Single hen

[millymollymandy]

Hi I went geocaching for the first time yesterday and think it could turn into a fun hobby.

 

It is basically a treasure hunt using GPS.

 

I can only go with OH as he has a fancy phone with GPS unlike my old brick!!

 

Just wondered if anyone else has had a go. I think it will be a great way to explore the area having only recently moved.

[quickcluck]

My friends have just bought a GPS thing to do exactly that!

[bluekarin]

I saw Michaela Strachan do that on Countryfile a few weeks ago. Looks lots of fun and I would love to have a go.

[Helly Welly]

I saw it somewhere too, The Gadget show i think and it looks really good fun!!

[redfrock]

we've been going for about 4 years and have set caches locally and have travel bugs floating around the globe

 

It makes a good walk even more fun

[Snowy]

Sounds interesting - can someone explain a bit more please?

[Willow]

I haven't done it yet but have a friend Gill with a who knows a lot about geocaching and has been doing it for ages (was recently talked to BBC news about geocaching). She only really goes on the chicken board but I might give her a nudge to come talk to us about geocaching

[Goosey Lucy]

We go but it's only recently that I've started going out on my own. We treated ourselves to a new GPS unit for our 10th wedding anniversary (we couldn't think of anything else we would both get enjoyment out of.) It's taken me since October to work out how to use the thing.

 

The geocaching website can be found at www.geocaching.com You can find explanations of how to get started here but it's basically a walk (can be long or short) to specified GPS co-ordinates and when you arrive at your destination there will be a hidden cache. This can contain anything from just a logbook to record your visit to a wealth of little toys/swops and geocoins and travel bugs. these have unique serial numbers on them and are meant to travel around the country/world. The person who set the coin travelling can watch its progress.

 

You need a gadget to be able to determine where you need to get to but I also find a walking map invaluable especially before starting off. OH doesn't agree. Maybe that's why I don't get as lost as him?

 

I like to think of it as going for a walk with a definite purpose. We also go berrying while caching when the time is right. And yes, it's a great way to explore the area wherever you are.

 

I'm off out today!

[The Dogmother]

Some friends do it and we went with them once, but the clues were bad for that one and we couldn't find the next 'post'

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

The boys on the blagger blog have posted about this.

 

It looks wicked! That said, I'm trying to avoid it because I object to GPS on the basis that it encourages people not to read maps and I really really love maps.

 

There's an old-school version called letterboxing on Dartmoor:

 

http://www.dartmoorletterboxing.org/

 

Has anyone set an Omletty geocache full of mini chickenalia yet?!

[Goosey Lucy]

Has anyone set an Omletty geocache full of mini chickenalia yet?!

 

Ooo now that's a thought!

 

Sorry you didn't succeed Claret, sometimes the caches can be very small and ridiculously hard to find. It took us 5 visits to find one once.

 

Us? Obsessed? Never!! Just full of 'stickatability'

[Valkyrie]

OH and DD have done this for a while now - there are loads of places in this area. Anyone going to one in Old Basing, be careful. OH sank in mud up to his thighs and couldn't get out, everytime he tried he sank deeper - he eventually had to dig himself out. DD was a real help and watched and laughed. She did try and phone me for help, but I was in the bath and missed the call. She did however film him walking back to the car on her phone. All you can see is his muddy btm and legs and a squelching noise - plus the sniggering while he was whingeing away! Also that was in the summer during the dry spell.

Now you can see why I leave it to them!

[Snowy]

I had a look on the site and there are loads not 5 minutes from our house! Would a sat nav do the trick or does it have to be a fancy mobile phone thingy?

[Valkyrie]

It's a sat nav that can be used for padestrian purposes as well. My cousin has a Tomtom that does that and I haven't a clue what OH's is - just this annoying American man - which is tons better than the English one or the American lady!

[millymollymandy]

I am not sure if a sat nav would work because you have to input coordinated but you never know the fancy ones might be able to!

 

Just got an email from the man who set the cache I found welcoming me to the world of geocaching which was very nice.

 

I am going out again tomorrow to find another one a bit further away, well I say a bit further away the first one was 5 mins from my house and this one is about 10 mins away!!

[Helly Welly]

I've just signed up and we might go at the weekend, loks like bizarre fun. Hide and seek for grown-ups

[Snowy]

Oooh, I must charge up my sat nav and give it a go! I'm fairly sure I can put co-ordinates into it This might actually be something useful I can do with it - it's useless as a map

[Goosey Lucy]

I would suggest that the first time you go you try and find a cache that isn't too small, if you're looking for something described as a nano or micro then it can be really difficult to find!

 

Have fun and let us know how you get on. We're off caching tomorrow, we're going to try and find this one: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GCQZ9N

[Couperwife]

this looks really interesting

 

but I dont want to sound too stupid

 

we dont have a sat nav - do we need one for this?

dont think my phone does this either, how could I tell?

 

I think a little more reading up would help here

 

cathy

x

[Valkyrie]

You will need a sat nav but a specific kind that can be used for hand held purposes too as well as by car. There is a web site that lists the details of the treasure troves and the co-ordinates are then logged into the sat nav. It will take you to the area in which to search, but it will be up to you to look into every nook and cranny - even under things. Some are very small - the size of a plastic film container. Inside will be a little piece of paper that you can add your name to. Some are big and contain things for children as well - usually something like a MacDonald's toy, but if you remove the toy, it is nice to swap it with something else. When you get home you can add your findings to the web site and comment if necessary - like "too muddy so expect worse in winter" or somesuch.

OH's sat nav is a "Mio" but I gather that company has been taken over. He usually takes the co-ordinates of a few that are in the same area. He says the strangest thing is finding that you go past the area or know the area fairly well, but then discover lots of new things about the places he visits.

[Helly Welly]

We've found three this morning and are going out after lunch for three more. The first one was a bit tricky but we're getting the hang of it now. The last one, we had to search for under a "Y" shaped tree, unfortunately the tree has since been cut down!!

[Guest]

OK I'm trying to work out how on EARTH I would find time to do this. I didn't realise there were more listed below the advert! The ones at the top were all a long walk into a country park that is about 8 miles away - although showing as less than 2 miles on the site!!

 

I scrolled down and found one about 1/2 a mile away and I KNOW that location (everyone who lives here knows where the murders happend!!!) AND It's next to the boot sale which started up again today and guess where I am going tomorrow??

 

I also see another one that I can have a peek for on the way home one evening....

 

Not sure my satnav can handle this but fortunately my phone can so off I go tomorrow.....

[Helly Welly]

We used a phone too, worked quite well.

[Guest]

I didn't find it Where it shows it on the map is TOTALLY different to where the co-ordinates are at the top of the page. They are for about 2 miles away in the middle of private land

 

Am going to try again next week using the co-ordinates that are showing on the map as from the comments I believe this is where the cache is. I have to say I always thought the murders took place miles away at the outer end of the village not 1/2 a mile from here! I walk that bridle path regularly in the summer too - its my favorite berrying spot.

 

Coming back we saw some traveller horses that have been left in the field behind a derilict pub. I knew they were there as someone had mentioned it and this field belongs to the pub so the security was upped after they were left there and the surrounding farmers have dug a few extra ditches quick smart. They were both tethered on very long tethers but one of them didn't have an adequate water supply - it had an empty "lid" (large) which it had kicked over - the other one had a big heavy bin full of water. We went back and filled up this water container and called the RSPCA - I think we were meant to be there - even though it was a long way from what I now believe to be the cache location.

 

James found it all very exciting - I found my fancy phone rather inadequate!