Two elderly people

[Greg McCary]

Yesterday found me and my work partner stranded in a broke down service truck. As we were waiting for help to arrive, two elderly people drove up, put on their rain coats and began searching a small wooded area with their walking sticks, in a fairly heavy rain I might add.
The guessing game between my co-worker and I, probably could be in a made for TV movie. What were they looking for? We finally settled for a property line since they both had a piece of paper and after a while we noticed the GPS unit.
But the old mans search lead him right next to the truck and I couldn't resist to ask. They were playing a GPS hide and seek game called Geocaching. I came home and did a Google search and then checked into the site and found a couple of dozen items hidden in my area. The reason I am shareing this is, this is such a popular game for me to have never heard of it? And it is world wide?
http://www.geocaching.com/

Greg

[mjs1973]

Geocaching was new to me until I heard someone mention it on the radio a few months ago. I too did a search and fourn an cache in my home town. the cache was located in the same park that I take my dogs to all the time. I was able to find the cache without a GPS since the site I found it on had some pretty good hints to it. It looks like it could be a pretty fun, and educational game.

The wife wants a GPS unit for her car, but I told her that if/when we do get one, it has to be portable so we can take it hiking and find some more caches with it.

[walterick]

I first heard about geocaching about 5 years ago while attending a photographyreview.com photogathering Since then I hadn't heard much about it. Glad to see it's still alive

[another view]

I have a friend who's really into it. I've been thinking about getting a GPS for my kayak trips and getting into geocaching is probably one of the best ways to really get familiar with a GPS unit. I know a lot of people who have them and never bother to learn much about them, but they can be great navigational tools. You can get a GPS for under $100 and get started, or between $2-300 for one with a color screen that does mapping. Color screens are nice with maps because it makes them easier to read.

[adina]

I saw it on Law & Order....looks neat. Of course, in that instance, someone wound up dead.

[Asylum Steve]

They were playing a GPS hide and seek game called Geocaching...

Yeah, saw a special about this last year on one of the cable networks. Personally, I find it kind of annoying. Like folks don't have anything better to do with their time.

It also encourages individuals and groups to not only trample across untold amounts of public and private property, but actually dig up and otherwise mess up all kinds of outdoor environments, all for the sake of finding what are usually dumb little trinkets...

[Asylum Steve]

...artsy AVATAR!

Send her away to a workshop for a few days, and she becomes Diane Arbus. Put a fake mustache on it and it'll be perfect...

BTW, I could have taught you all that stuff for free...

[adina]

Ha!

I did that one today sitting in the office chair! I did get shot over the weekend, I should see those sometime in the next week or so.

Btw....I'm coming your way next. Okay, not next, I'm hoping to be in SD next weekend, but after that...WATCH OUT!

[Asylum Steve]

I did get shot over the weekend, I should see those sometime in the next week or so...

Actually, I went to that guy's site. I can see what attracted you to the workshop. He has a great style of shooting kids and family...

[another view]

It also encourages individuals and groups to not only trample across untold amounts of public and private property, but actually dig up and otherwise mess up all kinds of outdoor environments, all for the sake of finding what are usually dumb little trinkets...

Steve, I have to disagree with this. I don't know much about geocaching other than reading a little bit about it and knowing one person who does it, but what I've seen has been to the contrary of your point. With anything there will always be problems - even photography (thinking of the photojournalist whose Iraq composite was printed in the LA times for an example).

The advice on their site for new geocachers seems to be good protocol for anything outdoor related, such as studying the map first and not going out alone. If you're spending too much time staring at a GPS screen (as I can imagine a new owner would), you might not see the ankle-twisting hole you're about to step in or the cliff that you're about to go over... I don't doubt that some people have placed and visited caches on private property without permission, but I hope that's not a common occurance. From the sounds of it digging isn't involved - it would be almost impossible to find if that were the case. I'm not interested in the dumb little trinkets either but it's the journey and discovery of it that interest me. Guess I'm more interested in trying it out to learn about GPS receivers than anything else so I may not be typical of people who do this.

[Greg McCary]

My retired dad has been wanting a GPS unit since they have came out, but never really had a need for one. He is shopping for one right now. After I told him about the Geocaching, To him it has to do with travel as much as anything else I think. I bet a lot of retired poeple do this...
Greg

[Asylum Steve]

Steve, I have to disagree with this...what I've seen has been to the contrary of your point. With anything there will always be problems...

Steve, I'm just going by what I saw on the tv show. I definitely agree that, as with anything to do with the outdoors (hiking, off-road atv, mountain biking, etc.), there will be some geocachers that respect the environment, and some who do not.

As for areas, well they either have to be public or they have to be private, and the program showed examples of folks eagerly trampling through both to eventually get to the parks or wooded areas that contained the "treasure". From what I remember, people involved in these hunts didn't always stay on the beaten path, either.

I understand the interest (bordering on obsession) with this high-tech game. IMO, it's a combination of the metal detector and scavenger hunt mentalities with the challenging new spin of GPS...

All in all, I still think it's for folks that have nothing better to do...

[Jimmy B]

Garmin is the way to go,I have had a rino 120 for about 4 years. Great for making MTN bike maps. It works in the car but the screne is to small.The rino has a frs radio, so when your buddy is lost out on the trails and he has a rino his location shows up on your screen so you can find each other.
Jimmy B

[another view]

Actually I'm looking at the Garmin Venture CX - I think it's pretty well suited to my uses, long battery life, waterproof and marine navigation charts available. The main goal for me is to use it on kayaking trips, and we always carry marine VHF radios too. We go out hoping not to need them, but it's a pretty important piece of gear on the Great Lakes. Didn't know that any of them had FRS radios built in, that's interesting.

[Jimmy B]

http://www.garmin.com/outdoor/products.html#2-way
heres a link.
Jimmy

[Mr Yuck]

This is something I've wanted to get into as well, when I get one for my car, that is...after i'm not poor anymore...I'll be sure to get one that can be portable too.