Category: Extreme Geocaching

/ Carly /

37 Ways to Spice Up Your Geocaching

What inspires you to geocache? For some, it’s the pure hunt that ignites the excitement. For others, it’s the adventurous and often unusual things one partakes in along the way. Here are 37 amazing ways to spice up your geocaching.

 

1. Hike to a viewpoint that you never knew existed

1451361_10203232377229684_540645716_n
Geocaching journey to Bariloche, Argentina (GC1M51M)

2.Take care of our planet

Good planets are hard to find. While you’re out on a geocache hunt, make sure to CITO (cache in trash out).

Cleaning up Yosemite (GC4Y868)
Cleaning up Yosemite (GC4Y868)

3. Equicache (horseback geocaching)

Jump on up and gallop away. Explore the geocaching wilderness with the help of a furry friend.

872c91af-ab7b-4024-b20d-3182a919b81b
FDR by Horse – Lonesome Dove (GC4AHH8)

4. Make new friends

There are thousands of worldwide geocaching events each year. Join in the fun and meet fellow geocachers. Check out a geocaching event near you.

2014 Geowoodstock
2014 Geowoodstock

5. Deep sea dive (divecaching)

Take a deep breath and venture down into deep blue waters to uncover some of the most mysterious geocaches in the world.  “Clearwater Paradise – SCUBA” (GC1T16F) by BlazerDiver has yet to be found since it was hidden in 2009. FTF anyone?

GC1T16F off the coast of Honduras
GC1T16F off the coast of Honduras

6. Complete a geocaching quest

We all have different bucket list items to check off.  There’s no better feeling in the world than when you do (and drink an ice cold mini-beer to celebrate).

Celebrate
Celebrate

7. Release your inner artist

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced,” Vincent Van Gogh.

Motopony Fan Cache (GC3R8RN) by "HugeBeef"
Motopony Fan Cache (GC3R8RN) by “HugeBeef”

8. Encounter a celebrity

Hugh Jackman (aka Wolverine) geocaches. ‘Nuff said.

The wolverine himself geocaching in Australia
The wolverine himself geocaching in Australia

9. Explore by water (kayaking, canoeing, cruise ships)

Some geocaches are only accessible by water. And they are awesome.

Water-caching
Water-caching

10. Propose to that special someone

See how a FTF hunt can turn into a marriage proposal.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGmBPPvgpNI]

11. Help a newbie find their first smiley

First geocache= happy dance
First geocache= happy dance

 

12. Take a leap of faith (literally)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The Leap (GC16R4B) in Arizona

13. Stumble upon something totally random

78b4a148-438b-4265-bd68-b1b76c574247
Gnomesville (GCHTN7)

 

14. Spot an exotic animal

Ever so often, you’ll come across a rare breed…

1008736_10201613695403650_1307216970_o
Lava Iguanas in the Galapagos

But, more commonly you’ll come across…

cache-and-cat-1024x768
Geo-cat

15. Climb Mount Everest

Many geocachers are unaware that climbing Everest results in (obvious) bragging rights as well as an awesome geocache find.

2985881a-c5e8-42e4-ad5c-d212625cef0b
Geocacher “kenyansherpa” making the impressive climb

16. Reach a fitness goal

A recent study by the Texas A&M Health Science Center shows that geocaching is a great way stay healthy and burn some extra calories. So get off the couch and start hunting!

10537093_10154348313625398_5119008846242761770_n
Washington Coast Camping and Geocaching

17. Travel to a new and exotic place

Get ready to pack your bags. With over 2 million geocaches worldwide, the game can take you anywhere. Oh, the places you’ll go.

Exotic destination
Geocaching in Morocco (GC35436)

18. Venture out at night

Night Hike
Night  Caching with friends

19. Photograph your journey and share it with others

Trackable journey
Trackable frame journey

20. Go to the end of the world

Geocachers "apres ski 66" at Fin Del Mundo (GCH7MR)
Geocacher “apres ski 66” at Fin Del Mundo (GCH7MR)

21. Become a historian

Geocaching is a great way to learn about the history of a location. The Star-Spangled Banner GeoTour takes geocachers to the locations of significant historic events during the War of 1812.

Star-Spangled Banner Geotour
Star-Spangled Banner Geotour

22. Solve a puzzle

Release your inner geek and solve a puzzle geocache.

Puzzle cache tBLT - The Klingoni Sudoku (GC53BPD)
Puzzle cache tBLT – The Klingoni Sudoku (GC53BPD)

 

23. Climb (anything and everything)

Rock climbing
Climbing to a find

24. Taste the local cuisine

Mmm! There’s nothing better than a scrumptious meal after a day of geocaching. Bloggers and geoachers “Peanuts or Pretzels” stumbled upon a delicious Venezualan restaurant while exploring the city of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

a2278407-9958-4f30-a933-441351e900ac

25. Film your adventure

Just like the Geocaching Vlogger, you too can capture your favorite geocaching moments and share them with the world.

