What is Geocaching?

Treasure hunting has always been a fun activity to do especially with the whole family. I have always been a fan of this game that when I was a child when most kids would play house, I would play pirate or treasure hunting with a bunch of some other kids who’d love a good adventure in our backyard.

But treasure hunting for adults in this new generation shouldn’t be done in a small garden area. Since we are living in this high tech age, the use of gadgets has been involved in this classic outdoor activity. Today I give you, Geocaching.

This is the modern day version of treasure hunting because here you’re going to seek some prize using a Global Positioning System (GPS). This material will help you find or locate stuff anywhere that’s here on earth. So how is this game played?

It’s very simple! All you need to do is to go outside and find these treasures that are hidden inside containers also known as geocaches by using a GPS device. You could totally use a mobile phone that is GPS enabled.

You’re going to need some GPS coordinates of geocaches and these can be acquired via Geocaching.com. Simply plug the coordinates that you will find on that site to your GPS device. Now you can go out and seek for these treasures inside the hidden caches.

There are about more than a million geocaches hidden around the world so the fun and adventure never really stops in one area alone. This is a brilliant idea if you want to explore the outdoors further than just your backyard area.

So your GPS’ job is to get you to the location of the geocaches. But it doesn’t exactly point out the exact position, where the treasure is really hidden and that you’ll have to find out on your own, which is the fun part! These caches can be really tricky because these containers could sometimes blend with the color of its environment. You’re going to think that sometimes it’s just an ordinary faucet but if you try touching it, a drawer is actually what it is with the treasure right inside!

Once you find a cache, you’ll see a logbook, which you’ll have to sign. In case you take something from these caches, make sure that you leave something having the equal value or even grater value for its replacement. That way, the next seeker would find something there once they’ve reached the box.

When you have finally finished signing the logbook and everything that you need to do with these caches, don’t forget to place them back to where exactly you have found them.

After having fun with this new way of treasure hunting and finally decided to go home, make sure to visit Geocaching.com to indicate what are the things you have found and also tell stories of your adventure to the online community.

It has now become a fad for travelers and bag packers to be involved in geocaching. What I like about it is that, it’s very easy and it’s not like the Amazing Race where you’ll need to decipher some clues on each destination and actually be in a hurry because you’re under time pressure. Geocaching is actually a relaxing and fun way to enjoy the outdoors.

The moment when you have finally found the cache is such a fulfilling experience. Plus, the journey of finding it is what makes the whole experience worth trying. You can travel by plane, by boat or even by land where you can simply drive your car just to find these treasures and you will surely have fun.

These caches by the way are not boxed in one look. They can look like a Tupperware, a real treasure chest, an ordinary shoebox or even some bark from a tree. You’ll never really know unless you extensively seek for it.

Now if you’re wondering if you can be tracked with your GPS by other people while doing this game, the answer is no. So there’s really nothing to worry about your security, as your devices powered with GPS are not broadcasting your exact position.

So what are you waiting for and try this new activity with your friends as you take pleasure on making use of the outdoors to put some thrill and adventure in your life.