Topic: Geocaching (Read 23843 times)

Kirth · « **on:** February 23, 2010 »

I had never heard of this before until I saw it on here, and then I still didn't know what it was. Until last night I saw it on the gadget show,with them using an app for hr iPhone. So I downloaded the free version to give it a try.

There was three near my house, so thought I would try and find one today. The app worked great and got me right to the cache spot. But when I got to it, It wasn't there!

Had someone moved it? was it an old spot? I definatley think I was in the right spot.

Is this something anyone on here does? and is this usual? I find it odd that "The black tackle box, in a sack" would not be knicked or vandalised.

chris · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2010 »

I wanted to give it a try but never got round to it. I think they are hidden. Half the fun is using the gps to get to the spot the other half is finding it! I've even read that some are burried! Thats not to say that it couldn't have gone walkies. Try looking on the website and see if anyone has posted anything regarding that cache...

RedLeader · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2010 »

I've tried this a couple of times and found bollock all. I think they tend to hide the caches fairly well and I'm fairly bad at looking for things at the best of times

suspectmonkey · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2010 »

I also gave geocaching a try a couple of times, but no success. I first heard of geocaching a while back when I was visiting Fanad Lighthouse in Donegal. Me and Kat spotted another couple running around with a GPS in their hand, then eventually find a small, hidden lunchbox.

Quite fancied trying it myself but didn't fancy splashing out on a GPS unit, so did some hunting locally using Google Maps on my iPhone. No success, I'm 100% certain I was in the right spot but no sign of any cache. I've since downloaded the iPhone app and it has shown up a few locally but haven't went out to try and find them yet.

From reading geocaching.com its pretty common for caches to be vandalised or removed. I believe they refer to such interfereing folk as "muggles"

I'm sure its even worse now that they have an iPhone app, it allows every wee toe rag to easily find and remove caches. Sounds a bit far fetched but nothing would surprise me, some people just love ruining other peoples fun!

pinki · « **Reply #4 on:** March 08, 2010 »

I am a keen geocacher, and have found nearly 500 of the things. Muggles are the non geocaching community. To be muggled, is when a cache goes awol. Presumed to be taken by an unknowing muggle. Or it could have been thought of as litter, washed out to sea...

There are a few thousand in Ireland, with about 1500 in Northern Ireland. They can be as small as your finger tip to the size of a bucket, and found in the city centre ot on top of a mountain. There is even one going underwater soon on the west coast I believe.

Most GPS enabled phones are good, as are old GPS like my eTrex yellow, up to the new all singing dancing things with maps. You can even do it with a Garmin nuvi from the car.

For those, like us, who enjoy the outdoors, it can encourage you to visit somewhere new, and hopefully get some local information on the cache listing page. If you want any info, or if you are in North Down area and want to give it a try, let me know and we can give it a whirl.

Wide Load · « **Reply #5 on:** April 28, 2010 »

Had a crack at it and must admit that it can be both fun & frustrating, not really the kind of person who likes scrabbling about looking for things. I prefer the urban ones TBH, all a bit James Bond.

Eamonn · « **Reply #6 on:** April 29, 2010 »

I also do some geocaching...so far i've found 4 of them. There's loads up in the mournes i would like to get if anyone fancys coming along for the trip. All the caches are somewhere interesting and in places i've never been before, it's a great way of exploring which is the main reason i do it. There's a website where you can use google maps and get the cords and a clue. I think it would be pretty hard to find the cache without the clue.

http://www.geocaching.com/about/default.aspx

Hound of Ulster · « **Reply #7 on:** May 18, 2010 »

I do it and its brill....have done the geocaching seven 7's with wife and kids, just not all in one day.

Try going to www.geocachingireland.com for more info on the local scene. Spent a day on Rathlin with cachers from all over Ireland geocaching the back to Ballycastle for a meal and some craic. Was a well organised get together! Often just head out for a dander and to pick up a few new caches along the way.

Going to some Milkshake bar in Stranmillis to meet up with fellow cachers for a bit of craic this Thursday evening. Family orientated event for us big kids and complaining wives (oops other halves not into the great outdoors and using multi million dollar satellites to find tupperware).

Hound of Ulster my geo tag.

