You should always, always, ALWAYS bring a pen, but what else should you bring caching? Here are the Top 10 items to carry in your geocaching bag. What are your geocaching must-haves?
1. GPS/smartphone and extra batteries/charger. Don’t lose the juice. Keep your GPS or smartphone charged when going for hikes far away from any outlets.
2. SWAG for trading. SWAG = something we all get. One golden rule about geocaching: if you take something, leave something of equal or higher value. Keep a few fun items in your bag to trade.
3. Extra logbooks and pencils. Yes, it’s the cache owner’s responsibility to maintain their caches. But hey, if you find a logbook that’s full, or a broken pencil in a cache, do a good deed for a fellow cache owner. You can even let them know when writing your log or through the Message center. #WINNING
4. Snacks and water. Looking for geocaches can be grueling work. Maintain your energy and stay hydrated to keep your caching game strong!
5. Sunscreen. ‘Nuff said
6. Bug spray. NOT Travel Bug® spray! (You want to attract those). Repel pesky critters like mosquitos and ticks with insect repellent. The yuckier they think you are, the better!
7. Rain gear. So you suddenly see a bank of storm clouds headed your way just as you approach the cache, and you’re more than an hour away from your car. Always stay dry and bring a waterproof jacket or poncho.
8. Tools of the Trade — TOTT. Penlight? Check. Mirror? Check. Magnet? Check. Clampy-thing? Check. Pocket knife? Check. TOTT all accounted for. Let’s go!
9. Flashlight. Ever put your hand deep into a tree hollow then feel around for a cache without being able to actually see where your hand is? Yeah. We did, once. Now we always bring a flashlight.
10. First aid kit. Hopefully the only injury you incur while caching is a bruised ego from that DNF. But if anything more serious happens, make sure you’re prepared.
