How to Geocache
Playing the usual scavenger hunt can be boring after some time, so why not take the game up a notch a little, and go geocaching for a change? It’s a fun outdoor recreational activity, and if you know how to do it. You’ll surely enjoy it. Here’s how to geocache.
What You’ll Need:
A GPS receiver
Pen and paper
Computer with Internet connection
Printer
A small trinket
Vehicle (car or bike)
Outdoorsy clothes and shoes
Flashlight (optional)
Buy A GPS Receiver
The GPS is a small hand-held navigational unit which you’ll be using all throughout geocaching. You need to buy yourself one which you can use for the activity. Most units sell for about a hundred dollars or less. Garmin is a very popular brand used by geocaching individuals today. High-end types have full color features and 3-D maps, while low-end kinds are in monochrome and with limited functionality.
If you have a mobile phone, see if it has geocaching capabilities. The Blackberry 8830 and Helio Ocean have this feature. If you don’t want to spend much money, just borrow a unit from a friend who also loves to geocache.
Finding And Selecting A Nearby Cache
Open your PC and go to a caching site, such as geocaching.com. You’ll need to get registered, but don’t worry because it’s free. Once you’re a member, use the search feature and find a list of caches within your proximity. The search results will bring back a list with:
Caches’ proximity (according to ZIP code)
What type of cache (mystery, traditional, multiple or virtual)
Date the cache was placed
Difficulty and terrain rating (if you’re a beginner, pick the easiest)
Description and more information
The last time it was found
Pick a cache that’s the closest to what you’d like, and with the right level of difficulty. Print out or scribble down all the information you need. Make sure you get the cache’s coordinates right. Once you’ve got them, get your outdoor gear ready. It’s time to go out.
Entering The Coordinates And Finding The Cache
Your GPS will have some instructions on how to enter a new waypoint, which is a specific location with the proper coordinates. Using the cache coordinates you got from the site, enter the waypoint. They’re usually specific enough, getting you ten feet or closer to the cache.
Once you’ve inputted it, choose it and pick GOTO. Get out of the building, and wait until your receiver gets strong GPS satellite signals. It might take a few minutes, so be patient. Avoid standing between skyscrapers, because they disrupt the signal.
When you finally get strong signals, hit GO TO, and the GPS unit will instruct you on which direction to head, and how far away it it. Start walking, driving or biking.
As soon as you’re 10 to 20 feet from the cache, your GPS receiver might not help you go further. You’ll now need to use the clues, your eyes and intuition to look for the hidden cache. Clues are often hidden in the cache name and the description on the webpage, so make sure you jot them down. Try looking for the cache in plants, under rocks, or at the back of signs and metal fixtures.
Opening The Cache
Once you’ve found the cache, open it and look what’s inside. It’s likely that you’ll see several trinkets left by other geocachers. It’s a tradition to take one trinket out, and leave something in its place. Put your trinket it, then get one out, as a souvenir.
Find the logbook and sign in your name, to acknowledge that you’ve found the cache. Put in your name, the date and write TFTC or “Thanks for the cache!”
Put back the cache the way you found it.
When you get home, go to the caching site and log your visit to record that you’ve found the cache.
Don’t limit yourself to typical scavenger hunt games. Go outside your boundaries by going geocaching. It’s an adventure you’ll surely delight in.