geo-gear

Geocaching. High-tech hide-and-seek. "The Great American GPS Stash Hunt", as it was originally named on May 3, 2000, when Dave Ulmer, a GPS enthusiast, hid the first "stash" in Beavercreek, Oregon. The idea was simple: put some small items with a visitor log book in a watertight container, hide it, record the GPS coordinates of the location and publish the coordinates. Others then use their GPS units to find the container (stealthily, without the muggles knowing!), log their visit, trade a trinket (if they wish), and replace the container as they found it for others to find. Little did Dave Ulmer know that what started as one simple GPS "experiment" would rapidly blossom into the world-wide hobby phenomenon now known as Geocaching, which just crossed the 2 millionth worldwide active geocache milestone on February 28, 2013.

It is a simple idea, but it is not to be taken lightly. There is responsibility involved with being a good geocacher. Geocaches are owned by fellow cachers (I currently own 9), who place them for others to find, which is how the game grows and continues. The caches should always be placed with permission, if applicable, and those who find them should always put them back like they found them, or better, if they have been disturbed, for others to find. Geocachers should respect private property, and abandon a find if they are in doubt about possible tresspassing. Geocachers should also be "stealthy"... trying to find them in such a way that does not attract other non-geocachers to disturb or move them.

It really takes very little to geocache.  The biggest expense is a hand-held GPS, but you can cut costs here by using a smart phone app.  A basic membership to the geocaching website is free, and that is all you need to download cache coordinates and log your finds.  With over 2 million active geocaches around the world, there is a good chance that there are some within walking distance of your home, or at least a short drive.  Just about everywhere you go... you probably drive past them daily.

Here is an overview of my geo-gear:

I recently invested in my geo-pack ($9.99 at Wal-Mart).  I kept switching between a few different packs for my gear, but I wanted a dedicated pack that is just for geocaching.  This one is a perfectly sized fanny pack and it came complete with 2 water bottles, in case I go out for a long day of caching.

This is what I carry in the geo-pack front pocket:

• Pens (for signing logs)
• Paper (in case I need to take notes or figure out a puzzle for a multi-cache)
• Spare batteries (AA for the GPS and AAA for my flashlight)

And, in the geo-pack main pocket:

• My tool kit (black case)
• GPS (navy case)

My GPS unit is a Garmin eTrex Legend H.  I store it in an old cell phone case (from days gone by, when cell phones were a bit larger).  This unit was about $125.00 a few years ago from Amazon.  I have been very happy with it.  It is, by far, not the fanciest hand-held GPS unit available, but it does everything that I need it to do.  This model has a black and white display screen.  Garmin makes a similar unit with a color screen, which would be nice, but the battery life on this one is about 4 hours longer than the other.  I hate changing batteries, so the black and white works fine for me.

Lastly... my geo-toolkit.  It is a zippered travel case from a Schick non-electric razor.  Why a non-electric razor needs it's own travel pouch is beyond me, but since I never throw anything away, it was just hanging out waiting for the perfect use.  It is perfect for my geo-toolkit, which contains everything pictured here (except the Swiss Army knife, with tweezers for removing log sheets from micro caches, which I always carry on my key carabiner):

• Small flashlight
• Small Cabela's multi-tool in nylon sheath
• Telescoping magnetic retrieval tool
• Telescoping mirror
• 4' of coiled sheathed copper wire (for "fishing" caches out of tight places)

The only thing that I should add to my geo-pack is a glove, for reaching in tight places where hazards like spiders lurk.  I have several pairs lying around the garage... I just need to grab one.

 

The only two items that I bought specifically for geocaching is the fanny pack and the GPS unit.  Everything else (all fairly inexpensive items) were items I already had, and compiled into a caching kit.  With the exception of the GPS unit, geocaching is low-budget fun and adventure!