Thank you to Washknight- Geocaching blind for inviting us to answer your interview questions and showcasing us on your Geocaching blogroll. We hope you all enjoy reading our answers, feel free to ask any questions by commenting below at the end of the blog post.

1. When and how did you first get into geocaching?

We have just celebrated our first Cachiversary – last month- Our friend of many years entered into a conversation about litter picking near our home and so I asked questions to find out it was a CITO event. As soon as we found out we had to download the app and find out what it was all about – Thank you TreeTop1974

2. Do you remember your first find?

Yes very well, we had gone to Beverley which is a short trip up the road from us. It was a nice spring day and we thought we could take it easy and do town caches as our youngest was just 1 and a half, so we thought we would stick to the pavement with the pram. We were useless and couldn’t find them, no idea on where to look and the first one we found was after four failed attempts on others. We had spent fifteen minutes on our first find and just before we gave up we found it! We were very excited as well and the children cheered. Here’s our first cache find (GC21VWJ).

3. What device(s) do you use for locating caches?

We just use our phones, iPhones to be specific. Although I usually plan a day out on my laptop so we can plan parking and look at everything around the area- just in case. Always better to be prepared. 

4. Where do you live and what is your local area like for geocaching? (density / quality / setting etc)

We live in Hull, East Yorkshire and in the UK. Its all urban caches around us so we have tried to make our caches more unique in the urban setting. The multi’s are quite good and with us receiving the Capital of Culture last year there are some fab historically descriptive caches around in the Hull Culture Cache Trail first one at GC7035W. Here’s a fantastic multi and you could spend all day doing this one as it does take you around the city centre, GC2FNJX. I have also got to recommend this multi as this was an easy multi and I could work out the coords there and then with little time, usually we have to come back to complete multi’s so I can sit and work out coords, GC717D5. 

5. What has been your most memorable geocache to date, and why?

Oh gosh… it has to be a cache in Shropshire when we went to stay for a night or two. It took us sooooo long to find and then once we found it we had to figure out how on earth to get in to it. On field puzzle cache. I have to say that cache was a cache we spent a LONG time on and we cheered the most. The kids were completely bored and fed up as once we opened it we had to put it together again! 

Don’t watch this YouTube video if you don’t want to spoil it for yourself…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZEilR9g24w&w=560&h=315]

6. List 3 essential things you take on a geocaching adventure excluding GPS, pen and swaps.

*Our unique GilmourFamily coins that Rob prints in house with his printing business (OuTFox).

*Tweezers- because there is always that log you can’t remove from that super tiny cache. 

*Baby wipes- because you know your hands get filthy when you are feeling around behind sign posts, under things and in hidey holes. 

7. Other than geocaches and their contents, What is the weirdest thing you have discovered whilst out caching?

Not really a weird one BUT we discovered QR code stickers on a lamppost near a Geocache once… that’s when we learnt about Munzee. Although we’ve played Munzee we sway more to Geocaching. You can find out Munzee account with the same Geocaching name for us- GilmourFamily. 

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?

I would say we are around a 8 especially as we have the children the quality of cache for them is important on a walk or trip out. They get so excited and if you ask them which caches they remember it’s always a unique cache. 

9. Describe one incident that best demonstrates the level of your geocaching obsession. 

Starting a blog must be a way to show that we love Geocaching right? Or perhaps just this weekend we went to find a Geocache just before a committal/memorial service for a close family member, it may sound odd but Geocaching has actually given us time out from our personal lives and worries.

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10. Have you picked up any caching injuries along the way?

Lots of nettle stings! Countless of stings and that’s probably the most we have had. However we know injuries happen and we have invested in a travel first aid kit. Riley seems to be the one who suffers the most, check out this blog post (sometimes it doesn’t work out). 

11. What annoys you most about other geocachers?

When others think there’s a better place to hide a cache and change the hiding spot! We always place exactly where found. 

12. What is the dumbest thing you have done whilst out caching?

My geography is bad and my bearings. I’m usually the organiser, the one to sort out where to go next. But even with the zooming into the map I can end up going in completely the wrong direction as well as bringing everyone with me! Whooops! It is rather dumb I guess 😂

13. What do your non caching family and friends think of your hobby?

Most people we know haven’t heard about it,,, but as time has gone on and we have blogged more they have shown intrigue. 

My mum in law (2000SamJack) has joined us on our Geocaching adventures, in fact she loves it as much as we do. We all think it’s great for the children and ourselves because it keeps them active but adds today’s technology with it and we get fit! 

14. What is your default excuse you give to muggles who ask what you are up to or if you need help?

My hubby came up with a great one when we were in a high muggle area and couldn’t find the damn cache. —> she’s lost her ring! 

I’m not sure this helps if we are looking in the cracks of the wall 😂

15. What is your current geocaching goal, if you have one?

We don’t have a goal at the moment but we are going to Florida this year and plan to go caching there. I think caching in other countries is going to be even more fun!

Later this year we plan to grab a tent and start camping next year. Geocaching has opened a whole new world of adventures for us. 

16. Do you have a nemesis cache that despite multiple attempts you have been unable to find?

We have had a couple but we have now found them, we don’t have any outstanding caches that have the better of us at the moment.

17. What 3 words or phrases best sum up what geocaching means to you.

Adventure

Family time

Geocaching is our therapy

18. What prompted you to start blogging about geocaching?

We enjoyed it so much as a family that we wanted to share how much fun we had and also be able to look back and read some of our stories. Its hard to keep a record of all of them but it is certainly been fun. Sophie (who is our eldest at 8), likes to contribute to writing some blog posts.

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

Actually probably one of our firsts when we managed to be showcased in UK Cache Mag UK Cache Mag very early into our Geocaching journey.

20. Which other geocaching blogs do you enjoy reading?

I haven’t come across many other Geocaching blogs apart from the HQ blog. We absolutely love to watch the Geocaching Vlogger– Sophie is a big fan and is always asking me to send him a message with an update. We are patrons and support his work, hours of entertainement provided to us.

A note from us…

This photo of us was taken around a year ago and on one of our first trails- The stick trail- see the first cache at GC4803N. We have used this photo on our coins as it was a memorable day of us enjoying our new hobby.

Thank you for reading…

Jennifer here filling this out on behalf of us as GilmourFamily.