Geocaching
Geocaching is a great hobby for people of all ages and walks of life. If you’re interested in becoming a geocacher, join this community of “cachers” who use their skills to travel the globe and find hidden treasures. Geocaching offers many benefits, so if you’re looking for something new and exciting to get into, check out these 10 benefits of geocaching as a hobby!
10 Benefits of Geocaching
Geocaching is a great way to get out and travel
The most basic benefit of geocaching is that it gets you out exploring your community. Geocachers love to travel, so they are always searching for new caches in their area or nearby. Many cachers will visit new places just for the opportunity to find a hidden treasure. So if you’re looking for an excuse to explore somewhere new, geocaching will give you plenty of reasons.
You can share your hobby with friends and family
Geocaching is a great way to spend quality time with friends and family members. There are many different types of caches, so everyone in the group has the chance to get something out of the experience. Whether you’re searching for an ammo case or a micro cache, there’s something out there for each cacher in your group. So if you’re looking for fun activities that everyone around you will enjoy, bring them along on your next geocaching adventure!
There are thousands of geocaches around the world
If you’ve ever wondered if there was treasure hidden anywhere near where you live, wonder no more. There are thousands of geocaches hidden around the world, so you have plenty of opportunities to find a hidden cache no matter where you live. Geocachers have found caches in every state and nearly every country. So if you’re tired of living a monotonous life, searching for geocaches will give you an excuse to travel and explore your surroundings.
It is an inexpensive hobby that anyone can enjoy, regardless of age or physical condition
Anyone can search for geocaches with ease, regardless of their age or physical condition. While some more difficult caches may require hikers to climb hills or navigate rough terrain, there are plenty of easier options out there as well. Many times, cachers find ammo cases filled with goodies that require little to no exertion. So if you’re an active person who wants to try something new, geocaching may be the perfect fit for you!
Cachers love treasure hunts!
Though most caches do not contain a large bounty of treasures, cachers absolutely love searching for hidden caches around the world. A cache is often a small container with trinkets and other items inside of it, so it’s all about the thrill of the find! If you enjoy going on scavenger hunts as a child or spelunking as an adult, geocaching will give you lots of chances to search for hidden objects and unravel mysteries just like your favorite detective novels.
Geocaching is a unique and fun way to interact with your community
When you visit a new place, cachers are always on the lookout for hidden treasures. They’ll often hide caches in public places, so there’s no need to trespass onto private property to get a great geocaching experience. If you’re interested in making new friends around your community, try hiding or searching for caches near popular attractions or landmarks that are frequently visited by locals. You can even leave some supplies at the location if you’d like others to join in on the fun!
It’s a great way to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature
Many geocachers love nature photography and love getting out into their environment. While some people use geocaches as a fun excuse to travel, others simply enjoy being outside where they can take in all of the great sights and sounds of Mother Nature. So if you have an appreciation for nature or are looking for new opportunities to explore your surroundings, geocaching is a great hobby for outdoor enthusiasts.
The geocache locations can vary from being extremely easy to extremely challenging
Though most caches are relatively easy to find, some more difficult caches may require hikers or climbers to get an elevated view of their surroundings in order to search for hidden containers. Because many cachers will place these caches at higher levels, it’s important to be prepared with plenty of water and snacks before embarking on any strenuous treks. If you’re afraid of heights or nervous about finding your footing, geocaching may not be for you.
There are many different types of caches, so you’ll never get tired of finding them
For the most part, there are two different types of geocaches: traditional caches and virtual caches. Traditional caches will often contain a few items that can be exchanged with others who find the cache before it decays or dissolves over time. Virtual caches require cachers to complete tasks, answer questions, or perform other specific actions before they’re able to log the cache as “found.” With both of these options available at thousands of locations worldwide, there’s no shortage of new activities waiting for you!
Geocaching is a great activity to do if you’re planning a road trip!
Whether you want to spend a few hours or an entire afternoon searching for geocaches, it’s a great way to pass the time on road trips. The search will keep your mind active while also allowing you to visit new places that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise. So if you’re planning a trip across Europe or around the United States, geocaching is a great way to make sure you don’t miss anything.
