Geocaching
Geocaching is free, family-friendly fun. It is an outdoor activity where you use a GPS (Global Positioning System) with your phone or a handheld GPS navigator along with the app. You look for containers called “geocaches” or “caches.”
Downloading the app
First, download the free “Geocaching” app. They offer a premium ($30 per year). We use the free one. Geocaches are worldwide, and there are about 3,769 geocaches around Houston. Once you download the app, think of a username before setting up your account. I had to change my username after setting up my account. I used my last name instead of a creative name. You can be as creative as you want.
Looking for caches
Once you open the app, click on the target icons. You might have to zoom out to see caches in your area. Then, click on the one you want to find.
The green circle is a geocache, a smiley face means you found it before, a sad blue face is a cache you didn’t find, the blue dot is your location, and a white circle is a premium geocache.
Locating your cache
Click on the car icon, and it will ask you which GSP (Map, Google Maps, or Waze) to find the location. Once you are at the site, use the navigate button on your phone to find the caches. The phone’s GPS might be a few feet off. Always have a pen with you. Once you find a cache, write your name and the date on the logbook inside the container. Next, you need to RETURN the cache to its place. One of my friends found one & took it home! She thought you kept the cache.
Logging in the app
Whether you find caches or not, log in on the geocaching app. Sometimes, you are at the right spot, but someone (like my friend) didn’t put it back. So next, enter your experience (comments) on the app.
Some containers have trinkets or small toys. If you have kids, bring some trinkets or small toys for exchange. Some caches are so small they have only a strip of paper to log in.
Some people have a geocaching kit consisting of a tweezers, mirror stick, extended magnet, log roller, etc. Our geocache kit consists of my phone and a pen. I need to get a stick instead of using my hand to look for a cache with debris.
Saturday, we went to a sports bar to watch the Astros game. I looked on the app and found one. The easy ones are usually hidden under the base covers of the parking lot lights.
Go outside and enjoy the nice weather!
Check Activity History
Update: Always check the cache activity history before looking. If it has been a long time since someone found it. Something is wrong. It will be logged as DNF – Did Not Find.
Here are three geocaching acronyms; there are so many more. “BYOP” Bring Your Own Pen/Pencil — “DNF” Did not find — “TFTC” Thanks for the Cache.
There will be people looking and will not understand you are geocaching. They are called “Muggles”, people who do not have magical powers.
