I didn't know what this was until I went to a seminar yesterday on hunting/outdoors fun. I have been working on getting the family interested in outdoor hiking, but with a 6 and 3 year old, it is tough to plan a major trip. Geo-Caching is a great way to get out and do little hikes. It is also a great way to learn how to use a gps. What is geocaching? It is more or less a game where people hide something somewhere in the world and you can find out where these things are hidden by opening a free account at geocaching.com. You get the GPS coordinates and then you enter them into your gps and the search is on. I took the kids out this afternoon on a trail near the house and we found our first medicine bottle that was wrapped in camoflauge tape. We wrote our name in the log book and had a great time. They were extremely excited that we found it and we got to hike a 1/2 mile on a groomed trail. We tried to find another cache, but it was too difficult. The hard part is the last 50' of the search as that is about as close as you can get under a tree canopy. After that, it is simply looking for a good hiding place. I learned my GPS is lacking as it is not made for hiking, but for driving and it does not have a built in compass.....which would have been really helpful when the GPS was telling me to go in a 216 degree heading, but it did not have the abilty to tell me what a 216 degree heading was. I highly recommend this as a way to simply learn how to use the GPS as well as a fun way to take a nature hike with a purpose as well as make a game for young kids to get into the outdoors. Clyde
There's a cache site not 3 miles from my house in the Nathan Hale Forest. I spent some time learning about the hobby from thunderchild - a guy on "another forum"
Sounds like a great day Clyde. I think it's never to soon to start youth in outdoos experiences. I can still remember being 3 yrs old in Wyoming with my Father. I remember that after 20 some hours in the Blazer, I saw the Tail Pipe glowing red upon our arrival. I just had to go grab it with my bare hand. Sizzle sizzle. I bet if that didn't mark the memory, I wouldn't remember any of the trip. Looking back at life, all I have is the memories and experiences that I can still remember. Good to add a DRAMATIC event to a trip or occasion that may make them remember it better. I used to have a surprise 'snack' on the trails for my kids. They still remember Dad making Jiffy Pop with a camp stove on the side of a trail next to a waterfall. They were 4 and 7 then. I really believe that the key to our Kids future is getting out and spending time with them now.
Geocaching seems to be getting pretty popular. A week ago or so there was a very extensive article about in my local newspaper. They had nothing but good to say about it. Whenever I get myself a GPS unit, I think I'll give it a go too.
