Ahoy! Any true pirate knows th’ best treasures be hidden far away from th’ shore, tucked away, ‘n safe from bein’ picked off by scalawags (muggles). Legend has it that a cap’n (cacheowner) by th’ name o’ MrFisherman hid thar treasure deep in th’ woods. Four pieces o’ th’ booty map be in th’ vast wilderness awaitin’ discovery ‘n be put together.
Now be advised, th’ mosquitoes in them thar waters be as large as whales! So in th’ heat of the summer, bring yer harpoon or a bottle o’ bug repellent. Beware this be no ordinary treasure hunt. She covers about nigh-on o’ ankle twistin’ trails ‘n a good amount o’ bushwackin’, but she’s worth a bag o’ gold!
A treasure chest awaits ye at th’ final stage o’ th’ Multi-Cache. Will ye live to tell th’ tale o’ th’ Twin Pirates Treasure Hunt?
Fans of the HBO series Game of Thrones will be familiar with the fictional setting of Westeros, but did you know that many of the filming locations used for the cold and icy north are in Northern Ireland? We’re warned that ‘winter is coming’ and that’s certainly true on the Emerald Isle when a warm, sunny day is often followed by a stormy, wintery one. However the changeable weather is probably not what attracted Game of Thrones producers to Northern Ireland; the breathtaking landscapes and magical ruins were a much more likely draw.
There are lots of great geocaches placed near filming locations so you can do your own Game of Thrones caching tour. Here are some of the highlights:
Normally, one must take a ferry to find the remote geocache, “The Sanctuary of Monteisola” in Lombardia, Italy. Then, one must hike for an hour uphill, passing small hamlets along the way with century-old churches filled with frescoes and statues. The views are spectacular, glorious, and oh-so-romantic.
You should always, always, ALWAYS bring a pen, but what else should you bring caching? Here are the Top 10 items to carry in your geocaching bag. What are your geocaching must-haves?
1. GPS/smartphone and extra batteries/charger. Don’t lose the juice. Keep your GPS or smartphone charged when going for hikes far away from any outlets.
2. SWAG for trading.SWAG = stuff we all get. One golden rule about geocaching: if you take something, leave something of equal or higher value. Keep a few fun items in your bag to trade.
3. Extra logbooks and pencils. Yes, it’s the cache owner’s responsibility to maintain their caches. But hey, if you find a logbook that’s full, or a broken pencil in a cache, do a good deed for a fellow cache owner. You can even let them know when writing your log or through the Message center. #WINNING
4. Snacks and water. Looking for geocaches can be grueling work. Maintain your energy and stay hydrated to keep your caching game strong!
5. Sunscreen. ‘Nuff said
6. Bug spray. NOT Travel Bug® spray! (You want to attract those). Repel pesky critters like mosquitos and ticks with insect repellent. The yuckier they think you are, the better!
7. Rain gear. So you suddenly see a bank of storm clouds headed your way just as you approach the cache, and you’re more than an hour away from your car. Always stay dry and bring a waterproof jacket or poncho.
8. Tools of the Trade — TOTT. Penlight? Check. Mirror? Check. Magnet? Check. Clampy-thing? Check. Pocket knife? Check. TOTT all accounted for. Let’s go!
9. Flashlight. Ever put your hand deep into a tree hollow then feel around for a cache without being able to actually see where your hand is? Yeah. We did, once. Now we always bring a flashlight.
10. First aid kit. Hopefully the only injury you incur while caching is a bruised ego from that DNF. But if anything more serious happens, make sure you’re prepared.
But more than anything, make sure you always, always, ALWAYS bring a pen!
So you’ve heard about this “geocaching” thing for a while now, and you’ve finally signed up on Geocaching.com or through the Geocaching® app. You’ve done a search, selected a great cache to find, and now you’re within 30 feet of the cache. So, now what?
Here are ten tips for newbies looking for their first geocache.
