Category: Learn

Whether you’re about to find your first geocache or your ten-thousandth, you’ve come to the right place to learn more about the game.

/ Eric Schudiske /

All I Got for Christmas was a DNF, but then…

Climbing up to GZ in New Zeland - Peanuts or Pretzels

Editor’s note: DNF’s or Did Not Finds are an important part of the geocaching experience, and maybe one of the most frustrating parts. The questions start to boil over, is it even here, why is the hint so vague, can’t anyone post a picture which offers a clue? WHY!?! But, as we learn through exploring, it’s not often the destination but the journey. Geocachers, Peanuts or Pretzels, show us that sometimes a DNF is the gift of a story, a voyage, a view and a sunset.

By:

Josh & Liz
Peanuts or Pretzels
www.peanutsorpretzels.com

peanuts 1

 

Recently, we took to the roads of New Zealand in an RV and wanted to do some Geocaching. So during our drive toward the west coast of the south island of New Zealand, I pulled out my GPS and found just the cache for us. Located along the coast, it had a lot of favorite points and according to our watches, we had just enough time to get there before dusk. So off we went!

Upon arrival, we parked our RV near GZ and started walking along the rocky coast. Eventually we came to a grassy opening, with the ocean on our right and a steep hill on our left. The cache was located up on top of the hill, but there was no visible trail. We decided that our best option was to climb up a small wash-out ravine.

After a tricky climb, we arrived at the top, which was a flat plateau. The Geocache was only 183 feet away. But we quickly realized that we had a problem. The entire area leading to the cache were full of giant briar bushes. These bushes were thigh high, with thorns 2-5 inches long…seriously! We’ve done our share of “bushwacking” before, but we had never seen anything like this before.
We tried many ways to get to the geocache, even trying to use giant sticks to make bridges or push down the bushes. But nothing worked. We were getting stabbed by the thorns and tearing our clothes. Ultimately, we realized that there was no way for us to get to the geocache. Disappointed with the thought of admitting defeat, we turned back toward the ocean just as the sun was beginning to set.

sunset

 

“Wow, look at the sunset from up here!” Liz said. And you know, she was right. It was a gorgeous sunset, and we had the best view perched up on this hill. No one was around, and we had this entire sunset to ourselves. So in the end, we decided thatwe would accept this DNF proudly. Because even though we didn’t find the cache, we had a fun adventure, and we were taken to this place that we had no idea existed. I looked over at Liz and said “this might have to be the best Geocache we never found.”

Thanks to Geocaching for taking us to another great place on our world travels. Sometimes, you don’t have to find the cache to have a great memory. #DNFPride

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQdUtw9vgIw]

/ Alex /

Go Geocaching Like a Local

We recently released 6 shiny new Geocaching Souvenirs for Greece, Mexico, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, and Italy.

In case any of these countries are still on your bucket list (or if you’re planning a return trip) check out this pocket dictionary of common phrases used in Geocaching. They’re perfect for starting or ending a fantastic log entry.

6 Souvenirs that could be added to your profile, if you’ve found geocaches in any of these countries.

 

 

 Brazil (Portuguese)

This statue of Frederico Engel can be found at GC3FMPF
This statue of Frederico Engel can be found at GC3FMPF

Take a virtual vacation and tour of some of Brazil’s best geocaches.

Obrigado pela Cache
(Thanks for the cache)

Encontrada
(Found)

Boa aventura
(Good adventure)

A minha primeira cache
(My first cache)

 

Belgium (Dutch, French, German)

Here you'll find GC1EG4C, also known as "Atomium".
Here you’ll find GC1EG4C, also known as “Atomium”.

Check out one of Belgium’s most-favorited geocaches.

Bedankt voor de cache
(Dutch – Thanks for the cache)

Merci pour la cache
(French – Thanks for the cache)

Danke für den Cache
(German – Thanks for the cache)

Trouvé notre première cache en Belgique
(French – Found our first cache in Belgium)

 

Greece (Greek)

Finding GC1X5VF is a vacation in and of itself.
Finding GC1X5VF is a vacation in and of itself.

