Forums
Flash Intro-"Geocaching"
6 minute Movie-"Searching for a cache"
Basic Info
- Buy or borrow a Global Positioning System receiver. A basic unit is the Garmin eTrex GPS or Magellan GPS 315. Both cost about $100 and can be found at stores such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy or online at http://www.amazon.com
- Find a cache near you at <http://www.geocaching.com> Enter a ZIP code and the site will list nearby caches. Select a cache, such as "Geocache by Ray" or "Arboretum One" and click on its "details" button. Write down the cache's coordinates and print out the description. Use the online mapping site link at the bottom of the page to get driving directions to the location.
- While still at home, enter into your GPS receiver the coordinates of the cache as they are listed on the Web site. Coordinates -- such as N 39 degrees 24.661; W degrees 094 14.86 -- describe the latitude and longitude of the site.
- Follow the driving directions until you can drive no closer to the cache and park your car. Follow the arrow on your GPS receiver as it leads you to the cache. Be aware that heavy tree cover can block the GPS signal. Once you leave your car, it could take anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes to find the cache.
- The GPS signal will fluctuate once you are within 100 feet of the cache, so from that point on, you're on your own. Check around stumps and under rock and leaf piles. Remember that almost all caches are placed above ground, so no digging!
- Congratulations! You've found the cache. Take an item, leave an item and record your experience in the logbook. Reseal the cache and put it back exactly the way you found it.
When you get home, e-mail the person who hid the cache and let him know you found it. Also, post a description of your experience on the cache's online page at <http://www.geocaching.com>
Have Fun !GPS info ... Minnesota Geocaching Association ... Geocaching videos
Attachment: etrex.jpg
Minnesota caches by kingboreas
http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/751901.html
Others include those such as Ian Stevens, who chose his Geocaching nickname, King Boreas, because his family hunts for the St. Paul Winter Carnival Medallion every January. "That's only once a year," said Stevens, who works overnight for Metropolitan Transit Commission and often spends a few hours hiding caches after he leaves work at 10:30 a.m. "Everybody kind of wants something to do in between."
from the other paper?? put him in the stockade in kellogg park!
One of the reasons we like geocaching is that a cache can take us somewhere we would probably miss otherwise. Rather than choosing a popular tourist location, find a place off the beaten path. Where are the places that the local people love that aren't in the tourist guides?
As you select your location, consider how people will approach the area. Conservation is a key philosophy of geocaching, so place your cache where it will have minimal impact on the nature. For example, rather than bushwhacking for miles, place the cache a few yards from an established trail.
You also need to consider the land itself. If the cache is on private land, be sure to get permission. The best place to locate caches is on BLM (Bureau of Land Management), County Parks or National Forest land. In addition, since National Parks and Monuments are specifically intended to preserve natural and historical resources, it's best to avoid these places.
Be creative: people have placed caches on mountain tops and underwater. Although you want a unique location, please keep it a safe location.
The location should be extraordinary. In other words, the site might provide a view of the ocean, an interesting rock formation, or a beautiful waterfall. It could also be a place of historical significance or cultural interest. Think special. Think unique.
Besides the location, your other major decision relates to the cache itself. The container is the key. It should be made of the best material for the area where it will be stored. Will your container get hot, cold, or wet? All containers must be water tight. Consider Rubbermaid plastic, ammo boxes, and paint cans.
Your container should be easy to open, but also easy to reseal. One geocache was stored in a paint bucket and they even provided a screw driver to help open the lid!
Think about the size of the container. It should be big enough to store oversized treasure, but small enough to be easily hidden.
Log book
Every cache needs a log book. It can be a small spiral notebook, sketchbook, or even a leather journal. You'll want to put information about yourself including your contact information, your reason for selecting the location, and the date you established the cache. Also provide guidelines for using your geocache. You might also want to put information about nearby attractions and coordinates to other locations. Place the log along with a pencil (pens will dry out or freeze) and sharpener in a zip lock bag.
Label the Contents
There's a chance that an "outsider" might stumble upon the cache. Be sure to label the outside. Also put a copy of the geocaching letterinside your cache so people will know the purpose of the cache. You might also include a list of contents.
Treasures
You can choose any type of treasure that fits your personality. It may be things you find around the house or trinkets that you buy. Items such as old CDs, paperback books, matchbox cars, toys, key chains, and hiking tools work good. Keep it cheap. Your whole cache including the container should be less than twenty bucks. Most of mine are under $10.00Put things in zip lock plastic bags for extra protection.
Remember that the treasure will be stored for a long time so avoid items that might spoil such as food a definite no-no, things that might melt, or things that could be dangerous or illegal such as ammo.
