So Much Geocaching Talk!

First off, let me be clear I'm not complaining!

That out of the way, I'm in fact sincerely thankful to have had the rare opportunity this week to appear on four different geocaching podcasts in one week. 

For those interested, here's the quick recap and links to each show.

Day	Podcast	Topic	Link!
Monday	Podcacher	Upvoting Logs	http://www.podcacher.com/show-651-0-geocaching-log-upvotes/
Wednesday	Geocaching Podcast	Favourite Caching Apps	http://geocachingpodcast.com/gcpc-episode-534-useful-apps-for-geocaching/
Thursday	GeoGearheads	Earthcaching	http://cacheamaniacs.com/ggh-356-earthcaches-iii
Thursday	Caching in the Northwest	Geocaching in Utah	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zy_nrVm2sg

If you'd like a little more insight into the process and contents before you click through to the links, here's the brief synopsis for each podcast appearance.

Podcacher:

I was contacted by my friends at Podcacher and asked, as a Canadian Geocacher, if I had any thoughts on the new upvoting innovation on geocaching logs. Of course I do! 

I offered to record some content for them and they graciously accepted and played it in show 651 (can you believe they have recorded over 650 episodes!!!). 

This episode contains some interesting and diverse opinions and feedback on upvoting from geocachers in Canada and Norway, the two countries where upvoting is currently enabled.

Take a listen to Podcacher episode 651, and check out log upvoting. Share YOUR thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, and please tag @LANMonkeyGC so I can hear what you think!

Geocaching Podcast:

In case you hadn't heard, the Gecoaching Podcast is back from the summer hiatus with a new format and (almost) the same hosts. Andy has retired from the show after contributing to it's success for several years, and Scott Berks and Taz427 are now joined by ShortyKnits.

The new format is a call in show - each week the hosts pick a different topic and encourage listeners to call in and share their thoughts, live on the air!

This week the topic was "Useful Apps for Geocaching" and there were some great ones shared. Check it out; if you didn't hear your favourite, or want to weigh in on that conversation, share your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter, and again, please tag me so I can hear what you have to say.

GeoGearheads:

Chris of the Northwest and DarrylW4 contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I could fill in for Darryl (can anyone really ever fill in for Darryl?!) and talk about Earthcaches. 

Of course I can! And since GeoGearheads tends to be technology and innovation focused, I thought it would be fun to throw in a news story about China creating artificial moons to orbit the earth, and then dig into the numbers and stats about the 2018 International Earthcache Weekend.

This led to Chris and I each sharing some interesting stories about our adventures finding our Earthcaches for the souvenir that weekend.

I also answered a listener's question and gave some top tips about my own process/workflow for creating new Earthcaches. We then provided an update on the status of the GSA's Earthcache Academy.

Did you get your souvenir? Do you have questions about creating Earthcaches? I'd love to hear about your adventures, or your thoughts about Earthcaches. Again, please share those thoughts on Facebook or Twitter and don't forget to tag me in your post so I can make sure I read it!

Caching in the Northwest:

Last, but surely not least (?), is the podcast closest to my heart, the one I spend every Thursday night with my close and awesome friends WitzEnd and Chris of the Northwest.

This week on CachingNW we had show Patrons CampClan join us to talk about their recent adventure of going Geocaching in the amazing state of Utah. Having completed the Visit Utah Geotour myself, I had lots to share and discuss with them.

The timing couldn't be better as I had just received my official Utah GeoAmbassador jacket that very night and was able to wear it proudly during the podcast!

They shared their adventure of finding Potter's Pond on the cusp of winter, and some of the places they explored on their adventures. We then "shifted gears" to chat a bit about bike share services available in several cities, and how those can be used for Geocaching.

Have you visited Utah and have thoughts or pictures to share? Have you tried Geocaching using a bike or scooter share service? We're really curious to hear more about your experiences and opinions; share them on Twitter and Facebook, and remember to tag me @LANMonkeyGC so I can read all about it!

The Week of the Monkey

So in summary, a very busy but fun week in podcasting for me, and I am so thankful to each of the hosts/producers for making time to include me and my thoughts on their podcasts. 



