Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The great outdoors

Here you can find advice on camping, outdoor activities and walking in the UK and abroad.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Original poster

Geocaching : chatty thread

209 replies

bumpybecky · 23/03/2012 16:24

hello geocachers :)

there were lots of outdoorsy shite threads, but now we have our new great outdoors forum, I thought I'd start a new thread for us :)

I am (one of) Dave's Piglings and an in Bedfordshire. We've currently got about 140 finds and 9 caches placed :)

OP posts:

EddieVeddersfoxymop · 25/07/2013 19:40

We are just about to do our first ever this weekend! My GPS unit is on route from Amazon, hoping it comes tomorrow.......We are going to cycle and take DD to find an easy one, so I hope we can find it.

We did however, take a sneaky walk down through our village last night as there is a close proximity nano just round the corner from us but we couldn't find it at all as we looked like we were loitering with intent

Any tips for the newest of newbies?

Original poster

bumpybecky · 27/07/2013 13:16

yes - nanos are tiny! start with something bigger :)

have you looked online at how tiny they are? if you've seen a few you'll know what to look for. Some are tiny cylinders about 1cm tall. I found one this morning that was a tiny plastic tube 1.5ml capacity.

At the top of every cache page there is a star rating for difficulty and terrain. Lower stars should be easier, although that's not always the case!

good luck :)

OP posts:

Original poster

bumpybecky · 27/07/2013 13:18

sorry, read that back and it sounds bossy! there's nothing to stop you looking for nanos, just don't be surprised if you don't find them!

OP posts:

Witt · 27/07/2013 13:30

We've been geocaching for 8 years, found 240, hidden 5 (although they are all archived now) and been caching in USA, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Spain as well as the UK.

Best ever geocache was in Belgium. The gps kept pointing to a row of bars. Finally we worked up the courage, went into what appeared to be the most likely one (based on the theme of the cache) and asked. They produced a massive attache case from behind the bar filled with loads of plastic and toy animals. We got to browse through it, and leave our first travel bug, whilst enjoying a beer in the sunshine.

There is a cache series in the Midlands called The Alchemy Quest that we started but then moved away and never finished. I'm curious, because all the people who found gold said the end point was amazing, so has anyone ever finished this series?

Witt · 27/07/2013 13:31

Nanos are evil! My evil nano geocoin went missing

EddieVeddersfoxymop · 29/07/2013 21:36

Hey, still can't find that blasted nano....but on the plus we bagged 6 finds over the weekend. DD is delighted with herself, especially as the one we got tonight was doggy themed and she is doggy daft

Witt · 30/07/2013 19:55

Did you decode the clue? Nanos are sometimes magnetic so did you look underneath benches and things where they could be hidden? Also on a couple of occasions I've found them inside fencing if there is a hollow tube in the fence and you take the top off.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 31/07/2013 10:19

31 days of geocaching starts tomorrow - the challenge is to get one a day throughout August.

Anyone in?

I'm going to try. Not sure I'll do it though!

Cheeseatmidnight · 31/07/2013 10:20

We also live in Bedfordshire and have found one in chicksands woods, but plan to do lots more, we love it! Very new to it.

EddieVeddersfoxymop · 31/07/2013 13:50

Witt, somewhat helpfully the clue is "magnetic"!!!!!!!!!!!! We think we know where it is now, there's one of the series in another town and the logs gave us a clue. Now just need to wait till we can slope down under the cover of darkness and try not to get arrested!

Witt · 01/08/2013 08:31

Eddie have you been back to find it yet???

EddieVeddersfoxymop · 01/08/2013 09:47

Witt, not yet! Planning some caches over the weekend so will adopt stealth mode and go furtively looking.....

LaydeeJayne · 01/08/2013 17:11

Just joining in to say hello - found out about about this months ago but only got around to trying it today! We found 4 local ones . If I am being honest I really don't quite understand what I am doing.. I just use DPs HTC to get as close as I can then bumble around hoping for the best. Think I need to brush up my knowledge of using coordinates. How many people use a traditional compass - do I need to get one?

EndoplasmicReticulum · 01/08/2013 18:49

Laydee sounds like you're doing it right. I don't use a compass. The coordinates get you close enough, then you have to search about.

I got one this afternoon - one down, 30 to go.....

EddieVeddersfoxymop · 01/08/2013 22:20

Witt, we have success! A very novel cache, and no one arrested for loitering with intent

Witt · 02/08/2013 07:28

Excellent Eddie. Was it a truly evil hiding place?

I am always envious of people who have children or dogs with them whilst caching - they make a good cover story. In fact, it's one of the reasons we decided to procreate

SoupDragon · 02/08/2013 07:39

Tonight I am going for a romp round Richmond Park in the dark :o

LaydeeJayne · 02/08/2013 13:49

Yay found my 1st micro today! It was teeny tiny and lying in the grass , so I hid it back in its proper place. Endo didn't realise there was a one-a-day challenge happening this month - count me in!

EndoplasmicReticulum · 02/08/2013 15:23

I got one today too, a tiny micro in the middle of the busiest shopping street in town, but it's easier if you send children because they don't look so suspicious climbing all over benches etc.

Tomorrow will be trickier as we have a 6 hour drive to our holiday destination. Have found one at the services we usually stop at to have a go at though.

SoupDragon · 02/08/2013 15:48

Children are great for locations where stealth is required. No one pays them any attention.

I have found my cache for the day and hope that I find the night cache in the early hours of tomorrow morning :)

EndoplasmicReticulum · 02/08/2013 15:58

My younger son (6) is like a tracker dog. He goes straight to them. He even found one we weren't looking for once, I think he has some sort of magic geocache finding power. Helps of course if you are low to the ground and don't mind getting muddy.

SoupDragon · 02/08/2013 16:03

My DSs are pleased because not many mothers actively encourage tree climbing :o

LaydeeJayne · 02/08/2013 19:17

I am a childminder, so always plenty of willing children on hand to go scrabbling around! Goodness knows what the parents think - I have sent them home filthy! Sadly my own 14year old thinks he is a bit too old and cool for all this and just stands there making faces. I don't care!

Makingchanges · 02/08/2013 19:46

So glad I've just found this thread. I found Geocaching thanks to mumsnet over a year ago whilst looking for a hobby to do as a family. We've now completed 180 caches including some abroad and are now trying to complete the 31 days of Geocaching this month, although had to do one in the pitch black last night as nearly forgot. We now do Geocaching most weekends and its helping us get fit and spend much needed time together. Today we found a cache we'd been back to three times already. I almost jumped for joy!!

Makingchanges · 02/08/2013 19:47

Do most of you cache as a family or on your own. I'd love to do more on my own but I'm a little nervous about being in isolated places on my own.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Swipe left for the next trending thread