Geocaching is delightful because of the people who play it — adventure-seekers, makers, parents, astronauts and (sometimes) celebrities. Read their stories.
Aptly named, Ecuador straddles the equator where the southern and northern hemispheres meet. Exactly at latitude N 00° 00.000′, the Quitsato Sundial was the first monument of the Equator in the history of the Republic of Ecuador.
The location features a 54 meter diameter platform embellished with a mosaic of river stones. The different shades of rock create an eight-pointed star, also known as a compass rose that indicates solstices and equinoxes.
At the center of the platform stands a giant 10-meter high sundial that can be used to tell time. This platform is also used to explain the albedo effect when the darker stones create higher temperatures from the absorption of sunlight. The cache takes you to a viewpoint to relax and absorb all this celestial knowledge.
In 2011, a group of geocachers from the Netherlands set a geocaching record when they found 15 geocaches in 15 countries within 24 hours. Six years later, a group of Finnish geocachers were up to the challenge to break this record. Harjus, Rimaju, Weellu and Wesbridge embarked on Geotrip ‘17 on April 15, 2017 from the Netherlands just a second past midnight. They reached their final destination in Poland at 10:25 pm the same day 22 hours and 25 minutes later, setting the new record!
Normally, one must take a ferry to find the remote geocache, “The Sanctuary of Monteisola” in Lombardia, Italy. Then, one must hike for an hour uphill, passing small hamlets along the way with century-old churches filled with frescoes and statues. The views are spectacular, glorious, and oh-so-romantic.
What do a Rubik’s cube, a typewriter, a heron, and a fishing pole all have in common? They are all things that cache owner NTM-27 has used to create a cache!
Nynke (NTM-27) is a 22 year old geocacher who combines her passions for geocaching and photography into her inspirational Instagram account, @creativecache. We reached out to learn more about her and how she draws inspiration for creative hides.
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 = stuff 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.
But more than anything, make sure you always, always, ALWAYS bring a pen!
N 00° 00.000′ W 078° 10.500′ —
