While many of us are still being asked to stay safe by staying home, it\u2019s also important to acknowledge that others are able to go geocaching safely. Maybe you\u2019re wondering what you can do to keep yourself and other cachers safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As cities, parks, and trails start to open up, here are ten tips to keep in mind as you begin to venture back out caching:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
BYOP (Bring Your Own Pen). <\/strong>Using your own pen can help minimize the spread of germs from other cachers to you. We know, we know, we\u2019re supposed to BYOP anyway, but let\u2019s be honest, we\u2019ve all forgotten to bring a pen with us while out caching. If you\u2019re always forgetting a pen, consider getting one that clips onto your keys<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use a custom stamp.<\/strong> A custom stamp is another great way to avoid the spread of germs. Many dedicated geocachers make or order custom stamps with their usernames. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wear a mask and gloves. <\/strong>Masks and gloves protect you and your fellow cachers from any germs you might transfer via touching a geocache. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bring hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes. <\/strong>Even if you\u2019re gloving up, consider bringing something to wipe down the cache after you\u2019ve found it. Tiny packages of disinfectant wipes also make great SWAG items!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Search for caches that haven\u2019t been found in a while. <\/strong>Avoid other cachers altogether by searching for Lonely Caches. You can use the Lonely caches tool<\/a> provided by Project GC to find caches close to you that haven\u2019t been found in a long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Search for isolated caches. <\/strong>Along the same lines, you can avoid running into cachers and muggles alike by choosing caches outside the city, far from anyone\u2014or anything\u2014else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cache at off-peak times.<\/strong> You\u2019re more likely to run into cachers and muggles alike on a sunny Saturday at 2 pm. Consider switching up your schedule and caching early in the morning, when the weather isn\u2019t ideal, or try your hand at night caching to avoid contact with other people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Focus on caches without physical components. <\/strong>Think EarthCaches, Webcam Caches, Virtual Caches, or Adventure Labs! There are lots of options to get that smiley without touching anything you don\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Write a thoughtful log. <\/strong>This is a great way to let cachers after you know what your experience was like. Was the trail more crowded than expected? Did you leave some disinfectant wipes? Help a fellow cacher out, and let them know in your log!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cache at your own pace. <\/strong>Please follow the guidelines from your regional health officials, and remember that guidance varies from location to location. If you can\u2019t cache yet, sit tight\u2026 and in the meantime, check out our tips on how to stay a geocacher while you stay home<\/a>! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While many of us are still being asked to stay safe by staying home, it\u2019s also important to acknowledge that others are able to go geocaching safely. Maybe you\u2019re wondering what you can do to keep yourself and other cachers safe. As cities, parks, and trails start to open up, here are ten tips to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":76177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[134],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-76097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/d3mo08i005h0zn.cloudfront.net\/blog\/uploads\/2020\/06\/MailerSuite_0602_Ten-tips-for-safe-geocaching_vFINAL_1_Mailer_Blog-800x450.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/www.geocaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/www.geocaching.com\/blog\/feed\/podcast\/inside-geocaching-hq-podcast","embedCode":"Ten tips for safe geocaching<\/a><\/blockquote>