Tag: Extreme Geocaching

/ Eric Schudiske /

Here are 9 Geocaching Tools – What Else Should You Pack?

Click on the image for the answer to all nine pieces of geocaching gear
Nine pieces of important geocaching gear

Whether you’re geocaching in a park or grabbing a T5 from a rappel, having right tools may be the difference between a smiley and a DNF. In fact, thanks to some clever geocache hiders, some geocaches may require certain tools to be found. The tools in the photo above are some of our favorites that help make geocaching easier and more fun. Here’s a look at 9 essentials for your geocaching pack (smartphone with Geocaching App and/or GPS device not included):

1) Flashlight

2) Spare batteries (occasionally used to power motors that open geocaches)

3) Camera – Don’t forget to post your photos on our Facebook page

4) Utility tool – this also includes a tweezers to remove log books from micro caches

5) Pen – often best to bring more than one

6) A log roller – use this to help re-roll logs for micro caches

7) A magnetic pen – sometimes metal geocaches hide in hard to reach locations

8) Swag – bring this along to place in geocaches after you’ve found them

9) A retractable mirror – a smart geocachers tool for looking under benches

 

geocaching gear suppli
Even more geocaching gear

The funny thing is, when you ask people at Geocaching HQ for essential geocaching gear, sometimes… okay, all the time, there’s always even more gear. So here are four more pieces of gear geocachers at HQ use out on the trail. And if you’re a shorter geocacher or just need to extend your range a little – number 1 might be perfect for you.

1) Grabber thing – it really works!

2) Headlamp – Free up your hands for searching

3) UV light – This is mostly for night caches with special UV reflectors

4) Metal poking device – Sometimes it’s a good idea to poke things before reaching in with your hands

 

In the comments below, tell us what else people should bring along while geocaching!

/ Eric Schudiske

Explore the Eugene, Cascades & Coast GeoTour

Geocoin Explore more than 70 new geocaches from Oregon’s Coast to the waterfalls and lava fields of the Cascades on the Eugene Cascades & Coast GeoTour. Geocachers that complete the entire trip will earn two unique, locally made Geocoins that fit together like puzzle pieces.

Launched in October 2012, the McKenzie River Edition of the GeoTour winds along the lush wilderness of the McKenzie River. From old growth forests to secret gardens, this is a geocaching experience you don’t want to miss. Just ask the geocachers.

Kathryn, of Portland, was one of the first finishers. “The cache placements took us to new sights, trails, parks, all the reasons why I love caching so much,” raved Kathryn. “I really feel the tour was very well rounded and had something for everyone.”

The Florence Edition of the GeoTour launches March 9, 2013 at Driftwood Shores. This exciting new addition to the Eugene, Cascades & Coast GeoTour starts on the never ending beaches of the Central Oregon Coast, then takes geocachers to little-known hiking trails and favorite Old Town Florence gems. The more than 30 geocaches are worth every stop.

Book your Eugene, Cascades & Coast GeoTour Adventure today to take advantage of sweet geocaching deals and discounts fromEugene, Cascades & Coast.

/ Eric Schudiske /

A Really Big Geocache

The ammo-can geocache & the giant-sized TB

Mitchel Zimmerman stumbled into geocaching, or rather, geocaching stumbled into Mitchel Zimmerman.

He says, “I learned about geocaching when a group of geocachers stumbled out of the woods and into our backyard. They explained what they were doing, and the idea of ‘treasure hunting’ captivated me.” And what a fateful encounter this happy accident would turn out to be for the Pennsylvanian geocaching community.

Mitchel, a.k.a. mzairboy is now the creator and owner of the world’s largest replica ammo-can geocache.

One freezing January morning in 2011, Mitchel attended a Trackable discovery flash mob event. He was there to unveil his giant-sized Travel Bug. Yes, a giant-sized Travel Bug. Mitchel recalls, “During the event, a geocacher told me that all I needed was a geocache big enough to hide my giant travel bug in. That’s when the wheels in my head started turning.”

