Geocaching

We've not actually been sleeping that long over here rather we've been indulging in our newest hobby, Geocaching, which is really exciting because number one you get to go outside to lots of nice new places with great smells.

But first I should explain what it is (for those who don't know) geocaching is a high tech treasure hunt. Everyone remember longitude and latitude from school - so you go to a website (like geocaching.com) and find a set of those coordinates that tell you exactly where on earth the treasure is and then you go find it.

Okay so maybe there is a bit more - you have to buy a GPS receiver to connect to the million dollar satellites that float around earth and this device can filter the info you get and tell you exactly where you are - so then you walk, drive, swim, climb to get there.

Now these GPSrs are really good but things (tree cover, bad reception on the hiders part, caches(treasures) getting moved about) get in the way of winding up exactly at the right place so you have to hunt for the cache which can be smaller than a ballpoint pen or bigger than a breadbox. We usually go after medium sized ones because they have the goodies. Oh and they are hidden - they might be covered or up high or disguised. It all adds to the fun.

When you find a geocache it will have a log book (to log your find) and usually some odds and ends and treasures that you can trade with something you've brought along. Neat huh?

You get a hike, a search, a treasure, and a good feeling because you found it.