Ever been geocaching?

[Phu Cat]

Sounds like a fun thing to do with the wife/SO. 

PC

[Dynawhite]

Not me personally, but I have friends that do and they all say it is a great way to enjoy the day outside. There are caches almost everywhere nowadays whether in the city or the country. Thinking of one this Christmas to use while traveling on the bike and when out on foot. Pretty much narrowed it down to the Garmin 60CSx.

[fxstdavew]

Yeah myself and the entire family (so much for kinky) have done some in the past . Lots of fun.
My wife got bit by a copperhead on one trip. (she is fine ) Give it a try. Sonny it is like treasure hunting using a GPS. goggle it

[Ken R]

A couple of friends of mine do it . . . . .gives them a good reason to ride.  They'll look up a cache in the Internet in a county seat town and kill two contests with one trip.  I've been on a couple with 'em.  Once you get within 30 feet, finding the "Easter Egg" is not always easy. 

[Panzer]

Phu,
Yup, been doing it for 3-4 years now.  
Some 60 ( prob. more, I've lost track) countries have hides and growing.
The hides are never buried and some are ingenious hide, thought provoking.
Hides can be in wooded areas, parks, outside malls, etc.....all outdoors is your
hiding place......you pick it.
A hand held GPS is a must of course.
I use a Magellan "SportTrak".....brings you with-in 3 feet of the find.
My favorite is finding the cache (treasure) in 30mm ammo cans. (weather proof)
Usually when you find the cache you sign the enclosed log, date of find and your cache name.
You take something out (if you want) and leave something behind for others.
"Take something, leave something"..........it's great fun, for all seasons, if you dare.
You can go it alone or bring the family.
If you like the open air (bikers doooooo) you'll love this sport.  
TREASURE AWAITS:
                   http://www.geocaching.com

Panzer

[dave629]

Example of what you find and leave?

[fxdwg]

Garmin 60CSx. very good gps,that is what i use.
mike

[crazy joe]

Sounds fun!

[Panzer]

EXAMPLE.......
In Florida, son found a partroopers knife, that was a good cache.
I've found, a silver dollar, replaced with a American flag pin.
Found k-rations, replaced with a dollar bill.
Found kids stuff, like small toys (boats & planes), replace with a wooden nickle.
Things like that.
Knives are forbidden as kids may get into the cache.

Panzer

[Phu Cat]

Knives are forbidden as kids may get into the cache.

Good thinkin on somebody's part.

PC

[Shovelheader]

Yeap, been caching for a few years now.  One day the wife and I hunted down 5 cache's while we were out on a day ride in Walla Walla Washington.  Its a blast and it sure takes you to areas that you would likely otherwise never know existed.  They also hide travel bugs in the caches at times and the intent is to try to move the travel bug along toward its intended destination(i.e. some bugs are trying to get from west coast to east cost etc.).  You typically log your finds and trades and the caches with travel bugs are reported on the geocaching site as well and they tend to be a bit sought after so they dont seem to stay in any place for too long.   And when your going on a trip its fun to plan a handful of caches along the way to help break up the ride.   

[4DWUDS]

Been doing it for quite a few years now, Best one was done by a clerk in a gas station, the prize was a free soda if you followed your GPS into the station and found the ticket taped to the coke machine.

[Panzer]

4D,
A soda, that's a cool idea...........have to keep that in mind.
I can picture the clerk seeing a guy holding up a gps, turning left and right and walking to the machine.
And a big smile on the ckerk's face and maybe even a giggle.   LOL LOL

[texaskatfish]

Welp - since yall have extensively discussed 'geocaching' and no one's said exactly what it is....................I'm left to assume (please correct me folks)

This is some kinda scavenger hunt employing a GPS to find the hidden items?

[crash1292]

yep exactly....go to
http://www.geocaching.com
to look up the cach,s....plug the lat -long numbers into your gps and start the hunt

[Phu Cat]

Welp, TKF, you're mostly right, I think.  I've never done this but want to get started doing it.  This is how I think it works:  Usually the 'prize' is left in a water tight container.  You can remove it, but should replace it with something of equal or greater value.  There might be a log that you sign then put everything back where you found it for the next person(s).  Then you also get to record your find on a web site.  No weapons should be left as kids might find them.  Apparently some people are pretty ingenious at hiding the prize.

Others that KNOW what they're talking about, please correct my mistakes and ad more info.

PC

[Old Crow]

Welp, TKF, you're mostly right, I think.  I've never done this but want to get started doing it.  This is how I think it works:  Usually the 'prize' is left in a water tight container.  You can remove it, but should replace it with something of equal or greater value.  There might be a log that you sign then put everything back where you found it for the next person(s).  Then you also get to record your find on a web site.  No weapons should be left as kids might find them.  Apparently some people are pretty ingenious at hiding the prize.

Others that KNOW what they're talking about, please correct my mistakes and ad more info.

PC

PC, you've pretty much hit the nail right on the head.

My wife and I have been doing Geocaching for several years.  We usually do it in the winter, in the Jeep, instead of riding the bikes.  I tend to look for caches in the wilderness areas near where I live.  Seen some awfully pretty places while searching for caches.  Got stuck in the snow once, too .
There are also things in the caches called Travel Bugs.  Basically, you take it from where you find it, move it on to another cache somewhere else and log this on the site.  Then you can track where the TB has been and where it goes from you.

[Dennis The Menace]

It has sounded like fun for years, but I have never tried it.  Maybe when I have more time, and an interest to wander....it would be fun.

Now, if only I had a GPS when I had all my land navigation courses in the Army.....sure would have been easier!  But, I can read the f$%^ out of a map.

menace

[egstandard]

You guys kill me.   

[cheetah]

Yes, I sometimes do it, Have located several within just a few miles of my home. Then, there are others that you wonder if there realy is a cache there. I have searched for one in particular for a couple of years, and still havn't found it.
Oh well, it's fun looking.
C

[hd-dream]

This sounds pretty cool.  My wife is not an outdoors type so this would be a good way to introduce my 2 year old son and her slowly into the outdoors.