GUIDE TO GEOCACHING IN THE AVON REGION:
TREASURE HUNTING IN THE DIGITAL ERA
I can’t lie around and be lazy. I am a Thing-Finder, and when you’re a Thing-Finder you don’t have a minute to spare… The whole world is full of things, and somebody has to look for them.
- Pippi Longstocking
Created By: 2016 West Hants Recreation Department Overview
Introduction – The Game
Preparing To Go Geocaching
Acronyms, Terms, & Definitions
Types of Geocaches
Using the West Hants Recreation GPS Units
"We never seek things for themselves – what we seek is the very seeking of things." - Blaise Pascal Introduction: The Game
What Is Geocaching? Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.
Necessities: The only necessities are a GPS device or a GPS-enabled mobile phone so that you can navigate to the cache, and a Geocaching.com membership.
The Rules: Geocaching Etiquette If you take something from the geocache (or "cache"), leave something of equal or greater value. Write about your find in the cache logbook. Log your experience at www.geocaching.com.
Geocaches can be found all over the world. It is common for geocachers to hide caches in locations that are important to them, reflecting a special interest or skill of the cache owner. These locations can be quite diverse. They may be at your local park, at the end of a long hike, underwater or on the side of a city street. Often, caches are hidden near locations that are of historic/cultural significance, or in scenic areas off the beaten path that may often go unnoticed. Geocaching is a fun way to discover and share these special places that you might not normally have discovered on your own!
The Basics: 8 Simple Steps 1. Register for a free Basic Membership. 2. Visit the "Hide & Seek a Cache" page. 3. Enter your postal code and click "search." 4. Choose any geocache from the list and click on its name. 5. Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS Device. 6. Use your GPS device to assist you in finding the hidden geocache. 7. Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location. 8. Share your geocaching stories and photos online.
There are many other levels to the game. Keep reading the guide to learn more!
Warning: Objects in GPS may be closer than they appear! Preparing to Go Geocaching
Check the Difficulty/Terrain Rating and the Weather
Every geocache listed on the Geocaching Website comes with a 5-star difficulty/terrain rating.
A geocache with a rating of 1/1 might be in plain sight once you are in the vicinity or its location is fairly obvious; the terrain would be fairly flat and usually wheelchair accessible.
A hide with a rating of 5/5 will require you to think outside the box; be prepared for a strenuous hike/climb over extreme terrain. Specialized equipment (a boat, for instance) may be required for some caches.
The variety of difficulty/terrain ratings provides a range of challenges and rewarding experiences for beginners and more seasoned geocachers/outdoor enthusiasts alike.
Start your introduction to geocaching by going after some caches with lower difficulty/terrain ratings. After you have been successful in making a few finds, try some slightly more challenging ones.
Stay within your comfort range for physical activity and consider teaming up with friends or family to share the enjoyment of your treasure hunt!
And before you leave, make sure you check the weather and prepare accordingly.
Pack Your Adventure Kit Your GPS Device or phone (with data): c:geo is a free app for Android phones and there is a paid app available from Groundspeak Inc. A pen/pencil for signing logs Bug Repellant (if you’re not in the city) A glove (if you’re the kind of person who worries about sticking your hand in questionable places in the woods) First Aid Kit: Tweezers Ibuprofen Safety Pins Antihistamine Antibiotic Ointment Gatorade powdered drink Antiseptic Towelettes (emergency electrolytes, energy) Wound Closure Strips Signaling device (whistle, mirror) Moleskin or duct tape for blisters Safety Matches/fire-starter Band-Aids Mylar blanket ACE bandage Bandanna (for splints)
Dollarstore safety glasses (if planning to search for geocaches in a thick brush/woods) Outdoor gear (hat, sunscreen, walking stick, pocketknife, boots, etc.) Extra batteries (if you have a GPS. Otherwise, you might be sure to have a car charger in your car just in case) Something to swap in case you find something cool (you aren’t required to take anything from the cache if you don’t want to, and many people don’t. For some, it’s more about the hunt than the treasure)
There are two things to keep in mind if you do want to swap: Don’t leave money, food, adult material or promotional items Make sure the item you leave is close in value to what you took
Be creative with it if you decide to leave something (some dedicated geocachers have a signature item they leave at every cache) just don’t spend too much money. Always try and leave the cache better than you found it. There isn’t anything more disappointing than finding a cache full of trash or used junk.
Acronyms, Terms & Definitions
Acronyms
TFTH: "Thanks For The Hide". When logging a find online at www.geocaching.com this is a common shorthand way of indicating that you appreciate the Cache Owner’s efforts to hide geocaches and to bring you to places you might not normally have discovered on your own. It is best to include a comment – even a short one – each time you log a find online and finish the comment with TFTH, instead of just writing TFTH.