Common Geocaching Terms
Coordinates: Coordinates are the numbers that describe a waypoint or cache. They can be expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds (e.g., 42° 28′ 12″ N 105° 18′ 04″ W), decimal degrees (e .g., -105.306667, 38.483333) or UTM coordinates.
DNF: DNF stands for Did Not Find and is used to denote something geocachers may encounter while on their hunt! When you’re looking at a log entry with this designation it means someone who was there couldn’t find what they were looking for when they went back to check out where the cache should’ve been hidden! To add more information about why people might have not found your cache try using tags such as ‘I went to the coordinates but I couldn’t find anything,’ or by adding a description about what they looked for and how long it took them.
GPS: A GPS (Global Positioning System) is an app that will usually have maps, points of interest and other geocacher waypoints in one place – you can use your phone’s GPS to help locate caches!
Latitude & Longitude: Coordinates are expressed using degrees, minutes and seconds on our map which allows us to pinpoint any location we want more precisely than just describing it with a city name. Latitudes are lines going across the earth at 90° intervals from pole-to-pole while longitudes run north/south like meridians on the globe.
Waymarking: Waymarking (also known as geotagging) is the process of adding a comment or photo to Google Street View that will show up when you zoom in on your area! This can be done through an app called Groundspeak’s Geocaching HQ which allows people with premium memberships and approved accounts to do this automatically, but anyone can add waymarks manually by typing their message into the designated field when uploading photos.
Waypoint: A waypoint is simply any point on a map or in the field that is used as a reference for navigation. An example would be “the road leading to our house.”
Cache: A cache (or ‘cache container’) refers to something being hidden from plain sight, usually with the intention of someone finding it later. An example would be a toy chest in your living room that’s been turned upside down and covered with blankets.
Cache Find: Finding the hidden cache is called “finding” or ‘cache finding.’ It can also refer to the act of reporting an accurate GPS location for someone else to find it, too!
Points/Miles: Geocaches are often located on public land where visitors may not have permission to go off-trail. In order to keep track of how far a person goes from their car (or other point), geocache listings will typically list either points or miles as part of the description. One waypoint might say something like “0 points”, meaning you don’t need any more points to reach the cache, or “0.25 miles” meaning you need to walk .25 of a mile from where your vehicle is parked in order to find it!
EarthCache: An Earthcache is an educational activity that focuses on something occurring at a specific location (e.g., erosion) and encourages people who come across the site via geocaching or other means to get involved with exploring it/helping create more detailed information about what’s happening there. An example would be going out and taking measurements for elevation changes as well as photos / notes so others can see how things change over time (and also learn!)
Premium Memberships: Premium memberships are an optional way to support Geocaching while enjoying features like unlimited downloads of GPX files, access to basic geocache data including worldwide coordinates, description and hints before they expire (one hour from publication), ability to view logs of found caches on more detail than free users can see. There is also a community aspect where premium members can share information with each other such as pictures taken during their adventures or links to articles about interesting sites along the route!
Cache In Trash Out: Cache-in-trash out refers to leaving trash behind and choosing not to take it with you, in order to keep the area clean. Many people leave their trash at home and make an effort to pick up litter they find during a hike or geocache hunt!
Cacheable Item: Cacheable items are things that can be traded for other cacheables such as toys, coins, stamps – anything of value is considered ‘cacheable.’
Traditional Cache: A traditional cache refers to a container hidden from plain sight where there might be something inside worth trading for (e.g., trinkets). Traditional caches will also often have logs so visitors who found them can share what happened when they got there! An example would be a small plastic box filled with goodies like stickers and maybe even a toy.
Earthbox Cache: An Earthbox cache is a type of traditional cache (usually small) where the finder can trade in items for something inside, but instead of a container like those found in traditional caches, they are usually just hiding something under an object or bush that’s been turned upside down! This might be easier and more convenient as it doesn’t require anything to come with you on your hikes – what you need is already there waiting for someone to take home!
Travel Bug: A Travel bug refers to any item (or geocache itself!) that has had one set of trackable numbers attached at some point so people other than its owner could follow. It will have this sticker showing who ‘owns’.