Geocaching

A Geocache in Germany

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and "treasure", usually toys or trinkets of little monetary value.

Geocaches

Geocache Loonse en Drunense Duinen in The Netherlands

For the traditional geocache, a geocacher will place a waterproof container, containing a log book (with pen or pencil) and treasures, then note the cache's coordinates. These coordinates, along with other details of the location, are posted on a website (see Websites for geocaching). Other geocachers obtain the coordinates from the Internet and, using handheld GPS receivers, seek out the cache. The finding geocachers record their exploits in the logbook and online. Geocachers are free to take objects from the cache in exchange for leaving something of similar or higher value, so there is treasure for the next person to find.

Microcache hidden and found beside the Roman Colosseum

Typical cache treasures aren't high in monetary value but often hold intrinsic value to the finder. Aside from the logbook, common cache contents are unusual coins or currency, small toys, ornamental buttons, CDs, or books. Also common are objects that are moved from cache to cache, such as Travel Bugs or Geocoins, whose travels may be logged and followed online. Occasionally, higher value items are included in geocaches, normally reserved for the "first finder", or in locations which are harder to reach.

A Travel Bug

Geocaches can range in size from "microcaches", too small to hold anything more than a tiny paper log, to those placed in five-gallon buckets or even larger containers.

If a geocache has been vandalized or stolen, it is said to have been "muggled" or "plundered". The former term plays off the fact that those not familiar with geocaching are called "geo-muggles" or just muggles, a term borrowed from the Harry Potter series of books.

If a cacher discovers that a cache has been muggled, it can be logged as needing maintenance, which sends an e-mail to the cache owner so it can either be deactivated, repaired, or replaced.

Geocachers who have done the sport for a while often recognize small things out of place that the muggle will never see, and can find a geocache even without a GPS receiver. It takes practice to spot the more inventive geocaches.

Ethics

Different people have different ethics about geocaching. Without some rules geocachers could be a danger to themselves, other cachers, or society. Geocaching.com has guidelines for hiding your first cache. Others, like Terracaching, have a much smaller set of guidelines. Still others have also developed the Geocacher's Creed and a Geocaching Policy website.

Sometimes, when there are a lot of muggles around, geocaching can be like the old spy mysteries with message and item drops, secret coders, stealth, etc. The cache placer must take this into account so that both he/she and those looking for caches will be safe, and will not cause alarm. Due to thoughtlessness of cache placers, other cachers have been approached by police and questioned when they were seen to be "acting suspiciously". In fact, one cache was destroyed by the Bellevue, Washington, bomb squad, who suspected that an ammo can labeled as a geocache was a bomb [1].

Although not dealing with geocaching specifically, the Leave No Trace principles are in the same vein on how many geocachers feel geocaching should be done.

History

Geocaching is similar to a much older activity called letterboxing. The major difference is its use of the Global Positioning System. Geocaching via GPS was made possible by the removal of selective availability of the Global Positioning System on May 1, 2000. The first documented placement of a cache with GPS assistance took place on May 3, 2000, by Dave Ulmer of Beavercreek, Oregon. The location was posted on the Usenet newsgroup sci.geo.satellite-nav. By May 6, 2000, it had been found twice and logged once (by Mike Teague of Vancouver, Washington). Today, well over 200,000 geocaches are currently placed in 222 countries around the world, registered on various websites devoted to the sport.

Origin of the name

The activity was originally referred to as GPS stash hunt or gpsstashing. This was changed after a discussion in the gpsstash discussion group at eGroups (now Yahoo!). On May 30, 2000, Matt Stum suggested to change the name "stash" into "cache" and also mentioned "geocaching" as the name of the activity.[2]

Variations

There are many types of caches. Some are easy enough to be called "drive-bys", "park 'n' grabs" ("PNGs"), or "cache and dash". Others are very difficult, including staged multi-caches; there are even examples of caches under water [3], 50 feet up a tree [4], after long offroad drives [5], on high mountain peaks [6], on the Antarctic continent [7], and above the Arctic Circle [8].