GEOCACHE SITE - PLEASE READ
Congratulations, you've found it! Intentionally or not! What is this hidden container sitting here for? What the heck is this thing doing here with all these things in it? It is part of a worldwide game dedicated to GPS (Global Positioning System) users, called Geocaching. The game basically involves a GPS user hiding "treasure" (this container and its contents), and publishing the exact coordinates so other GPS users can come on a "treasure hunt" to find it.
The only rules are:
If you take something from the stash, you must leave something for the stash, and you must write about your visit in the logbook.
Hopefully, I stashed this container in a good spot that is on public property and is not easily found by uninterested parties. Sometimes, a good spot turns out to be a bad spot, though.
IF YOU FOUND THIS CONTAINER BY ACCIDENT:
Great! You are welcome to join us! We ask only that you:
· Please do not move or vandalize the container. The real treasure is just finding the container and sharing your thoughts with everyone else who finds it.
· If you wish, go ahead and take something. But please also leave something of your own for others to find, and write it in the logbook.
· If possible, let us know that you found it, by visiting the website listed below. The GPS Stash Hunt is open to everyone with a GPS and a sense of adventure. There are similar sites all over the world. Currently, the organization has it's home on the Internet. Visit our website if you want to learn more, or have any comments:
http://www.geocaching.com
If this container happens to be found on private property and you wish it removed, please let us know. We apologize, and will be happy to move it.
Once your container is ready, you need to pick the best location to hide your cache. It should be placed where people would miss it unless they're specifically looking for the cache. Inside a rock crevice, under a bush, or inside a jumble of logs works well. In some cases, you might have to build a shelter. For example, in the desert you might create a rock tower to house the cache.
There's a fine line between a good hiding place and a place that no one will ever look. Don't bury your cache or hide it such that it can't be found. Finally, don't hide it in a dangerous location or somewhere that will destroy nature. In other words, the top of a tree, over the edge of a cliff, or in a bird's nest are poor choices!
Remember, geocaching is about discovery. Make it fun!
Although the fun of a geocache is in the discovery, you need to provide enough information to interest readers and get them to the cache. Begin with an accurate set of coordinates. As you set your cache be sure to double check the location with your GPS device. Also, if you think people might have difficulty finding the cache, consider identifying waypoints or key features along the route. For example, the picture on the left shows a rock that points directly at the cache. Fun!
Before you leave the site, write an accurate description of the area. Also consider things that might be useful clues such as landmarks or general directions. When you're ready, give the cache a name and enter it at the report a cache section of the geocaching website.
http://www.geocaching.com
Ian,I still havent got out to buy one yet.But soon!Looks like some irie fun!
Trying to figure out where you are and where you're going is probably one of man's oldest pastimes.
Navigation and positioning are crucial to so many activities and yet the process has always been quite cumbersome.
Over the years all kinds of technologies have tried to simplify the task but every one has had some disadvantage.
Finally, the U.S. Department of Defense decided that the military had to have a super precise form of worldwide positioning. And fortunately they had the kind of money ($12 billion!) it took to build something really good.
The result is the Global Positioning System, a system that's changed navigation forever.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a worldwide radio-navigation system formed from a constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations.
GPS uses these "man-made stars" as reference points to calculate positions accurate to a matter of meters. In fact, with advanced forms of GPS you can make measurements to better than a centimeter!
In a sense it's like giving every square meter on the planet a unique address.
GPS receivers have been miniaturized to just a few integrated circuits and so are becoming very economical. And that makes the technology accessible to virtually everyone.
These days GPS is finding its way into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, even laptop computers.
Soon GPS will become almost as basic as the telephone. I think it just may become a universal utility.
The man behind Geocache.com is Jeremy Irish, a self-described Web developer and techie from the Seattle area. Irish said that the geocaching sport has been around only since May 2000. That roughly coincides with the time that then-President Clinton ordered military GPS satellites to stop using "selective availability," a program that made civilian GPS units less accurate than military. Up to that point, civilian units were accurate only to within 100 meters. The policy was in force to keep potential U.S. enemies from using super-accurate GPS coordinates. But President Clinton overturned the policy last year because it was found that giving civilians precise GPS coordinates would have minimal impact on national security.
"The best part of geocaching is people sharing their finds online," Irish said by e-mail.
Visitors not only get the coordinates of caches on his Web site; they return after the hunt and post their comments
http://www.insidecorner.com/geocaching/stats/states.cgi?country=United%20States&state=Minnesota
219 caches in Minnesota-I placed 41 of them
http://www.brillig.com/geocaching/minnesota.shtml
http://www.brillig.com/geocaching/minneapolis_st_paul.shtml
Very Cool! I think I will put this on my "things I want to try" list. That list seams to get longer as I get older. I like that this is still a new "game" and perfect for some of us "treasure hunters". Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Greetings from Geocaching.com.
