What to bring when you geocache

If you’ve been reading this blog, you’ll notice that over the past month I’ve been posting interviews with geocachers in a “Geocacher Spotlight”. One of the questions I enjoy asking is what they consider the most important non GPS Receiver (GPSr) tool to bring with them in the field. The best answer I’ve received so far is “friends”.

Bringing people with you is good for four reasons, one of which is vital.

1. People bring their own perceptions to the table and with our variety of experiences, expectations and education, people will look at the hide or the puzzle in a slightly different fashion. As a result, the cache is sought after from different angles which makes finding it easier. To (almost) quote Spock, “The eyes of the many outweigh the eyes of the few.”
2. One is a lonely number. Sure you might hit caches faster and harder without others, but it can be dull. Sharing any good aspect of life with others makes the experience more enriching. It builds a bond with those you bring. This makes geocaching into a human experience rather than just a hunt. If you want that high-five factor at the end of the day, this is the only way to get it.
3. People carry stuff with them, so the more people you have, the more tools you have at your disposal. Consider backpacking across the country with a couple of friends. You only need one tent, but that tent is heavy enough on its own that other people would be needed to carry food and supplies. If a group of people have the same goals in mind and most of the people are prepared (long live BSA!) then skills and tools of the collective group will be capable of working past far more obstacles than you would alone.
4. The buddy system has been taught for ages for a reason. If the bad kind of unexpected happens, having another one there to help out is vital to life. It’s difficult enough to splint yourself if you break a leg, but what about getting up and hobbling to an emergency unit? You’d either need to be very fortunate to have long branches lying around that can be factored into a crutch or you’d need a good buddy nearby.

There are other “things” you could bring with you on a geocache, but none are as versatile, extensible, enjoyable, liberating or vital to the experience and its safety as another human being.

Happy caching!