What is Geocaching?

Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunt game that is free to play and I am addicted! Geocachers all over the world hide containers called caches and submit the GPS coordinates and information to a global database located at www.geocaching.com. Other Geocachers can then try to find the treasures using either a GPS device or smart phone. The treasures are actually small trinkets that can be removed if swapped with something of equal worth. My children love this as quite a lot of the time they contain small toys! All caches contain a log book that you sign to prove that you have found it.

Geocaching - Avoiding the mud!

After Geocaching for a few months now I find it a great way to get out into the fresh air and explore areas that normally I wouldn’t visit. Most of the time the caches are placed on lovely walks that the owner of the caches wants to share and quite often the details of each cache have lovely write-ups about the area. I am so looking forward to playing this on holiday as I it is likely to take me to beautiful places that otherwise I may not visit.

Geocaching - Another muddy walk

You will find there are probably hundreds of Caches hidden in your local area, some you may pass by every day. Here is a sample of an area near to where I live. Take a look at the website and see if there are any Geocaches near to you.

Geocaching map

I use a mobile phone App called CacheSense when out and about tracking the actual caches. This app provides a map of all the caches in the area. You can then select a cache and view the details and even a clue to its location. You can then switch to compass or radar view when you are getting close. Once found a cache changes to a smiley face on your phone app so that you can keep track of those you have found.

Unusual Geocaches

The caches themselves vary in difficulty and also in size. Some of the caches are tiny and contain nothing but a log book. Here is an example of one that was disguised as a bolt on a park bench:

Geocache disguised as a bolt

Other caches can be quite big and contain lots of goodies that my children eagerly wade through:

Large Geocache

Geocaches can also be very well disguised. Can you spot the one hidden in this photograph?

Cache disguised as a rock

It was actually a hollowed out fake rock. This next Geocache was one of our favourites. It was located next to a stream and to extract the Geocache we had to fill a tube with water (the tube had holes in it that we had to block with our fingers). The Geocache then rose to the surface which we grabbed before our daughter got very wet legs.

Fill the tube with water cache

So that is my introduction to Geocaching. If you get chance give it a go; it is free to play, keeps you fit and is very entertaining, but be warned it is very addictive!

Mick