Geo-Caching !

• Author: DigitalMind
• Filed under: Techie Toys'n'Games
• Date: Jan 5,2008

One of my favorite “Techie-Games” is Geo-Caching !! This Blog entry explains what geocaching is and how to play.

GeoCaching is essentially a real-life treasure hunt where people use a GPS to find hidden “caches” that are all over the world. This isn’t really a new game, so when I say “all over the world” it doesn’t mean that there’s a cache somewhere near you, and then you have to drive an hour to the next cache ; chances are, there are LOTS of cache’s near you. If you live in a major city, there ARE TONS of caches within walking distance.

Usually, to play this game, you need a portable GPS unit that can be bought from lots of local stores. I got mine at Canadian Tire for about $250. (Well actually it was a Xmas present, THANKS MOM! ) The first 10-15 cache’s that I found however I didn’t have a GPS and in a way, they were some of the funnest ones to find. Here’s how you play, it’s very simple :

1. Go to www.geocaching.com
2. Click on HIDE AND SEEK A CACHE (on the left hand side)
3. In the BY ZIP CODE box, enter your ZIP code or Postal code (Don’t forget the space in the postal code) and then click GO

You will now see a list of all the cache’s that are closest to the postal code / Zip Code you entered. It’ll even tell you the distance between you and the cache. To get the full coordinates though, you need to sign-up for a FREE geocaching account.

There are different types of Caches. Traditional Cache’s are represented by a green box in the Icons column of your search results. A Traditional cache means that they give you the GPS coordinates of the cache, and you simply go find it. Personally these are my favorite, and for a beginner it’s best to start with this. There are all kinds of other Cache Types, they usually require you to solve a riddle or do some research or even travel around a little in order to get the REAL coordinates of the cache. They’re fun for people that like solving things.

When you have the GPS coordinates of the cache, you enter them into your GPS, and go hunting !! If you don’t have a GPS yet, you can do what I did at first. Go to GoogleMaps and google the GPS coordinates. Then zoom in as much as you can to where it points, print it or memorize it, then go looking for it !!! Obviously this makes finding a cache alot longer than usual, because you don’t have a GPS telling you to move 4 feet to the right and then it should be right there, you only have a picture saying it SHOULD be anywhere around there. Lots of fun searching through bushes and under piles of rocks though, and when you actually find it it’s that much more rewarding. If you’re looking for a cache withouth a GPS though, it’s best to do it in an area you know, and where there’s not TOO many places for it to be. (Looking for a cache in the middle of a forest for example, you NEED a gps)

What is inside a cache you say ?? At the very least, a cache contains a logbook. A logbook is where you sign your name or handle to prove that you found it. Often there are small items in the cache that are there for trading. Essentially, you can take almost whatever you want from the cache, but need to replace it (or them) with other trading objects. If you go geo-caching with your younger kids, they love this, they get to trade in old toys for NEW old toys. Really it’s not about what’s inside the cache though, it’s about going outside, in the forest, the mountains, parts of town you didn’t know existed, and looking for the cache. They can be very very small, (like the size of a lighter) or they can be HUGE tupperware containers. (Luckily when you read the cache page it’ll tell you a rough estimate of the cache size) Usually the small tiny ones are hidden in town, and you need to go out in the forest or less populated area’s to get the bigger cache’s.

After finding a cache, you can go back to the website, and LOG the cache as being found by you. You can write a little comment about the cache that others will see when looking at the cache page, a quick thank you to the person that placed it is always nice. After this when you do your searches it will know that you found those cache’s already in case you forget. Also, it’ll keep track of the number of cache’s that you’ve found. Alot of people celebrate finding their 100th cache (or 50th, or 1000th, you get the idea) by going out on a road trip and finding a “special” cache of sorts. Maybe one that has been around forever, or one that requires alot of planning and work to get too. Things like that.

Geo-Caching is a great way to get you, your friends, and your family outside of the house and doing something together. Alot of people have very different reasons for enjoying this game. Some people it’s the outdoors (that’s me), other’s it’s the use of the GPS, the family time with the kids, or “the thrill of the hunt”, or finding things that hundreds of people walk by everyday but only you and the other geocachers know there’s a hidden cache right there.

There’s alot more to geocaching than what i’ve said in the blog entry. I may post more about it later, since I have not yet covered a few aspects of the game, but you SHOULD go to geocaching.com and check it out !! Go find the closest one to your house, just for fun, then let me know !

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