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General Category => General Talk => Topic started by: bick on July 13, 2009, 05:12:24 am

Title: Geocaching
Post by: bick on July 13, 2009, 05:12:24 am
Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. At the moment, there are 846,343 caches hidden around the world. (wikipedia)

I just started geocaching this week and I've had a lot of fun even though I've only successfully found one cache. Basically, what you do is go to a Geocache website (I use Geocaching.com (http://www.geocaching.com)), look up a cache near you that you think you can find, and go get it. Inside caches are wide variety of things, from knick-knacks that you are free to take, provided that you put in a knick-knack of your own, and items that you can track online. All caches are placed on public property so there's not a lot of danger of being arrested, although people have reported getting in trouble with the authorities for looking suspicious. I find it amazing that all this caches have been all around me and I've never noticed them before.

So, do any of you Geocache/Have any memorable experiences doing so? If you have, is it worthwhile to geocache, or did you find yourself bored after a few weeks.

Title: Geocaching
Post by: datamanc3r on July 13, 2009, 05:23:41 am
I went geocaching with a friend last week actually. We didn't find anything at any of the 5 sites we went to, although at one of them we did find obvious cache markers, as well as a christmas light + ping pong ball, which I assume were once in the cache. All the others led to huge patches of poison oak, or to fields of brambles and fox tails. Overall, I really hated doing it because there were too many variables (places people could hide things, too many possible variables (inaccurate GPS, wrong coordinates, etc.).

Following the arrow on the GPS kinda makes me feel like Link. Next time I go out though I'm bringing the ocarina, master sword, and green skirt + cap.

Da da da daaa!
Title: Geocaching
Post by: bick on July 13, 2009, 05:49:46 am
I went geocaching with a friend last week actually. We didn't find anything at any of the 5 sites we went to, although at one of them we did find obvious cache markers, as well as a christmas light + ping pong ball, which I assume were once in the cache. All the others led to huge patches of poison oak, or to fields of brambles and fox tails. Overall, I really hated doing it because there were too many variables (places people could hide things, too many possible variables (inaccurate GPS, wrong coordinates, etc.).

Following the arrow on the GPS kinda makes me feel like Link. Next time I go out though I'm bringing the ocarina, master sword, and green skirt + cap.

Da da da daaa!
Yeah I tried to find one that said it was located under a rock. After 20 mins of flipping over stones I gave up, but I was hoping that was not the case with other caches. What do you use to locate them on the spot? All I have is a gps-enabled phone and I was hoping that'd be good enough for most caches.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: `~congresman Ron paul~~ on July 13, 2009, 05:51:35 am
i've always wondered if i farted in a geocache box and shut it really quickly could i get someone to search for several hours for a box full of farts
Title: Geocaching
Post by: datamanc3r on July 13, 2009, 06:10:24 am
I usually establish a 40-50 ft perimeter around where the object is 'supposed' to be and search the most obvious places (in a tree, a patch of leaves, under a bush).

Under a rock though? That means they buried it. You probably should've brought a shovel.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: bick on July 13, 2009, 06:13:14 am
I usually establish a 40-50 ft perimeter around where the object is 'supposed' to be and search the most obvious places (in a tree, a patch of leaves, under a bush).

Under a rock though? That means they buried it. You probably should've brought a shovel.
According to Geocaching.com it was only a 1.5 in difficulty so I thought it'd be easy to find.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: Paragon on July 13, 2009, 06:18:40 am
I'm actually totally down for doing this, I gotta see if I have any friends that are interested now. It'll be something to do I guess.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: xanque on July 13, 2009, 04:08:44 pm
wow, there are a ton of these in my little town.  I wouldn't have expected that.  I run around this town all the time, so I might add this to it.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: UPRC on July 13, 2009, 04:36:54 pm
Wow, there are actually a few of these in my area. Kind of interesting! If I had a GPS, I'd probably consider giving this a try.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: datamanc3r on July 13, 2009, 05:10:27 pm
A cache really should be a box, which is why I'm a little bit iffy about it fitting under a rock. Was the rock obvious? Or were there a helluva lot of rocks to pick from (which is the case most of the time). Either that, or someone moved it. Always check when the cache was last updated on that website. Anything within a month or three is preferable.

Yeh, I was amazed that we had some too. But it's really just the boy scouts who lay them, so I'm not surprised that you guys might have some too.