I hope you enjoy listening to each, and make sure that you let the podcast hosts know what you think about their episodes.

And until we chat next, cache safely and cache often!

LANMonkey's Geocaching Adventures are written by Jay Kennedy, outdoor adventurer and photo-journalist. All content is affiliated with the Wander Network. Experience his adventures on Twitter and Instagram by following @LANMonkeyGC, and subscribing to LANMonkey on YouTube. He is also a regular co-host of the Caching in the Northwest geocaching podcast.

Geocaching #GeekoftheWeek - witzend

Welcome to our second edition of the Geocaching #GeekoftheWeek, this week featuring true Renaissance man - witzend.

witzend has been geocaching since 2004, where he found his first geocache while visiting his hometown for a high school reunion. While he enjoys the hobby and has passed on his enthusiasm to several others you may be surprised that his "find count" isn't among the top in his area. 

This is because he continually seeks out innovation, quality, and social aspects of geocaching over find counts. This is evidenced by having finds in 20 states and four countries, being a frequent familiar face at geocaching events, and being a proud owner of an A.P.E. icon.

Growing up in Southern California, witzend is a true Disneyland junkie but also considers the Northwest home as he's lived here his entire adult life. Living in the Northwest has allowed him access to people and places where he can enjoy some of his passions including camping, geocaching, photography/videography, amateur radio, and schuhplattler.  

Like we said - a true renaissance man who is a life-long learner and always making something new or improving on something in his garage which doubles as his podcasting studio. Of course, when not attending to family, work, or these hobbies, he's helping with the local amateur radio enthusiasts or working as a freelance videographer (including 20 years on the crew at the Puyallup Fair).

He is proudest however of his family - "My children have grown into amazing and wonderful adults in spite of my parenting and of course my wife of almost 29 years is a big reason for that."

You can catch witzend every week on the Caching in the Northwest podcast recorded live Thursday nights at 9:00pm Pacific on YouTube. 

Do you know someone who deserves being recognized as a Geocaching #GeekoftheWeek? Let us know by commenting on this post or tweeting your nominee to @LANMonkeyGC #GeekoftheWeek

Geocaching #GeekoftheWeek - DarrylW4

Welcome to our very first Geocaching #GeekoftheWeek feature!

Today's #GeekoftheWeek is darrylW4, host of the GeoGeardHeads podcast.

Darryl is acknowledged as an authority on Geocaching and geo-location technologies, and shares his insights on these topics weekly on the Thursday evening GeoGearHeads podcast with his co-host Chris of the Northwest and various guests.

What may be lesser known is that Darryl also loves cycling, and started in the podcasting world talking about cycling. His love of photography has also brought him to be at the leading edge of 360 video and photography, as well as real-time video social media technologies like Periscope for sharing his geocaching adventures.

Through the GeoGearHeads podcast listeners are introduced to great ideas in the geekier side of Geocaching including 3D printing, caching in education, puzzle caching, and many other topics.

In 2016, Darryl & Chris interviewed the hosts of several other Geocaching related podcasts to provide a "behind the scenes" look at how the podcasts came to be, and are made. You can check out the Geocaching Podcast Profiles at this link.  


Perhaps lesser known outside of the geocaching podcaster community is how much Darryl has helped other podcasters get started and tune their shows through his own knowlege and experience. 

Check out GeoGearHeads live every Thursday at 9:10pm Eastern or 6:10pm Pacific on YouTube. You can subscribe to the audio version of the podcast through iTunes, Play, RSS, or Stitcher, watch the shows on YouTube, and check them out on FaceBook, Google+, and Twitter.

Do you know someone who deserves being recognized as a Geocaching #GeekoftheWeek? Let us know by commenting on this post or tweeting your nominee to @LANMonkeyGC #GeekoftheWeek

The GPSr versus Smartphone Geocaching Debate

Have you ever wondered:

• Are GPSrs or Smartphones the better tool for Geocaching?
• Do Geocaching podcasters know anything about the technology they use?
• Are Canadians better debaters than Americans?

Well wonder no longer!

Last week Scott Berks of the "What's Up Internet" and "Geocaching Podcast" shows battled it out with yours truly (so for the record, that's LANMonkey of "Caching in the Northwest" and I'm always right) to debate which device is superior for the purposes of Geocaching.

