What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is a great way to get outdoors and can be fun for all the family. It’s basically a treasure hunt where you use a GPS device such as a mobile phone to hunt for and locate small boxes filled with treasure! These have been hidden all over the world by avid geocachers including along the length of the Basingstoke Canal.
How do I get started?
It’s really easy to get started on your geocaching hobby. There really is only one website for geocaching and that is www.geocaching.com
It’s free to sign up for an account and to search for geocaches in your local area. If you’re actually going on a treasure hunt, download the Geocaching app from the Google Play or Apple Store so that you can find caches wherever you are.
The National Trust also have geocaches hidden on their properties. Click here to find out more.
What do I do then?
Pick a geocache you want to find, click on it and follow the clues to locate it. Your phone will lead you to it and then it’s a case of hunting around, solving the clues and then you’ll find it. Beware Muggles though….these are non-geocachers who watch what you’re doing and then have a look after you’ve left.
Most geocaches are little boxes with treasure inside, perhaps a badge or a coin. It’s ok to take something so long as you replace it with something else. Anything you do take should be put into another geocache for others to find. You might also find a notebook and pencil to write your name and the date/time you found it.
On the geocaching website you can log the ones you’ve found and others, including the people who stashed them can see.
Want to find out more?
Go to the Geocaching website and read the Support menu. Click here to go there now. Geocaching is great fun and you’ll be amazed at how many there are out there!