Geocache

Geocaching is a great activity to do. It can be done with your kids, a friend or by yourself. It requires walking which is good exercise. All you need is a means of transportation and a GPS. I have a GPS, but need a computer to find where on the map where the cache is located. If you have a Smart Phone and you have the internet, you can download a Geocache App and see on the phone a map on where it is located.

The people who don’t geocache are called muggles (taken from Harry Potter). The caches are hidden in just anything. Some are in ammo boxes, some in cigar containers. I found one where they used the front porch steps. Whenever you find a cache, it should have a piece of paper where you sign your cache name. The cache name is just a name you will go by when you are geocaching. It can be anyname that you can remember. One needs to register the name on the geocache website (https://www.geocaching.com)

There are clues to where the cache is. The website will tell you where it is located using latitude and longitude. The GPS will use the latitude and longitude and superimpose the coordinates on a map. It sounds complicated but with the tools in front of you, it is easy.

There are many kinds of caches. There is the standard cache where you go to the location pointed out on the computer. There are virtual caches such as the one at the petrified forest at the NH seacoast area. A real cache would be flooded out at high tide. Another one is at one of the forts in New Castle NH. They weren’t sure the requirements in Federal property to hide a cache.

Another is where you get instructions to go to the first cache. You will get numbers to insert into the coordinates of the next one and so on. In Amesbury Mass there is Geocaches like this and don’t stop until one finds all the history.

There is other styles like in the White Mountains. There is a group of caches that imitate the game Battleship. Each cache has a message the says “Miss” or “You hit my carrier”. You keep finding them until you sink the ships. Another similar to that is like in the NH seacoast area. It is called “Snow White and the seven Dwarfs.” As you find the dwarfs each will give a hint to find Snow White.”

My last one I am going to describe is the traveling bug. You buy the bug on line. You hide it in an appropriate location and record it on the web site. Another will pick it up and hide it in another location and record it. I hid one. Last I checked the bug had gone all over the country and gone a total of 5000 miles.

There are other style geocaches. You can even make up your own style. You are limited by your imagination.

There is two types of membership. There is the free membership. The is the type of membership with a small fee which you get added benefits. This is a great activity to do by yourself , family or friends.