I did not intend to post about geocaching this week, however when my oldest learned I *could* post about anything I want on my blog… well, he suggested we collaborate on a post, because geocaching is “awesome and everyone will want to do it”!
My oldest, J, with a brand new cache we found Jan 1st! It was well hidden so we were extra proud of finding it!
And, how could I resist this face, and that enthusiasm! So here are our combined top things we like about geocaching, plus a couple tips from me!
“It‘s like a mini treasure hunt!” Geocaching is, basically put, finding something via GPS that someone else has hidden. I was originally skeptical about how much fun that would actually be, but so far it has been a very interesting addition to our time spent outdoors! You don’t always know what you are looking for or exactly where you will find it, so to my kids, that is a treasure hunt!
The cache we found here is actually pictured on the left, in the tree!
And this is where I’m going to stick my first tip- geocaching with kids in tow is more fun than wandering around looking for them alone! So go with kids or friends! Some require some real “out of the box” thinking and I’m grateful the kids all have different ways of looking for them. You also have to be quick, or potentially willing to look a little silly. Which I’ve learned to be ok with!
“There’s an app for that!” Thankfully, geocaching has come far from what I remember when I first checked it out! There’s an app, and it even has a quick start guide to help you get going! Which is another tip of mine- use the tutorial videos that come on the app before you get started… we did not & it would have helped!
Our first ever find! It took us three trips to this cache to actually find it because it’s SO SMALL!
“Think small. No, smaller!” It took us several attempts to find the first geocache we ever found because it was a nano-cache, which is even smaller than a micro-cache, and we were, well, looking for something much larger! So know that they come in many sizes, and also do not be surprised to find them in many shapes as well! Our favorite local cache is actually hidden in plain sight, hanging from a tree. We passed it for YEARS never knowing it was actually a geocache!
This geocache in Syracuse at the WACF requires teamwork, and teaches a bit of science along the way!
”It‘s okay to use the hint!” A lot of geocaches will have a “hint” on the app, and there is no shame in using them! (Without the help of the hints, we would never have found our first one!) But if you do post a photo when you log a find, be sure you don’t give away the exact cache location in the photo!
Some caches are definitely easier to find than others!
My last tip is when you are looking to start, especially with kids in tow, spend your time looking for caches that have recently been found. It will show the most recent “find” date, and if it’s been more than a couple months since it was found, it may have been “muggled”. Which means non-geocachers either accidentally or intentionally removed or disturbed it. Looking for ones recently found helped us ensure some excitement when we first started.
My kids also suggest the WACF in Syracuse (which I posted about a couple weeks back) as a great place in this area to start geocaching! We haven’t found 4 of the geocaches here, but the others are all there & while some are harder than others to find, all have been worth the catch!
If you are into geocaching or want to get started, you can find us on the app under the user name KarthTrek! And if you ever want to borrow kids so you don’t look silly poking in bushes… I know four who will gladly volunteer to help! ~Naomi
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