Friday, November 27, 2009

Geocacher Holiday Wishlist 2009



















Well it's that time of year again where all the good little geocachers wait patiently for their latest geocaching goodies to appear on holiday's morn. So this year we asked the geocachers who frequent Geocaching.com's forums what they wanted. I must say the results were surprising and we will show you not only this year's top ten but how it compared to last year. Let's begin.

#10 - Netbook computers. Paperless geocaching is the most popular subject on this blog and netbooks are finally coming into their own. Not only can you have instant access to the Internet your geocaching notes are easily stored. This is the first year netbooks made the top ten.

#9 - Friends to go geocaching with. Not everything on our Holiday Wishlist comes from the store. This year many geocachers asked for friends to come along with them while geocaching.

#8 - Premium Memberships to Geocaching.com. This is another new request this year. What more could a geocacher who is just starting out want than access to Pocket Queries and other services provided with a premium membership.

#7 - A Job. It is sad and unfortunately a sign of the times where a request for a job makes the top ten. I can say from personal experience that this also is a wish I would like to see come true by the end of the year.

#6 (#10 - 2009) - PDA. The need to do paperless geocaching is on the rise and PDAs moved up the list this year. Using applications like Cachemate can really enhance the geocaching experience with the help of a Personal Digital Assistant. Think of all the trees you will save right off the bat.

#5 - Smart Phones. The top two smart phones are IPhones and BlackBerrys. Both have access to multitudes of applications that can be used for on the spot geocaching. Throw in Internet access, real time geocaching information and oh yeah they are really good for making a phone call too makes this wish list item a real keeper.

#4 (#4 - 2009) - GPS Units. Now you would think the number one item that a geocacher would want would be the latest and greatest GPS unit. Once again GPS units remain at the #4 spot with the following points of special interest.
Garmin Oregon's were the most popular pick this year.
Delorme PN-20 and PN-40 came in second

#3 (#7 - 2009) - Cameras. Photography is a huge part of the geocaching experience. We love to show where we have been, what we have found and of course shots of the Travel Bugs we have discovered in our adventures. So it is no real surprise that cameras moved up the list this year. The most popular camera this year has been the Nikon D90. The biggest concern when it comes to the camera of choice is that it is a bit more durable and can take being outside with the possibility of moisture while geocaching.

#2 (#8 - 2009) - Geocache Mobiles. Moving way up in the top ten is the request for better wheels while geocaching. Of course is the request for unlimited gas but it just goes to show that when geocachers wish for something they wish big.

#1 (#1 - 2009) - Time to go Geocaching. For a second year in a row the top spot goes to Time. Funny how these surveys and polls turn out some times. It wasn't the flashiest gizmo or the most expensive thing-a-ma-bob that almost all geocachers asked for. Nope it was to have more time doing geocaching. We live in this always connected, hyper fast, must do more with less society and what we all crave is that blissful few moments of quiet. Sitting next to an ammo box or Lock and Lock box for a quick moment of bliss. Signing a log and rummaging through trade items, travel bugs and the rare geocoin. Noticing the wind as it gently raises the leaves or parts the clouds to expose that valley below. No it's not all the cool toys we love to play with, but the extra time to go out and do what we enjoy the most.

Honorable Mentions go to the following:
Fire Tacks, The Lottery, Geocaching Sticker for Car, A Plastic Detector, Olive Picker, Crystal Ball, Stain Remover for Pants, Mountain Bike.

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?
http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/
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3 comments:

  1. nice list! I'd like a Four wheeler / atv so I can get to all those desert caches!

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  2. See, the lottery would be No. 1 for me ... then I can get anything else in the top 10. :)

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  3. LOL @ A plastic detector. Never heard that one before. Thanks for the laugh (TFTL!)

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