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Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

TBFM

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 8, 2006
454
70
CONUS
I was invited to go Geocaching over the Christmas Holiday.
I had absolutely no idea what it was and what it took to do it.
At first I thought this sounded a litte wierd and sophmoric so I said "what the hell...I'll go".
First thing is has anyone done this before? I'm guessing yes being as there are nearly 1 million of the sites throughout the world.
All it takes is a GPS (or I Phone App), some very basic map skills and the time it takes to go out and find a Cache near your area.
Several of my family members ended up going out and finding local Cache areas over two day's in Hot Springs. Once on a site it was a mad scramble to find it first.
I do have to admit...I had fun.
Link:
http://www.geocaching.com/

So, who has done this before?
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

We used a brand new 60CSX that I just got.
Since then I have gone out at night twice.....almost got muggled.
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

We did it in BHam, it was a long time ago, and we used to take the 4x4's out and find the places.


Pretty fun, it was neat to find the stuff, and see what other people had left.

I hope to do it again, we were using old school GPS, I bet it's a little more refined now. I gotta check out the iPhone app, it would be fun to do when my daughters get a little older.
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

i wanted to try it, i have read about it alot in different areas. i started looking at GPS units but never could decide which to get. i need to head to dick's so i can hold them in hand and see which has what. it sounds like a good time and great way to walk the dogs.
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

I have done it. I have hidden a few of my own. I find it to be pretty fun. A good excuse to get some exercise makes a hike through the woods a little easier if you have a purpose. I need to get a new gps though the old Garmin I have just doesn't seem to want to pick up the satellites anymore
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AXEMAN</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I need to head to dick's so i can hold them in hand and see which has what. </div></div>

You didn't actually write that did you?
grin.gif
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

Some people in a caving group I used to belong to went out one day after a work session. I went with them. But that was 12 or 14 years ago. My GPS doesn't do any maps or anything. It's generation 1 Eagle. It's like a brick that reads out Lat, Long and altitude. We spent a fall day searching through the woods. No body got hurt and most everyone had a decent time of it.
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

I started "geocaching" with my 10 year old son as a way to teach him how to use an eTrex Legend that I handed down.

He stayed focused, learned basic gps functions/operation and has had lots of fun doing it.

You definately have to go with the right people though.

Here's a link to the search page at the above website:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

I have two boys, a 4 year old and a 6 year old. They call it "treasure hunting" because most of the caches have little trinkets in them. So they gather up some of their trinkets and trade for what they find in the caches. My folks were the ones that got us started, they do it for exercise and to see places they wouldn't have otherwise found or gone to. We belong to that same website/link you posted, and when we go to the beach or on a trip we will pull up the map and it will show where they approximately are. Then download them to the garmin rino and off we go. When we are cruising in the truck it will show any that are close to us and we pull over and "treasure hunt." Some of them are really challenging. Here is a pic of one my boy and I found, it took us a while as it is a fake rock:

geo8.jpg


geo1.jpg


When you pulled it up it had a film canister glued to the bottom. He traded one of his trinkets for a denmark coin that was in it.

geo2.jpg


Then we hit a different spot and I let the youngsters run the "treasure finder"

geo5.jpg


geo6.jpg


geo3.jpg


At the end of this search we found an ammo can full of trinkets. Each cache is categorized by size and difficulty, so what you are looking for is always different. It is a great activity for us and the kids, gets us all out of doors together and is a fun challenge. The only thing we haven't been doing is logging our finds. We sign the paper inside the cache but haven't logged them on the website yet.
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

Ah Shit! I am GLAD I just finished my coffee or there would be a huge mess on Panty 6's laptop! LMMFAO!
I am thinking about upgrading to a better GPS from the GArmin Legend C eTrex, and eTrex we have, mostly because they are no longer supported by Garmin or Mapsource.
I had a geocache at the local range I shot at in upstate NY, and no one ever went to get it. Guess they missed a nice stash because I recovered it and gave it to a guy who was there one day. A few cigars, nicely stored in a small otterbox with a box of .223 and a cutter and lighter. Nothing fancy, just a bit of fun stuff.
Need to see if the kids are interested in it, then maybe I can justify the upgrade to new equipment, or downloading the app on the Xenon
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

My sister and brother in law were rock climbing out near the lake and found a military can half burried in the rocks so they opened it up to find things like a jump rope, play cars and other little kid items. At first it scared them with the question why did someone hide these items. About two weeks later they told me about it and I checked online and sure enough there was a cashe where they were. I am including GPS coordinates in my new Apocalyptic thriller that match areas of where the book takes place and will post them to the web site when the book is released. I will have some items that relate to the story of the book and what has taken place within the story at that location within a cashe.
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

Yeah, we just started this up a few months ago, my 6 year old was SO thrilled when we found that first ammo can under the stump trailside....

I ended up with a Delorme PN-30 and got the yearly map subscription for $30, it has worked really well fro me so far now that they have updated the firmware.

I have the app on my iPhone now as well on the off chance we are out somewhere and want to go find something quick. It seems to work fairly well also, not as accurate, but unless you're looking for a micro cache it will get you there.
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

My neigbor's son is very interested in going in the Military.
I'm going to give him the GPS and co-ordinates to a few around the area and head out to the Wolf River bottoms with him so he can learn a few things.

I may even get Shagg and Wil to stash one in Vegas at the SHOT show for the fun of it. I can only imagine it will turn out like a scene from "Hangover"...should be interesting.
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

My daughters mom does this, she set up a cache in the middle of the Olympic mountains LOL, and one where I used to pick my daughter up - just sign the paper and put it back.

Good family fun basically.
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

I need to put in my 2 cents on the geocaching.

I volunteer with the Conservation Department in Missouri. Geocaching on Conservation lands is strictly prohibited in Missouri without specific permission from the regional office over the area of use. The constant use by geocachers can cause stress to wildlife as well as damage wildlife habitats folks!

So, please check with your local Conservation Departments if you find that a geocache site may be on Conservation or State owned lands. Some departments are under orders to destroy geocaching sites on State owned lands.

I'm not against geocaching by any means. Just be responsible...better yet, be a sniper and leave no traces you were ever there.

Props to the member posting pics of kid time geocaching. Fun activity for the kiddos!
 
Re: Geocaching....anybody tried this yet?

Dang, there are a load of them in my zip. Must get started! I need a handheld GPS since the Nuvee won't do the trick......... What's the bestest unit for this stuff?