The Geocaching Vlogger
The “Geocaching Vlogger”

26. Blast off to space

If you ever get the chance to discover the International Space Station (GC1BE91) geocache, do it.

Geocaching and Space
Geocaching and Space

 

27. Master a new language

Un train peut en cacher un autre?
Un train peut en cacher un autre?

28. Create a new identity (in the geocaching world)

What’s in your username?

 

 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Signed, Sealed, Delivered

29. Step outside your comfort zone

Do something you never thought you could. Like 116 geoaches an hour at the ET Highway.

ET Highway. Complete.
ET Highway. Complete.

30. Trek through snow

Lace up those boots and get ready for snow and ice. Some of the best geocaching memories can be made in the coldest of months.

928537_1414544555484817_471437491_n
View from GC1CWV4 in Iceland. This EarthCache is a glacial river lagoon.

31. Build something

In geocaching, there’s the hunt and there’s the hide. Hone your carpentry skills and create a masterpiece that others would want to find.

The Maker
The Maker

32. See the place where it all began (original stash)

The only thing missing from the picture below is you and the original can of beans.

Travel to where it all began
Original Stash (place feet here)

33.  Visit the Geocaching Headquarters  in Seattle

And join us for the Geocaching Block Party. We’d love to meet you!

The official HQ Geocache
The official HQ Geocache

34. Complete a challenge (7 souvenirs of August)

You can do it!

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyuepAOlhrg]

35. Venture out on two wheels

1965031_10203535736893486_1132247486_n
Geocaching and biking in Mendoza, Argentina

36. Soak in the beauty of the world around you

10455362_10154245539235244_5833992120570289527_n
Summer geocaching on the coast of Portugal

37. Last but not least, remember where you parked your geo-car (you have to return to reality eventually)

Geo-Car
Geo-Car

Now, what’s #38? How do you spice of your geocaching experience, and how many of the above have you already accomplished?

/ Eric Schudiske

Dirty Your Hands with a Geocaching Good Deed

WeeklyMailer_012414_CITO_vCOMP_Blog

Summer Time is the Right Time for CITO

 

The geocaching community is about giving back by getting a little dirty and clearing a lot of trash. Cache In Trash Out, or CITO, helps preserve the natural beauty of the geocaching world by cleaning up litter, removing invasive species, planting trees and building trails.CITO events are held all year long, especially during the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere. Check out the CITO calendar for events and join one near you. And who says good deeds go unrewarded? Earn The Nature Lover souvenir during the 7 Souvenirs of August by attending a CITO event in, you guessed it, the month of August.

Interested in bringing friends along on your CITO adventure? Share geocachers in action at CITO events with this CITO video in English or this CITO video in Czech and German.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eIwxTAaxKw]
/ Paige Edmiston /

7 Tips to Sprinkle Extra Awesome on the 7 Souvenirs of August

 

MailerImage_07072014_7-Souvenirs_of_August_vFINAL_BLOG

 

Geocaching HQ staffers love August. The Seattle weather is perfect. We get to meet geocachers from all over the world who come to log the Geocaching HQ geocache or attend Geocaching Block Party. And each year, we find a new way to challenge each other to geocaching greatness.

image
See, we love teamwork at Geocaching HQ!

This year, we have a collective goal: 100% of the 70+ HQ’ers will earn all 7 Souvenirs of August. This is something we’ll do together, and we would love to see you use the same teamwork-based strategy in your local geocaching community.We’ll carpool to geocaches, help each other solve Mystery Caches, and cheer each other on.

At the same time, we couldn’t resist throwing a healthy dose of competition into the mix.

To add in an extra sprinkle of challenge and fun to keep us geocaching all month long, we’ve formed seven teams that, in addition to supporting each other in achieving the 7 Souvenirs of August, will compete against each other to be the best in the following categories:

  • First team to have every member complete all 7 Souvenirs of August
  • Most geocache finds in August
  • Greatest distance traveled
  • Greatest number of Travel Bugs moved
  • Average difficulty rating
  • Average terrain rating
  • Best geocaching-themed Instagram video with the hashtag #7SofA

This summer, you and your family, friends, coworkers, and geocaching organization can take the 7 Souvenirs of August to the next level too.

Here are Geocaching HQ’s 7 steps to attaining geocaching greatness this August:

1. Break into teams. Here at HQ, we decided to randomly assign teams to allow staffers to spend time with coworkers they don’t usually get to work with. Dividing by skill level or geocaching interest (i.e. the perfect blend of geocaching personality types) is also a great way to ensure the competition will be close.

coolderek1
Last year was all about orange headbands; this year, we’re rockin’ green sunglasses.

2. Give your team an identity. Team names are a must. Without one, what will you chant when you are victorious? Our  teams are (surprise, surprise) named after the 7 Souvenirs of August: The Nature Lovers, The Explorers, The Puzzlers, The Collectors, The Socializers, and The Sightseers. (We’re all going to be Achievers, after all.) Bonus points for jerseys, headbands, sunglasses, and 7 Souvenirs of August SWAG.

