GeoCaching - finally

Well, after signing up at www.geocaching.com almost FIVE years ago, I finally went out geocaching with an experienced friend and logged my first 7 finds on Saturday :-)

Geocaching has long been one of those things I thought would be fun to try - but never quite found the time to do it. Something more important was always coming up in life - like motorcycling :-D

This past weekend was strangely available - my schedule was clear - and my friend was willing to show me the ropes, so I figured - "go for it"!

Except for slogging through some muddy woods - I had a really good time, and regret that it took me this long for my first find. On the other hand, I probably have one of the LONGEST "time to first find" on geocaching.com :-)

What? You have never heard of geocaching before?! Geocaching is a fun hobby - sorta like hunting for buried treasure (think pirate treasure!) although instead of a map - you are using LAT and LONG co-ordinates which you retrieve from a website. Every GPS I have seen with a display - can show you where you are at on Earth by displaying the LAT and LONG co-ords.

Most GPS's should be able to allow you to navigate to pre-set co-ordinates - by showing a directional arrow and a distance remaining counter.

You simply walk in the direction of the cache until you are approximately 20 feet from where it "should be" - and then the fun begins!

Unless you have a military grade GPS - your GPS is usually only accurate to within about 15 feet - assuming the person who stashed the cache also was +/- 15 feet when they recorded the co-ordinates, this means you could actually be 30 feet away when you think you are "there".

Have no fear though - if you are in the right area, you SHOULD be able to locate the cache.
Just do not give into temptation and wander too far from your starting point.

I encountered three sizes of caches on my expedition - a "traditional" cache the size of a large mayonnaise jar, a much smaller "micro" cache made from a 35mm film container, and a cache that simply consisted of a small brass tag with more co-ordinates on it.

The first two types usually contain either a log book or log sheet depending on the space available inside it. When you find a cache - be sure to sign the log with your user name and the date you found it. Then - carefully put it back for the next hunter to find.

The brass tag was part of what is called a "multi-cache" - which as the name implies, means there is more than one part to the find.

The multi-cache we completed required finding the preliminary hides which provided co-ords for the next next - until you arrive at the cache container itself.

The caches each have a name determined by whomever placed the cache and maintains it - and a reference code assigned by geocaching.com.

It is important to write down the caches you have found, so when you are done for the day, you can log your finds on geocaching.com for all the world to see :-)

If you have read this far, you are probably interested in Geocaching are wondering how you can dive into this exciting and fun hobby also!
Well - the only real piece of equipment you need is a handheld GPS receiver, there are tons of different models available at all imagineable price ranges.
As with all things - you get what you pay for, the more expensive models have more features than the less expensive ones. Which GPS should you start with? That is a personal decision - if you are just dipping your toe in to see if you'd like it - I'd recommend seeing if you could borrow someones older GPS. Or better yet - find someone with a GPS who is already into Geocaching and see if they will go hunting with you!

Going alone after your first find can be frustrating - especially if you spend a half hour searching and come up empty handed. A couple DNF's (did not find) under your belt can be depressing and may result in your losing interest. All the more reason to go hunting with a friend.

Who knows - maybe after you have logged some finds - you may want to place a cache of your own for others to find!