 

If you’re heading to Greece, relax, soak up some sun, and check out this awesome multi-cache.

Ευχαριστώ για την κρυπτη
(Thanks for the cache)

Ευχαριστίες για τη μνήμη
(Thanks for the memory)

Ομορφο μερος
(Beautiful place)

 

 

Mexico (Spanish)

Gringo Gulch lighthouse is the site of GC3B5XW one of the most-favorited geocaches in Mexico.
Gringo Gulch lighthouse is the site of GC3B5XW one of the most-favorited geocaches in Mexico.

Check out these five must-see geocaches from the birthplace of the sun.

Gracias por el cache
(Thanks for the cache)

Encontrado
(Found)

Muchos muggles
(Many muggles)

Excelente camuflaje
(Excellent camouflage)

 

Italy (Italian)

Geocache, geocache, wherefore art thou? The site of GC49T24.
Geocache, geocache, wherefore art thou? The site of GC49T24.

What better way to celebrate geocaching love than featuring a geocache located at a (supposed) site of one of the greatest love stories ever told?

Grazie per la cache
(Thanks for the cache)

Trovato
(Found)

Decisamente merita un FP
(Definitely worth a favorite point)

Posto bellissimo
(Beautiful place)

 


Croatia (Croatian)

You'll see this stunning water fall (and many others) at GC1FNKR.
You’ll see this stunning water fall (and many others) at GC1FNKR.

 

Also known as the Land of a Thousand Islands, Croatia is home to these five unmissable geocaches.

Hvala za cache
(Thanks for the cache)

Pronađeno
(Found it)

Mjesto je prelijepo, a pogled fantastičan
(The location and view are fantastic)

 

Are you drooling yet? Maybe it’s time to book some around-the-world tickets…

Fun fact: “Thanks for the cache” in Klingon is ” Tlho’ vaD yoDjuH’a’So’ ”

 

 

/ Carly /

Geocaching Stocking Stuffer Ideas on Shop Geocaching

Tis’ the season for giving. And every season is “the season” for geocaching. As you start to wonder how you are going to fill a huge stocking full of awesomeness this year, look no further. Here are some of our favorite “wee” Shop Geocaching items that will fit perfectly in your loved one’s stocking over the fireplace. P.S. We  sent this gift list off to Santa Claus and asked him to add all of the geocaching community’s usernames to his “nice” list. Hopefully he’s feeling generous this year ;-).

And there’s a little hidden gem of a deal for you waiting at the bottom of this post. Keep reading…

 

 

20141203_101917
Dress up your tree with the 7 Ornaments of Geocaching! Each ornament features a geocaching personality on the front, and each also has a unique tracking number on the back.
20141203_101458
The geocoin concept just got a whole lot faster! Each of the cars feature the Travel Bug® emblem on the top and the official Geocaching logo on the side.

 

It's a Minifigure figurine! Each trackable Minifig comes with an adventure hat and a Geocaching HQ shirt.
It’s a Minifigure figurine! Each trackable Minifig comes with an adventure hat and a Geocaching HQ shirt.

 

20141203_101403
This is a standard 52 card poker deck featuring Signal the Frog® on the back. Let the fun games begin!

  • Bison Small Capsule ($4.99)

    A pioneer in geocaching containers, Bison Design micros are the standard in the industry. These containers come with a rubber o-ring to keep the elements out, a small and large key ring, and feature the official Geocaching logo.
    A pioneer in geocaching containers, Bison Design micros are the standard in the industry. These containers come with a rubber o-ring to keep the elements out, a small and large key ring, and feature the official Geocaching logo.

  • Signal the Frog® Holiday Package Geocoin ($15.99)

20141203_102314
This special edition hinged Geocoin is the perfect “wrapped gift” for the geocachers in your life.
These glasses most likely offer limited uv protection, and may not hold up well under harsh use. They are truly all about the fashion!
Bright green and fashionable, these geocaching sunglasses with limited uv protection are perfect for your outdoor adventures.

