Geocaching , the modern Orienteering!

Wickipedia says Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world. This rather dry description does not do the sport justice.


Geocaching Video


For the traditional geocache, a geocacher will place a waterproof container containing a log book (with pen or pencil) and trade items then record the cache's coordinates. These coordinates, along with other details of the location, are posted on a listing site like http://www.geocaching.com/.

Others obtain the coordinates from a listing site and seek out the cache using their GPS hand held receivers or a map and compass. The finder records his exploits in the logbook and on line. Geocachers are free to take objects (except the logbook, pencil, or stamp) from the cache in exchange for leaving something of similar or higher value. You can choose to geocache the old fashioned way. Even though the caches are given gps coordinates these can be viewed on Google Earth and related to map positions.

There are caches in towns, on top of mountains, in beautiful country, on beaches and even underwater. In fact if you can think of a place there is probably a cache there or nearby, worldwide. In areas with famous places such as the Whitehouse there will be dozens! There are over 1.5 million GeoCaches registered on one website alone.


What can you leave? Well frequent visitors include keyrings, plastic toys from happy meals, star wars miniatures and baseball cards. Tarot cards and wierder objects are not unknown and legend has it there is a diamond ring in one cache in Wisconsin. So long as the item is of equal or greater monetary value then you can leave it. Some items travel from box to box for years and there is a whole subculture about tracking the movements of these items.

If you are disabled you can still geocache by creating caches that you can reach and monitoring the contents! If you are handy with tools there are a lot of amazing caches around, some of which involve multiple steps to find them!

Its a great low cost, low environmental impact sport that you can do from where you are now! As I write this I am within easy walking distance of not one but 15 caches! Wherever you go on holiday anyway, you can geocache!