Category: Geocaching Info

/ Christy /

Minelab Photo Contest in Final Months

PoteauPets - February Winners
PoteauPets – February Winners

Geocaching goes hand-in-hand with snapping a few shots of the wildlife and your adventure along the way. And sometimes combining two passions like photography and geocaching pays off.  Check out some of the early winners in Minelab’s Ultimate Geocaching Hunt photo contest. Seven geocachers have already won the photo of the month award, including WherzaWiggTherzaWay and JonesPosse.

PoteauPets won the February Minelab photo contest for their sweet father-daughter portrait under the caption of “Love is in the air for this father/daughter pair.” PoteauPets enjoy geocaching as a family, and usually find caches in rural areas near where they live. “We truly LOVE geocaching and the time we spend together ‘on the hunt’ as a family,” said Dana of PoteauPets. “My husband likes the ‘evil hides’ while on the other hand, my daughter and I enjoy the cemetery caches. Our daughter loves to keep up with the trackables.”

The Adventurers in Michigan won the March contest with their snowy photo of the Minelab geocoin and a metal detector. “Winning the contest for that month was a complete surprise,” said David of the Adventurers. David and his girlfriend/best friend enjoy discovering trackables and going geocaching everywhere and in all seasons. Another winner, Gary of JonesPosse, came away with a pocketed vest. He wore it to Geowoodstock XI and during a three-day hike along the Appalachian Trail for his 6,000th find.

Adventurers - March winner
Adventurers – March winner

There are still nearly three months left to enter the monthly photo contests and earn a chance to win a trip to Mexico. For more information on Minelab’s Ultimate Geocaching Hunt, visit the Minelab Geocaching page. When you’re ready to enter, go to the Minelab Facebook Photo Contest page.

Monthly prizes include a $400 Minelab coupon, a Minelab hat & vest, and all monthly winners will still be eligible for the grand prize: a Mexican cruise for two!

The Minelab “Ultimate Geocaching Hunt” photo contest is solely sponsored by Minelab, Inc., a subsidiary of Codan, LTD. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and Canada who are 18 years and older at time of entry. Entry period for the contest commences at 12:01 a.m. (CST) on November 13, 2012 and expires at 11:59 PM (CST) on November 13, 2013. Void where prohibited. For details and restrictions, see the Official Contest Rules.

/ Eric Schudiske /

A Beginner’s Guide to Geocaching in 3 Steps

A double-whammy, a magnetic and camouflaged
A double-whammy: a magnetic and camouflaged geocache

Geocaching Back to Basics

Geocaching is actually pretty basic when you write it out—someone hides a geocache and challenges anyone to try to find it. Whether you’re new or a geocaching veteran, it’s good to renew some of the other basics. It makes geocaching an adventure worth sharing.

1)      Warm up: Brush up on your geocaching knowledge with the new What is Geocaching? video. Be a pal and share it with your fellow geocachers to start them on the right path.

2)      Finding basics: This is a big one, ready? Magnets exist. We even know how they work. Geocache hiders love to use magnets to secure a geocache under or on a metal object. They have also mastered all sorts of camouflage. See the image in the newsletter? It’s a double-whammy: a magnetic geocache that looks like a bolt. It’s easy to learn even more tips and tricks from friendly geocaching veterans, just attend a local Geocaching Event.

3)      Logging basics: BYOP. It means Bring Your Own Pen. When you finally track down the geocache, sign it with your username, the date and, if there’s room, some details about your adventure. Then, log your experience online or through the Geocaching App, maybe add a photo and BOOM—you’ve earned a smiley for your Geocaching profile.

There’s more to know and more to uncover (even for the experts). Stumped on something? Have a question about what TOTT* means? Chime in here in comments or on the Geocaching Facebook page for answers and advice.

*Tool of the Trade

/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocaching Plans for July 13 and All of August? You Do Now…

Earn More Than 30 Souvenirs in August

 

Start plotting your crafty strategy, rally your friends and prepare for a month of geocaching like no other. August is being celebrated by geocachers around the world as the “31 Days of Geocaching.” Find a geocache, log a “Found it” (or an “Attended” for an Event Cache) and earn a unique calendar-style Geocaching souvenir for each day in August. That’s 31 souvenirs up for grabs.

Warming up for this month-long geocache fest will take more than planning. It’ll take practice. You can get ready for the 31 Days of Geocaching by earning the Geocaching Get Outdoors Day souvenir. You’ll only be able to earn it on this Saturday, July 13. The same rules apply. If you log a “Found it” or an “Attended” on July 13 you earn the souvenir seen in this newsletter for your Geocaching profile.

The official Geocaching Get Outdoors Day souvenir.
The official Geocaching Get Outdoors Day souvenir

To prepare for this epic challenge, you should tap into some expert advice. Check out the Top 8 Tips for Maintaining Your Geocaching Streak post on The Geocaching Blog about planning for your geocaching streak. Spread the word about the 31 Days of Geocaching to your friends by attending the event on the Geocaching Facebook page. And keep watching the Geocaching Weekly Newsletter for more details about the August adventure, 31 Days of Geocaching.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Ontario Heritage Hide’n’Seek GeoTour

Heritage GeoTour
Heritage Hide’n’Seek GeoTour

Discover a piece of Canadian history this summer with the Heritage Hide’n’Seek GeoTour. On this tour, you’ll make your way to 16 geocaches in northern Ontario that will teach you facts about fascinating people, places and events that helped shape Canadian history.

You’ll have the opportunity to find urban and remote geocaches in locations like Algonquin Park, James Bay and the Manitoba border.Developed by Parks Canada, the Heritage Hide’n’Seek GeoTour is set up as a game where geocachers earn points by finding geocaches and correctly answering questions on the passport. The point values for each geocache are determined by the effort required to find it. Anyone who collects 100+ points is eligible to receive a collectible coin from Parks Canada.

Visit the Heritage Hide’n’Seek GeoTour page to learn more and start planning your trip.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Colorado’s South Park GeoTour Goes Live

MainLogo_SouthParkColoradosouth park geotour pic 2Go on a geocaching adventure through the stunning landscapes, rich history and pristine natural resources of central Colorado’s South Park. Whether you enjoy exploring the wonders of the backcountry or touring historic communities, Colorado’s South Park GeoTour has something for you.

Discover the wonders of the South Park National Heritage Area, a nationally designated region recognized for its cultural and natural resources. Unlock its secrets through this challenging but educational GeoTour that includes high mountain peaks, geological wonders and historic buildings. Set your own course toward finding enough geocaches to win a prize. Dozens of geocachers have already claimed their South Park Geocoin by finding 30 geocaches and even more have received a South Park t-shirt for finding 20 geocaches.

Colorado’s South Park GeoTour is expanding this summer to include even more geocaches at unique and exciting locations. Sign up for the South Park GeoTour e-newsletter to be the first to know when the new geocaches go live on Geocaching.com.