Category: Travel

What is Geocaching?

Geocaching is a fun way to get out there and enjoy the world around you. It is a hide and seek like you have never experienced. A hunt full of clues tied to navigation coordinates locating a true treasure. There are millions of people that have jumped on this great hobby bandwagon and exploring all over the world.

Geocaching is so popular that there are websites and social media boards with information, fun facts, how-to’s, and groups to join. Caches are hidden everywhere you are. There are millions of geocaches worldwide.

Geocaches are found in parks, urban areas, forests, deserts, on top of mountains, underwater — pretty much anywhere you can imagine. There are probably a few near you right now. Go to the official Geocaching website and find a traditional geocache that has an easy find ranking to ensure your success, and you will be hooked!

Geocaching started in early 2000. When the website launched, only 75 geocaches had been hidden. Today, there are over 3 million geocaches and millions of active geocachers playing the game. Geocaches come in all different shapes, sizes, and difficulties and are hidden in both rural and urban settings.

Geocachers’ Creed

When placing or seeking geocaches, I will:

1. Not endanger myself or others.
2. Observe all laws & rules of the area.
3. Respect property rights and seek permission where appropriate.
4. Avoid causing disruptions or public alarm.
5. Minimize my and others’ impact on the environment.
6. Be considerate of others.
7. Protect the integrity of the game.

Geocaching Etiquette

• Sign the logbook inside the cache. Don’t forget to log your find online to get your smiley. Geocache owners love reading about your experience.
  
  
• Did not find (DNF) logs. They alert others that the cache may be more difficult to find than anticipated or may even be missing. DNF logs also inform the cache owner they may need to check on their container.
  

• If you take a trinket from the geocache, leave something of equal or greater value, making sure it’s family friendly. Don’t place food or scented items as these attract animals.

• Be mindful of non-geocaching onlookers (muggles). Curious people have been known to take or damage geocaches.

• Make sure you don’t accidentally venture on to someone’s private property. Caches won’t require you to trespass.

• Leave the geocache area better than how you found it. Try not to disrupt local wildlife and pack any trash you see.

• If you find a problematic cache, please contact the owner directly or email help center.

Geocache Types

Traditional Geocache – (in green)

This is the original type of geocache and the most straightforward. These geocaches will be a container at the given coordinates. The size may vary, but at minimum, all of these geocaches will have a logbook. Larger containers may contain items for trade and trackables

Multi-Cache (shown in orange)

These geocaches involve two or more locations, with the final location being a physical container with a logbook inside. There are many variations, but typically once you’re at the first stage, you will receive a clue to the whereabouts of the second stage. The second stage will have a clue for the third, and so on.

Earth Cache

An Earth Cache is a special geological location people can visit to learn about a unique feature of the Earth. Earth Cache pages include a set of educational notes along with coordinates. Visitors to Earth Caches can see how our planet has been shaped by geological processes, how we manage its resources and how scientists gather evidence. Typically, to log an Earth Cache, you will have to provide answers to questions by observing the geological location. For more information about Earth Caches visit http://www.earthcache.org/.

Letterbox Hybrid

Letterboxing is another form of treasure hunting that uses clues instead of coordinates. In some cases, the letterbox owner has made their container both a letterbox and a geocache and posted its coordinates on Geocaching.com. These types of geocaches will contain a stamp that is meant to remain in the box and is used by letterboxes to record their visit. To read more about letterboxing, visit Letterboxing North America.

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Mystery or Puzzle Caches

Mystery Caches come in many different styles – but today we want to hone in on a classic: the Puzzle Cache. The posted coordinates for a Puzzle Cache are usually bogus coordinates. Geocachers must solve a puzzle on the cache page to learn the actual location of the geocache The “catch-all” of geocache types, this type may involve complicated puzzles that you will first need to solve to determine the correct coordinates. Mystery/Puzzle Caches often become the staging ground for new and unique geocaches that do not fit in another category.

Cache Container Sizes

Geocaches come in all shapes and sizes

• Micro (XS) containers are less than 100 milliliters. Think film canister or smaller.
• Small (S) are 100 milliliters to 1 liter. About the size of an apple.
• Regular (M) containers are 1 to 20 liters. They’re about the size of a shoebox.
• Large (L) containers are more than 20 liters. They’re larger than a shoebox. Buckets, bins, or even railroad freight cars can be large containers.

Now that you know what Geocaching is, What next?

Let’s get started on your first treasure hunt. Download the Geocache app on your mobile device. Sign up to get started.

On the home page of the website, a geocaching map will show up with geocaches near you. Whether you are planning to go to a park close to you or if you are traveling further away, just pull up the website on your phone and the same map will show up with coordinates of caches around your current location.

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To increase your chances of finding your first cache, be sure to look for a regular or large size Traditional Cache with an easy difficulty and terrain rating on the map. 