This is an automated message letting you know that Piano_wire_man has added a log to your cache (Highland Park (Saint Paul)). You can visit the cache at the following link:
<http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=11375>
User comments: Our first cache! There are two other King Boreas caches closer to our home, but are too tough to take my daughter along. This one was a breeze! We took a "Lord of the Rings" figure and left a Bruce Lee action figure.
We walked straight to the darn thing! Beginners luck I guess. We are going to place a cache soon and would like to make it kid-accessible.
Thanks for telling us about Geocaching King Boreas!
Dave & Dorothy
I've got a couple more geocaches ready to be placed in the northeast metro in the next couple of weeks. Now all I have to do is find places that King Boreas hasn't already covered.
P.S. I see King Boreas purchased a record on ebay, I love to hear it sometime.
That's my problem too. i can't seem to come up with any.
The record is available on audiogalaxy, or I can get you a CD sometime. I just picked it up, and it is absolutely MINT. Were you bidding on it ?
Well, I thought I could edit this, if I signed in with this name, but I guess not.
That'll teach you to try and trick out our member system, Ian!
I was going to ask you about "Geocache Hunter". I'm not a big fan of multiple accounts per member...it seems to me the only benefit is to confuse people as to who's who.
How do you feel about *not* having multiple logins?
Lance:
There are people who know me by different names/logins. As we try to get more people to come here, I felt it would be easier for them to 'recognize' me. I have added "AKA Ian" to Geocache Hunter and Twaddle and Balderdash. I will not post under those names again.
I hope this explains what my intentions were.
Ian,
That does explain it pretty well. I think we could have figured out a better way to make sure those people could find all three (four? is Twaddle and Balderdash two people or one?) of you, without doing all the confusing multiple ID stuff. Anyway, your plan is pretty good from here on out. I'll delete those two extra members. Their stuff (posts, discussions, etc) will remain as is.
However, I'm not that psyched about having the Tw. and Bal. folder owned by a non-existent member. Why don't you start one more Member Folder, as Ian. Call it whatever for now-- then I'll dump everything from the existing Tw. and Ba. into it, delete the old Tw and Ba, and then you can name the new one Tw and Ba, or whatever, and it will be owned by Ian. And we can leave this messy confusing stuff in the past, and you can begin the long healing process of becoming one. We'll all be here for you, Ian. ;)
A. Simply put, a Travel Bug is a new form of hitchiker you can track on Geocaching.com. A hitchiker is basically an item that is carried from cache to cache (or person to person) and you can follow its progress online.
Q. What does a Travel Bug do?
A. It's really up to the owner of the bug to give it whatever task they desire. Or no task at all. The fun of a travel bug is inventing new ideas or goals for the Travel Bug to achieve. One Bug's goal may be to reach a specific country, or travel to 10 countries.
Q. What can I do with a Travel Bug?
A. You can attach it to an item to make it a hitchiker, or use them without attaching them to anything. If you find a Travel Bug "in the wild," it should already have instructions from the Bug owner on what it's goals might be.
Q. What do I do if I find a Travel Bug?
A. Enter in the number found on the Travel Bug in the box on the upper right-hand corner of the page, and click on the arrow button. It will take you to the page where you can read about the Bug and add a log.
Q. How do I get a Travel Bug?
A. Travel Bugs can be found in the Groundspeak Store for $5.99 each (and discounts on 4 or more), or...
If you would like to purchase Travel Bugs only, you can save on shipping by paying via PayPal below. Bugs will be shipped through the USPS in a standard envelope, with instructions on how to activate it.
When the GPS signal degradation called Select Availabilty (SA) was removed by the Clinton Administration May 1st, 2000 (statement), it opened up the possibility of games like this one.
On May 3rd, a container of goodies was hidden by a someone outside of Portland, Oregon - in celebration of the removing of Selective Availability. By May 6th the cache was visited twice, and logged in the logbook once.
Mike Teague was the first to find the container, and built the first web site to document these containers and their locations that were posted to the sci.geo.satellite-nav newsgroup.
In July of 2000, Jeremy Irish found Mike Teague's web site and found his first cache outside of Seattle, Washington. Recognizing the potential of the game (but never expected the growth), Jeremy approached Mike Teague with a new site design, used the name Geocaching, and developed a new web site adding virtual logs, maps, and a way to make it easier to maintain caches as the sport grows. The site was alive for a while, but the official torch was passed to Jeremy on September 6.