3. Set up a leaderboard. Share a spreadsheet to track individual and team stats, or if you’re technically inclined, work some GPX magic.

4. Strategize. Get together with your team to talk shop. Will someone host a midnight Event Cache so the team can earn all 7 Souvenirs first? Or will you focus on find count or terrain rating? Is your team made up of people who are great at solving puzzles, climbing trees, or road-tripping? (Hint: Eating pizza while strategizing helps the brain think. It’s science.)

5. Make a calendar of geocaching outings. Once you have your strategy, plan when you’ll make it happen. Geocaching together is a great way to keep inspired and avoid the dreaded DNF.

6. Create a shared online space. Setting up a Facebook group or email chain is a great way to share updates, make sure you’re on track to achieving your goals (and winning!), and keep the team engaged and inspired.

7. Capture your favorite geocaching moments. So maybe your team won’t find the most geocaches or travel the furthest distance, but you can show off that you had the most fun. Create a geocaching highlight reel and be sure to share it on your favorite social media platforms. Don’t forget to use the #7SofA hashtag.

Ready to start plotting your August strategy? Share this video and invite your friends to join in the fun:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyuepAOlhrg&feature=youtu.be]

Now Tell Us Your Tips

How will you and your geocaching organization sprinkle a little extra awesome on the 7 Souvenirs of August?

/ Derek H /

The Secret Double Lives of Geocaching Containers

Not all of these containers we specifically developed as geocaches.
Not all of these containers we specifically developed as geocaches.

Even though some geocache containers seem like they were handcrafted specifically for geocaching, most of them have been repurposed from something else. With things like Ammo cans, it’s pretty obvious what they used to be. For others, it requires a little bit of a deeper look into history:

A preform tube
A preform tube

 

Those Small, Clear Geocache Tubes aka Preform PET Tubes

These small, waterproof, durable containers are perfect for micro-sized geocaches. They can be attached to different camouflage and will last a long time. Plus, the larger tubes can hold both a logbook and a pencil. But their story isn’t just geocaching. In fact, you’ve probably used these hundreds of times and not even know it. Hint: There’s a key word in the heading to this section, “preform”. These small tubes are manufactured to be heated and expanded to form plastic bottles. Check out this video to see an animation of the process:

[vsw id=”eyiu18DsItk” source=”youtube” width=”560″ height=”315″ autoplay=”no”]

 

Nano Caches

An example of a similar LED light.
An example of a similar LED light.
Nano geocaches in Shop Geocaching
Nano geocaches in Shop Geocaching

Oft-maligned in the geocaching community, these smaller-than-small, magnetic geocaches are popular for high-muggle areas and urban geocaches. With so little room inside, it’s hard to believe that these geocaches were actually created for a reason other than geocaching. Mark Yvanovich, one of the early makers of these containers told us a little bit about the history, “These containers were originally LED blinking jewelry. The space where the log sheet is stored was where the button cell batteries went. They came with a separate rare earth magnet that could be used to attach it to clothing, etc…” Once these lights obtained new lives as geocaches, Mark and his wife made thousands of these, hand rolling all of the logbooks!

 

Bison Tubes

What did the buffalo say when he dropped his kid off at school? Bison. #dadjokes
What did the buffalo say when he dropped his kid off at school? Bison. #dadjokes

It’s no secret that these tubes look nothing like real bison. Not even close. So what’s the reason behind the name? These containers were originally created by a company named Bison Designs. The company originally made aluminum carabiners in multiple shapes, including dog bones, mouse ears and more. Seeking out new things to create out of aluminum, the need for a small, waterproof container to carry medicine in arose—and thus, the Bison Tube was born.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you repurposed a container originally made for something else as a geocache? Tell us in the comments.

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Your New Mission: Earn the 7 Souvenirs of August

 

 

MailerImage_07072014_7-Souvenirs_of_August_vFINAL_BLOG

 

New Souvenirs for August, New Quiz Now

 

Welcome to your geocaching mission this summer. During the month of August, earn six new Geocaching souvenirs by finding specific types of geocaches. Only by finding all six souvenirs do you unlock a special seventh “Achiever” souvenir. And we always knew you were an achiever.

Check out your personalized 7 Souvenirs of August Trophy Case for details. It’s a page that’s worth adding to your bookmarks. You’ll need it. Once you’ve collected all six souvenirs, visit your 7 Souvenirs of August Trophy Case to unlock the rare 7th “Achiever” souvenir. If you’re new to geocaching, a souvenir is an exclusive digital reward for your online profile.

While your journey to find the 7 Souvenirs of August begins on August 1 and lasts through August 31, you can start the adventure right now. Take the new Geocaching Personality Quiz. Each of the six personality types in the quiz reveals a souvenir you’re challenged to discover in August. Questions? Check out your 7 Souvenirs of August Trophy Case for answers. Ready to begin celebrating? Check out the new 7 Souvenirs swag on sale now.

Click to learn more
Click to learn more
Click to play
Click to play