Adult Geocaching: Grownup Hide and Seek Fun

Adult Geocaching: Grownup Hide and Seek Fun
Page content

Defining “Adult”

Adult geocaching usually means one of two things, and it is not what most people think. “Adult” usually has something to do with being risqué, but when it comes to geocaching, that may translate into actual risk, rather than something inappropriate for children’s eyes.

This first definition of this type of activity does not typically involve naked photographs or such –not that these items have not made into different caches. What you do find in these caches are more high-end items, rather than the standard swag such as crayons or toys.

The second type of adult caching involves going to areas that may not be safe for families or children. For example, you may have to go into an area that is not actually a trail or involves crossing a fast-moving body of water.

Adult Supervision Required

The latter type of adult caching described is the most common, and there is usually a separate section for this type of geocaching. For example, on Geocaching.com these caches are in the Bookmark Lists under the _Caches Requiring “Adult Supervision” (shared, public)_heading.

These caches are not necessarily dangerous, although you should not try navigating to these locations by yourself in case something were to happen. You probably will not get lost since you have a GPS signal, but you may find yourself walking through areas that are not commonly used. This increases the chance that you will run into wildlife or even turn an ankle. Having others around to call for help is prudent.

Here are some of the descriptions of these caches to give you an idea of what they involve:

  • All day cache
  • No real path
  • Lack of trail
  • Water crossing (may be high) and Rock (near water)
  • Falling (dying) hazards

Just from these descriptions, you get a pretty idea of what is involved with these caches. If you do decide to pursue one of these caches, thoroughly read the description. For example, the “lack of trail” choice also includes “bushwhacking.” This means that you probably want to wear long sleeves and pants, and you definitely need to bring a machete. Other suggestions include carrying a flashlight, wearing the right type of shoes and bringing a camera to capture the view.

You can click on the caches and actually see what is in the cache. Many of the caches have common items, including toilet paper, XM radio badge and pencil sharpeners. If you do take something, remember to always leave something behind. Generally, you do not attempt these types of caches for the prize, but rather for the adventure, the view or the experience.

High-end Caching

If you are more into finding a prize, then you may want to consider creating your own adult cache group. Major geocaching sites such as Geocaching.com cater to family-friendly items, and if you want to leave big-ticket swag such as champagne, then you are going to probably break a few rules. You should create a group all of your own.

To create an “adults-only” group, start by contacting other geocachers to gauge whether there is any interest. You should always start in your local area. It would be unwise just to contact geocachers from around the world, because even if they are interested in such a group, you may never actually make it to the area where they live.

If there is enough interest and you can round up a large enough group, start by setting guidelines. Since these are high-end caches, you may consider creating some type of membership fee to help pay for caches or special lock boxes for which only members have the combination.

The key is to find enough people interested in this type of group so that you will actually have enough caches for this type of activity. Once you do, you can go out and find them.

Finding a Cache

In case you are new to geocaching, here is just a quick overview of how to find a cache.

  1. Create an account with a geocaching website like Terracaching.com or Geocaching.com.
  2. Find a cache in your area by using the search feature on the website. You usually can search by your current location, or you can enter a city, state or zip code.
  3. Select a cache from the list of available caches in your selected area. You may want to read the description to see how difficult the cache is or what is in it to see if it matches your interests.
  4. Input the longitude and latitude for the cache into your GPS device.
  5. Always bring an item to put in the cache, especially if you plan to take something out.
  6. Let your GPS guide you to the cache. Generally, it only gets you within 300 to 500 feet of the cache, and then you have to search for the cache itself.

References

Google Groups; High End Items; alt.rec.geocaching

Geocaching.com; Caches Requiring Adult Supervision; https://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks

Adventurer: publicdomainpictures.net/Vera Kratochvil