When we tell friends and family about our Geocaching adventures (and we always do!) we are often asked, “How do I start Geocaching?” and to this we reply, “Let’s go now!”. However, we realize that there are others out there that may not have a friend or family member to take them Geocaching. So, for those of you that don’t, we have compiled this quick guide to help you get involved with this fun, rewarding activity.

We know (and boy, do we know!) that it can sometimes be a bit intimidating to get started on a new hobby or venture, especially when dealing with technology, unknown terms, secret handshakes and what seems to be a huge learning curve. We have found that if you take it step by step, don’t sweat the small stuff and work at it a little at a time you can overcome these small hurdles. Keeping this in mind, in no time you’ll be caching with the best of them!

This article is in no way meant to be all encompassing! It is meant as a primer only. There are so many cool tricks, tips and nuances with this sport to be dealt with in this one article. We hope that it is at least enough to get you started. From then, the more Geocaching you do the more familiar you will become with the finer points.

So let’s start Geocaching!

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We recently had a family gathering at our place and at one point we were talking about Geocaching and our upcoming trip (surprise, surprise). The brother-in-law posed a question that sort of threw us for a loop. He asked, “Why do you do it?” Of course, our quick reply was, “Because it’s fun!”.

However, this didn’t explain why we believe it is so fun so we thought a bit more and here, in no particular order, is our Top 10 Reasons To Go Geocaching:

Great Exercise
Walking is one of the greatest exercises and one of our great pleasures. Geocaching offers us a walk with a purpose. It entices us to walk further, and most time unknowingly. Time and distance just seems to fade away. We look forward to ‘going Geocaching’ a whole lot more than ‘another walk around the block’! And, of course, there’s that mad dash when we spot the cache that really gets the blood flowing!

Quality Family Time
Geocaching offers a chance for us to participate in something together. Today’s schedules can get quite hectic and we find Geocaching is a great grounding point. We have also had the chance to share this with other family members and have had a great time. We have several friends with young families that Geocache and it’s a real treat to see the children’s eyes light up when you mention ‘treasure hunting’!

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A Global Positioning System Receiver (GPSr), commonly referred to, though a misnomer, as a “GPS”, is an electronic device that receives signals from the Global Positioning System and translates them into a position, or coordinate, in the form of longitude and latitude. It can determine your location, usually within 3-20 feet (1-7 meters). In Geocaching you use the GPS to navigate from your present location to a Geocache.

Choosing a GPS for use with Geocaching can be a daunting experience for the first-time buyer simply because there are so many options available. However, the best ‘rule of thumb’ when guying a GPS receiver is to buy within your budget! Geocaching is about having fun so the cheaper you can get involved the better.

The more a unit costs does not necessarily translate into a more accurate reading since there are too many variables involved like cloud and tree cover, as well as inaccurate readings when a Geocache is placed. For example, you may have the most expensive GPS on the planet but it will still be dependant on coordinates that may have been set by a much cheaper unit on a cloudy day under heavy tree cover.

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You can Geocache throughout the seasons, with all but extreme weather keeping you indoors. So what should you wear when out caching?

Although jeans and a t-shirt may be OK for those “road side” caches, after about 5km down a trail you may wish that you had worn something else. The problem with the jeans and t-shirt is that most are made of cotton. Cotton is soft and comfy but it absorbs moisture and stays wet, making you damp and cold in cold weather and damp and sweaty in the hot weather.

A much better choice would be the new “wicking” fabrics.  Fabrics such as silk, merino wool, microfibre polyester, polyester nylon, nylon lycra and other synthetic variations will not
absorb moisture. The key is synthetic fabrics that “wick” or that draws moisture away from your body. This fabric stays dry and therefore you stay warm in winter and cool in summer.

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