Geocaching - Not Just For GPS Geeks Anymore

For about ten years now, adventure seekers have been involved in a high tech game of hide 'n seek through the use of their GPS devices. The game is called Geocaching and, at last count, it has over 1 million players in over 100 countries around the world. Sounds like an excellent way to increase your level of enjoyment as you hike and explore the wilderness with family and friends, or even by yourself.

Without taking any credit away from smartphones, this game is definitely enhanced by the use of a dedicated GPS personal navigation device (PND). Makers such as Garmin, TomTom and Magellan all offer quality GPS systems which truly enhance the geocacher's experience.

The name of the GPS game is derived from the token treasures and log book which are typically placed in an airtight, waterproof container and hidden somewhere. Though the treasure may not typically have significant monetary value, it does have some personal value for the one who finds it. The whole assembly is referred to as a geocache or just simply a cache. The geographical GPS coordinates for the location of the caches are posted online as the game continues on.

Once you find the GPS geocache, just log your discovery into the logbook tucked in with the treasure(s). You can then choose to either add to the treasure, leave it as you found it, or take something away. If you do decide to remove part of the treasure, fellow players recommend leaving something of value in place of the item removed, enhancing the find for the next player.

There are times when a treasure of noteworthy value is placed in the cache, however, these caches are usually hidden in GPS locations that are difficult and challenging to reach. Having the coordinates for the cache is only half the battle. Once you arrive, you must figure out exactly where the treasure has been hidden, buried, hung, placed, etc. Be warned, as fellow geocachers can be extremely clever.

Before you decide to participate in the game, do a little online research to learn the geocaching lexicon, get ideas about the types of containers players are using, learn where in the world the game is being played and even find out about the many interesting variations that exist. Above all, get out and enjoy yourself.

Bradley Jacobs is a GPS enthusiast and touts the benefits of Garmin GPS, TomTom, Magellan, Lowrance, and other GPS system available with unmatched on-line store experience. With over 20 years of direct engineering, marketing, and customer service experience in the GPS industry, he is uniquely qualified to offer top-level support. His favorite distributor, GPS City, sells to thousands of customers in Canada, the USA, and worldwide. They range from small businesses to many Fortune 500 companies. From major universities and technical colleges to the Pentagon, Canada's DND, military and other government institutions.

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Article Submitted On: February 23, 2011