# GPS's are fun **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 21, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305 "2004-04-21T23:04:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bookbuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@bookbuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bookbuster)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/1 "2004-04-21T23:04:30Z")
Just hunted down my first (two) [geocaches](http://www.geocaching.com/) this weekend. It was a blast! One led us to a beautiful abondoned railroad over a river in my boring old hometown that I don’t think I would ever know about otherwise… From the website: > [@](#): > > **What is Geocaching?** Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache There wasn’t anything really cool in the cache to take home, but it the log-books were interesting reads. ---
**Author:** ![PigBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@PigBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/2 "2004-04-22T02:03:03Z")
Geocaching is enjoyable. I always cheat and decrypt those hints people give, and I rarely take anything from the cache, but they’re fun to find and usually good for the walk. So far it’s the best reason I’ve found to use my GPS. The first ones I found (with all or some of my family) were in Hawaii when we were visiting there a couple summers ago. There was a really cool one on Oahu that was in what was called a “hidden gulch” that really lived up to its name. My dad and I had to slog our way through thick grass as tall as ourselves to get there, and there was a pool of water in there that was the lovely color of Hawaiian dirt (red) we so fondly remembered from our days living there (on the island, not in the gulch). We couldn’t find the cache, but it was great GPS fun! Our geocaching has led us to a range of places, from interesting places like that which we’d never have found otherwise, to a wonderful geocache in a roadside tree surrounded by trash. I want to steal the super high quality (expensive) GPS unit we use in my geography courses here at school and find geocaches with that. Or at least do something with it… ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/3 "2004-04-22T05:05:10Z")
Yay! Other Geocaching Dopers! I got into this exciting misuse of technology in January, after having bought myself a GPSr for Christmas. I’m up to 20+ caches found (most on the way home after work…), and am about to plant one myself, as soon as I find a good hidin’ spot. ---
**Author:** ![Oat1957](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Oat1957](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oat1957)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/4 "2004-04-22T12:58:52Z")
Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. I have 40 finds and 5 hidden. I use a Magellan SporTrak. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/5 "2004-04-22T13:51:17Z")
Any good places around NYC to do that? I’ve always wanted to get a GPS and go find a cache. ---
**Author:** ![Oat1957](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Oat1957](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oat1957)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/6 "2004-04-22T16:00:30Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Any good places around NYC to do that? I’ve always wanted to get a GPS and go find a cache. Go [here](http://www.geocaching.com/seek/) and enter your zip code. Check it out. It’s a lot of fun. ( most of the time anyway 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/7 "2004-04-22T16:22:32Z")
> [@Oat1957](#): > > Go [here](http://www.geocaching.com/seek/) and enter your zip code. > > Check it out. It’s a lot of fun. ( most of the time anyway 😃 ) Kick ass, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/8 "2004-04-22T16:37:36Z")
I haven’t done any Geocaching since I moved to Austin. Maybe I’ll go and hunt down **cavemans’** offering. ---
**Author:** ![DogMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@DogMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogMom)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/9 "2004-04-22T16:39:13Z")
No caching Dopers near me. Bummer. Any of you ever try to explain the fun and appeal of caching to a non-caching friend / family member? I’ve tried several times and I always get the “I’ll keep her occupied, you call the Guys In The White Jackets” look. I’ve resorted to just calling it “Hiking With Geek Gear” and that seems to make more sense to them than “well, you look for these caches which you locate with a GPSr, and then you write in the log book, and maybe exchange little trinkets, and it’s just really fun. Mostly it’s just the challenge of finding new ones. It’s really cool.” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/10 "2004-04-22T16:39:56Z")
I have never heard of geocaching, but now that I have, I want to do it. It is a strong want, rather akin to my desire not to pour acid in my eyes. Must resist. Know resistance is futile. Need to purchase GPS! ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/11 "2004-04-22T17:01:04Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > I haven’t done any Geocaching since I moved to Austin. Maybe I’ll go and hunt down **cavemans’** offering. You could give [mine](http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=234bab29-9f33-4fea-860f-59bb05ab25ab) a try. It’s on the shores of Lake Georgetown, just north of Austin. It’s a good little hike. ---
**Author:** ![DogMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@DogMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogMom)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/12 "2004-04-22T17:50:38Z")
Oh, **jsgoddess** it’s great. Cease resisting, come over to the Caching Side… I notice you’re from Ohio, if you’re anywhere near the NW corner of OH, and don’t mind a bit of a travel for a Caching Event, there’s gonna be a picnic / Caching Event in Indiana at the Chain-O-Lakes State Park on May 22. You can get all the details [here](http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=120726)., if you’re interested. Any of you released any Travel Bugs yet? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/13 "2004-04-22T18:21:42Z")
> [@DogMom](#): > > Oh, **jsgoddess** it’s great. Cease resisting, come over to the Caching Side… > I notice you’re from Ohio, if you’re anywhere near the NW corner of OH Unfortunately, I’m in SE Ohio. I was shocked to go to the site **Oat1957** linked to and find that there are geocachers in my area! The closest cache is less than 6 miles away. This is unheard of. ---
**Author:** ![Oat1957](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Oat1957](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oat1957)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/14 "2004-04-22T20:49:11Z")
This is one of the better one’s around here. [Cape Horn Adventure](http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=11632795-0101-4afd-9c85-ba299b21e4a5) ---
**Author:** ![bookbuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@bookbuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bookbuster)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/15 "2004-04-22T22:17:59Z")
> [@DogMom](#): > > Any of you released any Travel Bugs yet? Would this be leaving an item in a cache with instructions to move the item to another cache, then to another cache, and so on? I heard that one such item made it all the way from the West coast to the East coast. > [@jsgoddess](#): > > I’m in SE Ohio. I was shocked to go to the site Oat1957 linked to and find that there are geocachers in my area! The closest cache is less than 6 miles away. This is unheard of. Yeah, geocachers are truely everywhere! In my small hometown alone it would take a lot of effort to check off the whole list of available caches. I reccomend that you get in on the fun. I think that there are decent GPS’s available for $50 or slightly less. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/16 "2004-04-22T22:45:58Z")
I’ve never done geocaching, but it does sound like fun. I’m a huge GPS fan. I’ve got two units. I’ve got a Garmin GPS III+ that I use for hiking (kept me alive in Joshua Tree) for a couple of days, and a Garmin Street Pilot that I use on my motorcycle. It’s great for leading rides through all kinds of twisty back roads that would be impossible to find otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Oat1957](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Oat1957](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oat1957)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/17 "2004-04-22T22:50:06Z")
> [@bookbuster](#): > > Would this be leaving an item in a cache with instructions to move the item to another cache, then to another cache, and so on? I heard that one such item made it all the way from the West coast to the East coast. Yes. I have a TB that’s slowly (real slow) making it’s way south for some friends down there to find. I saw one not too long ago that started in Singapore and it was now traveling the States. [Olds 442 TB](http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?tracker=tbg140) ---
**Author:** ![Canby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Canby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canby)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/18 "2004-04-23T02:12:01Z")
I swear I was _just_ thinking “I should start a geocaching thread…”. I knew there would be other geocaching dopers out there. I just started two months ago, and am totally hooked. So is it bad that I already have my eye on a fancier GPSr that I really don’t need? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/19 "2004-04-23T03:41:52Z")
This looks damned fun. I might have to scrounge up $100. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305/20 "2004-04-23T04:43:12Z")
Holy freakin’ crap. There’s like, a whole page of caches within 10 miles of me. If money weren’t so tight right now, I’d go get a GPS tomorrow. Hm… surely someone I work with has a GPS… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gpss-are-fun/241305.md?page=2)