Get into geocaching

Geocaching is a fun, low-cost hobby that spans the generations. Whether you're a curious six-year-old or a grandparent with a sense of adventure, here's how to get started

- Words: Dave Hamilton

1 Geocaching explained

Geocaching is often described as a way of 'using billions of dollars of US satellite technology to find plastic boxes in the woods'. The word geocache comes from 'geo', meaning earth (think geography) and 'cache' meaning a hidden store of things. The geocache itself is normally a waterproof container, such as a plastic box that contains a logbook, sometimes a pen, and low-cost trinkets that can be exchanged for items of equal or greater value.

2 High-tech treasure hunts

Prior to 2000, Global Positioning System (GPS) signals were only accurate for the military and government systems. Then the US government relaxed these 'selective availability' restrictions and allowed civilian access to its GPS satellites. Dave Ulmer, a computer consultant from Oregon, immediately saw this as a great excuse for a high-tech treasure hunt. He buried a plastic container, containing a few items and a little cash, in his local woods then posted its coordinates on the internet. From these humble beginnings, a worldwide phenomenon, which later became known as Geocaching, was born.

3 Get started