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Go Outside and Play
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Go Outside and Play
Geocaching is a high tech treasure hunt which takes place in the great outdoors. With the advent of cheap
electronics a new “sport” has emerged for people who enjoy spending time away from the television and is a great
way for gadget freaks and outdoor buffs to get together for a good time. The basic premise of geocaching is to first
go online (One popular site is geocaching.com) and get waypoints for a cache that someone has hidden in your
area. Then using a portable GPS unit go and find the hidden cache at the waypoints. There are several different
types of caches, For the traditional geocache, a geocacher will place a waterproof container, containing a log book
(with pen or pencil) and trinkets or some sort of treasures, then note the cache's coordinates. These coordinates,
along with other details of the location, are posted on a website. Other geocachers obtain the coordinates from the
Internet and seek out the cache using their GPS handheld receivers. The finding geocachers record their exploits in
the logbook and online. Geocachers are free to take objects from the cache in exchange for leaving something of
similar or higher value, so there is treasure for the next person to find., Typical cache treasures are not high in
monetary value but may hold intrinsic value to the finder. Aside from the logbook, common cache contents are
unusual coins or currency, small toys, ornamental buttons, CDs, or books. Also common are objects that are moved
from cache to cache, such as Travel Bugs or Geocoins, whose travels may be logged and followed online.
Occasionally, higher value items are included in geocaches, normally reserved for the "first finder", or in locations
which are harder to reach (Of course, one item that everyone is happy to find is batteries to power their GPS) some
are Virtual caches, which is a cache that is actually an existing landmark, such as a tombstone or statue. You have
to answer a question from the landmark and let the "cache" owner know as proof that you were there. To date there
are over 420,00 caches hidden in over 200 countries, so where ever you are there is a good chance that there are
several caches near you.
Geocaching is a relatively new phenomenon. Therefore, the rules are very simple:
1. Take something from the cache
2. Leave something in the cache
3. Write about it in the logbook
4. Have Fun
Geocaching is a high tech treasure hunt which takes place in the great outdoors. With the advent of cheap
electronics a new “sport” has emerged for people who enjoy spending time away from the television and is a great
way for gadget freaks and outdoor buffs to get together for a good time. The basic premise of geocaching is to first
go online (One popular site is geocaching.com) and get waypoints for a cache that someone has hidden in your
area. Then using a portable GPS unit go and find the hidden cache at the waypoints. There are several different
types of caches, For the traditional geocache, a geocacher will place a waterproof container, containing a log book
(with pen or pencil) and trinkets or some sort of treasures, then note the cache's coordinates. These coordinates,
along with other details of the location, are posted on a website. Other geocachers obtain the coordinates from the
Internet and seek out the cache using their GPS handheld receivers. The finding geocachers record their exploits in
the logbook and online. Geocachers are free to take objects from the cache in exchange for leaving something of
similar or higher value, so there is treasure for the next person to find., Typical cache treasures are not high in
monetary value but may hold intrinsic value to the finder. Aside from the logbook, common cache contents are
unusual coins or currency, small toys, ornamental buttons, CDs, or books. Also common are objects that are moved
from cache to cache, such as Travel Bugs or Geocoins, whose travels may be logged and followed online.
Occasionally, higher value items are included in geocaches, normally reserved for the "first finder", or in locations
which are harder to reach (Of course, one item that everyone is happy to find is batteries to power their GPS) some
are Virtual caches, which is a cache that is actually an existing landmark, such as a tombstone or statue. You have
to answer a question from the landmark and let the "cache" owner know as proof that you were there. To date there
are over 420,00 caches hidden in over 200 countries, so where ever you are there is a good chance that there are
several caches near you.
Geocaching is a relatively new phenomenon. Therefore, the rules are very simple:
1. Take something from the cache
2. Leave something in the cache
3. Write about it in the logbook
4. Have Fun
To get started a person just needs to buy a GPS which will run between $100 and $1000. (I use a Garmin 76S)
While the more expensive GPS’s have many more features, a less expensive model is all that is needed to enjoy
Geocaching. In the more basic models are usually far easier to use and not near as confusing to operate. But after
a few trips out and about hunting caches, even the most novice GPS user will be able to operate the unit like an old
pro. I have found that geopcaching is a great way to familiarize yourself with a GPS’s uses, before using it in a more
demanding setting such as cross country backpacking and such. But most importantly gong out to hunt for caches,
is a wonderful excuse to go outside and play. So, if you’re tired of the same old re-runs on the boob-tube, sell the
darn thing and use the money to go and buy a nice GPS unit and get outside and play.
While the more expensive GPS’s have many more features, a less expensive model is all that is needed to enjoy
Geocaching. In the more basic models are usually far easier to use and not near as confusing to operate. But after
a few trips out and about hunting caches, even the most novice GPS user will be able to operate the unit like an old
pro. I have found that geopcaching is a great way to familiarize yourself with a GPS’s uses, before using it in a more
demanding setting such as cross country backpacking and such. But most importantly gong out to hunt for caches,
is a wonderful excuse to go outside and play. So, if you’re tired of the same old re-runs on the boob-tube, sell the
darn thing and use the money to go and buy a nice GPS unit and get outside and play.