Since the launch of the web site, the Geocaching sport has grown to caches in all 50 states and over 30 countries. There are now many variations of the game, including virtual caches, offset caches, puzzle caches, multi-stage caches. New ideas and new great games crop up every day.
From it's inception, Geocaching.com has been developed and maintained by Jeremy, with the assistance of Geocachers around the world. Many thanks to the Geocaching community for making the game it is today. The official web site for Geocaching is Geocaching.com.
Who knows where it'll go next!
Wisconsin Geocaching Associationhas reserved a 125 person group campsite and picnic shelter for the weekend of May 17-19th.
WGA will be planting temporary caches in preperation for the weekend. You are welcome to camp for the weekend, or just come Saturday, hunting the caches hidden in this beautiful park. If camping, you are welcomed to set up camp after 3PM on Friday. Saturday promises to be a fun filled day combining a picnic, cache hunts, and demonstrations. Sunday is a day to relax, explore, and be with new friends. Be sure to bring your own food and camping gear. There is a grill near the shelter we have reserved for Saturday's picnic.
Please RSVP by clicking on the button below, or by clicking on Log Your Visit in the upper right corner of this page. You will be able to change your registration at any time if need be.
After the event, you are welcome to return to this page to log all your finds. This is a good opportunity to meet people you have only known on-line, and a good chance to pump up your "finds".
State Ranking
Geocaching in Greenville, South Carolina
:: talking to self ::
step 1: acquire gps equipment, you're gonna build a computer into your car for mp3's anyway.
step 2: actually attempt to find one of these caches.
Greetings from Geocaching.com.
This is an automated message letting you know that Park Manager has added a log to your cache (Riverfront Regional Park Too). You can visit the cache at the following link:
<http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=11108>
User comments:
Please be aware that geocaching is not currently allowed in any Anoka County park or trail corridor. It is unlawful to leave anything in the park. It is also unlawful to dig or disturb the vegetation. There is also a problem having people venture off designated trails into natural areas. Soon these are no longer natural areas.
Please remove all caches from the parks. Thanks for your cooperation.
1) I think this is B.S.
2) Park Manager (?)
3) Give me your e-mail address, don't send anonymously through the website.
4) Proof that affirms your statements?
I placed a new cache yesterday in White Bear Lake. Hurry out and be the first one to find it.
More Info....
The geocache that I placed last week is now under 4 feet of water due to the spring thaw and a storm water outlet being froze. What a difference a week makes, live and learn.
off !
I spent the morning down by the Padelford Landing. There's 'members only' cache that people have been having trouble with, so I figured I'd mosey on down there, and scoop it up. Uh Huh ! The size of a pack of baseball cards, and in a live tree near the river's edge. Allllll-righty, then. That should be easy enough.
April 5 by Perrine (22 found) EUREKA! (translated - I HAVE FOUND IT!)
Yes! Today was the lucky day for treasure hunting. Matt and I went to the park yet again (seven trips for both of us combined!) and while he was calling the cops about the crazy who was screaming profanities and GET AWAY FROM THERE! at us...I happened to hit the jackpot. Thought for a sec that the crazy was another unhappy cacher ;) We took photos of the site, and those of you who looked will be KICKING YOURSELVES for not digging a bit deeper when we post the photos. I did have to dig! Luckily I'm not the type to be obsessive about my nails, as it was dirty work. Even found some broken glass in that same hole as the cache! (nice trap!) The cache itself was about the size of a ducttaped bar of soap and it took Matt quite a while to get it open! Since we are engaged, the cache will belong to both of us. We are now going to go out to dinner to celebrate our newfound riches.
Thanks for the treasure, Ringbone. One of these days I'm going to plant a decent one-time only cache for members too and start one of those pay it forward chains. I'll post it when I can.
Hats off to you for the clever hiding spot!
Perrine & Matt GeoCachers Extrordinaire!
April 5 by mwmm15T (48 found)
I was with Perrine when she finally found the cache, and I'll give her all the credit. Exciting day for cache hunting--we were just to the trees from the parking lot when this guy started shouting at us to get out of there and to get away--maybe the owner of the little campsite in the area? Anyhow, the tone of his voice prompted me to call the cops while Perrine went down to the river. After spending a good five minutes trying to explain to St. Paul dispatch where Harriet Island is,I met Perrine down by the river as she had her arm up to the shoulder up a hollow tree. I remembered where I had seen a beer bottle in a hole in a tree earlier, so I checked there, then Perrine later went to the same tree, and found the cache in a different hole closer to the ground. We were impressed with all the trash that was hauled out by Bobhiker and Co. last weekend--we only found a bagfull of stuff to haul out ourselves (BTW, the dumpsters next to the parking lot are locked). As we were leaving, the cops finally showed up, but the crazy person had already moved on. Thanks for the cache. 15T
P.S.--I'm not a total gadget freak yet, so I don't have a digital camera, but I'll post my pictures as soon as they're developed, and you fellow cachers can see where the cache was if you still have this cache on your watch list. 15T
I'm driving through Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa this weekend. Expect to drop a few caches, AND checkout riverboat gambling...hmmmm
oooooh, very cool Ian. I hope you have great weather and a wonderful time-it sounds like a blast!
