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The latest comic from FTF Geocacher

I’ve decided to post the comics I make for FTF Geocacher and PinPoint once I’m sure they’ve published. I started My Geek Odyssey in 2009 as part of a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship. I’ll go into the history sometime, but let’s just say For a while it kept me out of the asylum. It was a way to channel the frustrations of teaching, and family drama. I was asked if I would be willing to contribute to FTF Geocacher Magazine and worked on geocaching comics for them in 2011 Volume 2 Issue 4 to be precise.

I could try to explain geocaching, but I’d just use the flippant "I use multi-billion dollar satellites to fine Tupperware in the woods.” The basics are use a device to find the location of something someone has hidden. Find the object. Sign the log. Log your find online. While a good cartoon doesn’t need explanation I since this is a rather niche hobby…

Usually finding a cache requires stealth, but in the case of being confronted by law enforcement it’s always best to just be honest. Too many times in the past have geocaches been mistaken for explosives. the bomb squad has been called, and “boom!” the cache removed. I think most geocachers have stories of being stopped by an officer asking about what they were doing. Those of us from the Indianapolis area know that some police officers are geocachers, which does make things easier for all geocachers. Except that some places caches are placed have hours - parks open from dawn to dusk, that kind of thing. The police officers may have used their position to get to a cache when other geocachers couldn’t. Of course being the first person to find (FTF) a geocache is an honor, and there are many “FTF Hounds” who rush the moment a new cache is published. Cecil has a few FTFs in his over 4,000 finds. If you think 4,000 is a lot, I am a slacker compared to many of my geocaching friends. Although Cecil did take a number of years off and now typically caches only when out of town. It’s not about the numbers after all.

There are a few apps available and it is a great way to learn about a place since the people who place geocaches are locals sharing some of their favorite places- except for Cecil who usually just puts them in WalMart parking lots.