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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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
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
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.
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.
Word on the street is, Mega-Events are the best thing since sliced bread
These geocaching parties of 500+ people offer more than a meet-and-greet of other geocachers—though that’s bound to happen too. Mega-Events are more like a celebration of all facets of the hobby we love. Often centered around a theme (ahem, *Pirates*), Mega-Events happen all over the world and are a must for every geocacher. Find one near you.
Were you there? Can you find yourself? GeoWoodstock XII.Living in or visiting Germany? You’ll never be short on awesome events.
Not sure if Mega-Events are your thing?
Geocaching HQ’er Chris (Rock Chalk) discusses his experiences at four Mega-Events this past year, and you can be sure that no two Mega-Events are alike.
By Chris Ronan
I’ve had the good fortune (and the necessary vacation time) to attend four Mega-Events in 2014. I’ve found Mega-Events to be much like any geocaching event in that they reflect the personality and geocaching style of the host community. However, they’re larger than typical events, as an event must have 500+ attendees to achieve Mega-Event status.
At this time last year, I had no idea what a Mega-Event was about, or whether I’d enjoy attending. Perhaps my experiences might be useful as you peruse the list of upcoming Mega-Events around the world.
S*W*A*G’s Yuma Mega #11
Held in Yuma, AZ, this was my first Mega-Event. I lived in Kansas at the time, so this was a wonderful mid-winter break from Midwestern winter. It was my first experience with Lab Caches, which took me on a great tour through the area. There’s a great variety of caching around Yuma—from power trails such as the Arizona Star Geo-Art and the S*W*A*G Geo-Art to higher-terrain hiking and climbing caches.
Logbook at the S.W.A.G. Yuma Mega-Event.
MOGA 2014
Unlike the Yuma Mega-Event, MOGA is held in a different place each year. The 2014 version took place in Athens, OH in late March. The perfect time for a road trip from Kansas! MOGA was where I experienced my first and only geocaching competition. The organizers took a different approach to Lab Caches, but they were just as enjoyable as what I’d seen in Yuma. The area offered a wonderful variety of geocaches. MOGA 2015 will be held in Jackson, MO, less than two hours from St. Louis.
A map-style logbook at the MOGA Mega-Event.
Geowoodstock XII
Geowoodstock XII was held just 30 minutes from St. Louis, in the historic river town of St. Charles, MO. The immediate area is more urban than Yuma or Athens, which meant yet another different style of caching. Fittingly, the Lab Caches focused on the area’s amazing history. Speaking of history, GeoWoodstock XIII is to be held in Boonsboro, MD. I could talk for days about all the great caching in that area, but definitely don’t miss the Wherigo at Antietam National Battlefield. It’s one of my favorite caches ever!
If you’re lucky, you might see Signal at a Mega-Event.
3IEE
Shortly after joining the staff of Geocaching HQ, I took a weekend to enjoy my first international Mega-Event in Duncan, British Columbia. 3IEE was a complete departure from my previous three Mega-Events, as it focused on EarthCaches. I’m no geology genius, but I walked away feeling like even I might be able to construct an enjoyable EarthCache, thanks to the many educational opportunities at the event. The Lab Caches introduced me to the beautiful Cowichan Valley. And, of course, I nabbed my first Canada caches, which were very cool!
At the International EarthCache Mega-Event!
I’ve had the chance to meet geocachers from around the world and enjoy very different geocaching experiences in some neat places. In fact, I’ve already booked another vacation to sunny Arizona for S*W*A*G Yuma Mega Event #12 on February 8, 2015. See you there!
Ping! That’s the sound of your phone or email notifying you when a new geocache is published nearby. Grab your geo-bag, gps device, and get moving… you want to be the FTF (First To Find).
Discovering new geocaches before anyone else. Image by @gc_steph
Why would I want to be FTF?
Being FTF on a geocache is an exciting experience. You get to discover the newly published geocache prior to everyone else in the community and you get to brag about it 😉 . On many occasions, geocache owners will leave a small gift for the first geocacher to discover their cache. Prizes? Heck yes!
Photo by @officialtinysupermanCash prize! Image by Instagrammer @ruznuz
How do I set up instant notifications to let me know when a new geocache is published (only applicable to Premium Members)?
You can custom build notifications under Premium Member features.
Choose a cache type to monitor (e.g. Traditionals, Events, etc.)
Choose the types of logs you want to see (if you are just looking for newly published caches, choose “Publish Listing”)
Set the location (central point) and distance (around that point) you want to watch.
Check the email listed in the “Send to” drop-down menu. (If you would like to send Instant Notifications to an alternate email,you will need to manage your email addresses first.)
Check “Enable Notifications”.
Select “Create Notification” and you are set!
For addition information on Instant and Text Notifications please go here.
FTF! Image by @driftsolo
How can I add FTF to my statistics?
Geocaching.com does not have a feature that showcases FTFs, as Geocaching HQ does not regulate or manage FTFs. However, many geocachers use outside statistics-generating sites such as GSAK.net or MyGeocachingProfile.com to display their FTFs on their profile pages.