John,(Anoka County Parks)
I saw an online story in the Coon Rapids Herald, concerning geocaching.
I have not seen the copy in print. I am concerned about a bit of
mis-information, and curious about a statement attributed to you.
No caches are EVER buried. The people involved in this sport are very
conscientious about our parks and environment. If you have not checked
out the web site, please take a look at:
Â
<http://www.geocaching.com>
On the home page, please read the info concerning Cache In Trash Out
Many geocachers pick up bags of trash when visiting our parks, and it
is volunteer efforts like this that help keep the parks enjoyable.
Can you tell me about the ordinance concerning leaving property in the
parks overnight? I have searched for references to this for a number of
months, and have not been able to verify it.
If you are able to check out some of the posts online, you will notice
a large number of people who are visiting parks for the very first time.
Many times, it is because they were not aware of the park's existance.
If there are are entry fees involved, this means additional revenue for
the county.
I hope that I have given you a bit of insight concerning this. I will
take whatever actions are necessary to obey the ordinance. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ian Stevens
(kingboreas)
Ian:
Thank you for the e-mail message.
The ordinance being referred to is the Anoka County Parks Ordinance
Chapter III, Section 4 b, which states "it shall be unlawful for any
person to leave or store personal property in any park outside of park
hours without a permit."
The ordinance was last adopted by the Anoka County Board of
Commissioners on March 14, 2000..
Perhaps we should think about getting together at some point. Our
staff here would be interested in knowing more about the sport.
It would also be beneficial to learn about how other park and
recreation agencies are incorporating geocaching into their recreation
services.
John VonDeLinde
Anoka County Parks
Cool Ian! Let us know what comes of it.
That sounds positive Ian. At least they're willing to listen.
John,
Thank you for the speedy response.
I appreciate your offer to discuss geocaching. I got my GPS last year for
Father's Day, and never looked for a cache until our family was on vacation
in Reno last July. My wife, two sons and I checked one out in Boca, CA and I
was immediately hooked. I began hunting and hiding caches over the next
several months and have since become the 'leader' in number of caches hidden
in Minnesota. (over 50 !)
I could do some research concerning your interest in other park and
recreation agencies. A regional group formed a few months ago and was
searching for a park to accomodate a 1-2 day gathering of geocachers. I believe
one was found in Omaha. There has also been a similar 'geocache picnic' in
Wisconsin.
I could probably get together a group of people, if you would like to talk
to more than one person. I know a father and two sons who are active. There
are many families, and couples who enjoy the sport.
When I place a cache, I try to learn and relate some of the history of the
area. It has been very interesting to me to learn about various Anoka County
parks. If you would like to look at some of my caches, please go to:
<http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest_cache.asp?zip=55421&dist=35&submit1=Submit>
My screen name is kingboreas. I'd like you to take a look at "Anoka County
Park (Kordiak)" and "Manomin County Park."
If you'd like to call me:
Home: 763 (anti-Sloop filter)
Work: 612 (anti-Sloop filter)
Cell: 612 (anti-Sloop filter)
I get off work at (anti-Sloop filter) pm, so an afternoon meeting is possible, or in the
evening.
Thanks again for the interest.
Ian
:: dittos what frosi and thx said. ::(love the sloop filter :)
Sloops got a secret decoder ring!
http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/parks/parks_trails/hiking.html
A very enlightened, progressive policy concerning geocaching.
Forget about our State Parks-illegal after July 1st.
Check out:
<http://www.mngeo.com>
http://www.mngeo.com/gem
geocachers exploring minnesota
WoW-interesting stuff Ian. Thats crazy-as long as it is hidden, not hurting animals, and doesn't look like someone left their trash- it should not be a problem. With how new geocaching is I find it funny that the state can work so fast to prohibit it to this extent but cannot get other things done in Minnesota as fast!
yeah, beans, they don't understand it, and rather than trying to learn about it, it's easier to write a new ordinance prohibiting it. Ramsey County is the only park system which has openly allowed it, with a few common sense restrictions, which were being followed anyway.