We had the debate live on the Geogearheads podcast. If you don't regularly listen to that podcast you probably should - it's on my "must listen" rotation. 

And yeah, (spoiler alert) I won the debate. But in the end, the reality and main point is that both devices have their important uses and your best case scenario is to go geocaching with a GPSr AND a Smartphone.

So tell us what YOU think  - tweet or FB your opinion with #GPSvsPhone

But if you are curious what our key arguments were, and how Canada once again triumphed in the international forum, take a listen to the whole podcast!




The 2016 Great Podcast TB Race!

In case you hadn't heard yet - and are interested in podcasters getting competitive and trash-talking each other (well, I don't know about that) - my friend and fellow Geocaching podcaster has accepted my challenge for an "across the continent" TB race, and we will be updating race progress each week on our respective podcasts.

Michael Miller of the Cache and Release podcast handed me a pretty fancy trackable to bring back to Vancouver, BC and I left my trackable with him when we recently visited Orlando, Florida. 

We each dropped them off in a cache and they are on a mission to get "back home" but it's not just about which one gets home first. We've devised a point system where there are 5 points for being the first TB back home, but an additional point for each state or province visited, plus a point for every photo someone takes with the TB. 

 For more info on the TB race and just some general fun in Disney World's EPCOT Canada Pavilion, check out this video! 

To hear the latest updates on the race, you can also tune in to the Caching in the Northwest podcast.

And most of all, remember to always "cache safely, and cache often!"

- The LANMonkeys

Challenge Caches Paused - Where to Find Information and Opinions

Paws on Challenge Caches? OK, easy!

April 21st 2015 Geocaching.com announced a moratorium on publishing new challenge caches. This announcement has resulted in a lot of opinions from many quarters, but as with anything in life, it's important to sort out information from opinions to help you understand what is actually going on.

"Geocaching.com is not approving...challenge caches...for 1 year..."

In simplest terms, Geocaching.com is not approving any further challenge geocaches for publishing on their listing site for 1 year, effective April 21. This moratorium will be used to consult with the Geocachers around the world and determine how to make the challenge cache aspect of Geocaching better for everyone who plays the game. It is important to also be aware that "it does not impact previously published challenge cache listings."

This morning I took a listen to episode 400 of the Geocaching Podcast and was interested in the opinions and ideas of the hosts on that show. I found it curious that a few of the things they discussed were actually covered in the interviews I conducted at Geocaching.com's office the day the moratorium was announced! 

For example, there was some discussion about how Geocaching.com can/should consult more with Geocachers on these kinds of topics to ensure that decisions are made with input from the user community. Well tune in to episode 92 of Caching in the Northwest to listen to lackey JaymeH explain how they are engaging YOU, geocachers, in making decisions by way of her role as the User Insights Analyst.

Her methods move far beyond the User Insights forum although that's a great place to start. She shares with you in our interview how she will be engaging directly with geocachers to get their opinions on various topics to bring directly back to the development teams. 

That's right - JaymeH will be at select Mega events throughout the year meeting with groups of geocachers to get your insights. 

Want to know how to get an invite? Listen to the podcast live tonight (Thursday, April 30th at 9:00pm Pacific) or hear the recording afterwards if you can't join us live. JaymeH explains the whole process in our interview.

"...listen to ... Caching in the Northwest where Eric clarifies the situation and how you can be involved..."

Several other of the Geocaches podcasts, including episode 8 of the "Cache & Release" podcast, have shared the news about the challenge cache moratorium, and while Michael Miller and his peers have all explained it fairly well, if you'd like to hear the thoughts directly from Eric, PR & Social Media Manager at Geocaching.com, listen to episode 91 of Caching in the Northwest where Eric clarifies the situation and how you can be involved.

As always, we're really interested in your thoughts about challenge caches:

• Do you enjoy doing them? 
• Do you have any plans this year to complete any? 
• Will you be providing Geocaching.com your constructive feedback on how to make the Challenge Caching experience better?

And whether you are going after challenges or LPCs, remember to always:

"Cache safely, and cache often!"
The LANMonkeys