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.
Those are your Top 5 Posts of 2014. Click on any post to see what the fuss is about.
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.
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.
“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]
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.
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Fun fact: “Thanks for the cache” in Klingon is ” Tlho’ vaD yoDjuH’a’So’ ”
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…
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?
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.
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?
