20 Geocaching Questions

I just saw on a facebook group (probably Geocaching UK) an internet meme ... 20 Geocaching questions. It was The Muminator who posted the link I saw and it was Washknight who apparently originally came up with the idea.

The idea is every geocacher with a blog answers these 20 questions and other caching bloggers (and non-bloggers) can read their answers and hopefully find other geocaching bloggers they didn't know about.

Well here are my answers ...

1. When and how did you first get into geocaching?
Just before leap-day 2012 a couple of people at work (TreasureTail925 and HereLooking4Cache) were behaving strangely and talking about a secret treasure hunt! It turned out that work was a hive of geocaching activity! RonnJohn, ChristheNix, half of the Furry Ferrets and half of Beech Hut to name some.

2. Do you remember your first find?
Through the Arch Window by mummymel. Took the kids down for a look in the dark the day I first heard of it. Took the cache home (100 yards) and had a good root around in it!

3. What device(s) do you use for locating caches?
I started off with an HTC Desire. Then an HTC One X. Occasionaly a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and iPhone 5 work phone and now an HTC One M8. The samsung and the iphone are crap. The HTCs have always been spot on. Better than most GPSRs.

4. Where do you live and what is your local area like for geocaching? (density / quality / setting etc)
I live near Huntingdon and work near Royston. Between Myself, Poshrule and IzaakWilson we have just about saturated the "UK Caching Triangle" between the A605, A14 and A1. From Thrapston to Brampton Hut and up to Peterborough. The quality of caches is obviously superb :P Seriously there are some great walks, ranging from small walks with big boxes suitable for geokids through to 35mm power trails like my S2E2 series and Posh's Cambs Cache-a-thon just south of the A428.

5. What has been your most memorable geocache to date, and why?
A Stroll in The Park, which has now sadly been archived, took me forever to complete on various trips up to the in-laws holiday home. It was situated in Sheringham Park which is a lovely place to visit.

6. List 3 essential things you take on a geocaching adventure excluding GPS, pen and swaps.
Spare logs, Lucozade, Battery back up for phone!

7. Other than geocaches and their contents, What is the weirdest thing you have discovered whilst out caching?
A bees nest in a wall. Apparently quite a common thing, but not to me at the time.

8. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is I am obsessed by numbers and 10 is I am all about the experience and the quality of each individual cache. Where do you put yourself?
1 - The bigger the number the better. But it's more about setting caches at the moment.

9. Describe one incident that best demonstrates the level of your geocaching obsession.
Very early on in my road to the 366 grid I hadn't found a cache that day. After the kids were in bed and the wife-muggle had headed upstairs to watch Downton or some other such crap I headed off in the car to a relatively close cache. About 4-5 miles away, on country roads, to the middle of a wood. Whereupon I parked up at the side of the road and headed into the wood with a torch to find the cache which hadn't been found for some time. I found it and ticked the day off the grid!

10. Have you picked up any caching injuries along the way?
Apart from the usual brambles and nettles I did once put my foot in a concealed rabbit hole which knocked me flat and I landed on my side and maybe cracked a rib or dislodged internal organs. Either way it hurt to breath deeply for a few weeks, my twisted ankle didn't bother me!

11. What annoys you most about other geocachers?
Not putting logs back in the bags or sealing said bags! Either that or hiding it in a better place so when I go to maintain it I can't find it!

12. What is the dumbest thing you have done whilst out caching?
Apart from the foot in rabbit hole story above, or making myself late for work or late home to the wife, then it must be damaging my car by driving up by-ways or finding holes in road verges.

13. What do your non caching family and friends think of your hobby?
My wife is annoyed by it, some of my friends think I'm a bit of a geek, some have tried it but not been particularly enamoured and others are mildly interested and keep meaning to go out and have a look for treasure :P

14. What is your default excuse you give to muggles who ask what you are up to or if you need help?
I'm geocaching. They'll either be interested in what it is and maybe you'll convert them, or they'll think you're mad and make their excuses ...

15. What is your current geocaching goal, if you have one?
Make number 3 cache setter in the UK behind Poshrule and Izaak - cos I'll never cache (sic!) them!

16. Do you have a nemesis cache that despite multiple attempts you have been unable to find?
I've had several. There was Access Forbidden which turned out to have been muggled, then there was Cambridgeshire West Guides, again must have been muggled. I dragged the kids and the wife up the Gazebo at Sheringham Park several times looking for Our Point of View , Hanging Around at the Side of the Road was a pain. Hello Kitty in the Woods had always been muggled when we went to look for it. My current nemesis is THGTTC #6 Ground. Which must have gone, but there have been finds.

17. What 3 words or phrases best sum up what geocaching means to you.
"Outdoor Escape", "Intrigue" & "Obsession".

18. What prompted you to start blogging about geocaching?
I blog. I Geocache. It was a no-brainer.

19. Which of your own blog entries are you most proud of.
This one.

20. Which other geocaching blogs do you enjoy reading?
DrSolly and The Road Less Travelled.