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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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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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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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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When we first got involved with Geocaching we were not aware of any local Geocaching association or club. Although we were still a part of the world-wide community and enjoying Geocaching immensely we missed the interaction with others that hold a similar interest. Since discovering a Geocaching club we have found that our interest in Geocaching has greatly increased and we are enjoying it a whole lot more! Not only have we met a lot of other Geocachers but we have also added another element to Geocaching by attending and participating in local events.

Associations and clubs bring people together from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Collectively, club members can achieve great things from organizing events and social gatherings to lobbying for local policy changes, as well as have a whole lot more fun! This is a perfect example of where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Here is our Top 10 Reasons To Join A Geocaching Club (in no particular order):

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The concern with muggles is that they may discover a Geocache, either accidently or by seeing a Geocacher accessing it, and then possibly destroying it. This is referred to as the Geocache being ‘muggled’.

Often times, especially in urban areas, Geocaches are placed in high-traffic areas where there are a lot of muggles around. While this may add to the thrill in finding a cache it also adds to the risk of it being found. This risk is increased when a Geocacher is accessing and logging the find. Geocachers must take great care to ensure that Geocaches are not muggled.

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CITO is an opportunity for Geocachers to help clean up the parks, trails and other cache-friendly places throughout the world. Through our volunteer efforts, we help preserve the natural beauty of our outdoor resources.

CITO began in 2003, when Geocachers from around the world organized 67 cleanup events in 5 countries. There were almost 1200 unique logs posted showing participation in these events, and hundreds more acted locally in recognition of this important day. The events were such a huge success that Groundspeak, parent of Geocaching.com, committed to carry on the tradition.

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The purpose of an EarthCache is to share information about a particular geological feature of our planet Earth, and the object is to learn something about it. When you visit an EarthCache, you learn something interesting about the geology of the area. Usually the information is freely given but you have to do a bit of investigative work to answer proposed questions in order to claim the cache.

EarthCaches are created by Geocachers who have knowledge of geoscience and like to share it with the world.

The Geological Society of America administers the listing of EarthCache sites around the world and offers a ‘Masters Program’ where you can receive a pin as a reward for learning more about the Earth. There are four EarthCache Master Program levels:

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When a Travel Bug is created it is usually given a goal by its owner for others to try and complete. Goals can range from a specific purpose, like bringing attention to a great cause such as diabetes or simply to travel the world.

When you find a Travel Bug you can take it from the cache and move it to another, helpig it on its journey. Prior to placing it in another cache you log the pickup on Geocaching.com and then when you place it you log it again. This keeps a record of its movement where you, the owner, and others can watch its progress.

Travel Bugs are just another part of the fun in Geocaching!

Keep on cachin’!

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Geocoins are found in Geocaches, bought or traded. In recent years they have become very much a collectable with the most sought after Geocoins going for a much as a couple of thousand dollars!

Geocoins are usually stamped with a code that can be entered into a Geocache Listings site. This way the Geocoin can be tracked as it travels from Geocache to Geocache.

In recent years, the Geocoin craze has taken off dramatically, and there are hundreds, if not thousands of different Geocoins out there today. Due to the fact that many Geocoins have unique icons, many people bring such Geocoins to Geocaching events so that others may see the coins and then collect the icons as part of their stats.

Keep on cachin’!

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