Also, GWcache.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: Frisky SKeleton on July 13, 2009, 07:47:46 pm
me, morpheus and trinity are trying to find the one. we call it 'neo caching'

i've found one of these boxes before, it was full of broken junk and a book to write what you put in and what you take out, and a camera to snap your goofy self. i didn't have a gps i just found it.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: Evangel on July 13, 2009, 08:12:42 pm
My own little town has a few recent caches around.  I'll have to borrow my parents' GPS for a day and go for a hunt.  Does anyone know what these "Replicoins" are? 
Title: Geocaching
Post by: crone_lover720 on July 13, 2009, 08:19:30 pm
added to geocache: a few dead earwigs

I'm going to hide a gwcache, see if you guys can find it. coordinates SERVER TOO BUSY
Title: Geocaching
Post by: Evangel on July 13, 2009, 08:35:23 pm
Also, I like how they refer to all non-cachers as Muggles.  "This is a high Muggle-traffic area, so watch out."  Those pesky Muggles sure can ruin a cache.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: crone_lover720 on July 13, 2009, 09:04:36 pm
found in cache: american civil war game figurines, harry potter and the chamber of secrets, a pokedex, a strap on leopard tail and a lightsaber flashlight.

also there's a guy near me who talks like a spiritual woodlands ranger. you would think he was an american indian or something but he speaks in half german half english
Title: Geocaching
Post by: Evangel on July 13, 2009, 09:15:25 pm
I've got a geocache for you:  IT'S YOUR MOTHER IN A COFFIN.  FIND IT SOON IF YOU WANT HER TO LIIIVVVVE!
Title: Geocaching
Post by: dark_crystalis on July 13, 2009, 09:33:57 pm
I love the idea of this.. I'd just need a GPS system.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: Frisky SKeleton on July 14, 2009, 08:30:00 am
it'd be sweet to have a gps that slowly revealed itself like an automap, i'm sure you could get one. i want one. it'd be sweet.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: XxNemesis29xX on July 14, 2009, 07:30:13 pm
Quote
it'd be sweet to have a gps that slowly revealed itself like an automap, i'm sure you could get one. i want one. it'd be sweet.
LIKE IN AN RRRPPPPGGG!!! RPG!!! GRRUUUAAHHHHH
Title: Geocaching
Post by: datamanc3r on July 14, 2009, 08:08:20 pm
Geocaches usually have stupid puzzles you have to solve before you can find the coordinates. Imagine this -- an 8 hour rpg you play that gives you cache coordinates after you beat it, leading you to a box full of condoms and a letter to get laid.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: General Robert E. Lee on July 14, 2009, 09:44:40 pm
I used to go GeoCaching all the time, but I haven't done any recently.  It's pretty fun wandering around the woods and whatnot and finding a little plastic container in a dead tree.  It feels like I'm treasure hunting.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: jamie on July 15, 2009, 02:19:08 am
I always felt like Geocaching was just an excuse for pooping in a box. I found some dung in tupperware one time.

I think this is a cool thing, though. This is the kind of thing I like in life. People leaving these little bits of whatever, just things, things and stuff that they like, for other people who want to do the same thing to find. That's pretty good in my book. I would like to do a little of this in my life. I haven't yet, though.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: kentona on July 15, 2009, 03:13:03 pm
wow, there are a bunch really close to my house.  I wasn't expecting that.

Incidentally, does anyone remember the app that was like an interactive worldmap that people could use to pin their current location?  GW had one going a few years ago where people on this site would mark where they lived.  I can't remember what the app was called.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: Barack Obama on July 15, 2009, 03:35:04 pm
geocache my dick and ballsack
Title: Geocaching
Post by: datamanc3r on July 16, 2009, 08:05:50 pm
geocache my dick and ballsack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhwbxEfy7fg

wow, there are a bunch really close to my house.  I wasn't expecting that.

Incidentally, does anyone remember the app that was like an interactive worldmap that people could use to pin their current location?  GW had one going a few years ago where people on this site would mark where they lived.  I can't remember what the app was called.
Something tells me that's a terrible idea.
Title: Geocaching
Post by: kentona on July 16, 2009, 08:47:25 pm
yeah, I finally found it.  Frappr (http://www.frappr.com/)