May 6, 2014 / Eric Schudiske /

The 4 Most Common Geocache Hiding Mistakes

Make your geocache smile... 4 things to avoid when hiding a geocache — Make your geocache smile… 4 things to avoid when hiding a geocache

(Cough Cough) Hello class, and welcome to a quick installment of the 4 most Common Geocache Hiding Mistakes. Why read on? It’s like knowing the four common routes where there’s a bridge out, or heavy road construction, or a locust migration. These are all mistakes a new hider doesn’t have to make. Let’s learn together and if at any point you’d like to know more, check out the Hiding Overview for all you need to know.

Here are the four guidelines that potential cache owners most commonly overlook:

1) Choose an Appropriate Location

Think like a non-geocacher and ask yourself, “Self, am I placing this geocache somewhere where it could be mistaken for something dangerous?” Also ask yourself if geocache hunting behavior (i.e. looking through bushes) might draw attention in sensitive areas, like schools. And make sure you know whether or not geocaches are allowed in that location. Some areas require a permit, are private property, or don’t allow geocaching altogether. Ask a land manager or owner for permission when needed.

2) Consider Proximity to Other Geocaches

Geocaches must be at least 1/10 mile or 528 feet (161 meters) apart. Check the area for other geocaches before settling on a spot. There’s a great new planning map tool to help you, with red circles showing places that are already blocked by another geocache. It won’t tell you about secret locations, but it will catch a lot of the locations that have already been taken.

3) Avoid Commercialization/Agendas

Geocaches cannot be commercial or used to publicize an agenda. Sometimes people get tripped up by the commercial guideline unintentionally. There are lots of platforms that you can use to get the word out about your important cause or a business that you really (really) like, but geocaches are not an appropriate platform for that.

4) Don’t Damage Property

Telephone poles and stop signs seem like they are public property because they are so familiar, but they are the property of the city or utility company. Don’t damage things in the environment. Screwing or drilling into a live tree creates an pathway for insects and disease. Never bury a geocache, even partway. If you have to make a hole in the ground, it’s not OK.

Follow these four tips and you’ll avoid many of the common hurdles geocache hiders face. And while this is the end of this blog post, it’s not the end of what you need to know. Check out the Hiding Overview before placing a geocache and avoid these pitfalls and create smiles like the one below!

This is the "OMG" look we're aiming for. — This is the “OMG” look we’re aiming for.

May 4, 2014 / Derek H /

5 Tips for Getting Your Film into GIFF 2014

Last Year's GIFF Geocoin. Photos by Suzi-Pratt.com — Last Year’s GIFF Geocoin. Photos by Suzi-Pratt.com

By Reid,

Around this time last year, my co-HQer and the great Geocaching Block Party organizer, Amy, said something like, “Hey Reid, so it turns out we have access to a very large screen for Block Party. What should we do with it?” After a thoughtful pause I said, “What if we hosted a film festival?” Amy did a giddy dance and the Geocaching International Film Festival (GIFF) was officially born. In true “If you build it they will come” fashion, the ambitious idea was a success. We received over 100 submissions from more than 20 countries! After spending three years of telling the stories of geocachers for Geocaching HQ, I was truly inspired to see how the community chose to tell their own. Our inaugural GIFF was such a hit that we decided to do it again this year.

Crawling around in a cave. Anything for the shot!

It has now been four years that I’ve been running through forests, crouching into caves, and crawling through sewers to tell the stories of people who love to find and hide geocaches. I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes for good geocaching video, and with the help of the GIFF judges from HQ, I have compiled five tips to up your chances of being one of the finalists for this year’s Geocaching International Film Festival.

1. Less is More

Just because you can submit up to 4 minutes of video doesn’t necessarily mean you should. When I make videos I think, “What is the simplest way I can tell this story?” Then, I add from there if I can’t resist. This will help you focus on what is truly important and keep your audience engaged. Last year’s finalist, Godzilla Goes Geocaching, is a great example of a geocacher who used 1 minute and 32 seconds to tell his story.

