This review is about GPS's and Geocaching. Well, more about Geocaching really.
www.geocaching.com
Geocaching—Get in the Game!
Geocaching ("jee-oh-cashing"). What is geocaching? Simply put, it's a treasure hunt, but instead of a worn and yellowed map marked with an "X", you'll have in hand a set of geographical coordinates plus that ubiquitous satellite positioning device, a GPS unit. And instead of hunting for a chest buried in sand, you'll be hunting for a cache of goodies strategically placed in an environmentally friendly site above ground.
- Geocaching is for everyone. This family friendly pursuit of discovery can be done while walking, hiking, cycling, paddling or simply strolling through the city.
- Route mapping is key. Your GPS unit and an old-fashioned map go hand in hand.
- Bring the essentials (see below) so that you're prepared for anything.
- Enjoy the game. Geocaching exercises the mind as well as the body.
- Simple rules of protocol keeps it fun for everyone. The number one rule in the game of geocaching is to follow the Golden Rule.
How to Play
This game of high-tech hide-and-seek knows no boundaries. Caches are hidden all over the world by fellow geocachers who put together a hodgepodge of trinkets, a log book and pen or pencil, and perhaps a disposable camera. This hoard is then stuffed into a weatherproof box such as a Tupperware® container and hidden under a rock, behind a tree or maybe even in a more urban environment. The latitude and longitude coordinates of these containers—some no bigger than a film canister—are posted on one of several Websites for fellow geocachers to follow. One of the first Websites to collect and post geocache coordinates, and to organize information into one easily accessible venue was Geocaching.com. This site is still the most-popular. Check it out first to find a cache near you, tips and updates to the game, and photos and stories shared by fellow geocachers.
True to its grassroots origins, the rules of the game continually morph as players originate new twists to the rules of engagement: Caches can be 'virtual' making it all about the thrill of the hunt rather than the reward at the end; trinkets can include 'hitchhikers,' which are specific trinkets with goals attached, such as getting from New York to New Zealand; some coordinates can be garnered only through solving ciphers. Though always evolving, geocaching does follow a few fundamental guidelines. Among them are not placing caches on private land without permission or in national parks or wilderness areas, not crossing private property without permission to reach a geocache, not including offensive or inflammatory material in a cache, and maintaining a 'tread softly' and Leave No Trace philosophy while geocaching.
The Basics
With geocaching, there are no dues to pay, there is no special club to join, there is no admittance fee. Log onto Geocaching.com and, without having to register or pay a subscription fee, you'll have access to thousands of cache coordinates. Just as the game transcends geographic and political boundaries, it also transcends gender and age boundaries. Geocache sites can be easy or challenging and their level of difficulty is indicated alongside the cache's coordinates so you'll know ahead of time.
Geocaching and GPS units go hand in hand. Even the most basic of units is enough to track down the location of a geocache. But to get a visual acquaintance with the area you'll be searching, a map is a must. Your GPS can tell you the straight line between two points, but unless the route's waypoints have been preloaded into your unit, only a map can show you that squiggly path between you and your destination.
As with any other muscle-powered outdoor pursuit, geocaching requires you be ready for the elements. When setting out to search for or to place your geocache, be sure to bring along a basic survival kit as you never know where your adventure might take you.
Geocaching employs the skills of problem and puzzle solving: you'll sleuth for and identify clues, learn navigation and orienteering, and you may get an introduction to other related games such as letterboxing.
Following geocaching Ps & Qs ensures its survival. Without demonstrated etiquette, the activity would die out. Remember a few basic geocaching tenants: Hide-and-Seek—and don't forget to Share. Taking a souvenir from a cache? Leave something behind in exchange. 'CITO'—cache in, trash out. Leave the environmental as pristine as, or better than, you found it.
