Now that the weather should be cooling off, my husband and I want to get back into geocaching. It’s a hobby that kind of fell by the wayside after our daughter was born last year, along with sleep and our sourdough bread starter. She loves being outside, so I’m hoping it’ll be a fun family activity for us! We gave it a try this past weekend and found a geocache near a Little Free Library. So, there was the added bonus of getting to leave a book and pick up two “new” baby board books! I can’t wait to do it again and see what we discover next!
SO, WHAT IS GEOCACHING?:
Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunt, where the participants use a GPS-enabled device to locate containers (called “geocaches” or “caches”) that other players have hidden. Caches usually range in size from a tiny bison tube to an ammo box. They contain a logbook for the finders to sign and sometimes small items to trade. Most are outdoors in accessible public spaces, and the game is meant to be family-friendly!
Before smartphones existed, I think people would copy geocache coordinates off the internet and then plug them into a GPS device. I remember one of my friends doing this in the early 2000s and thinking it was kind of weird.
“So, there’s cash in this thing you’re looking for?” I asked dubiously.
“No, there’s no cash in a geocache,” they laughed.
“Is there any kind of prize for finding it?”
“No, no prize. It’s really just for fun. You get to sign a log if you find it.”
“Oh, cool,” I said, not really getting it.
I didn’t think this was something I’d ever actually try, until the HR lady at my job wrote about geocaching in one of her “Wellness Wednesday” emails. She said it was a great way to get moving around outdoors and I was like, “Okay, yeah, I kinda need that.”
By that point, there were smartphones and apps for geocaching. I’m sure there are some diehards who still play with a dedicated GPS device, but using a smartphone app is nice since it utilizes something you probably already have. (I’m just going to assume that most people own a smartphone by now because my parents both have one, and they were born in the 40s.)
The official Geocaching app is by Groundspeak Inc. There’s a paid membership option to access all different sorts of caches, but there are still tons to find if you opt to play for free. The app will display all the geocaches in an area, and then help navigate you to the one you choose (plus or minus about 20-30 feet). It will also give a rating for how difficult the cache is to find, its size, and the terrain. Often, there are clues to help you locate the cache and information about the site where it’s hidden.
My husband and I decided to give it a try. To be honest, our first attempt was not great. There were mosquitoes and mud, and we didn’t even find the geocache. But we gave it another shot and really began to have fun. Sometimes there would be one hidden someplace we needed to go anyway. Like in the parking lot of a shopping center or on the way to my parents’ house. Other times, we’d use geocaching as a reason to find new places to explore. We discovered tons of great parks, nature trails, and other points of interest. We really did get moving around outdoors, especially in our own community! It was a great reminder that there’s more to a town than shopping and dining (although those things can be fun too), and a lot of it is free to enjoy!
Forgive me if I’m being a little schmaltzy here, but geocaching sort of feels like reading a love letter to the cache owner’s hometown. Often, they’re tucked away in overlooked places. The hidden gems. Near the historic marker you drive by every day without a second thought. In a patch of native trees you’ve never heard of before. On the walking trail hidden in the back of a neighborhood. Someone has left one in their favorite local spot to share just how rich and alive it is. To teach you something new or simply brighten your day. To make you realize that, for one reason or another, that place is special to somebody and maybe you should take a moment to appreciate it. Because maybe it could be special for you too. As Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
SOME GEOCACHING DOS & DON’TS FOR CACHE FINDERS:
DO bring a pen with you for signing the logbook!
DO leave the cache and its surroundings as you found them. (Even better, you could bring a bag to pick up litter while you’re out!)
DO come prepared if you’re going to be spending time outdoors. Bring things like water, sunscreen, comfortable shoes, a hat, a walking stick, or anything else the situation might call for. Make sure your phone is fully charged too!
DO bring a friend and let somebody know where you’ll be when going someplace remote or unfamiliar.
DO log any caches you did not find (“DNF”), and let the owner know if the cache needs maintenance. Be sure to log the ones you do find and say “thanks” too!
DON’T leave anything dangerous, edible, smelly, or melty in a geocache. (We found an old lollipop in a cache once, which was pretty gross.)
DON’T attract too much attention from non-geocachers (aka “muggles”) who might spot the cache and mess with it, or possibly even other geocachers who want a chance to discover the cache on their own. (This is a general rule, but I’d say go with your gut on how stealthy to be. If someone asks what we’re doing, we always tell them. And it can also be pretty cool to run into other geocachers out in the wild!)
DON’T do anything you’re not comfortable with just for the sake of finding a geocache. There are some geocaches that can only be accessed by scuba diving or climbing a mountain, but we stick to the super easy ones. There’s still a lot of fun to be had within your own comfort zone and abilities!
DON’T feel bad if you can’t find a particular geocache right away or at all! With a little practice, you’ll get pretty good at spotting them!
Happy Caching!
I remember one time we posted a DNF and the owner of the cache sent us a message with a hint. So the next weekend we went back and found it!