TFTC: "Thanks For The Cache". Same as TFTH
TNLN: "Took Nothing Left Nothing". No trades made, no items left in the geocaching container.
SL: "Signed Log". Every geocache will have a paper logbook. Geocachers are required to sign the log to show they found the geocache, and sign with their geocaching.com username instead of their real name. Cache owners and other geocachers appreciate reading the online logs; try to write something interesting and meaningful whenever possible, instead of just writing TFTH.
BYOP: "Bring Your Own Pencil". Sometimes the geocache container is too small to accommodate a pen/pencil. It’s a good idea to carry a couple of pencils/pens with you, as they frequently get lost.
CO: “Cache Owner”. The person who hid the geocache.
CITO: "Cache In, Trash Out". On your way to find the geocache, pick up trash and clean up the area. Geocachers also regularly organize group cleanup projects for highways and beaches. The Annapolis Valley geocachers have adopted Exit 17 on Highway 101 and have been meeting for twice-yearly CITO clean-up events for many years now.
DNF: "Did Not Find“. Post this on geocaching.com if you’re unable to find the geocache. Other seekers may be able to give you some tips, and DNF alerts the Cache Owner that the container may be missing and will need to be replaced.
“I use multi-billion dollar satellites to find tupperware hidden in the woods. What do you do?" Acronyms
D/T: "Difficulty and Terrain". Scales of 1 to 5 for each, one being the easiest.
FTF: "First To Find". First geocacher who finds the cache can post this in the log and get special bragging rights.
GPSr: "Global Position Satellite Receiver". Shorthand for GPS device.
GZ: "Ground Zero". The location where the cache is hidden, where the GPSr reading is 0 meters. Note that GPS devices are typically accurate to within a radius of 5 meters, although weather conditions, tree cover and terrain may affect the signal. Start looking around for the geocache once you get within 5- 10 metres of the expected location.
WF: “Winter Friendly”. The geocache is hidden high enough off the ground so as not to be buried by snow during a typical winter. This can vary greatly, from a couple of feet off the ground to six feet.
P ‘n’ G: “Park and Grab”. Usually a geocache that you can drive right up to and it will be just a few steps from the car, and a quick and easy find.
SWAG: "Stuff We All Get". Tradeable items/trinkets that can be left or traded in a cache container. Avoid leaving food, strongly-scented, adult or promotional items as swag.
TB: “Travel Bug”. A trackable item that is moved from cache to cache. It has a unique number that allows its movements to be tracked online.
“I use multi-billion dollar satellites to find tupperware hidden in the woods. What do you do?" Terms and Definitions
Bison tube: A small cylindrical container with a screw top and O-ring, with just enough space to contain a small logsheet.
Geocoin: Small minted coins with the geocaching logo on one side and a customized impression on the other. Like travel bugs, they can be tracked through Geocaching.com.
Lock-n-Lock: A small square or round airtight plastic food container that is commonly covered with camouflage tape and used as a geocaching container
Muggle: A non-geocacher. Caches are often hidden at public parks and public places so many times there will be people there hanging out or going about their normal business and in Geocaching terminology they are referred to as Muggles. It's a Harry Potter term that means un-magical people.
Spoiler: A hint that tells of the exact location of a cache before someone finds it. Same as a movie spoiler.
Travel bug: A trackable item that is moved from cache to cache. It has a unique number that allows its movements to be tracked online at www.geocaching.com
Waypoint: A selected point of interest location that can be saved, stored, and recalled from the GPS receiver’s memory. Cache locations are saved as waypoints.
No, the gps says it's over here! You're not even clo... Oh, you found it!? Types of Geocaches
There are several different types and sizes of geocaches, and knowing what you’re getting into before you leave can minimize the frustration in searching. If you are beginning, you might want to avoid a micro sized geocache until you get the hang of it.
Traditional Geocache – This geocache will probably be the most straight- forward type. It will be a container located at the given coordinates, usually with a logbook for you to sign and treasures to exchange. Just because they are traditional doesn’t mean they won’t be camouflaged though, so keep your eyes peeled.
Multi-Cache – These geocaches involve more than one location, sort like a scavenger hunt often with clues leading to the next part. The final location will usually involve a physical container with a book you can sign or some treasures to exchange.
EarthCache – This type of cache isn’t necessarily a physical container, but rather coordinates to a special geological location where you can learn about a unique feature of the earth. It generally includes a set of educational notes along with coordinates. To log this as a find, you will have to provide answers to question by observing the geological location. For more information, check out EarthCache.org.
