Check This Out

[Espinosa]

i have heard some bad things about geocaching.

unfortunately the impact on the environment has actually become an issue in some places. it is causing more people to wander off already existing trails and affect wildlife and plant life. just a little FYI

remember to try and stay on existing trails where possible...

happy hunting

 

[boomx5]

Your point is well taken Espinoza. I think it should go without saying that any time we interact with the environment around us, we should respect that environment in which we interact.
Scott

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I recently did find the scuba cache on Maui a few days ago. It's located in about 30 feet of water. Right by a sunken canoe. You go to a gps location on the beach, then head directly out from shore towards the north tip of Lanai and when you spot it drop down and dig her up.

yes there have been some articles that are negative about geocaching, but there are articles negative about scuba too. I recall reading one that says the coral reefs around the world are dying because of divers.

One article about geocaching complained that cachers are littering the world with little plastic boxes filled with trinkets. Well there are more beer cans thrown out windows on the freeway every day than all the caches combined. Silly argument. Actually most cachers bring a plastic bag with them to pick up litter that the tree huggers leave behind in the woods.

I have placed many caches. In a year I might get 5 to 25 visitors at a given cache. Even if one were to go off a trail you aren't going to do a lot of damage to an area with that few people visiting. In fact most rural areas have more damage done to the surroundings by those pesky deer creating their own little trails.

The scuba aspect of geocaching is taking off. This is the link to the cache on Maui. In August I plan to get another scuba cache in Puget Sound. Fun stuff.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?pf=&ID=16119

 

[Ezh]

I've been geocaching for over a year and really like it and as for "bad things about geocaching" - only people without the idea of what it is could have said that.... and many of them, as soon as they get to know the geocaching community a little bit better - change their opinion

Btw, geocaching.com has a really nice and friendly forum that's worth checking out...

p.s. and as far as I remember, there's several caches accessible only by diving - sounds like it's almost time to check them out

Have fun!

khel

 

[jiveturkey]

Ok...I love this. I now have to buy a GPS.

 

[Zagnut]

..and so if this hobby really gains in popularity, pretty soon people are leaving crap everywhere and you know alot of it won't be found. Then there is just a bunch of trash out in the woods (or where ever). Nothing cool about that.

..and just because some idiot throws his beer cans out on the ground...is that really justification for burying a box of crap somewhere? Oh, he did it!...so I should get to, also!...

 

[Pez de Diablo]

I have been geocaching for almost a year now. It is agreat way to get my 6 year old daughter out on the trails. She absolutely loves the hunt for "treasure."

We have also used caching to find interesting local attractions.

It's a fun way to get out,

Pez aka Cdn Geoquester.

 

[Pez de Diablo]

Zagnut once bubbled...
[B<snip>
..and just because some idiot throws his beer cans out on the ground...is that really justification for burying a box of crap somewhere? Oh, he did it!...so I should get to, also!... [/B]

Dude, I guess it's not for everyone. Leave the "buried crap" for others to have fun with.

I don't think it will become a problem, in fact lots of areas use geocaching to organize "clean the park" days, cleaning more garbage up than will ever be created by geocaching.

 

[Jersey]

This looks like a lot of fun. I spent the morning researching GPS & hit Best Buy at lunch, got a Magellan, called my family, we are making it an evening stroll w/ the dog as the nearest cache is within 2 miles of the house. (The park is dog & kid friendly). Looking forward to spending time with the niece & nephew (5 & 7) on a 'treasure hunt'.

Pez - I think I'll adopt your idea & bring along bags to collect trash in as we walk.

 

[boomx5]

Now that I've been geocaching for over a year I've found that most geocachers care about the environment. It's fairly self policing and if people are thrashing the environment or leaving crap laying around, it will get discussed on the website, and the issues will be dealt with.