For more gift ideas, check out Shop Gecaching in the US or one of our official distribution partners outside the US. As an extra holiday treat, receive a free Travel Bug® with every $25 spent on Shop Geocaching. (Official Terms and Conditions apply.)


What’s on your geocaching wishlist this year?

/ Alex /

5 Tips for Writing the Best Log in the World

Some logs posted on Geocaching.com offer only a snapshot into the geocaching adventure, but great logs produce a panoramic view of the geocaching quest. Great logs inform other geocachers of what they might expect on their ‘caching adventure. They also reward geocache owners, who enjoy reading about the experiences of those seeking their ‘caches.

forest2

Share your experience beyond a TFTC (Thanks for the Cache) or TNLN (Took Nothing Left Nothing) log by following these 5 tips:

 

1) See it and Say it – Describe what you saw and experienced on your way to the geocache. Did you see a rare bird, a hidden waterfall, or Harrison Ford? Tell folks about it.

2) Be a Superhero – If there are new conditions in the area, like a fallen tree or heavy snow, warn other geocachers. You’d want them to do the same for you.

3) Talk about Trades – Tell people what is in the geocache container along with what you took and what you left.

4) Shout Out for the Cache Owner – Thank the cache owner for placing the geocache. TFTC is a perfectly acceptable way to do it, but feel free to be a little more creative with it.

5) Learn from Others – Think about the best log you’ve ever read…what made it so special? Humor? Sincerity? A haiku?

Geocache owners can reward those who write great logs by sending them a thank you email through their Geocaching.com profile. Have you thanked a good logger recently?

/ Carly /

Before GPS and Geocaching Existed: Three Navigation Systems

 

iteravto2
Inter-Auto or “Iter-Avto”

Nowadays, we’re lucky to have an abundance of smartphones and GPS devices to help us navigate to different locations (and to our beloved geocaches). But did you know that personal navigation predates the invention of Global Positioning Systems (GPS)? Prior to Sputnik, TRANSIT, and GPS devices, there were three personal navigation maps that we still see glimpses of in today’s modern technology. Get ready to learn!

 

Cane Maps

It started at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago… In celebration with the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s entry into the New World, the Columbian Novelty Company created “Cane Maps”. The cane map was a 10″ x 16″ sheet with maps printed on both sides. It rolled in and out of a wooden cane. The front side contained a map of the fairgrounds and the back side of the map was of Chicago, showing popular tourist attractions in the area. These maps were sold in gift shops at the fair and paved the way for future mapping and navigation techniques.

First Cane Map in 1893
First Cane Map in 1893

           

 

Plus Fours RouteFinder

Watch-you-wearing? Worn around the wrist, the Plus Fours Routefinder was a fashionable and efficient way to transit. These watch-like devices contained miniature scrolls with driving directions that rotated and updated as the motorist moved. The scrolls could be switched out and changed depending on what route was taken. 

Plus Fours RouteFinder
Plus Fours RouteFinder

Inter-Auto or “Iter-Avto”

Zoom Zoom! In 1932, an Italian company releases the Inter-Auto, the world’s first personal navigation system for an automobile. This device also contained a scrolling map and additionally, connected to the car’s speedometer to maintain an accurate scrolling rate. Similar to a modern day Garmin or Tom Tom, this device showed a motorist’s position in real-time.

Iteravto
Inter-Auto or “Iter-Avto”

 

 

Navigation systems today have come a long way since Cane Maps and Inter-Autos. With the addition of the GPS, geocachers today have numerous devices to choose from. As technology advances, it will be fascinating to see the direction navigation systems will head in the coming years.

 

What is your preferred device for geocaching?

Not done reading yet? Check the ghosts lingering in your GPS in this Who’s Hiding in Your GPS Device? post from 2010.

 

Sources and Images: Before There was GPS: Personal Navigation in the 1920s and 1930s, Cane Maps, The antique route show: ‘First ever built-in sat nav’ from 1930 which used a map on a scroll to guide motorists