2. Global Appeal

How are you going to communicate your love of the game to 9 million geocachers from more than 185 countries? Something that might be amazing for your local community may not speak to the global community. One of last year’s finalists, Geocaching Day, is a story told without dialogue that speaks to the adventurous spirit of geocachers everywhere.

GIFF on the Big Screen. Photos by Suzi-Pratt.com

3. Focus on Quality

We understand if geocaching comes before filmmaking on your hobby list—we’re not looking for Hollywood here. We are, however, looking for videos that will look and sound good on the big screen. If you can, use a tripod and an external mic. If you can’t, have your actors speak close to your on-camera mic and use a natural tripod like a tree or your friend’s shoulder. For inspiration, check out last year’s winner for Best Cinematography: Galaxy Cache. For more technical tips, I highly recommend checking out Vimeo’s Video School.

4. Follow the Rules

For real. We had to deny one of our favorite films last year because they didn’t have permission for the songs they used. If you’re serious about being considered as a finalist, I recommend grabbing a coffee, a snack, a highlighter and reading through the GIFF guidelines.

5. Have Fun!

If you’re not having fun making your film, your audience won’t have fun watching it. Though I know they didn’t get much sleep, I’m pretty sure the creators of My Geocaching Addiction had a pretty good time putting it together. Oh, and they just happened to take home the Audience Award.

We are on the edges of our exercise ball chairs over here at HQ to see what you come up with for GIFF 2014.

You can also see all of last year’s finalists here.

Not going to submit, but want to watch the finalists on the big screen? Log your will attend here.

Geocachers watching the GIFF 2013 Finalists. Photos by Suzi-Pratt.com

May 3, 2014 / Derek H /

Now You Can Find a Geocache on a Scrabble Board

Geocache will be added to the official Scrabble dictionary.

9 Years, 16 competitors, 1000s of Votes, 16 points

Earlier this month, Hasbro, the company behind the game of Scrabble, held a contest for fans to vote for the first word to be added to the official Scrabble dictionary in nine years. It. Was. A. Big. Deal. The contest began with 16 competitors, but the worldwide Geocaching community made its voice heard and carryied ‘Geocache’ (worth 16 points without any special squares) to the final spot.

First off, from all of us at Geocaching HQ, we want to give you a resounding thank you. You showed your pride for the game we all love and you all came through in a big way. Here’s a quick recap and a somewhat biased play-by-play of the competitors Geocache went up against, and ultimately defeated:

The contest bracket, via the Hasbro Game Night Facebook page.

Geocache vs. Bitcoin

Bitcoin may have had the upper hand if voting were only accessible via Tor, but ultimately, it never stood a chance. This obscure, highly volatile internet currency may have been in the headlines recently, but it’s longevity is still unproven. Geocache took an early lead and never looked back.

Geocache vs. Cosplay

Don’t get me wrong—some of the creativity and craftsmanship that goes into cosplay is incredible. The attention to detail is impeccable. However, we have geocache makers who apply that same level of creativity and ingenuity into geocache containers. Plus, after the geocache is created, you actually get to go find it and touch it—which in my opinion, gives geocache the upper hand.

Geocache vs. Ew

This one was a tough battle. At some point, we’ve all probably said ‘ew’ while geocaching. It all came down to this: ‘ew’ isn’t actually a word. While it’s something we’ve all said, you won’t find it in a dictionary. Match goes to geocache.

Geocache vs. Zen

It all came down to this. Zen may be useful in Scrabble, and many people campaigned for its acceptance—however, the Geocaching community was too strong. Zen was a formidable opponent and would have had a significant impact on the game. If it were a person, we’d give it a gentlemanly handshake and congratulate it on a well-fought contest.

On April 10, 2014, Geocache was announced as the winner on the United States TV show, Good Morning America. The story was then picked up by news outlets like ABC, the Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal and even TIME. Since then, we’ve seen plenty of people who were following the Scrabble vote who didn’t know about geocaching pick up the hobby we all know and love.

Thanks again for everyone who voted and helped make Geocache the first word added to the official Scrabble dictionary by public vote.