Variations of geocaches include:

• Traditional: This is a basic cache. It is a container with a log book (at minimum) and usually trade items.
• Multi-cache: Caches which require a visit to one or more intermediate points to determine the coordinates of the cache.
• Offset: Caches that use information at the provided coordinates to derive the final coordinates of the container.
• Mystery/puzzle Cache: This cache is near, but not at the coordinates listed. The seeker must solve a puzzle to find the actual coordinates.
• Event Cache: This is a gathering for geocachers, found by date, hour and coordinates
• Cache-In Trash-Out (CITO) Events: This is a variation on the event cache, where geocachers get together at a particular location and clean up the trash in the area.
• Letterbox Hybrid: A letterbox has a rubber stamp and a logbook instead of tradable items. A letterbox hybrid is a blend of a geocache and a letterbox. In addition to a logbook and rubber stamp it contains trade items. Use the rubber stamp to stamp your personal log book. Letterboxers carry their own stamp with them, to stamp the letterbox's log book.
• Webcam: This is a location with a public web cam. You must have someone watching the camera on a computer to "capture" your image, or you can bring your own laptop with you.
• Virtual Cache: This is a location to visit simply for what is already there. To prove you visited the site, you are generally required either to email the cache owner with information such as a date or a name on a plaque, or to post a picture of yourself at the site with GPS receiver in hand. Virtual Caches are often done in sensitive environmental areas and other places where Traditonal Caches are not possible.
• Locationless or Reverse Cache: This variation is more of a "scavenger hunt" than a "treasure hunt" as the game is to find a specific type of object, such as a one-room schoolhouse, then prove you found it by logging its coordinates and posting a picture of you and/or your GPS in front of it. Typically others are not allowed to log that same location as a "find".
• Earthcache: This is a type of Virtual Cache sponsored and approved by the Geological Society of America. The locations do not have items, but contain information about the geology, fossils and local environment.
• Moving/Traveling Cache: The finder logs the cache, trades trinkets, then hides the cache in a different place. This type of cache is no longer supported on Geocaching.com, as the limits (of about ¹/₁₀^th mile) when updating cache coordinates effectively prohibits their usefulness there. This type of cache is supported on Terracaching.com.

Websites for geocaching

There are a number of websites that list geocaches around the world. The first, which is by far the largest and best known, is Geocaching.com, which began operating in 2000. This site has members worldwide, and hundreds of thousands of caches available. Caches are published by regional cache reviewers and the site stresses family-oriented caching. Its claim to be "official" and its commercial interests are often bones of contention.

Geocaching.com no longer lists caches without a physical object. This excludes locationless/reverse, webcam, and earth caches; however, older caches of these types have been grandfathered in. Groundspeak, Inc., the site's owner, has created a waymarking website, at Waymarking.com, to handle non-physical caches.

The second best known site is TerraCaching.com, whose goal is to have members place and seek caches that are somewhat higher in quality, either from the difficulty of the hide or from the quality of the location. Cache approval is handled by other members through a sponsorship system. Members peer review the quality of other members' caches. It is another worldwide game with caches numbering in the thousands. TerraCaching.com embraces virtual caches alongside traditionals, and has a large selection of locationless caches integrated into the web site.

A third site frequently used for geocaching is NaviCache.com. Navicache has pockets of popularity worldwide. Some of the Navicache listings can also be found at Geocaching.com.

In the United States, where most geocaching services are hosted, coordinates are not protected by copyright but cache data are. Commercial web sites listing geocache data are generally protective of their data. People scraping data from geocaching.com have been threatened with lawsuits by Groundspeak, Inc., owners of the site. One of the most notable examples of this is that of Ed Hall who in 2001 was threatened with a lawsuit. According to Hall, the threat was due to Groundspeak's request that he provide a copyright notice on his website, Buxley's Geocaching Waypoint, attributing Groundspeak as the owner of the cache data. However, Groundspeak claims the dispute occurred after Hall refused to remove a cache listing from his maps at the request of a cache owner. As a result, his site now acknowledges the various sources of cache data he uses, but after a disagreement about licensing, he no longer includes any data from geocaching.com. [9]

Appeal

The reasons that people geocache are as varied as the individual, but several common factors continue to come up in discussion. Many people enjoy the sense of adventure and finding, not only a cache, but a hidden gem of environment that they wouldn't have otherwise found. People enjoy the exercise, and getting outdoors. Many families use geocaching as quality time that can integrate modern technology with traditional pursuits. Some do it for "the numbers" and others do it for the experience. Also, the feeling of success after a tough search is an obvious reward. Geocaching provides a feeling of community and the sense that one is "in the know". Whatever the reasons, more than a few people (and spouses) have discovered that geocaching can be incredibly addicting.