Virtual Cache – This is usually some form of a unique object existing on the landscape—possibly a monument of some kind with no container to find at all.
Letterbox Hybrid – Letterboxing is a sort of lite form of geocaching, often involving clues instead of coordinates. In some cases, the owner will have made the container both a letterbox and a geocache and posted coordinates. If there is a stamp inside, it isn’t intended for trade–it is so visitors can record their visit. To read more about letterboxing, check out Letterboxing North America.
Mystery or Puzzle Caches – This type of geocache is not at the posted location or coordinates. You will need to solve a puzzle first, in order to determine the correct coordinates.
Event Caches – These are not actual physical containers but, as the name suggests, events for geocachers to get together. The size of the event may vary but usually includes some activities and a chance to meet other geocachers. Monthly Meet and Greet events take place in a restaurant in New Minas and beginner geocachers are always welcome to attend.
Locationless (Reverse) Cache – A Locationless Cache could be considered the opposite of a Traditional Cache. Instead of finding a hidden container, you locate a specific object and log its coordinates.
"Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party." - Jimmy Buffett Geocache Containers
Knowing what size container you are looking for is often very useful as you check out possible hiding places for a geocache. Every geocache listed on www.geocaching.com or on your phone app will provide some indication of the container size; however, sometimes the cache container is a unique item whose size doesn’t fit neatly into the categories. Some of these containers can be very well camouflaged and blend in completely with their environment. The satisfaction of finding such hides is even greater!
Micro – A micro cache is small enough to hide just about anywhere and has enough room for a logsheet and not much else (think 35 mm film canister or prescription pill container or smaller). Some have magnets so they can be attached to objects in urban environments.
Small – A small cache would have room for a logbook and a few small tradeable items. A juice box/drinking box would be about the size of a small geocache.
Regular – A regular cache has a logbook and room for larger tradeable items. It would be about the size of a large mayonnaise container.
Large – A large cache typically has enough space to accommodate a pair of hiking boots. Ammo cans fit into this category and it’s always a treat to discover one and examine its contents.
Other – For when a little extra surprise or challenge is needed, the geocache size is listed as “Other.” Also, it is used when knowing the size of the container would completely give away where the cache is hidden.
Nano – This is part of the category “Micro” and not an official size. This geocache is the tiniest and is about the size of the first section of your little finger, and often magnetic. Get ready for a challenge when you are searching for one of these!
Some common and some cleverly camouflaged geocache containers. Get out there and have fun searching! Using the West Hants Recreation GPS Units Step 1. Turn on the GPS Push and hold the “Power and Backlight Key”
Step 2. Allow GPS Time to Connect
Step 3. Mark your CAR as a “Waypoint & turn on “Tracks” (see next page for further details on how to do this)
Step 5. Select desired geocache coordinates Step 4. Open and click “Go” “Geocaches” Icon (navigate and select using thumbstick) Note: For caches that involve hiking, once you drive as far as you can, you should load the latitude and longitude of your car into your unit. Label this waypoint “car”. It’s easy to allow your enthusiasm for the find to wipe out your memory of where you parked. Waypoints There are four ways to create new waypoints. 1. Mark your current position: find the menu page or the button that says “Mark”. Select that option or press the button to be taken to a confirmation screen. Choose “OK” and now your waypoint is saved in the GPS memory. The points are often named in numeric sequence by default, but you rename it to be more meaningful to you – CAR; CAMP; TRAILHEAD, etc. 2. Get coordinates from your map: 3. Enter the distance and bearing from a waypoint that is already in your GPS 4. Create a waypoint from a location on the map screen of your GPS by moving the cursor to the point where you wish to create a waypoint.
You can find more information on these techniques at: http://www.lowergear.com/advice.php/content/how_to_use_gps Other Useful Resources
https://www.geocaching.com/guide/
http://gpstracklog.com/2014/06/geocaching-tips-beginners.html
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getoutside/explore/beginners-guide- to-geocaching/
http://factsfacts.com/geocacher.htm
http://clear.uconn.edu/geospatial/GPS/PDFs/A%20Beginners%20Guid e%20to%20Geocaching.pdf
http://louisianageocaching.org/downloads/The-Complete-Beginners- Guide-to-Geocaching4.pdf
http://www.lowergear.com/advice.php/content/how_to_use_gps HAPPY ADVENTURING!
BEKAH REAGAN – ACTIVE LIVING COORDINATOR 902.798.2910 (W) 902.790.9647 (C) [email protected]
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns