Adventuring Elf Sisters

Picture this: It’s a beautiful day outside. You’ve signed up with www.geocaching.com , done some research, and figured out what cache(s) you want to start with. You’ve studied the information carefully, know (at least approximately) where you’re going, and your full of excitement and ready to get started!

What comes next?

If you’ve been geocaching for a long time then you know exactly what to do, but if this is your first foray into this fun realm of treasure hunting, then you might be a little nervous and lost at what to do once you step away from the computer. Hopefully these tips will help you to step out with confidence, and if you’ve been doing this for a long time, maybe you’ll get some new ideas! Or, feel free to leave a comment and give us your tips, I know there’s always more for me to learn!

If you want to have a fun and successful geocaching trip there are a few things you should do to get ready before you ever leave the house. It all starts with picking out the cache, or caches, that you are aiming for. There are many ways to do this. You might pick one because it’s near your work and you want to try to find it on your lunch break, or maybe it’s in a park you’ve always wanted to check out, whatever the reason for picking out the cache(s) you will need to record the information about your choice(s) in some way.

Now, the brave of heart might simply jot down the coordinates they are looking for, and a few general hints about the cache. For some people (or maybe some caches) this might be more than enough. Another option is to print out the sheet the information is on. That way you know you have all the pertinent information (that’s given at least) and you can reference it easily. Of course there are also high tech solutions for this, including iphone apps, storing the information on a pda, and some gps’s are set up to specifically record information and hints about the caches.

Once you know where you are going you want to stop and think about your destination a little bit. Is it an urban location? Is it in a park? What are the weather conditions like today? You will need to plan accordingly.

If the cache you are seeking is in an urban location than your biggest concern is going to be the weather. However if you are going to be in a more wilderness setting (rural, a park, hiking), then you need to be prepared for the hazards that can go along with that. You can encounter mud, nettles, bugs, snakes, and more. What you can encounter will vary according to region, so be aware of what is around you, and prepare for the worst. It’s always better to be over prepared than underprepared!

I recommend wearing jeans and having good shoes when geocaching outdoors, even in hot weather. This will allow you to crawl and scramble without worrying about tearing up your knees and shins. Good shoes are important because you may be hiking quite a distance to reach the location, and you may be dealing with uneven footing. With good shoes you will minimize your chances for injury and potentially reduce the amount of soreness you feel later!