RedLeader · « **Reply #8 on:** May 18, 2010 »

Tell'em all about NI-Wild and we'll get some geocaching themed outings organise. Could do with some fresh ~~meat~~ faces

Quote from: Hound of Ulster on May 18, 2010

I do it and its brill....have done the geocaching seven 7's with wife and kids, just not all in one day. Try going to www.geocachingireland.com for more info on the local scene. Spent a day on Rathlin with cachers from all over Ireland geocaching the back to Ballycastle for a meal and some craic. Was a well organised get together! Often just head out for a dander and to pick up a few new caches along the way.

Going to some Milkshake bar in Stranmillis to meet up with fellow cachers for a bit of craic this Thursday evening. Family orientated event for us big kids and complaining wives (oops other halves not into the great outdoors and using multi million dollar satellites to find tupperware).

Hound of Ulster my geo tag.

LandyLiam · « **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2011 »

After meeting a family geochacing in the mournes at the weekend i thought i'd give this thing a go. So I signed up at geocaching.com and got the co-ords for the 3 sites nearest my house. Picked up my daughter from school and off we went on a treasure hunt. Couldn't find the first one, there were houses about and i felt really stupid hunting around the trees looking like i was up to no good :'(. The 2nd one we found easily

but the 3rd evaded us

. But after checking the logs on the website we have a few more clues (and more importantly, we know they were definitely there in the last few days). A wee tip for those with younglings, bring a spare cache you can "place" as they can get very dissappointed when they don't find the treasure

.

RedLeader · « **Reply #10 on:** January 04, 2011 »

Same happened to me but in fairness, I frequently can't find a pair of socks in a sock drawer so geocaching is probably a bit advanced for me

Quote from: LandyLiam on January 04, 2011

After meeting a family geochacing in the mournes at the weekend i thought i'd give this thing a go. So I signed up at geocaching.com and got the co-ords for the 3 sites nearest my house. Picked up my daughter from school and off we went on a treasure hunt. Couldn't find the first one, there were houses about and i felt really stupid hunting around the trees looking like i was up to no good :'(. The 2nd one we found easily but the 3rd evaded us . But after checking the logs on the website we have a few more clues (and more importantly, we know they were definitely there in the last few days). A wee tip for those with younglings, bring a spare cache you can "place" as they can get very dissappointed when they don't find the treasure .

Drongo · « **Reply #11 on:** January 04, 2011 »

Which caches did you go looking for...?

LennyJ1 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 04, 2011 »

I am glad you gave it ago Liam

VMCC · « **Reply #13 on:** January 04, 2011 »

I'm interested in this, signed up and am about to give it a go. There's four within a mile of my house. I would have gone today only the weather was so bad. I see it as a way of perking up the dog walking and hope that if I find it interesting that it'll add interest to the camping trips and bring me to places that I wouldn't of otherwise gone to.

I need a GPSr though. As a surveyor I have access to the ultimate GPS kit but I don't want to lug a pole with a dish on top all around the country...anyway...whoever placed the cache would have recorded the co-ordinates with a device that was only good to a couple of metres. My kit will take me to the last millimetre, but then the co-ordinates aren't totally accurate anyway. I think I might have more fun using my kit to place a Cache - the co-ordinates will be spot on even if the geocachers gadgets take them to within a couple of metres.

I'm going to try and find some of the caches by the clues (as well as a bit of mapping research)...If I get the bug I'll fork out for a handheld GPSr.

Scribble · « **Reply #14 on:** January 05, 2011 »

My secret Santa sent me a starter kit tubberware box full of goodies and they even went to bother of printing out instructions of how to do it

, after showing kids and explaining why and what they are really into it and first chance we get to Donegal we will be hiding our pirates treasure in a special place and hopefully who ever finds it will enjoy the spot as much as we do ,

The secret Santa I have special thank you as there where stickers in the box for a Internet radio station called soma fm , I had never heard of it but I constantly have it on and I downloaded iPhone app , pure blips bleeps and beats

Cheers Andy

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Author Topic: Geocaching (Read 23843 times)

Kirth

Geocaching

chris

Re: Geocaching

RedLeader

Re: Geocaching

suspectmonkey

Re: Geocaching

pinki

Re: Geocaching

Wide Load

Re: Geocaching

Eamonn

Re: Geocaching

Hound of Ulster

Re: Geocaching

RedLeader

Re: Geocaching

LandyLiam

Re: Geocaching

RedLeader

Re: Geocaching

Drongo

Re: Geocaching

LennyJ1

Re: Geocaching

VMCC

Re: Geocaching

Scribble

Re: Geocaching

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