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SpatialNews.com Feature
By Dave Ulmer - June 06, 2000
INTRODUCTION TO RECREATIONAL GEOCACHING
Geocaching is a new 21st century recreation that came about as a result of
the improving accuracy of electronic Global Positioning System (GPS)
devices. With improved positional accuracy, on the order of three meters,
GPS's now allow unskilled users the ability to find geographic locations
with precision and repeatability. With this new ability, people can now
place geocaches in interesting places so that others can enjoy the challenge
of finding them. This is Recreational Geocaching.
Geocache and Geocaching are new words developed to easily communicate the
act of placing an object at a geographical location and recording its
position numerically. Geocache can be used as a noun or a verb. A geocache
is an item or group of items located at a recorded geographical position. To
geocache, is to place the object and record its position. Geocaching, the
act of placing or locating geocaches. Geocaching is also used to describe
the sport or recreation of geocaching. A geocacher is a person involved in
geocaching.
In the rapidly developing sport of Recreational Geocaching, the Internet is
used as a medium for the distribution of geocache locations. Websites have
now been set up to support this new activity. The Internet allows
communication between the geocacher and those searching for the geocache.
Posted on the Internet along with the geographic coordinates, are clues,
pictures, and other information about the geocache. Even stories, from the
people who have found a geocache, describe their adventure. Currently most
geocaches consist of a small waterproof box or plastic bucket, placed at an
interesting location. The geocaches contain a logbook for visitors to write
in, and a variety of interesting treasures to trade. The simple rules: Take
something, Leave something, and Write in the book. These are the basics of
recreational geocaching.
The location of a geocache can be very entertaining indeed. As some say,
location is everything! The location of a geocache demonstrates the
geocacher's skill and possibly even daring. A geocache located on the side
of a rocky cliff accessible only by rock climbing equipment may be hard to
find. An underwater geocache may only be accessed by scuba. Other geocaches
may require long difficult hiking, orienteering, and special equipment to
find. Geocaches may be located in cities both above and below ground, inside
and outside buildings. The skillful placement of a small logbook in an urban
environment may be quite challenging to find even with the accuracy of a
GPS. That little logbook may have a hundred-dollar bill in it or a map to
greater treasure. It could even contain clues or riddles to solve that may
lead to other geocaches.
Recreational geocaching can take on many forms. Like a high-tech Easter egg
hunt, geocaching is a sport for all ages. Geocaching adds a new dimension to
travel and hiking because you are taking advantage of the local knowledge of
the geocacher and your own skill to find a geocache. Since every set of
geographical coordinates can be approached from any direction, geocaching
requires careful map reading skills in order to find the best approach. Once
found a geocache can provide many rewards, from hidden treasure to
spectacular views, and even a great campsite. As the sport evolves, we may
see Geocache Racing where the object is to find geocaches fast. We may even
develop high reward adventure games around the sport.
Geocaches are already located in many locations around the world. Many
thanks go out to the geocachers that have placed geocaches. It's just as
challenging to create a good geocache as it is to find one. If you find a
good geocache and you enjoyed the adventure of the journey to find it, be
sure to thank the geocacher by writing your comments in the logbook or
sending them an email. Geocaching can be a fun and rewarding new sport that
welcomes us to the 21st century with many new adventures.
The GPS Stash Hunt (Geocache) Homepage can be found at
www.triax.com/yngwie/gps.html
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