So You Wanna Go Geocaching? (Part 5)

What we will cover in this article:

• What is geocaching (part 1)
• What equipment you need to get started (part 2)
• Now What – Finding caches on line (part 3)
• Picking a good first cache to hunt (part 4)
• The hunt (part 5)
• Caching with kids (part 6)
• Advanced geocaching (part 7)

Photo by René Ehrhardt

(Part 5) – The Hunt

Drive near the cache you are trying to find… With your GPS on and satellites found you will want to select the cache waypoint.  This will once again vary by model but you should be able to do it from the map screen or the main menu by choosing waypoints.  After you select the waypoint (geocache) you want to find it should take you to the navigational compass screen. It will have an arrow (that points in the direction of the cache you are looking for) and some data fields that you can customize.

So here is where it gets fun, At the very least you should be looking at an arrow and distance on the screen.  Walk in the distance that it is telling you to go.  When you get close, around 20-30 feet start looking for a hidden cache.  Places to check, base of trees, in downed logs, the the crevices of large rocks.  Once you find a few you will know where to look.  Most times the hiding place will look just a little to unnatural, like a pile of sticks, or a leaning log, ect.  If you are having a hard time you can decode the hint on the cache page, if that still doesn’t help just move on try the next one and come back for that one after you find a few… Hey! look there you found it! Congrats! Now open it up sign the log check out the contents.  Remember you DON’T have to trade items and if you do ALWAYS TRADE UP leave something or equal or greater value to keep the cache contents alive.  Next when you get home you have to log your find on geocaching.com.  Go back to the cache page on the website (did you save that paper you printed) and click on “log your visit” in the upper right corner.  Publish your log and move on to the next. Now you are HOOKED!

Part 6 – coming soon!

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