The Joy of Geocaching
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Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunting game where participants use GPS-enabled devices to locate hidden containers in public and private locations. The document provides an overview of the basic rules and guidelines of geocaching, including descriptions of different cache types and container options. It discusses tools that can help with searches and offers tips for planning successful geocaching outings. Examples are given of unique caches that have been hidden in unusual or hard-to-find places.
The Joy of Geocaching
- 1. Finding Happiness in an Ammo Can in the WoodsPaul GillinCo-author, The Joy of Geocaching
- 2. What is Geocaching?Worldwide treasure hunt enabled by the Internet and global positioning satellitesSimple rules with complex player-defined variationsContainers must have log booksContainers must be locatable by geographic coordinatesContainers must not be buriedThat’s it!
- 3. Navigation BasicsThe world is divided into 180 degrees of longitude and 180 degrees of latitude. Each degree is made up of 60 minutes and 360 seconds.That’s a total of 7,776,000 unique spots, or about one for every 10 square feet!
- 4. “Caching is a great leveler...You can be caching with a bank president or a ditch digger... it doesn't matter." -- Don & Jacqi Liddiard (Rock & Crystal)“We've adopted a very large circle of friends through geocaching. Some we've never physically met." -- Paul & Karen Sandvick (Jug & Roon)“I can literally drive from Alabama to Kansas, pull up to some guys sitting around the campfire and within minutes I’m accepted” – Ed Manley (TheAlabamaRambler)“It stirs a passion in me that no other hobby has before. It has dimensions of camaraderie, competition, mental stimulation, fitness, and creativity that I’ve never found elsewhere." -- Dean Powell (J5 Crew)“I feel the weight of the world lifting from me when I'm tramping through the woods." -- billandlore
- 5. Kyjen is at:N 39° 34.857 W 104° 48.463There are 46 geocaches within a 2-mile radius and 5 within a 10-minute walk!You are here
- 6. Fun FactsDate GPS network opened for public use: May 2, 2000Date first geocache placed: May 3, 2000# of geocaches, Jan., 2003: 41,000# of geocaches, Jan., 2005: 140,000# of geocaches, Jan., 2010: 1,010,000# of registered geocachers worldwide: 4,000,000# of geocaching organizations, N. America: 126Age of oldest known geocacher: 99
- 7. More Fun FactsMost geocaches found by one person, lifetime: 39,265Most geocaches hidden by one person, lifetime: 2,285Most geocaches found by a team in 24 hours: 626Geocaches within 10-mile radius of DFW: 1,269Geocaches with 10-mile radius of Denver, CO: 1,824Highest geocache: Mt. Everest (Earthcache)Lowest geocache: 7,000 ft. below Atlantic Ocean surfaceMt. Everest Earth cache
- 8. Why On Earth??Appeal of geocaching is in the hunt and the accomplishment of discoveryMost geocaches are hidden in places the owners consider special to themMany have historical significance or local importanceA great way to explore new areas without a guidebookMore than 70% of players regularly explore in groupsAccessible to people of all ages and abilities
- 9. Geowoodstock
- 10. Cache TypesVirtual cacheTraditional cacheMulti cacheEarth cachePuzzle cacheLetterbox hybrid
- 11. Name (often a pun)Who and whenType & difficultyWhereMapDownload stuffDownload stuffMiscellaneous stuff you need to knowAbout (often misleading)Description (may be misleading!)Trackable items thereinEncrypted hint
- 12. Pay Attention to LogsHintHintHint
- 13. Tools to Aid Your SearchGeocaching Swiss Army Knife (GSAK)GeoBuddyGeocaching GPSrGoogle Street ViewMicrosoft Streets & Trips
- 14. Planning Your OutingHow Long?How Far?With Who?Quantity vs. AdventureConsider the WeatherAnd Your Frustration Level!Stuff to BringSpare BatteriesCell PhoneWhistle or HornDry ClothingFirst Aid KitHiking BootsHatSunblockMirrorTweezersBug SprayWalking StickWaterPenFoodTodd Beal and the Amazing Caching Vest
