Strap on some boots and explore the area with geocaching

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

Let’s be honest: cramming in last-minute assignments for online classes in the middle of a pandemic is stressful, and people need new ways to destress and get out and about. One way to appreciate the changing seasons and engage the mind and body is through geocaching, which is a fun way to involve and engage communities locally and globally. 

Geocaching — aka geostaching — was originally created in Oregon in 2000 and is a hunt for hidden caches or stashes of items. The location is laid out in coordinates, but recent apps allow for built-in maps. Over time, the items have gotten more difficult to find, making the hunt for the item well worth it.

One popular app to explore this activity is an app called Geocaching, created by Groundspeak Inc. No matter a person’s experience or knowledge level, the app is user-friendly and has a built-in navigation system that will make the phone vibrate when within 30 feet of the hidden geocache. 

In the app, instructions and information can be found on the selected location, and a place to rate and leave comments about the user’s experience. There’s some lingo that people use in the general geocaching community, as well as in the logbooks and on the app. They can be useful when first starting off, so here’s some quick shorthands:

• BYOP: bring your own pencil/pen
• FTF: first to find
• Muggle: a non-geocacher 
• Attributes: a form of communicating what to expect at a cache location
• TFTC: thanks for the cache

Typically, geocaches are in weatherproof items, and some are hidden in small tins or bottles. Inside, there can be a variety of items; some caches are supposed to be difficult to find and only allow for a small booklet — known as a logbook — where people leave their names or nicknames, and the date when they found that stash. If the stash is big enough, people can leave small toys and trinkets. Some of these items have been there for an extended amount of time and may have light water damage or have been well hidden, but overall they are typically pretty easy to find and can range in difficulty for those who want to try harder ones.  

There is a basic etiquette and some basic tips to the game — like making an equal trade, no illegal items in the cache, hide it well and in the same area, be stealthy but not suspicious when rehiding the geocache, wear shoes and clothes that can get dirty and always put safety first. Geocaching is a fun way to get outside, but make sure to stay warm and safe, and find the hidden treasures that are just blocks away. 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu