Adventures of Geocaching

I love geocaching! I love everything about it. The hunt, the surprise of what is inside and logging my find. I could geocache all of the time and anytime I take a trek anywhere I usually do. There was a time that it took 6 hours to go somewhere 2 hours away because I had to just get one more. If you don’t know what geocaching is or aren’t quite familiar with it don’t fret, by the time you are done reading this you will be itching to jump in your car and go.

What is geocaching

So we will start with the basics. What is geocaching? I know a lot of people are going to get really annoyed by me saying this, but it is similar to Pokemon Go but with tangible items. It is like a treasure hunt with the map being on your phone or GPS. These great little treasures are hidden EVERYWHERE. They are all around you, heck there might be one within walking distance of you at this very moment. They are different sized containers hidden in random places all over the world. Typically have (swag) little toys and trinkets or trackables (we will get into those a little later) in them. When you find one you normally take something out and put something of similar value back in, sign the log and then go onto find the next one.

So you will start by downloading an app The main app is Geocaching of course, but there are a few others you can download as well. Then you will create an account and a cool geocaching name for you or your family, then you simply take a look at the caches around you and choose which one to checkout first

Where it started
On May 3, a man named Dave Ulmer, a computer consultant wanted to test the accuracy of the GPS by hiding a target in the woods. He called it the “Great American GPS Stash Hunt”. He posted it in an internet GPS users group. The idea was simple: Hide a container out in the woods and note the coordinates with a GPS unit.

The finder would then have to locate the container with only the use of his or her GPS receiver. The rules for the finder were simple: “Take some stuff, leave some stuff.”

On May 3rd he placed his own container, a black bucket, in the woods near Beavercreek, Oregon, near Portland. Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software, and a slingshot. He shared the waypoint of his “stash” with the online community on sci.geo.satellite-nav:

N 45° 17.460 W 122° 24.800

Within three days, two different readers read about his stash on the Internet, used their own GPS receivers to find the container, and shared their experiences online. Throughout the next week, others excited by the prospect of hiding and finding stashes began hiding their own containers and posting coordinates. Like many new and innovative ideas on the Internet, the concept spread quickly – but this one required leaving your computer to participate.

Within the first month, Mike Teague, the first person to find Ulmer’s stash, began gathering the online posts of coordinates around the world and documenting them on his personal home page. The “GPS Stash Hunt” mailing list was created to discuss the emerging activity. Names were even tossed about to replace the name “stash” due to the negative connotations of that name. One such name was “geocaching.”

There is a lot more to this including the birth of the term “Geocaching” and how it was made into a business. Checkout the full article for the rest of the story.

Geocaching History

Terminology
There are quite a few acronyms and terms used in geocaching. I was going to start posting some of them here, but there are just way to many to list so I’ve included the link to the geocaching glossary so you can check them out. You will want to brush up on them before you head out so you don’t get lost in the lingo.

geocaching glossary

Trackables
Trackables or Travel bugs are cute little items that have a tracking code on them so the people who released them into the geocaching world can track where they are going and where they have been. I have found them from places all over the world. Sweden, Germany, Finland. It is really cool. When you see one if you would like to move it along in its travels you will log that you removed it from the cache and then log it into the cache that you decide to leave it in.

There is some etiquette that goes along with this. Make sure to log it correctly, only take it if you plan on moving it along quickly. Please don’t hold onto them. Some trackables have specific places they would like to go or goals to reach. In this case if you can’t help it with it’s journey then leave it for the next person who can. If you come across a cache with multiple trackables only take one unless you have more than one trackable to leave behind.

Geocaching Etiquette

Don’t log it on the Geocaching app as found unless you have physically signed the log.

Bring a pen, you are going to come across a lot of caches that are too small to contain a pen so make sure you always bring one a long with you.

I actually keep a caching coffee can in my vehicle. It contains a few pens, some paper, and some swag. That way I’m always prepared.

Leave no trace behind. Like all outdoor activities we want to leave mother nature the way we found it. They call it Caching in and trashing out. Some caches are on private property with permission for you to cache there. Please be respectful of these places so we can continue to enjoy them.

Make sure to put the Geocache back where and how you found it. Not doing this can cause the coordinates to be off and can make it harder for the next cachers to find.

Now that you have learned the why and how I hope you are excited. Go out into the world and find some geochaches. If you have a hard time finding them at first don’t give up. It takes us all a while to develop the caching eye. Pretty soon you will be driving down the highway see a slight turn out and say “Hmm, I bet there is a geocache there”. You will also be able to start spotting them without having to GPS all the way there because you will know just where to look.

In the near future I will be starting a page on this blog. I will let go of 3 of my brothers and sisters into the world in caches. Follow along with us on their adventures. Hopefully we will get to see some cool places. Until then go out and explore your world.