Geocaching

At breakfast today MadnohB asked me what is this geocaching thing that I keep on mentioning (and post links to)...

I thought most people with bikes and GPS's knew about it - basically it's a worldwide treasure hunt for adults. And families.

From the BMW Motorrad web site: http://www.bmwmotorrad.co.za/lifestyle/gps/default.asp

All you need is a GPS (even a phone GPS) and voila! Go and check on www.geocaching.com where is the closest (or furthest for a bike trip!) geocache (or 'cache', pronounced cash) and go searching.

The container could be as big as a 20 liter bucket (rare), 2 liter ice cream (more common) or a 35mm film cannister (very common) or smaller. The basic requirement is that it contains a piece of paper as a log sheet where you write your name and then log it on the web site as well. You leave the container with log there, and if there is space you trade stuff - anything from a pencil to a McDonalds toy or a memory stick. Rule is if you take something, leave something else.

Then there are geocoins and TB's (travelbugs), will tell more if anyone is interested.

dakardrix wrote:.......I thought most people with bikes and GPS's knew about it......

yeh right........

btw, thanks for this

and here I was all the time thinking the GPS was to measure maximum speed.........

on a serious note, thanks for the explanation........en volgende keer as jy in tale begin praat, gee onderskrifte

Ja swaer!

BTW, you are always faster than the GPS max speed, as a GPS is only correct on a 100% flat road... that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it...

I was about to go onto Google to see what Geocaching was and then voila. On the forum the explanation. You must have been reading minds. Very interesting.

FTF - First to Find: There is often, ok always, a race between cachers to get the FTF. If you are a premium member (where you pay an annual amount, not required to play the game though) then you can get immediate e-mails the moment a new cache is published. Think they even do Twitter now, haven't tested it yet... The race is then on to get there first!

People rush from offices, or the middle of the night, whenever. You also get that a couple of cachers will bump into each other at the site, and if it is a difficult hide, work together to find it. A joint FTF is then declared.

Sometimes a cache is placed in such a remote area that it can take weeks, months or even years to find!
Check out this one for example: Chilly Willy at Byrd Surface Camp Throw these co-ords into Google Earth (in the search) to see where it is: S 80° 00.880 W 119° 34.094

There is also an unfound one close to Dullstroom, looks accessible to a GS... Hoogste punt: Mpumalanga ...mmmm

wil jy nou meer (with recognition to Deon P )...........so leer mens nê

dakardrix wrote:... looks accessible to a GS... Hoogste punt: Mpumalanga ...mmmm

Is dit hoekom ons 6:30 ry?
Klink na 'n plan...?

hehe... nee, so effe uit die pad uit. Ek mag dalk daar om ry op pad terug.

I am starting the planning on a geocaching event. It will be suited to both S-riders and even more to GS riders. I.e. some caches people with normal sedan cars can do, for some you'll need clearance/a bakkie.

Would love club members to join in force. You can make up a team of 1, 2, 4, whatever.

More details here:

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?s=9ea7f83f13f47525775ca4b6e2a31ee8&showtopic=240749


Disclaimer: Geocaching as a sport and especially events are non-profit and commercial activities disallowed.

Definitely interested.

dakardrix wrote:


Disclaimer: Geocaching as a sport and especially events are non-profit and commercial activities disallowed.

Eiish, me do not comprehend

Can Pauli advertise or not during the event

He can pull his GS there with all the bling and donate some prizes... (serious)

But ja, they are very sticky. The event will only be advertised as a braai - that is all the guidelines allow. The cache hunt then needs to be arranged offline, via the Groundspeak (geocaching's 'owners') forum or an e-mail list or something.

So I will be looking for sponsorships for breakfast (muffins and coffee and so on - although my 2 girls sort of volunteered some baking) and then low-key prizes - will go and beg Roger for backpacks or T-shirts or key rings, whatever. I will obviously be able to tell the people who sponsored what, but can't publish that on the web listing (due next week) or too obvious at the event (but it is possible if kept very low key.. i.e. tell the people for interest sake how some of the biking teams communicated with each other during the event, show them the technology... and explain why they 'won' )

BTW, a couple of caches will appear in the Star Crater/Olifantsfontein area where you and Colin went... and DaveS also knows..

Daleen wrote:Definitely interested.

