Geocaching Megathread

[Mio Akiyama]

[IMG]http://images1.fanpop.com/images/photos/2000000/Banner-geocaching-2067810-750-90.jpg[/IMG]
[B][URL="http://www.geocaching.com"]www.geocaching.com[/URL]

What is Geocaching?[/B]
Geocaching is a worldwide scavanger hunt that uses GPS units, a logging website, and a variety of different types of "Caches". Members of the website can acquire the GPS coordinates of user placed caches, go out, find them, log their name, and record the find on a website.

[B]So why is it fun?[/B]
Well, I personally find the two main types of geocaching fun for different reasons.

In urban geocaching, half the battle is finding the often bottlecap sized geocaches, which are often in very odd places (I once found one inside of a lamp post on the side of a busy city street, for example). To add an additional challenge, one must try to avoid drawing attention to themselves as they fiddle around in various odd places, so people who dont know what geocaching is dont come over and steal or disrupt the cache. The sheer cleverness of the hiding spots for caches is also simply awesome. If you live in a city, you more than likely pass by more than 10 caches on the way to work.

The other variety of geocaches are hidden in more rural areas, often placed at a cool, yet hidden scenic spot, or an area with an interesting historical background. These caches are often easier to find and are larger, sometimes even containing prizes for those who find them.

[B]
What does a Geocache look like?[/B]

Urban caches are often very small, some only containing a small roll of paper to be used as a logbook.

Some being as small as:
[IMG]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/2063612922_246dee7f6a.jpg?v=0[/IMG]

The larger urban caches are usually a key box or waterproof soap box, these may contain small trinkets to trade occasionally:
[IMG]http://blog.mlive.com/saginawnews_impact/2009/03/large_APS.Geocache3.jpg[/IMG]

Rural geocaches are usually ammo cans or tupperware containers hidden bettween rocks or in a hollow stump:

[IMG]http://noadventure.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/official-geocache5.jpg[/IMG]

Small rural caches do exist though, often hidden in trees or trail signs:
[IMG]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/65/157340708_144f971a78.jpg[/IMG]

[B]
What do I need to Geocache?[/B]

A GPS, and an internet connection. When you register an account on Geocaching.com, you can type in your location to get a list of caches in your area. Caches are found literally all over the world, Ive found many on trips to other countries in addition to finding over 30 in my local area.

[B]Other Caching info/resources:
[/B]-[U]Multi caches[/U]: several caches in a tight proximity (Often a park) are often organized into multi-caches. These types are the most fun IMO, since they only give you the coords to one cache, finding this one cache might give you the coords to the next one, or a hint to where it can be found.

[url]http://shop.groundspeak.com/productList.cfm?categoryID=13[/url] Purchasable geocaches for hiding

[url]http://www.geocaching.com/faq/default.aspx[/url] Official FAQ

[url]http://www.geocaching.com/iPhone/[/url] Iphone app info

[url]http://www.geocaching.com/calendar/default.aspx[/url] Geocaching events calender

[swebonny]

Ah I did this a few years ago. But I couldn't find anything at two spots. And people started staring at me when I poked around on the ground :/

[CanadianBill]

I love geocaching, great way to find cool places. I've seen some pretty clever hiding places, too... like, in a park greenbelt, they put a fake sprinker in the ground and hid it inside.

[KristoferKSR]

There are two near where I live, was pretty fun finding them.

[Alec W]

I've found quite a lot with my friends, haven't done it since it got hot though.

My favorite ones involve lifting fencepost lids.

[Rævskjegg]

My sister and her boyfriend geocaches a lot. They've even traveled to Iceland to find some geocaches there...

[Nutcake]

A friend and I did it a few times and jesus, the people who hide em are pretty clever.
for example, under a bridge, there was a big screw that wasn't as rusty as the other ones and after removing it you would find a piece of paper inside with the coordinates for the cache.

[Killer Monkey]

I found a dead dog stuffed in a case once, but other than that it was fun.

[BrownTown]

I found this neat dead guy attached to some concrete shoes at the bottom of a river

[Trunk Monkay]

[t]http://i.imgur.com/Cc0zkwN.jpg[/t]
geochaching is fun and safe

[oxooon]

This reminds me of that one story on /b/, when a guy posted a picture of decomposing human remains and gave geographic coordinates, and someone went there and began posting pictures in the thread. He mentioned hearing someone shuffling around, and he found a bunch of tortured animals and prescription pills, and then he stopped posting.

Just found it. Link to imgur albums of screencaps:

[highlight]WARNING: ACTUAL SCARY SHIT NSFW[/highlight][url]http://imgur.com/a/QQA6g[/url][highlight]WARNING: ACTUAL SCARY SHIT NSFW[/highlight]

Of course, it's a one in a billion occurrence, but still. Scares me.

[credesniper]

[QUOTE=J$ Psychotic;41912095][highlight]WARNING: ACTUAL SCARY SHIT NSFW[/highlight]

Of course, it's a one in a billion occurrence, but still. Scares me.[/QUOTE]When 4chan gets scary, it gets damn scary quick.

[XxThreedogxX]

Looks fun might have to try this.

[Riku2211]

This looks pretty fun. Gonna try and find a couple nearby me tomorrow. Thanks OP.

