Tracking your geocaching resolutions
Some 4,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonians made what are believed to be the first New Year’s resolutions. Little did they know that a day would come when people would resolve to achieve goals related to a high-tech game of hide and seek!
Whether you’re aiming to beat your longest geocaching streak, fill your calendar grid, hide caches that earn some number of Favorite points, or fulfill any number of other resolutions, there are some great tools to track your progress.
We checked in with Geocaching HQ Lackeys and learned that many turn to Geocaching API Partner applications to monitor their resolutions, while others choose more low-tech alternatives.
Project-GC
A web-based tool for geocaching stats and planning, Project-GC was mentioned by several Lackeys. Annie (username Love) has a “stretch” goal of caching in 500 U.S. counties by the end of 2024 (she started at 350.) She relies on Project-GC’s Map Counties tool to see how she’s doing.
Jeff (gearguru) is working on filling his calendar grid with various cache types and sizes. He uses Project-GC’s Needed found dates tool for tracking.
Gia (giacaches) likes to target challenge caches, including those for which she does not yet meet the qualifying criteria. On Project-GC’s Challenges page, there is a list of challenge caches that she has found and posted a Write note log. If the challenge cache has an associated challenge checker, a green checkmark will appear next to the challenge when she has met the criteria.
GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife)
This all-in-one geocaching and waypoint management tool has long been an important tool for PC users. Users can import information into their GSAK database and organize it countless ways to track geocaching goals.
Geocaching.com
Mackenzie (phoenix48) and Alexis (sixela206) like to keep things simple when tracking geocaching goals. Mackenzie finished filling her Finds for Each Day of the Year calendar last year, thanks in part to the Statistics page on her Geocaching.com Dashboard. Alexis also relied on the Statistics page to track her streak (which reached 370 days!) and to work on her now-completed Difficulty/Terrain grid.
Several other popular goals await you on the Statistics page, including most finds in a year, cache types found, and container types found.
Note: Statistics are a Geocaching Premium feature.
Low-tech
Speaking of keeping things simple, who needs a computer when a notebook is so handy and portable? Jessie (jtcoffee) prefers graph paper that she can transform into checkboxes to remember how many caches remain on her goal list. She says staple binding keeps the paper flat and easier to tote around.
When it comes to tracking your geocaching resolutions, you can keep it super simple (like those ancient Babylonians with their clay tablets) or go high-tech. Are you aiming to reach a geocaching goal in 2024? How are you keeping track? Share your story in the comments below!