Mitchel and his masterpiece

Over the course of a year, Mitchel secretly designed and assembled his masterpiece. He says, “Deep in the cornfields of Lancaster County, a geocache of massive proportions was being built and no one knew about it.”

When it was finally completed, Mitchel invited geocachers to “The Grand Unveiling” (GC3WYY1). On October 6, 2012, geocachers arrived for the big event. While only a few guests knew what to expect, most were completely astonished by what they encountered.

A geocacher who attended the event writes, “This was certainly an event with a difference. Just the name ‘Grand Unveiling’ captured our curiosity. Happily, we were not disappointed. This ammo-can cache must be a candidate for the Guinness Book of Records. Thanks to mzairboy for thinking outside the box, organizing, and hosting this event.”

So, what’s next for this really big cache? Mitchel plans to eventually hide it as a geocache for everyone to find. For a sneak preview of Mitchel’s creation, check out this video.

Group photo

 

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Dog Finds Geocache

This is a 10 second video that may change how you train your dog. Geocacher of the Month, coast2coast2coast, shared this video of his dog Stewie, going into the final push for a geocache and coming out with the cache container.

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Dog Finds Geocache

Subscribe to the official Geocaching.com YouTube channel to be one of the first to see new videos about the evolving world of geocaching. Watch the more than 75 videos produced by Geocaching.com on our video page.

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

FTF 10 Years in the Making

FTF 10 Years in the Making (courtesy FradoMedia)

Belterra, Brazil seeps back into the rainforest. It’s a small town on the wrong side of progress. It’s getting smaller. A few thousand people now call the community home. The population has fallen from more than 10,000 when Belterra was at its peak as a rubber production hub.

At the beginning of 2012, a cache placed in Belterra in 2002, “Belterra” (GC3DF7), had never been found. The FTF (First to Find) on the cache remained unclaimed. The cache was without a log, without a DNF. No one logged even an attempt to find the cache for a decade… until this year.

German geocacher Frank Dornberger FradoMedia made his intentions clear to find the cache  at the end of 2011. He wrote a note on the cache page. “I will try to get to the cache in January, when I am in the area. I am really keen to find out if it is still there…” The jungle had crowded around the cache since it was placed. Frank still thought the cache was worth an attempt while traveling through the Amazon on vacation.

He wrote, “I found out that I was going to pass by close enough to try to get to this place. Some research about the area and even more proper preparation of the equipment was necessary to make sure that I could really get to this 1,5 star rated cache. Almost 13 hours on the plane and two days on the river Amazon, plus another hour in the car and a 15 minutes walk later, I was finally there.”

Frank at the geocache location in 2012 (courtesy FradoMedia)
Geocache location in 2002

But the “there” Frank saw in person was much different than the “there” he saw on the cache page from ten years ago. He wrote, “I was completely astonished what the place looked like. But after the first shock I thought, what could I have expected after 10 years of that temperature and humidity.” The open air building where the cache had been placed had completely collapsed. His only clue was that the cache was hidden inside a drawer.

His log reads, “… the building was almost completely rotten. So I went closer and into the rest of what was formerly an old house. I had my concerns that some of the wood would fall down and crash on my head, but I couldn’t resist. I had to look for the drawer… after about 45 minutes of searching and dragging I found a box that probably once was the cache.”

Frank new location of replacement cache (courtesy FradoMedia)

Frank says, “As I figured out  that the drawer was still in one piece and I saw the old glass bottles and then this black box I got pretty excited, of course. What was inside was a lump that looked more of coal than a logbook. So I cannot be 100% sure. But the location and everything  makes it very probable that I had a find.”

Frank logged a smiley and decided to keep the adventure alive for someone else to potentially be the STF (Second to Find) for this cache, “The hut is almost gone completely, but archiving the cache would be a pity. So I decided to place a new [cache] box nearby.”

FTF’s for Frank will now have to occur closer to home. He’s currently geocaching on the German island of  Rügen but says the trip to be FTF revealed a new piece of world, “Belterra is far away, that is true. But it is a little nice town nowadays, which is definitely worth a visit.”