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Have you read our book? Seen it in your local bookstore? Join our Facebook fan page and tell us what you think! And share your geocaching advice, tips, stories, pictures, and videos, too! If you want to see something from us that we don’t have posted on that page, just let us know and we’ll do our best to put it up! Geocaching – High-Tech Search for Treasure - Hopkinton (MA) Crier, Sept. 3, 2010
“It’s not about finding the treasure, it’s about the experience and where you go,” Paul said. “It’s about the things you see and the people you meet,’’ Dana agreed. 3 Must-Have Android Apps for GeocachingHere are three fantastic geocaching apps for Andrioid that can help you find one of the 1,161,435 active geocaches around the world… Geocaching ‘Almost Addictive’ Outdoor Treasure Hunt HobbyLocal geocache fans do not have to go far away to participate. Currently, Coweta County has a geocache box at the Coweta County Convention and Visitors Bureau’s welcome center on Walt Sanders Drive east of Newnan. “A person working in our events department geocaches, and she wanted to add one to the visitors center,” said Pam Mayer, welcome center coordinator. “Since then we’ve had 87 people log in at our box. It’s now filled with little trinkets like travel locks and Georgia buttons. We enjoy knowing that it’s out there and always make sure it’s filled with fun gifts for visitors.” Geocaching with PreschoolersGeocaching with your kids can be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences…but it can also be the most difficult and frustrating thing you’ll ever do. Combing the addictive desire to find the cache and the attention span of young people is, sometimes, a recipe for disaster. For those who look there are a number of very good articles out there on how to geocache with kids that can help make the experience better for all involved. As the father of two under 5′s (+ another on the way) I’ve spent plenty of time looking at this information and ideas. While the articles are great I haven’t found one that specifically dealt with my situation – Geocaching with Preschoolers! In our Find It Friday tip, we’d like to give you a clue about what to do when searching for a cache. Clyde England, the developer of Geocaching Swiss Army Knife, told us this story. It’s an example of how hints can actually throw you off the trail: “The cache that was set on the banks of a river. The clue said it was a magnetic micro. I assumed it would be attached to something metal. I looked for maybe two hours. I was totally frustrated, so I rang up the guy who placed the cache and he Doh! We also like the hint that one of our favorites geocachers (whose name we’ll withhold to protect the identity of the cache) used for one of his hides: “4×4 container under rocks.” Veteran geocachers know that “4×4″ usually refers to a Lock & Lock container about the size of a sandwich. But in this case, the target was a Nissan Pathfinder 4×4. And yes, there are rocks on top of the roof (see photo). So don’t assume the hints are always meant to help you. Sometimes they can actually do the opposite! —————————- Got your own tip? Comment on this post to share! Whenever we go to new places, we like to geocache in order to get to know the area. Better than a tour guide book, geocaches have been placed by locals who want to show fellow cachers the places they love best. Historical sites, hidden parks, cool sculptures, beautiful vistas — they all can teach you about a new area or town through the eyes of fellow cachers. So the next time you’re on a business trip or on vacation in a new area, run a query for caches in the area and you’ll be sure to find the most interesting parts of the town. And be sure to place caches in areas where you live that show other cachers from other areas the most fascinating sites of your area, too. —————————- Got your own tip? Comment on this post to share! There are almost endless possibilities to link geocaching with education. Here’s one of them: For history lessons, correlate coordinates to facts and figures. For instance, students have to find out what year the Civil War ended in order to learn key numbers in coordinates. There are already lots of puzzlers who have created geocaches that require research, whether it’s astronomical, historical, or local. Find a creative puzzle cache in your area and set your students loose at the library to research the answer. Or contact that cacher and ask her to create a special cache for your class having to do with the subject you’re studying. Most puzzlers are just looking for their next opportunity and would love to give back to their community and teach kids about geocaching and about history. —————————- Got your own tip? Comment on this post to share! In today’s Geo-Jargon Monday, we’d like to tell you what a “shorty pen” is. A shorty pen is… An ink pen that has been shortened enough to fit into a small cache container. There are companies that sell them online (like ShortyPen.com) or you can scour dollar stores or bargain aisles at stores like Walmart or Target for a good selection. —————————- Thanks to Prime Suspect and his GeoLex, the Lexicon for Geocaching, for the use of these fantastic definitions of all things geocaching! Got your own tip? Comment on this post to share! In our Find It Friday tip, we’d like to give you a clue about what to do when searching for a cache.