Push on the pin that you want to find and the app will give you a blurb about the cache to get you started. For example it might say the geocache is a physical container that is hidden outside. Just enough information to get you going.

Click on the next button and it will take you to the information for that cache. It will show these things:

• name of cache
• type of cache
• difficulty, terrain, and size
• owner or who placed cache and when
• short description
• activity – when was found last
• attributes – i.e. how long to find, dog friendly, etc.
• photos
• trackables information
• waypoints

If you think that this is one that you want to find, click the navigation button. A map will show up with the distance away from cache. It will also have a pin showing the location of the cache and a pin of your current location, with a line connecting the two.

Walk towards the cache with phone in hand. The line gets shorter the loser you get. When you get within 30 feet of the geocache your phone will make a chime sound to let you know that your are close. This is the best part of the hunt. Look high and low. Follow any clues from log posts of other cachers for help.

Once you find a geocache, open it up and sign the logbook. You may discover some trade or swag items (small toys, keychains, trinkets) inside the geocache. The general rule of thumb is if you take something, leave something of equal or greater value. Then, place the container back exactly how you found it and share your experience online with the rest of the geocaching community. 

Ten tips when looking for a cache

1. Use your eyes
   Your GPS or smartphone will only get you within about 30 feet of the cache location. When you’re close, use your eyes, hands, and geo-senses to locate the cache.
2. Look for something that seems out of place
   Caches come in all sizes, shapes, colors. Look under rocks, in tree hollows, under park benches and yes, look in that one spot you’re 100% positive is not the hiding place. Chances are, that’s exactly where the cache is.
3. Geocaches are often disguised
   As rocks, bricks, bird houses, or other everyday objects, so think outside the (ahem), cache-box.
4. Think like a detective
   Think, “if I were a geocache, where would I hide?”
5. Geocaches are never buried
   But they won’t always be on the ground. So…
6. …Look high, look low, look around
   Leave no stone unturned nor park bench unscored. BUT…
7. …Respect your surroundings
   NEVER trample on flower beds, scale walls, or damage property trying to find the cache.
8. Check the hint
   Many cache pages offer hints that may help you figure out where to look.
9. Check the latest activity
   Recent logs from other geocachers may contain valuable information such as, “I had to look really LOW to find this cache!”
10. Be patient with yourself
    Developing your geo-senses takes time.

One last tip? Always, always, ALWAYS bring a pen.

Taking kids along? Check out my tips on Geocaching with Kids, here.

Well-stocked geocaching bag

You never know when the urge to geocache will hit, so keep your geocaching bag ready. Here is a list of common items you might find in a well-stocked geocaching bag:

• GPS unit and extra batteries
• Swag for trading
• Extra logbooks and pencils
• Water and snacks – See my post on Snackle Boxes here.
• Flashlight
• Sunscreen
• Bug repellent
• Rain poncho
• Tools of the trade
• First aid kit

Hide Your Own Geocache

If you want to hide your own geocache, there are guidelines that you will need to follow. Here is basic information. You can get more ideas and tips on the geocache website.

• Watch the video Geocache hiding guidelines on the website for tips on how to get started.
• Take a quiz on things from the video before you hide your first cache.
• Obey local laws.
• Get permission.
• Choose location and container wisely.
• Add a logbook, instructions for finders of your container, and then hide your cache in the location of your choosing.
• Write and submit your cache page for review. It will be reviewed before it is published.
• Find at least 20 geocaches before you hide your first one. The more variety of geocaches you find, the better you will understand how to create an enjoyable experience for other geocachers.
• Check over cache owner responsibility on the website.

Trackables

Trackables are another fun activity to do within the game of geocaching. They are physical game pieces that move from geocache to geocache. Types of trackables include: geocoins, tags, t-shirts, and more!

Can I Keep them?

In most cases, trackables want to travel. Use the tracking code on the trackable to look up its goal. Log trackable in order to move them along.

How do I log a trackable? Trackables can be found in geocaches, your inventory, or through the trackable code search.

Use the tracking code to access the trackable details page and then choose the appropriate log type.

Trackable tips:

• Try to move trackables within two weeks of taking them.
• if a trackable isn’t listed in a geocache, wait 24 hours or contact the last geocacher who logged the trackable.
• If you think a trackable is missing from a geocache, contact the trackable owner or write a note on the trackable details page.

This guide should get you through your first geocache successfully. Good luck and have fun! ~Susie Pea

Check out my Geocaching with Kids post if you are taking little ones. There are some great tips to ensure a fun afternoon for you and them. Or see my post on The Ultimate Scavenger Hunt for Kids, a variation on the Easter Egg Hunt. For more outdoor fun with kids, check out my post on Mud Kitchens.

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