You may have seen one of Hullsome’s videos while scrolling TikTok or YouTube over the last three years. Josh Hull joined the geocaching world in 2021 and quickly took the game by storm. Gaining fast popularity on almost every social media platform, he shares his passion for the game and educates millions with each new geocache find and video creation.

Join us as we get to know Hullsome through his geocaching origin story, his content creation start, some of his favorite geocaches, and more!

Geocaching HQ: What’s your background outside of geocaching?
I was born and raised in Northern Nevada, where I spent my childhood exploring the great outdoors—hiking, biking, camping, fishing, backpacking, snowboarding, rafting, and every outdoor activity in between. Sports played a significant role in my childhood, including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and track, where I proudly still hold multiple school records for sprinting at Spring Creek High School.

After graduating from Boise State University, I embarked on a two-month solo journey throughout Europe, adding to my already extensive travel experiences that spanned 30+ states and 20+ countries. I have worked at Disney/ESPN in the Advertising Sales department for 4 years as an Advanced Ad Ops Specialist. I left Chicago when COVID initially hit and returned to my hometown for a while before moving back to Boise, Idaho, where I currently live with my wonderful girlfriend Miranda, and our dog (toy-sized Australian Shepherd named Steeler, but we’ll get more into that later).

Geocaching HQ: How and when did you hear about geocaching?
In February 2021, during the COVID lockdown, a special moment unfolded while I was on the couch with my parents and girlfriend, Miranda. Captivated by a conversation between my dad and Miranda about a friend who embarked on some sort of kayak expedition to an island in search of a ‘geocache,’ my curiosity was piqued. I was surprised to hear Miranda had found hundreds of geocaches in Elko and was in disbelief that I’d never even heard of this ‘scavenger hunt.’ I bombarded them with questions, completely bamboozled at how I had missed out on this adventure my entire life. Despite my passion for traveling and exploring lesser-known areas, the existence of these hidden containers had completely escaped me, and I couldn’t understand how. I kept thinking, ‘these containers must be incredibly well-hidden!’ and my mind immediately raced with excitement! WE HAVE TO GO FIND ONE!

Even in the cold February of Northern Nevada, with several feet of snow on the ground, I asked Miranda to immediately show me the ropes. The first cache I discovered had been hidden since 2004 and was located within 10 feet of where I had built a fort as a kid with some neighborhood friends. The realization that I had never stumbled upon this hidden container during countless visits to the area left me stumped. It felt like I was unraveling a new perspective on the world that I had already explored throughout my entire life. Within a month, I found and logged 40 geocaches that were scattered around my small hometown. Geocaching led me to explore uncharted territories near my hometown – it felt like it consistently led me down the path less traveled, and that has made all the difference. (Shout out to Robert Frost)

Geocaching HQ: Which cache got you hooked?
Initially, my goal was simple: find every single geocache in my local area. Growing up immersed in video games like Destiny, Final Fantasy, Minecraft, and World of Warcraft, completing missions and quests, no matter how challenging, was always a thrill. The allure of exploring open worlds, embarking on quests, and interacting with fellow gamers fueled my passion. This enthusiasm seamlessly transitioned to geocaching, where my objective was to discover all the hidden caches I possibly could.

After several months of finding LPCs (lamp post caches) and Altoid cans, a new dimension of the game unfolded. I noticed certain geocaches earned more Favorite points than others, and that sparked my curiosity. I was determined to find the most favorited geocaches in Boise, and I encountered G-Man’s Groovy Hotel Cache (GC31ZRQ), a MASSIVE travel bug haven cleverly hidden in a public park. The sheer size and ingenuity of the hide left me astonished at how something so large could be hidden in a public park! This cache marked a pivotal moment and opened my eyes to the diverse range of hides, sizes, and other variables within the world of geocaching. This was also about the time I started finding travel bugs and trackables.

After I found G-Man’s Groovy Hotel Cache, I realized there was a geocache nearby with over 200 Favorite Points, which was the most I had seen at the time. It was my first ‘Pinball’ gadget geocache, and it transformed my geocaching experience into a real-life mini-game; I felt like I was on some sort of captivating side quest. The thrill of playing a tangible, interactive game during real-life exploration was so exciting, and this is when I truly understood the allure of geocaching.

