Geocaching

[Sweetpea]

Hi

Has anyone tried Risk Assessing for this? My sons love it and I want to involve my mindees but the only way I can see to do it is to find the geocache first myself so that I know the risks.

The only problem with this is that my sons will be with me when we find it initially and they are really bad at keeping secrets :)

Any experiences that you would like to share?

Sweetpea

[Roseolivia]

I've done a couple of geocaches with mindees but have never risk assessed:blush: maybe this is something i need to do in the future. The ones i do with the mindees are in our local town though so i presume a normal outing assessment would be enough. Ask Pixiepetal, she cache's a lot.

[loocyloo]

i just do a general RA - basically stating i will visually RA as we go and should i decide the cache is too difficult/risky, then at that point we stop!

i always have a good read of the log, look at the maps, look at any photos and generally i have an idea of where i am going.

got very fed up at the weekend though ... there were 5 caches within a km of where we were ... but could only do 1 as, if walking to the rest i would have had to go down 'no entry- private' the only other way was to drive several miles down the roads outside of the estate and then walk back into the estate :(

[Roseolivia]

i just do a general RA - basically stating i will visually RA as we go and should i decide the cache is too difficult/risky, then at that point we stop!

i always have a good read of the log, look at the maps, look at any photos and generally i have an idea of where i am going.

got very fed up at the weekend though ... there were 5 caches within a km of where we were ... but could only do 1 as, if walking to the rest i would have had to go down 'no entry- private' the only other way was to drive several miles down the roads outside of the estate and then walk back into the estate :(

There were a few when we went to Scarborough and Robin hOods Bay but only managed 1 as dp doesn't really like doing them and people we were with weren't interested.

[JCrakers]

Iv'e not tried it with mindees yet.

DH started it in Hamburg when away on business and then we used to do some at weekends. ds hates it and dd can tolerate it.
We haven't done any for quite a while.
I think if I was to take the mindees I would check it out online first, look at the terrain. Then as we approached the area we would RA.
There was a cache we did last year that was in a field of cows. I hate cows so I sent dh on his own.

THe cows followed him and started to run after him, he legged it and then couldnt get back to me :laughing: nightmare He had to go all the way round.

So if Id had mindees with me I would have said no to that one :D

[PixiePetal]

Iv'e not tried it with mindees yet.

DH started it in Hamburg when away on business and then we used to do some at weekends. ds hates it and dd can tolerate it.
We haven't done any for quite a while.
I think if I was to take the mindees I would check it out online first, look at the terrain. Then as we approached the area we would RA.
There was a cache we did last year that was in a field of cows. I hate cows so I sent dh on his own.

THe cows followed him and started to run after him, he legged it and then couldnt get back to me :laughing: nightmare He had to go all the way round.

So if Id had mindees with me I would have said no to that one :D

:laughing: I am not keen on cows either! bit embarrassing really considering I am married to a farmer, live on the farm and have cows :o
My DD and I have about 20 caches nearby which we 'own' and some have cows in the fields - luckily those are her ones!

As for RA I would do check terrain and difficulty, watch out for rivers/traffic/nettles (I have had some really stingy cache finds!)/animals. Read the logs and do it as I go along - just as I visually do for myself :)

I have not taken mindees as they are all under 4 and not quite up to GPS reading yet! I have found 305. I have got my sister coming this weekend so should squeeze a few in - I got her into it and she has found 1300! bit obsessed but then she is not working the hours I do, has no children at home now, divorced and can please herself. :rolleyes:

[samb]

I have never done this but would be interested - do you use a website to find them?

[PixiePetal]

I have never done this but would be interested - do you use a website to find them?

http://www.geocaching.com/ :thumbsup:

browse the site but you need to register free to get all the info for caches. Only equipment needed is a GPS or phone with app.

Have a look and join my hobby :D

[ajs]

I was told that we are nw allowed to visually risk assess instead of having hem for every outing we take. As long as we can prove that we are assessing risk, which we can do by keeping the children safe.

[Boris]

I want to try this too. What sort of things are in the cache? And do you have to put something in it? I'm a bit confused!

[PixiePetal]

I want to try this too. What sort of things are in the cache? And do you have to put something in it? I'm a bit confused!

when you find a cache it could be of any size from a nano(really small with only room for a strip of paper to sign initials) to large (anything bigger than a reasonable lunch box size!). The page on the site tells you what size each cache is, and gives a rating for terrain and difficulty from 1-5 stars.

All caches will have a piece of paper or notebook to 'log' your find and, if it's big enough, maybe some small goodies to swap - I put in keyrings/bouncy balls/kids plastic or wooden jewellery/small toys/stationery etc. This is the bit kids love :) The rule is if you take something you must put in something of equal or more value :thumbsup:

Sometimes there may be a 'Travel Bug' in there. It is an item with a code number belonging to a cacher which you can take and move to another cache - each time logging it on the site, so the owner can see where it has travelled to. I have 6 around the country now although one seems to be lost at present due to a cache being washed away in the bad weather near a river! If you have or mind older children you could set one going yourself :thumbsup:

Loads more info on the site - best thing is to register free and read the articles on 'how to'. You can pay to upgrade any time but there are loads of ones you can find on a basic membership.

hope that helps :D

[angeldelight]

Do you just have basic membership Pixie or did you upgrade ....what do you get different if you upgrade?

Angel xx

[Boris]

OOh I'm going to do it. Sounds like fun. My hubby will love it probably more than my boys!

[Roseolivia]

I've upgraded to the Premium membership. I can't remember everything extra but there's some caches that's for premium members only and you can download GPX files straight onto a gps machine without typing in the coordinates. To be truthfull you don't need to be a premium member as there's plenty of caches for a free membership, i got a GPS machine so wanted to be able to use the GPX function.

[PixiePetal]

Do you just have basic membership Pixie or did you upgrade ....what do you get different if you upgrade?

Angel xx

I am premium :thumbsup: my own caches are premium as I put in quite a lot of swaps and they are more than just a piece of paper to sign - we have bridleways going through the wood on our farm - seemed a shame not to put some there but wanted only dedicated cachers to find them :D

I found it annoying to find some in an area but not be able to do others cos they were premium. Good to start on basic though and see if you like it

Just got in from finishing finding DDs series :clapping: soaking wet through:rolleyes:

[Sweetpea]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I'm going to do a general one written (I like things written down, sorry) and it will explain the checks I make as I go along as you suggest.

I've suggested to my local Children's Centre that they have a cache on the field next to them... I wonder who else I can convince to do child friendly access ones......

Thanks

Sweetpea

[PixiePetal]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I'm going to do a general one written (I like things written down, sorry) and it will explain the checks I make as I go along as you suggest.

I've suggested to my local Children's Centre that they have a cache on the field next to them... I wonder who else I can convince to do child friendly access ones......

Thanks

Sweetpea

I am not sure you will get one so close to a CC as they are not allowed to be within a certain distance of schools etc for obvious reasons of strangers lurking about at all hours! My sister got one turned down as it was in along a field next to a school sports field