Geocaching's status as a sport

There is some debate among geocachers about whether to categorize geocaching as a sport, game, or activity.

Proponents for "geocaching as a sport" like to point out that dictionaries define sport as a "physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively." They think that geocaching meets all those criteria.

Others argue against geocaching as a sport, pointing out that there is no clearly defined ruleset for geocaching - most participants geocache in their own manner - which means that competition cannot be measurable. Competition is also highly discouraged by a small but influential group of cachers which seems to make the term hobby a more accurate description of the activity.

See also

• Benchmark (surveying)
• Benchmarking (geolocating)
• Bookcrossing
• Degree Confluence Project
• Geocaching Software
• Geocoins
• Geodashing
• Letterboxing
• List of geocaching organizations - by country / area
• Location-based game
• On the trail of the cist
• Orienteering
• Paperless Geocaching
• Postcrossing
• Tradcaching
• Trigpointing
• Dead drop

External links

Geocache Listing Sites

In alphabetical order.

• Buxley's Geocaching Waypoint (multi-site geocache listing service by Ed Hall)
• Earthcache.org (educational/environmental virtuals)
• Geocaching.com (Groundspeak) (traditional caches, multi-stage caches, puzzle caches)
• Geocaching.com.au (Australia)
• GPSGames.org (geocaching, geodashing, MinuteWar, Shutterspot, and more)
• Navicache (traditional and virtual caches)
• Opencaching (Germany)
• Terracaching (traditional, virtual, and locationless caches, with a rating and point system)

Similar and related activities

• Letterboxing Caching the Old-Fashioned way
• Benchmarking using a GPS
• GeoHikes A site dedicated to providing walking routes in the UK which pass geocaches.
• Waymarking.com Waymarking
• Cistrail
• Time In A Capsule An Adventure for Your Descendants: Secreting capsules in the remote wilderness for your family to retrieve years later.
• Ontario GPS Treasure Hunting GPS Treasure Hunting sites or caches can be anywhere in Ontario.
• Dartmoor Letterboxing
• GeoDining A restaurant guide for people with a GPS

Tools

• Google Earth
• GPSBabel Convert to various formats; transfer waypoints to receivers under any OS
• Jeff Boulter's 'Geocaching Quick Search' service
• evince: Free-of-charge open-use puzzle coordinate verification system
• GeoChecker: A free service for checking puzzle cache coordinate solutions
• GeoHelper: Entering Geocaching.com-style coordinates will generate a Mapquest map
• Geocaching Software Review An excellent review of various Geocaching software tools - featured on many sites and discussed on a PodCacher.com podcast.
• Geocaching Software listing on Wikipedia

Miscellaneous

• A Beginner’s Guide to Geocaching Everything you need to know to understand and begin geocaching
• Geocaching (Geo What?) Newspaper article on Geocaching in Hawaii
• GeoLex - The Lexicon of Geocaching Comprehensive listing of the terms and abbreviations used in the geocaching world, and their meanings.
• WikiHow: How to Go Geocaching
• Geocaching history
• Geocaching Policy website Public land policies regarding Geocaching and related activities
• The Geocachers' Creed A voluntary set of principles for placing and hiding geocaches
• Cacheopedia A wiki site specifically for geocaching articles, safety guides, reviews, etc.
• PodCacher A weekly audio show (podcast) that focuses on the hobby / activity of Geocaching.
• UK Geochat IRC channel dedicated to Geocaching in the UK.

Books on Geocaching

• The Essential Guide to Geocaching by author Mike Dyer