So, I'm not a real big fan of using GPS when teaching people basic land nav but someone told me about this during a recent ground SAREX and I thought it was quite interesting. There is a website which lists thousands of cached objects around the world. It looks like an interesting hobby but I also like the fact that you can use this to practice basic ground team skills such as line searches and what not. Since most of the caches are hidden, they can be very hard to spot. Anybody else into this?
Here's the link:
http://www.geocaching.com/
Yep. I have a few caches hidden myself. It can range from very easy to maddeningly frustrating. :)
Yup. Do it all the time on lunch.
We had a ground team stumble across one during training. They were looking for an ELT when they found a green ammo can with a bunch of stuff. It was near a city water tower and the noob GTL was feaking out, the IC was about to call Johnny Law when I asked to drive out and see for myself.
It was marked with a Geocache sticker and a logbook. So I gathered up everyone and we had an inpromtu class on Geocaching. I signed the book, dropped a couple Wing patches in and a couple pamphlets.
We have been geocaching for several years. It's become a family favorite. In fact, when we take a road trip I go to the geocaching web site and print off caches along the route. It makes for a great way to stretch you legs on a long trip. I currently have 116 finds. My geocaching profile name is "dromere".
So why don't we start labeling some of the cache's with "Civil Air Patrol" and using CAP stickers on the ammo cans as a recruiting mechanism... Maybe aviation related sites??
Quote from: KyCAP on December 10, 2008, 02:56:19 AM
So why don't we start labeling some of the cache's with "Civil Air Patrol" and using CAP stickers on the ammo cans as a recruiting mechanism... Maybe aviation related sites??
:clap: Great idea! Geocachers already like going out in the field to find stuff, sounds like ground team members in the making to me....
That is outstanding!
Be very careful about putting cache sites around transportation related sites. I've had to save the bacon of one cacher who decided to find a site near LAX. The report came to me - I had to look the guy up on various watch lists. At first it sounded like he was a previously unknown bad guy. But when it came out what he was doing I had to move heaven and earth to get him out of hock with the LAPD, EOD, and FBI. Trust me, Fred, Barney, and Irving don't like to look silly.
He went home, but it was a very long night.
Gunner