April 30, 2014 / Derek H /

I have to stick my hand where?!? — The Federation MUST PAY! (GCGX5D) — Geocache of the Week

These fierce lions guard the geocache. Be sure not to wake them up! Photo by geocacher Altmans3

Geocache Name:

The Federation MUST PAY! (GCGX5D)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

4/1.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

To earn a smiley and watch your find count tick up another notch, there are few things geocachers wouldn’t do. We’ve seen geocachers hike for miles, climb mountains, rappel off structures and wade through mud. To find this geocache though, you’re going to have to take it a step further. I won’t give it away (spoilers below in the photos, FYI) but you’ll have to be brave and stick your hand somewhere you’re not entirely sure about. And aside from the bravery, this geocache adds a bit of humor to the geocaching experience, which is never a bad thing. For the hundreds of geocachers who have conquered their fears and gone for it: the results have been overwhelmingly positive. So the question is, are you brave enough?

# of Finds:

513

# of Favorite Points:

112

What geocachers are saying:

“Hahaha!! What an awesome cache!! Thanks so much for the laugh” – sunbeammm

“Urban caching is usually not my favourite. This one made lot of fun. When 4 people climbing on a fountain in the middle of a crowded area this is absolutely a joy.” – maulaf_normanne

“Oh what a hoot! I had heard stories and tall tales about this one. Nice downtown area with only a few muggles around. Looked and pondered and looked some more. Spent time trying to retrieve something that wasn’t the cache, but in the failed effort to do I was inspired to stick my hand in the right place.” – Joshism

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

Photos:

Taunting the beast. Photo by geocacher fatkidsOTWunite

I just hope the lion didn't wake up after this. Photo by geocacher haley4tn — I just hope the lion didn’t wake up after this. Photo by geocacher haley4tn

Sometimes you just have to go for it. Photo by geocacher hiddenrock

When was the last time you had to summon your bravery in order to make a find? Tell us in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, leave a comment below with the name of the geocache, the GC code, and why you think we should feature it.

Official Blog

The 4 Most Common Geocache Hiding Mistakes

1) Choose an Appropriate Location

2) Consider Proximity to Other Geocaches

4) Don’t Damage Property

5 Tips for Getting Your Film into GIFF 2014

1. Less is More

2. Global Appeal

3. Focus on Quality

4. Follow the Rules

5. Have Fun!

We are on the edges of our exercise ball chairs over here at HQ to see what you come up with for GIFF 2014.

You can also see all of last year’s finalists here.

Not going to submit, but want to watch the finalists on the big screen? Log your will attend here.

Now You Can Find a Geocache on a Scrabble Board

9 Years, 16 competitors, 1000s of Votes, 16 points

Geocache vs. Bitcoin

Geocache vs. Cosplay

Geocache vs. Ew

Geocache vs. Zen

I have to stick my hand where?!? — The Federation MUST PAY! (GCGX5D) — Geocache of the Week

Geocache Name:

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

# of Finds:

# of Favorite Points:

What geocachers are saying:

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

Photos:

When was the last time you had to summon your bravery in order to make a find? Tell us in the comments.

Instagram

1) Choose an Appropriate Location

2) Consider Proximity to Other Geocaches

4) Don’t Damage Property

World Wide Flash Mob – The Spice of Geocaching Life

1. Less is More

2. Global Appeal

3. Focus on Quality

4. Follow the Rules

5. Have Fun!

We are on the edges of our exercise ball chairs over here at HQ to see what you come up with for GIFF 2014.

You can also see all of last year’s finalists here.

Not going to submit, but want to watch the finalists on the big screen? Log your will attend here.

9 Years, 16 competitors, 1000s of Votes, 16 points

Geocache vs. Bitcoin

Geocache vs. Cosplay

Geocache vs. Ew

Geocache vs. Zen

Geocache Name:

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

# of Finds:

# of Favorite Points:

What geocachers are saying:

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

Photos:

When was the last time you had to summon your bravery in order to make a find? Tell us in the comments.

Instagram