Geocaching

[passionfruity]

AIBU to enjoy this? It's a cross between orienteering and a treasure hunt using a GPS phone. Apparently there are over 1 million 'treasures' hidden throughout the world!

Me and DH went this weekend for the first time and found 7 caches that we must have walked past over a dozen times before

[TmiEdward]

So how does it work?
How do you know what you're looking for?

[NorthernLurker]

We did one with our girls a few months ago - was really fun and that was without a GPS device - I picked one that the decsription was very clear for. Really exciting when we found it

[DanceInTheDark]

How do you find them? I don't have a GPS device - too expensive!

[TmiEdward]

I have a new phone with GPS.
It sounds like fun. But where do you start? Is the a web page with directions or something?

[NorthernLurker]

You need to look at the websites and then see if you can recognise any of the descriptions well enough to find the cache without GPS. The one we found was like that - good description so if you knew, you knew iyswim.

[GypsyMoth]

We have done 32!!

It's the only sport I have found which the whole family enjoy....age 16 down to the 2 year old!!

We have done a few with no gps too.

Got us out to forests,parks etc. Over the summer,we do one wherever we go now

YANBU!!!!!!

[NorthernLurker]

website

[GypsyMoth]

Www.geocaching.com

[TmiEdward]

So what's the cache?

[TechnoKitten]

How you find them: Geocaching website and click on "Hide and Seek a Cache".

YANBU at all, it's a great way to make a walk even more fun and the kids love searching for them. We've started to do a few more of the puzzle-type ones (rather than just go to the co-ordinates published, there are some puzzles to solve at the site to find the final co-ords of the hide).

You either need a GPS device (or smartphone with GPS mapping) or you need to print out the map & clues from the website, go to the spot and do some searching. We use iPhones but they're the old version so the mapping isn't great - mostly we fall back on reading the clues and hunting! Some of them are amazingly ingenious (like the one you had to take a water bottle to, pour in water to make the film canister float up to the top, then pull the plug out once you'd signed the log to drain the water away for the next person) (was called H2O with an H at the bottom of the pipe and O at the top - clue was "you need to get H to O"...)

We've only found 20 or so, there are hundreds in our area and in searching for them, we've found lots of little out of the way parks and playgrounds and fun picnic spots that we might otherwise have missed.

I love it :)

[WomblesAbound]

Fantastic fun. I did my first 50/60 or so without gps. I think I'm now on somewhere around the 300 mark

[GypsyMoth]

Did one on londons south bank at half term on a family trip out!

[TmiEdward]

Oh! I just discovered there is a cache in the woods behind my house! How exciting.

[cakewench]

It's a lot of fun, isn't it? We've found 34 so far. We've got a toddler so if we do set out to find some, we generally only get one or two before we've got to head home.

[MrsCuldesac]

We always look to see if there any caches en route to other destinations - and also around places we stay at like holiday cottages; you get to see some lovely out-of-the-way places (and sometimes close to home). Brilliant fun for kids - especially the caches with things to exchange.

[DanceInTheDark]

I don't think i get it

How i find them? Are they visible? ow do other people know not to steal them/collect them for litter?

The ones near my house don't seem to have any clues just co ordinates....i want some ridiculously easy ones to do first

[Mammie81]

Ah I really wanted to start doing this but my phone is pants and arent GPS really expensive.

YANBU! Anyone recommend a good cheap GPS (is it tracker or receiver?!)

[GypsyMoth]

Your gps device can bring you to within a foot of the cache

If it's found by non cachers
it's called 'muggled'

We try to cache in trash out...... Where you bring some rubbish away with you to dispose of properly

[DanceInTheDark]

I don't have gps.

[passionfruity]

Thanks for your replies! Glad to hear others are enjoying it too - I wasn't sure if it was a bit geeky :)

Danceinthedark: the ones we've found so far were film canister cans attached by a magnet to a metallic street sign or under a bench. They're placed somewhere public but in such a way that you wouldn't know they were there unless you were looking.

Or there are smaller ones the size of your thumbnail, also attached to something by a magnet.

[MrsCuldesac]

Hand-held GPS devices are not costly - try Ebay for a basic one. Google geocaching and sign up - it's free. Go to Hide and Seek a cache to see the ones near you. The main page is USA-based, so put in your postcode in the relevant box and choose, say, 5-mile radius. This will find the caches in your area. There are dozens within a mile or so of most towns. The original idea was to place caches in unusual and attractive locations; we have found that in the past year or so, cachers have just placed caches anywhere for the sake of it - you get to see some fairly dull and unworthy spots. The countryside ones are usually very rewarding.

[cakewench]

If you're thinking of taking up the hobby, please be very careful about being seen by other people when you do find a cache. Try to treat the game like it's a secret from the rest of the world (hence the term 'muggles' for people who don't geocache) or else you might inadvertently be the reason for a cache being stolen/destroyed/whatever by others who don't know what it is. (why would people bother to do this? I don't know, but it happens, unfortunately)

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

I knew the term vaguely but that link has sorted it out in my mind for me. DD and I are amoving back to england next year, I'll see if we can get a cheap GPS and then take it up.
Thanks OP

[LittleMissHissyFit]

there are 3 listed really close to my house, will try them and see what fun we can have.

It'll get us out of the house eh!

[GypsyMoth]

Kreecher.....it's worldwide ( you in begium?)

I would love to go some abroad..... There is one up mount Fiji!!