| Muchmor Canada Magazine decided to take | | | | The GPS unit you choose should be easy |
| a look at the phenomenon of Geocaching | | | | to use and durable. Some GPS units come |
| and how you can get involved and make | | | | with certain functions and accessories |
| exploring your country even more | | | | and others require you to but additional |
| exciting. | | | | software etc. |
| So, what is Geocaching? | | | | As a guideline, you should consider |
| Put simply, Geocaching is a game of | | | | purchasing a GPS with the following |
| treasure hunting or hide and seek. All | | | | functions:12 parallel channels, external |
| over the world individuals and companies | | | | antenna jack, in/out ports, NMEA |
| hide caches and then share the location | | | | compatible, at least 8 megabytes of |
| on the Internet and invite other | | | | memory, memory card acceptable, |
| Geocachers to find them using GPS | | | | adaptable power sources i.e. cigarette |
| devices. | | | | lighter cable, solar charger, rocker |
| Some caches can be found quite easily, | | | | keypad, large screen and waterproof. |
| whereas others require significant hikes | | | | Some GPS units have colour screens and |
| and map reading skills. There are puzzle | | | | although these can be useful they are |
| caches that require you to solve clues | | | | not essential to Geocaching and the |
| in order to find the cache and | | | | colour screen will use up batteries much |
| multi-caches, which involve finding | | | | quicker than a black and white. |
| several caches before finding the final | | | | Getting Started |
| location. | | | | So, now we have you interested here is |
| At the time of publication there were | | | | what you need to do. Go to the |
| over 30,000 Geocaches in Canada and | | | | Geocaching website at here you can find |
| these are added to every day. This type | | | | out all sorts of information about your |
| of treasure hunting makes it fun to | | | | new hobby including help and advice, |
| explore your surrounding and makes for a | | | | forums etc. |
| great family trip. | | | | Before you start you should purchase |
| What is a cache? | | | | your GPS unit and a map of the area, |
| There are many different types of cache | | | | preferably a topographical map, which |
| to find and the size and contents vary. | | | | shows land features such as hills and |
| Smaller caches can be the size of a 35mm | | | | rivers etc., these can be purchased at |
| film container and contain only a | | | | camping stores or off the Internet. You |
| logbook and pencil to register who finds | | | | might also want a compass and of course |
| it and when. Other caches can be the | | | | make sure you are equipped clothing |
| size of large buckets or plastic | | | | wise. You should also have items ready |
| containers with several items inside | | | | that you can leave in the cache in place |
| such as CD's, money, books, maps, games, | | | | of the ones you remove. These can be |
| in fact anything that is not illegal or | | | | anything from key rings, to CD's, |
| dangerous. | | | | jewellery to cameras. |
| When you find a cache you should enter | | | | On the Geocaching website you can locate |
| your details in the logbook and if items | | | | one or several caches in the area you |
| are included you should take one and | | | | are concentrating on. You can search by |
| replace it with something of equal or | | | | postcode, province etc. Study the |
| greater value. | | | | information given carefully and look at |
| Where are caches usually located? | | | | the results of other people who have |
| The location of the cache is what makes | | | | found the cache. They might give you |
| Geocaching interesting. Some are located | | | | some clues, which will make finding the |
| in easily accessible areas such as at | | | | cache easier. |
| the side of a road, in a local park, | | | | Next you need to use your GPS and input |
| cemetery or even in the middle of a town | | | | the waypoint and off you go. |
| centre. However the more interesting | | | | Once you find the cache, remember to |
| cashes can be placed in very remote | | | | sign the logbook and enter any |
| locations and may require special | | | | additional information such as how easy |
| equipment in order to find them. | | | | it was to find, what fun it was etc. If |
| Examples include caches hidden | | | | there are items in the cache take one |
| underwater that can only be accessed by | | | | and replace it with something of equal |
| scuba divers, ones located on rocky | | | | or greater value. Never move the cache |
| cliffs, accessible by rock climbers | | | | from its original position and always |
| etc. do I find the cache? | | | | replace leaves, rocks etc if they were |
| When someone sets up a cache they submit | | | | there before. |
| the location details (waypoint) on the | | | | You can log your find on the Geocaching |
| Geocaching website. They will also give | | | | website and also email the person who |
| other clues such as if it is a box or | | | | hid the cache to let them know you found |
| bag and its size, so you know roughly | | | | it. |
| what you are looking for. They may also | | | | Safety First |
| give you practical information like, | | | | Remember to always let someone know |
| "you might need Wellingtons" or "it | | | | where you are going and if at all |
| is in a very public area". There will | | | | possible never travel alone. Make sure |
| also be details regarding the difficulty | | | | you have adequate clothing, food, water |
| and terrain, so you can search only for | | | | etc and that you have spare batteries |
| caches that suit your ability. | | | | for your GPS. |
| When you decide which cache to search | | | | When you leave your vehicle at a cache |
| for, you input the co-ordinates | | | | point it is worth entering the waypoint |
| (waypoint) in your GPS device and away | | | | into your GPS so that you can find your |
| you go.is a GPS Device? | | | | vehicle after you have found your cache. |
| A GPS (Global Positioning System) unit | | | | Next? |
| is an electronic device that can | | | | Once you get into Geocaching you can |
| determine your approximate location | | | | start to leave your own caches for |
| (within around 6-20 feet) anywhere on | | | | others to find. You can also attend |
| the planet, much like a satellite | | | | Geocaching events and start to extend |
| navigation system found in many | | | | your search to other locations and even |
| vehicles. Coordinates are normally | | | | other countries. |
| given in Longitude and Latitude. You can | | | | You can purchase trackable items to |
| use the unit to navigate from your | | | | leave in caches such as Geocoins and |
| current location to another location. | | | | Travel Bugs. As people transfer then |
| Some units have their own maps, built-in | | | | from cache to cache you can track them |
| electronic compasses, voice navigation, | | | | on the Geocaching website so you can see |
| depending on the complexity of the | | | | how far your item has travelled - you |
| device. | | | | might be surprised. |
| You don't need to know all the technical | | | | There are many different kinds of cache, |
| details about GPS units to play | | | | so you might want to track certain types |
| Geocaching. All you need to do is be | | | | such as puzzle caches where you have to |
| able to enter the waypoint where the | | | | solve clues in order to locate the |
| Geocache is hidden. | | | | cache, or you might want to track only |
| How do I buy a GPS unit? | | | | caches that contain Travel Bugs. |
| You can purchase GPS units from many | | | | The scope of Geocaching is endless and |
| places on the Internet as well as | | | | new variations to the game are always |
| camping stores and other supply stores. | | | | being invented. One thing is for sure, |
| The costs vary depending on the type of | | | | once you get the Geocaching bug it will |
| device you purchase and where you buy | | | | be very had to travel anywhere without |
| them. Units start at around $100 CAD and | | | | first checking to see what caches lie |
| can be as much as $1,000. | | | | nearby for your to find. |