[#Raptor Jesus]

I've never attempted this, but I once found one on my trip around Australia (to visit my brother).

We had parked up in some rest area that was literally in the middle of nowhere, 200km from the nearest Gas station. There were no signs of local wildlife, so our plans of hunting for our food everywhere we went was destroyed, so we got out somec ans of beans.

Building a fireplace was the next thing I wanted to do, so we could just relax. There was a pre-built fireplace there, probably created by the previous travelers who had passed through this unknown area.

After searching around and gathering wood, I discovered a 'cross' behind a rock, some wood was tied together and hammered into the ground. I pulled it out and then noticed something under the dirt. I dragged out a plastic box that was filled with plenty of odd trinkets, an old Goose Bumps book, a teddy bear and a bunch of small things. Inside the box, was also a small notebook, upon reading it I discovered that I was not the first to find it, page after page had peoples accounts of their journey, and whether or not they stumbled upon the box or searched for it via GPS.

I placed one of my flip knives in the box, wrote in the book and then hid it close to where I found it, so another traveler may seek its story.

It was a magical moment for me, and I will never forget the tales that notebook held.

[H11]

I've always felt like this is a grade A way to get raped

[Brismo]

[QUOTE=J$ Psychotic;41912095]
[highlight]WARNING: ACTUAL SCARY SHIT NSFW[/highlight][url]http://imgur.com/a/QQA6g[/url][highlight]WARNING: ACTUAL SCARY SHIT NSFW[/highlight]

Of course, it's a one in a billion occurrence, but still. Scares me.[/QUOTE]

Ok, So, I don't know if i got the full effect of this, because I couldn't zoom in on the photos, what did the plate say aswell???\

[Alec W]

[QUOTE=J$ Psychotic;41912095]This reminds me of that one story on /b/, when a guy posted a picture of decomposing human remains and gave geographic coordinates, and someone went there and began posting pictures in the thread. He mentioned hearing someone shuffling around, and he found a bunch of tortured animals and prescription pills, and then he stopped posting.

Just found it. Link to imgur albums of screencaps:

[highlight]WARNING: ACTUAL SCARY SHIT NSFW[/highlight][url]http://imgur.com/a/QQA6g[/url][highlight]WARNING: ACTUAL SCARY SHIT NSFW[/highlight]

Of course, it's a one in a billion occurrence, but still. Scares me.[/QUOTE]

fucking internet

[Brismo]

^ Anyone got the original link to it??
So i can actually zoom in on the pics...

[Download]

Anyone completed the geocache on the ISS?

[Patrick]

I accidentally stumbled upon geocaching last year when I found a cache by accident in a park.

[isak]

There's like 12 different mini-caches within 2 miles of my house.

I went through my room to find whatever cool stuff I could find. I have a dickload of fortunes, some small metal figurines, a few euros and pounds, and some other random stuff that would be pretty fun to hide in a geocache. I'm hoping to make one and hide it in this big chunk of forest in the middle of my neighborhood. Then I'll make a bunch of smaller ones and start putting those around town, too. I was surprised at how many there are - over 100 in my town. Gonna try to find some of them tomorrow.

[Newbienice99]

My favorite one was disguised as a metal bolt. It was a magnet, so it fit on a metal park bench, and looked almost identical to all the other metal bolts on the bench.

[XoX]

I have my own Micro Cache.

[editline]21st August 2013[/editline]

[QUOTE=Newbienice99;41914066]My favorite one was disguised as a metal bolt. It was a magnet, so it fit on a metal park bench, and looked almost identical to all the other metal bolts on the bench.[/QUOTE]

I have seen something very similar. It was a magnetic nano cache

[Thelurker1234]

done it a few times, heard about it in middle school when some geocaching enthusiasts came by and showed what it's all about.

[a dumb bear]

Sweet, there are actually some near me, I might have to go and do this

[FFStudios]

i think it's fucking bogus that the "official" geocaching website makes you pay for a premium membership if you want to actually do any real seeking, on top of making you pay for their shitty app. rip-off city, maybe if the premium membership included the app for free this would be worth while, but i'm not paying $20 just to do some casual seeking

i'm aware there are alternatives and i'll probably use those instead

[XoX]

[QUOTE=FFStudios;41920050]i think it's fucking bogus that the "official" geocaching website makes you pay for a premium membership if you want to actually do any real seeking, on top of making you pay for their shitty app. rip-off city, maybe if the premium membership included the app for free this would be worth while, but i'm not paying $20 just to do some casual seeking

i'm aware there are alternatives and i'll probably use those instead[/QUOTE]

I've been doing fine without any sort of premium membership?
Maybe I'm just totally missing out though? lol

[FFStudios]

i went on the site and it said something about limiting the amount of caches you can see to 3 or something

if i totally misinterpreted what it said then that's on me, but there's still no excuse for charging $10 for a glorified Google Maps

[OogalaBoogal]

[QUOTE=FFStudios;41920828]i went on the site and it said something about limiting the amount of caches you can see to 3 or something

if i totally misinterpreted what it said then that's on me, but there's still no excuse for charging [B]$10 for a glorified Google Maps[/B][/QUOTE]

Google has advertising. Groundspeak does not.