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Remember all those cool books from childhood which started with a treasure map that sent the character on a grand adventure? X marks the spot isn't just pirate lore anymore -- treasure hunting has stepped out of the pages of books and into international hands-on adventure in the form of geocaching, letterboxing, or waymarking.
Do I sound too geeked-out excited?
Well, I'm not going to apologize because I am geeked-out excited and I've chosen our first bout of formal geocaching to take place as my birthday activity in a few weeks. I have already gotten a note book (so I can also write about our experience geocaching) and written the common geocaching decryption key on the first page.
When we told the twins about it, it was as if their imaginations exploded. We started talking about the idea of geocaching after school in the area, going on geocaching road trips on the weekend, and hiding the third cache ever on remote Smith Island this summer (believe me, I was both bummed and excited to see there were already two on the island -- excited to go find them, but damn, if they're on Smith Island, they truly must be everywhere).
So first and foremost, what are geocaching, letterboxing, and waymarking?
Geocaching is "a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure. A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache’s existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS unit can then try to locate the geocache."
In other words, there are millions of geocaches hidden all over the world by fellow geocachers and the location of these caches are posted on the geocaching site along with a few clues to help you find the cache once you reach the location. Some caches may contain only a logbook and others contain a small treasure.
This video best explains how to get started with geocaching.
Talk like a Geocacher
Just as all good pirates know what "ahoy matey" and "shiver me timbers" means, geocachers have their own language.
- BYOP: bring your own pencil/pen (caches usually have a log book so you'll want a way to sign it and say you've found the cache).
- CITO: cache in /trash out (most cachers also try to clean up areas as they go along. It's a great way to give back to the environment that you're enjoying).
- DNF: did not find (a cache that was too well-hidden).
- FTF: first to find (when you're the first one to find a new cache).
- Geomuggle: someone who isn't a geocacher (just like Harry Potter! Do you see why I am so geeked-out excited? You need to be careful of looking for caches in front of geomuggles since they won't really understand what you're doing).
- TFTC: thanks for the cache (signed in geocaching logbooks to let the cacher know you appreciate their work).
Lots of bloggers write about their geocaching experiences and all do it for a plethora of reasons. Rookie Mom suggests geocaching with your baby, My Bit of Earth and What Meg Makes search with their dogs in tow, and Blogging MoRe combines exercise with seeing beautiful sites.
But what if you don't have a GPS? Can you still participate in geocaching? The answer is -- thankfully -- absolutely. Wired magazine and Adventures in Geocaching both have directions on how to geocache without a GPS.
What is Letterboxing?
Letterboxing started in England, and it's very similar to geocaching.
Someone hides a waterproof box somewhere (in a beautiful, interesting, or remote location) containing at least a logbook and a carved rubber stamp, and perhaps other goodies. The hider then usually writes directions to the box (called "clues" or "the map"), which can be straightforward, cryptic, or any degree in between ... Hunters in possession of the clues attempt to find the box. In addition to the clue and any maps or tools needed to solve it, the hunter should carry at least a pencil, his personal rubber
