Geocaching do your dcs do this?

[CuriousMama]

We got the booklet from NT (50 things to do before you're 11 3/4) and it mentions Geocaching. I'd never heard of it? So I went on the website and still a bit confused? No doubt once ds2's in from playing he'll take one look and totally understand it. Is it like a treasure hunt?

Dp will enjoy doing this too and hopefully I can get ds1 to join in. That's if he decides to brave broad daylight?

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It's great my DCs love it. We use the phone app and yes it's like a techno treasure hunt, lots of NT grounds have them in.

Go on the geocaching website and seek a cache near you, start with an easy one. Even out dog finds them

Thanks. We joined NT again at the beginning of the month so that's good Dss are almost 12 and almost 15 so should enjoy doing it?

My DS's (8 and 6) and DH love this.
I even went for a walk with just DH (rare, no DC!) and he was seeing if there were any caches around.
There was one.
I found it and was overjoyed

You can plan walks/days out round it. We are off to France at the weekend and DH is planning on geocaching there. Though I fear my A-Level French may scupper this.

It is really very addictive.

We do this with our dc. We are new to it, but it is great fun. We have found 3 so far and are already planning days out around our next hunt!

It is just like treasure hunting and we get stupidly excited when we find one. The kids have done it with my mum for a while and still look forward to going.

Have fun and look out for muggles!

it great fun ..... even adults do it .... in fact some of it can get quite "serious" with very difficult ones to find.

My grandaughter absolutely loves it.

Basically people have hidden containers in what are usually interesting places / nice walks in order to be found. Often these boxes contain "swag" like little toys, badges et that children ( and adults) can swop. Sometimes the more diffucult ones are small and just have a log ( bit of paper to sign) and the joy is in the "cleverness" of finding the container.

when the box /container (called a cache) is hidden GPS ( Global Positioning Satelites) coordinates are taken and shared to provide the location ( bit like the OS coodinates on a map). You can use either a GPS receiver or an android phone with a free / cheap app ( that's what I use) to download the information about caches in you area. You can then target this and an follow the arrow to the appoximate location ( all GPS are only accurate generally to within about 20 feet although can be much more accurate depending on the strength and position of the satellites !)

All the caches are graded so you can tell

• how what the terrain will be like .. eg a one star will be buggy / wheelchair accessible and
• how difficult to find ...... a one star will be very easy and young children should have no problem

five stars are for extreme / very experieced cachers.

Grandaughter is 10 and can do up to two stars without much help ..... in fact she sometimes finds them before me.

We learnt a lot about local and national history through doing this because often the person who sets the cache will give lots of information about the area.... sometimes too there are puzzles to solve in order to get the coordinates and this can involve finding out information.

Wow sounds very addictive. I may send ds2 and his friends on hunt, or go with them?

addictive......... oh yes

WE've tried it a few times but we've either purchased a really duff gps or (and this is more likely) me and the dcs are really rubbish at looking

We've found 1 out of 9 that we've looked for. I do think a couple of them could have gone missing, but 8?! We did get chased out of a couple of fields by cows as we were looking, so I don't feel bad about those ones and I'm blaming the others on the 2yo.

oh dear that is a shame Jodidi. ....... but it does take a little practice... and after a while you do develop a "cachers eye".. There are sometimes signs of a hide ( like a pile of sticks or an "out of place stone") or likely places (like holes in trees of fence posts etc.

There are forums you can join when you can get to know people local to you ....... and maybe join up with someone more experenced. I have "Buddied up" with a couple of people to lend a hand for a while.

gagb.co.uk/

opps pressed enter too soon

national assocoation

an example of a local forum

you can get help on these

we geocache :) we're addicts!

there are loads of groups on facebook as well as the forums :)

Crikey this is a whole world I didn't know existed?

We do sometimes but not been out and cached much this year; not sure why really - probably the bad weather

What gps unit do you use?

I started just with my android phone but now have a garmin dakota 20 ........ each has their benefits lol. I can download all tha cache info onto the gpsr and it keeps better battery and does not lose signal like the phone. The phone however updates immediately out and about when ther is a connection as well as actually being wasier to read for me.

The dakota however has a better map as I have downloaded some talktoaster ( free 0s type) maps .

use them both

There are a few Geocaching thread in the "Outdoors" section on Mumsnet- it is worth having a look through if you are a newbie as they are full of advice :)

A bit of a hint though- a lot of the time you aren't actully looking for tupperware type containers, they could be film pots, fake twigs/rocks- just about anything water tight basically!

Happy Hunting

we've got a garmin etrex30 :)

fake bird box, fake fir cones, fake poo, fake chewing gum....

We do this. They really are all over the place. Ds1 has a box he keeps his "finds" in.

We're planning a trip out tomorrow to do some caching. It's a great way I getting exercise and the kids not realising it.

We cache very regularly, we are planning to do some urban caches in Birmingham city centre tomorrow :)

tomorrow is international geocaching day, if you find a cache or go to an event you get a special souvenir picture on your profile

Yay I love my souveniers :) I am due two as we attended the Northwest Mega event last weekend so have some coming from there!

Oh so you keep stuff?

I have GPS on my phone so could use that perhaps?

Thanks for the tips.

yes curious ...... you can keep stuff..... BUT you gotta actually swop. If you see something you like you must replace it with something of equal or greater value !

re the phone .... a basic gps on it will get you there if you input the coordinates from the website . You would then prob have to write down or print out the details including the hints ( quite often you need this as gps coordinates out / or the signal strength not good therefore not always that accurate ...... or the hide place might need explaining.

The best way however is to either download the app from geocaching.com ..... OR ... I use neongeo. These and other apps actually download ALL of the info you need direct to the phone.

ps..... its £6 I think for the geocahing app........ £2.70 sih for neongeo.

Better to have a caching specific one rahter than a general gps one imo