- 16. Geocache ContainersBison Tube (Micro)NanoTraditional Ammo CanPill Bottle (Small)Range of Sizes
- 17. Unusual ContainersLogHollow RockDragonflyBottle CapSprinkler HeadLight BulbRusty BoltSpider on RockRattlesnakeCinder BlockLight SwitchBoneCell Phone
- 18. Typical Hiding PlacesRock wallsCrevicesLight SkirtsSuspendedInside treesCovered by sticks
- 19. A Language All Its OwnFTF – First To FindDNF – Did Not FindCITO – Cache In, Trash OutSkirt-lifter – Cache placed under the skirt of an outdoor light fixtureMuggle – A non-geocacherGround Zero – Point where GPSr coordinates exactly match cache coordinatesP & G – Park and grabVirt – Virtual cacheUPS – Unnatural Pile of SticksTFTC – Thanks for the cacheGeoSense -- Sixth sense gained from experience finding geocachesTravel Bug Hotel – Geocache placed principally to house trackableitemsTNLN – Took nothing, left nothing
- 22. Why You Shouldn’t Trust Your GPSr Too MuchAt best, only accurate to within 10-ft radius (315 ft2)Satellite reception affected by objects, weather, visibility“Signal bounce” can seriously degrade accuracyLow batteries can make matters worseThe person who hid the cache had the same limitations!
- 23. When You Get Close, Look For:Unnatural piles of rocks or sticksItems that don’t seem naturalEvidence of other humans“Geotrails”Places where you would hide a cacheCan You Spot the Cache?Can You Spot the Cache?
- 24. Unwritten RulesLog your finds and leave a unique comment or storyLog your “did not finds” – owners need to knowAlways hide just as you found – a small change can make a big difference in difficultyNever disturb natureIf you take items, leave items of equal or greater valueNotify owner if cache is compromisedPick up trash on your way out
- 25. When to Quit? Depends…Joy of Geocaching Survey n=142
- 26. Trackables Travel the World
- 27. Unique Codes Are Logged Online
- 29. Geocaching in Business & EducationArkansas State Parks Amador County, CAState of MarylandPPL CorporationGeoteaming is one of several companies that organize geocaching events for team-building
- 30. Favorite StoriesA Fine Send-Off – Ben Johnson was hospitalized with terminal cancer just 33 caches short of the 1,000-find mark. Daughter Kathy tells what the members of his local caching organization did.Horse Sense – Brad Simmons and friends came up with a clever idea to distract a crowd of people while his wife replaced a cache in an awkward location
Editor's Notes
- #30: The California county of Amador organized a fund-raising event around geocaching in March, 2009. Participants paid $10 to get a list of clues that took them through historic downtown districts and nearby attractions like the Preston Castle in Ione and the Kennedy Mine in Jackson. Each downtown selected a theme and prepared appropriate clues around it. Players mingled with locals dressed in period costumes. In one town, they took part in a murder mystery.The state of Maryland created the Maryland Municipal League Geocache Trail, which is comprised of 78 caches located in the league’s 11 districts regions throughout the state. Geocachers have to pick up or download a “passport” to carry with them on their journey and stamp each page with a unique rubber stamp at locations along the trail. Each location also houses a code word. The first 500 geocachers who logged at least 22 finds got a special geocoin.PPL Corp. (PPLPreserves), a PA-based utility, has had geocaches on its properties in Pennsylvania, Maine, and Montana since 2001. The treasure entices people to come visit the company’s wildlife refuges. “This is part of getting across the message about generating electricity in a safe and environmentally responsible way,” says Meg Welker, Education Relations Director. ”Commitment to the environment is part of our philosophy.”PPL currently has six containers stashed, one on each of its six preserves. About 2,500 finds have been logged in the last two years, says Welker. “It’s been pretty successful.”