy one, only just over half mile hike on a trail... The Cache name happened to be ''Be Prepared'', and I thought as i got out of my truck, ''Hmm.... Maybe I should bring along my flashlight.'' It was a good thing I did. By the time I was done with the cache, the sun had set, and without that flashlight, I would still be sitting there until tomorrow morning, for there is no way I would have found my way back in the dark without that flashlight.

 

All the negative aside, know what you are headed for, make time to do it safely, and above all, HAVE FUN.

 

Zahrim....

 

"There's no need to be afraid of strange noises in the night.

Anything that intends you harm will stalk you silently."

[Lyra]

Before you leave your car, mark a waypoint. If you get lost, it'll get you back to your car. As one other geocacher has put it, (don't remember who...Maybe Rubbertoe???) "It's always good to know where you are when you don't know where you are."

 

Always wear proper caching safety equipment!

[+Brown Dwarf]

Carry a compass -- and use it when you are within about .03 mile of the cache. Reasons: a) some of the posted coordinates are off; and the satellite signal can jump around a lot. This is the voice of experience speaking; I missed my first cache because I wasn't carrying a compass.

 

Remember that the GPS will give you the straight-line distance/direction to the cache. Often it's better to follow existing trails than to bust through the brush. Around here, it's rare to have to go more than a hundred feet or so off-trail.

[+Geo-Johnson's]

We're brand spankin' new to Geocaching too....we've only found 2 so far. We've got 3 kids 9, 12, and 15. We ALL want to be the one to find it. And with my kids, if they don't, i'm afraid they'll get discouraged. But sometimes as adults, our immaturity tends to rear its ugly head and we want to be the finder.......We have a deal that the first person to find it can yell out "I found it!" However, we will wait until everyone finds it on their own before the first person can reveal it's location.......that way we all get the find. It takes a little while longer waiting for everyone to find it, but at least we all feel good about it........