Geocaching HQ: What made you want to be a content creator, and what made you choose geocaching?
I was inspired to create content showcasing my outdoor adventures, exploring Ghost Towns, documenting my favorite hikes, offering travel recommendations, visiting National Parks, and revealing hidden camping gems. A few months after creating my profile, I produced my first geocaching video. This TikTok video featured a quick explanation of geocaching, accompanied by a video of me finding my first ‘fake rock’ cache.

I was shocked to see the video gain hundreds of thousands of views within days, generating a flood of questions in my comments. I noticed that the geocaching community had a small handful of creators, but I still had so many questions about how it all worked. Recognizing the vast number of people who were also unaware of its existence, I realized the potential to introduce this amazing hobby to a broader audience.

In an era dominated by increasing screen time, I became passionate about advocating for a hobby that encouraged outdoor engagement, problem-solving, exercise, and a deep appreciation for nature. My mission was to spread awareness of geocaching, with a primary focus on addressing the curiosities of beginners and people who are unfamiliar with geocaching (What do we call them again? 😉) while my content has evolved over time, my initial emphasis was on educating followers and guiding them in starting their geocaching journey alongside me with helpful bits of information in each video.

I believe that by showcasing more geocaches and raising awareness through videos, we can inspire a greater number of individuals to create, hide, and explore geocaches that are hidden throughout the world!

Geocaching HQ: How do you choose what geocache you want to film?
In my geocaching adventures, I love exploring unfamiliar areas, specifically targeting caches with high Favorite Points, Terrain, and Difficulty ratings. My passion for maps comes into play during the (most exciting) phase of planning routes and selecting geocaches based on the amount of time I have available.

To maintain the authenticity of my experiences, I try to refrain from reading activity logs or hints until after discovering the cache. This approach enhances the surprise factor, which makes my reactions more authentic. Except, of course, when I don’t have enough water to fill… well, you know the rest. The thrill of the search intensifies when I face challenging caches that leave me perplexed for a while. These confusing moments often lead to my most relatable content, because every geocacher has been there.

I am so thankful to the incredible cache owners who have created such unique and interesting adventures for us all to enjoy. It seems that at each new location I go to, there are several geocache owners, both old and new, who continue to be the magic behind this incredible game.

Geocaching HQ: Of the caches you found, which were your favorites?
One cache that consistently stands out in my memory is Super Heroes In Jeopardy (GC97PZ4), hidden in Washington. I spent over an hour exploring the intricacies of this geocache and couldn’t resist Facetiming my family and friends so they could share in my excitement.

Some of my other favorite Geocache finds include: Johnny Island’s Throne Room (GC57ZJR), Aliens Among Us (GC1N0B9), Original Stash Tribute Plaque (GCGV0P), Puzzle in The Pines 3 (GC9YM5F), Puzzle in the pines 2 [G] (GC93WA5) and 2 Despicable – Find the Hidden Opening Release (GC9ETGK). Each of these caches holds a special place in my geocaching journey and contributed to my most unique and memorable experiences.

Geocaching HQ: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a geocaching content creator?
Every geocache has a unique story, whether through its name, hint, description, or difficulty rating. Infuse your own unique style to breathe life into these stories! There is a lot of confusion with geocaching, and initially, most of my time was dedicated to explaining and addressing my viewer’s questions. Creating informative and entertaining content played a major role in my geocaching journey and would be a great starting point for any of you who aspire to create geocaching-related content. Prioritize your audience by delivering value through a blend of education and entertainment, whether you’re hiding Geocaches or finding them.

Geocaching HQ: How and where can people find you and your geocaching content?
Discovering my geocaching content is easy! Using the search feature on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok, you can find my videos just by typing in ‘Hullsome’. For a targeted search, simply type in keywords like ‘Hullsome’s Hardest Geocache Finds’ or ‘Hullsome High Terrain Rating Geocaches’ based on the specific content you’re interested in. You could even search for your home state or country to see if I’ve geo-tagged your general area. The descriptions in all my videos tend to serve as helpful guides in navigating and finding the geocaching experiences you’re looking for.

Channels:
TikTok: TikTok.com/@Hullsome
YouTube: YouTube.com/@Hullsome
Instagram: Instagram.com/@hullsome_geocaching