What's The Motivation Behind Geocaching?

[Jack Ryan]

Sorry if this is considered off topic. I was afraid it might that's why I started it in it's own thread.

 

Why do you do it?

 

Is it the finding of the cache?

Finding cool places?

Comaradery of team caching?

 

On the hiding side, is it just the desire to share a cool place you happen to like or something else? Maybe a "pay back" obligation to the sport for caches others have set up for you to look for?

[+SixDogTeam]

Each geocacaher must look within himself for the answers. Become a Geocacher and all will be revealed, ultimately... Seek and find and you will know.

[+QDman]

For me it's (in no particular order):

 

A chance to get out of the house,

A challenge to overcome (especially if it's a puzzle cache),

After I find it, that superior feeling of, "There's a cache sitting right there, and I'm one of the select few who know about it."

[+SnowLeopard]

My reasons:

-The thrill of a modern treasure hunt

-Find areas that I never would have found otherwise

-The thrill of making a challenging cache and having others enjoy the hunt

-The chance to use billion dollar satellites to find McToys

[+Fish&Chips]

I love finding new places like parks 2 miles from my house I never knew about.

I love the hunt

I love the shared experience when you take a new person with you.

[Jack Ryan]

I'm still a little conflicted over the subject myself.

 

Still a few days of turkey season left, but after that's over I'll go out and see what I can do with the GC thing. It looks like there are suppose to be quite a few with in a mile of my house and who knows how many I go right past in daily travels.

 

I'd hate to get "hooked" on another hobby I don't have time for.

[+TEAM D & D]

You can go Hunting and you don't have to Shoot, Catch, or clean your prey. Of course if you don't bring food you may go hungry. You can spend hours and hours in a row out here looking for these things if you want. You just sign it and off you go. Geocaching is always in season.

[highpockets]

I agree with QDman it is the feeling of being a select group that are in on the secret. Snow leopard has a good point that I didn't really think about, billion dollar satellites =McToys. when I first started I tried to explain to the lowpockets about satellites in orbit and it fell on deaf ears, they just wanted the tiny beany babies. The lowpockets were the reason I started, a new age treasure hunt and a walk in the woods with my two 8 year olds. It's time well spent, better than an X-box.

[+kent1915]

Chance to get out and find new places off the beaten path, figure out puzzles and challenges, and putting my taxdollars spent on defense to good use. Those be my reasons.

[+dblrngr]

I find that if I'm not off doing something - I become a couch potato and waste away the entire weekend. Jack Ryan.. I'm jealous...(a few caches within a few miles). I had to drive one hour to find my first one last weekend. But I also was involved in a horseshoe tournament while there..... BONUS

Edited June 1, 2005 by dblrngr

[+Renegade Knight]

It sounded like fun, so I tried it.

It was fun so I stuck with it.

[+JeepCachr]

Treasure hunting, thats what I do it for. Sometimes the treasure is the swag other times its the view, and my favorites is when its the journey.

[jumpr]

I like the idea of using such a high tech system for such a low tech purpose. We're not launching missiles or flying planes, we're just on a treasure hunt. And that's what I like about it.

[+Joypa]

I love being bitten by mosquitos and having my travel bugs stolen. I also enjoy having my caches trashed.

[+barkbox]

The chicks

[+BlueDeuce]

The chicks 

Dang! Someone beat me to the smart answer.

 

Ok, I took 10 seconds to make my decision.

 

The hunt.

 

There may be ones I don't like and there may be ones out of my league, but your dadgum straight that I went for them because I wanted to find them.

Edited July 19, 2005 by BlueDeuce

[+Corp Of Discovery]

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!

 

Edit: Oops, wrong website.

Edited July 19, 2005 by Corp Of Discovery

[+Pioneer 'n' Tiff]

Back in Australia I use to competitively sail.

Since arriving in the USA I haven't been able to get back on a yacht yet. Tiff, the new wife, had a pair of GPS' in a cupboard not being used (it's still unclear why she had them tucked away) She wanted US to have a joint activity that we didn't have before we were married, so she suggested this. The bonus is that I get around on a bicycle (most of the time) so the hiking/climbing/riding keeps me in shape.

 

The hunt of discovery also nags at me enough that I'm sure eventually I will write a spy type story which has geocaching as a theme.

[+joe gremlin]

It's being in on the secret.

It's seeing amazing places.

It's sharing it all with my wife.

It's embracing my inner geek (and then giving him the keys to the Jeep).

[+Ed Rad]

I love quiggling the chomby until it squeals with delight.

[+Camping Hoosiers]

Well... I am ashamed to admit it but here goes...

 

<Standing Up> Our name is Camping Hoosiers and we are tupperware addicts!

[LeighandMom]

Sitting in front of the Television is boring. You have to take " The Road Less

Traveled " I love the hunt. The falling over logs, the bugs crawling down your neck,

up your pants and most of all, my Husband saying " No, your not holding the GPS. I

let you hold it once and now it's my turn and it's my turn next time too." Ya, gotta

love this game.

[+NoLemon]

I love quiggling the chomby until it squeals with delight.

[+GSDK-9]

It's a fun family activity that gets us out to new places.

[+WeinClan]

The thrill of new places does it for us. It is amazing the places we have seen and probably would of otherwise ignored, especially when we travel out of state. Aside from gas (hah which runs an arm and a leg now) it is fairly cheap entertainment!

[Ga's Gang]

I love quiggling the chomby until it squeals with delight. 

 

I once knew a girl like that...

 

Oh, sorry...

 

Ga loves gadgets, and being outdoors is always good. This gets the 8 year old couch tater (THE Woodchuck) out of the house and keeps the 2 1/2 year old outsidenic BooBoo happy. Mommy Pants can play too (especially when there are riddles)! What a value, what a deal!

Also gets us to really neat places, some new ones and some with just a new perspective on familiar places. Love the thought and work put into the themes too!

[+The Bowser Family]

Its The:

Thrill of the Hunt

Problems to Solve

The Excercise I Get

Seeing New Places

Being Outdoors With Nature

Spending Quality Time With The Family

Using My Mind

Knowing about the little secret in the woods That ONLY a select few know about.

 

In addition I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis Last Fall and since then my life kinda fell apart.. lost my commercial driving status and had a bad limp for a while... Geocaching has been a confidence boost and a good source of excercise and encouragement I forget I have M.S. When I am in the woods With My Family

 

TFTC!!! For Everything!

Ben of The Bowser Family