Fantastic! With the combined skills between you two (maybe even add a Sias Corlia to the team - although I believe they lost their team at their last treasure hunt... ) - you will be a formidable force on the day!

dakardrix wrote:He can pull his GS there with all the bling and donate some prizes... (serious)

But ja, they are very sticky. The event will only be advertised as a braai - that is all the guidelines allow. The cache hunt then needs to be arranged offline, via the Groundspeak (geocaching's 'owners') forum or an e-mail list or something.

So I will be looking for sponsorships for breakfast (muffins and coffee and so on - although my 2 girls sort of volunteered some baking) and then low-key prizes - will go and beg Roger for backpacks or T-shirts or key rings, whatever. I will obviously be able to tell the people who sponsored what, but can't publish that on the web listing (due next week) or too obvious at the event (but it is possible if kept very low key.. i.e. tell the people for interest sake how some of the biking teams communicated with each other during the event, show them the technology... and explain why they 'won' )

BTW, a couple of caches will appear in the Star Crater/Olifantsfontein area where you and Colin went... and DaveS also knows..

Just thought... there is no restriction on the club having a presence at the event - with various teams - and I can't stop them from being 'sponsored'...

dakardrix wrote:
Just thought... there is no restriction on the club having a presence at the event - with various teams - and I can't stop them from being 'sponsored'...

MMMmmmm - can see how your mind works.....

Hehe... like your avatar BTW!

Drix,
ons het nie ons span "verloor" nie... hulle net 'n "head-start" gegee!!

BTW, ek sal ook muffins bak as jy nog nodig het!

Corlia wrote:Drix,
ons het nie ons span "verloor" nie... hulle net 'n "head-start" gegee!!

BTW, ek sal ook muffins bak as jy nog nodig het!

Ja ja...

Muffins klink great! Beteken dit julle gaan deelneem - ek sal vir julle 'n GPS reël?

dakardrix wrote:Hehe... like your avatar BTW!

Somehow thought you would!

Ons het 'n kar GPS, hy sal seker werk? Met die bike like ek dit sover om te verdwaal... Maar ek aanvaar jy gaan sukkel om 'n geocache te vind sonder een!

En 'n Zumo 550? Weet nie hoe akkuraat hulle is om die "close game" te speel nie

Miskien moet jy vir ons training gee...

Kyk, enige GPS van vandag - al die Garmins, TomTom's, selfone met GPS - is akkuraat genoeg. Daar is altyd 'n margin of error teenwoordig van so 1 tot 5 meter, wanneer hulle geplant word. So saam met jou margin of error wanner jy dit soek, moet mense maar altyd so in 'n sirkel soek om daarvoor te cater. Maar sodra jy hulle begin vind kom jy agter waarvoor om te soek. So akkuraatheid van GPS glad nie 'n probleem nie.

Die belangrikste is om die vermoë te hê om 'n way point in te sleutel, maw jy moet kan sê waarheen om te gaan. Wat die Nuvi's (behalwe die Nuvi 500) en Zumos dan nie noodwendig het nie, is 'n kompas. So die laaste paar meter moet jy na die nommers kyk en dit probeer opmatch. Waar die kompas funksie dit makliker maak. Maar my tjom wat my gaan help met die event beplanning, cache nou al meer as 'n jaar lank net met sy Nuvi.

Ek gaan ook files daar hê wat ons in compatible GPS's (meeste van die Garmins) kan laai, dan is al die waypoints daar. Maar ons sal al die waypoint, met hulle hints ook op papier verskaf.

'n Tank bag met 'n deurskynende map houer bo-op sal ideaal werk as jy net jou Nuvi of kar GPS of selfoon wil gebruik.

Maar Sias, julle kan my Oregon met RAM mount gebruik, baie makliker. Wees net vroegerig daar (met 'n paar muffins, hehe) dan mount ons hom in 5 minute en ek gee jou 'n crash course - die waypoints sal klaar gelaai wees.

Ek is baie happy om 'n vinnige training te doen, sê net waar en wanneer. Nie dat ek Zumo's goed ken nie, maar ons sal regkom met die beginsels.

Lekker! Dankie Drix!

Ok, the Microfest 2010 event has now been published:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=258265cc-a949-4c77-adc0-f4586e76076f

And as mentioned above, discussed here:

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?s=f27b1942b763fa78319c3212ebc1f7ca&showtopic=240749

I really want to promote a fusion between the geocachers and the bikers, pressing the common button: a Spirit for Adventure!