Chances are good that the path that seems like it’s going in the wrong direction will loop around just in time or lead to a fork or head up a hill. Most caches are placed within a few feet of an trail (and if they aren’t, the cache description should tell you this), so there’s really no need to fight Mother Nature. —————————- Got your own tip? Comment on this post to share! Using GPS for Survival GeocachingSpinning off of geocaching for recreational use, geocaching can also come in handy for survival purposes. Here we will explore some of the ways that a GPS unit can be employed from an emergency preparedness standpoint… Reference: Using GPS for Survival Geocaching
Geocaching Brings Out the Kid in All of UsR.J. Telford writes of geocaching for an older audience. He includes a video that shows how 53 –year-old Paul Alexander started geocaching and soon involved his 88-yea0 old father, Bruce and 12-year-old daughter, Sara in the game. Since beginning at age 85, Bruce has found 1,543 caches. Reference: Geocaching – an adventure game Taking it Outside: A Gamer’s Take on GeocachingWith the evolution of GPS technology, there is now a way to flip the original concept and take a game of exploration, out into the world… Does enough appeal exist within geocaching to attract an ilk stereotypically known for shunning the sun and any tree not named Yggdrasil? Reference: Taking it Outside: A Gamer’s Take on Geocaching Treasure hunts go high-tech with geocachingTamara Johnson (left) and Jill Read find a geocache hanging from a tree near Newton, North Carolina. Geocaching is a high tech treasure hunt, using GPS to find treasure left by other geocachers. I find a log sheet where others have made their mark, and trinkets including toy cars and small figurines. I write my geocache name and take a car. In exchange, I leave a travel-sized bottle of Off for a future hunter. I’m now officially a geocacher… Reference: Treasure hunts go high-tech with geocaching Crosby Farm Clean-UpSome Twin Cities residents took time out of their Saturday to help restore one metro park. The National Park Service along with volunteers worked this morning to help clean up and restore Crosby Farm Regional Park in St. Paul…Many of the volunteers who helped rangers are familiar with Crosby Farm park because they often are in the park geocaching. (Ironically, the National Park Service prohibits geocaching on its property – ed) Reference: Crosby Farm Clean-Up by FOX 9 News The Joy of Geocaching at the Geocaching ShopWe’ve read it and now we have it in stock; get your copy of The Joy of Geocaching now from The Geocaching Shop! Reference: The Joy of Geocaching – Book by The Geocaching Shop There are almost endless possibilities to link geocaching with education. Here’s one of them:
Then go together to find the cache. Make the experience of geocaching the reward for finishing the book you’ve assigned. —————————- Got your own tip? Comment on this post to share! Geocachers who hide caches do it for other players. It takes time, energy, and lots of thought to hide a geocache. After all this hard work, the payoff for hiders is the logs that are written by players who find the cache during its lifetime. The hider can choose to receive an email every time each of their caches is found. If a hider has more than a dozen caches out in the field, this can mean quite a bit of email, but it’s worth it to see the fun that seekers have in the hunt. It’s not only considered polite, but also good sportsmanship to write an online log that means something. Mrs. Captain Picard makes sure that most of her logs are interesting. Sometimes she’ll write a story about what happened on the trail that day, or even one completely unrelated to the cache or a joke. We know of another cacher who ends his logs with the shoes he wishes he wore, which gives an indication to subsequent seekers about the terrain type. Logs can also be a creative way to drop hints that you wish you had. Make sure to encrypt any giveaways, though, if they’re not disguised. For instance, a log that says, “We were really stumped until 3-year-old JoeyBear saw a corner of the container” could mean that it’s near or under a tree stump or that it’s about eye-level to a 3-year-old. Use your online logs to tell of your adventure that day, showcase your personality, or help other cachers. You’ll get a nice reputation in your area for all of these contributions! |
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