The Dark Side Of Geocaching

Geocaching is a worldwide scavenger hunt/mystery that sparked from the access of satellite gps systems in 2000. Players of the game hide small “caches” in different areas around the world and challenge others to find them by solving their riddles and puzzles. However, geocaching being based in real life has led to some rather interesting finds and discoveries, in this video we take a look at the dark side of geocaching.

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All music from Epidemic Sound

0:00 Intro

1:14 The Start of Geocaching

2:54 Going off the Beaten Path

5:26 Sponsor Segment

6:30 The Most Mysterious Finds

11:20 The Future of Geocaching

[georgewashingtonmayo]

I’m a geocacher. It’s a fun activity. Not all of them are in the middle of the woods or on an unbeaten path. There’s a lot in public places. It’s crazy how some of them are near frequent places you’ve been at all your life. Like a store or a park. Just under your nose this entire time and you never knew about it

[zacharyrussell]

First of all, the character in the first scenario broke at least two of the guidelines of geocache placement: get permission from the property owner and caches should not be placed inside buildings. So, breaking rules as well as laws.

The rest of these dangerous examples seem to stem from caches flouting rules and guidelines set up for safety. Many people seem to forget that geocaching is often a subset of other activities; hiking, biking, urban exploration, etc. Geocaching participants should take the same precautions as in those activities; know the safe route, know the weather risks, etc.
As the video creator pointed out, geocaching is historically quite safe and these examples are outliers. Like those thankfully rare but tragic examples that happen around hiking and camping.

[Jinxanator]

I found a cache once that had one of those keychains for recovery addicts. I think about it sometimes because I wonder if it was put there to mark their start of getting clean, the end of their time in rehab, or in memory of someone they lost to addiction

[FallingOutTheSky]

These 8-bit animations are seriously cool, it makes me feel more invested almost immediately

[DavidCowie]

"Geocachers have found stashes of cash."
*Caches* of cash, surely?

[satutoivonen]

I'm a geocacher myself and I've often wondered whether a cacher has ever found a dead body. Now I know, thanks! Many caches are intentionally hidden in places where outsiders (or geomuggles as we call them 😆) are least likely to stumble upon them. I'd imagine a murderer would use the same logic when hiding their victim so a cache and a body of a murder victim might well end up in the same place.

What was surprising in the video was that there haven't been more deaths while caching. While all caches can be safely reached using appropriate equipment (such as climing gear in the case of the mentioned bridge incident) some cachers just don't bother with safety. Every time someone falls through sea ice in my home town (Helsinki, Finland, by the Baltic Sea) I have to check whether it's been a cacher. So far it hasn't. The sea ice here is never safe: it's rarely cold enough for long enough for a real thick ice to form plus shipping routes create strong currents that break the ice. For those who live in warmer climates: falling trough ice is always life threatening. It's super hard to get back up and you have mere minutes to do it before hypothermia sets in. Still cachers regurarly walk on the ice to get to island caches that are really meant to be reached by boat in the summer. The risks people are willing to take for a plastic box is mind boggling.

[dembrosstudios]

I still enjoy GeoCaching but I always had a feeling there were some issues surrounding the game. It is amazing to visit a place in almost a daily basis only to find a hidden message. Especially going back a locations years later to see your signature still on the sheet.

[thPaste.]

As a geocacher myself since 2015, I can say that geocaching is mostly safe and fun. I've hidden a few before and most of the ones I have found are simple and easy. It's definitely something worth trying.

[decaf-nosebleed]

i loved geocashing with my family as a kid, i never knew that these tradgedies happened :(

[peter]

OMG I remember Prague sewage system incident. There was such a heated debate in Czech and Slovak geocaching community about who is responsible for death of these people. Also I remember a few other incidents... Man was killed by train when he was trying to find geocache also there was other cacher I knew who wanted to climbe a rail bridge because of cache but he did something wrong with a rope and hang himself.

[dylanjsuttles]

I tried some geocaching early in the lockdown and one of the first spots I looked for led me to a swamp entrance with piles of dead animals in tall grass at the end of a dead end road. So that was cool.

[vMoppyMedia]

Stoked to watch this! Have always wondered about creepy geocaching incidents

[bad_money]

Gotta love these 8-bit scenes, makes it feel like you're watching a creepy gameplay of pokemon.

[stoney-]

LOVE the 8-bit animation. The quality of your videos keep getting better and better. Excited for your continued growth. Cheers x

[Randomii]

I used to do some geocaching some years ago. It's really fun, but some caches are... questionable to say at least.
One very infamous cache near me is at the top of a bridge support next to a hotel. It's *extremely* dangerous, and the hotel staff will call the police immediately if someone attempt climbing there.
It's something i would not attempt to get myself, but i would want to. Hard to explain my train of thought. Being a completeonist, it would annoy the hell out me if i had all the caches nearby, except that one.
I guess that is one contributor for accidents. Somebody wants to find them all, or at least attempt the hardest and most dangerous ones for bragging rights.

[eee-jijt]

Your videos are so high quality and I love the animation and the way you display information. I made a geocache one time to ask out a girl who liked geocaching, and it worked. My mother used to take me geocaching as a kid too. Lots of good memories about geocaching.

[LilyLewis]

Now, I’ve never done geocaching, but I go camping a lot and my dad does a ton of hiking. These are the sorts of things that can happen anytime you go out into nature, it’s not geocaching specifically that’s dangerous.

Don’t go alone, make sure someone back at home knows your itinerary and location, check in with people at home, and pay very close attention to local weather and warnings from local officials. Pack plenty of food and water- more than you think you’ll need- and be prepared for a change of weather.

[Iconstasis]

I've been going Geo-caching since 2014 and while I've never had any experience like the ones mentioned here I am surprised by the amount of caches I see hidden in cemetery's.

[joschaarschmidt]

I love how you make a fun game played worldwide by millions of people sound somehow sinister and scary.

[RogersMgmtGroup]

If you get millions of people checking out millions of off the beaten path locations surely some weird stuff will happen. Bodies found, caches mistaken for bombs, people hurt. If you want to be totally safe stay home… wait, most people die at home so maybe beter to be out hunting caches.