introduction to geocaching sam drake, park liason, geocachers of the bay area (aka...
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Geocaching
Sam Drake, Park Liason, Geocachers of the Bay Area
(aka "sammydee")[email protected]
Geocaching
• Geocaching is...o "The game where YOU are the search engine"o A way to turn hiking into a gameo A way to get your kids away from the computero A way to meet lots of interesting people!o "A hobby using billions of dollars of military
hardware to find tupperware hidden in the woods"
History of Geocaching
• GPS was developed and is run by the US Military• Initially consumer GPS receivers weren't very
accurate (200 feet)• On May 2 2000 this was changed, so consumer
GPSes were as accurate as military ones (20 feet)• On May 3 2000 someone hid a bucket of stuff in the
woods and posted the coordinates on the Internet• Today there are 578,177 active caches worldwide. • In the last 7 days, there have been 450,702 "finds"
by 61,434 geocachers!
How do I play?
• Go to www.geocaching.com and register• Get information about caches in your area• Enter cache coordinates into your GPS• Find the cache• Sign the log• Trade items from the cache• Rehide the cache as you found it• Go find more!• When you get home, log your finds at
www.geocaching.com
What sort of GPS do I need?
• Almost any hiking-oriented GPS will work for Geocaching
• Desirable (NOT required) features:o Ability to connect to a PC or Maco Color displayo GPSes made in last 18 months have MUCH better
reception than older models
Some representative prices (as of 6/2008): Etrex Legend "Blue" under $100 at Amazon Etrex Legend Cx $149 at Amazon 60CSx $309 at Amazon
www.geocaching.com
List of geocaches in 95119
A Cache Listing
Cache Logs
Geocachers of the Bay Area ... thegba.net
Geocaching and Safety
• Natural hazardso Poison Oako Tickso Rattlesnakeso Dehydration
• Let someone know where you're going• Carry plenty of water• Don't reach where you can't see• Use a hiking pole, not your hand, to reach for things• Consider wearing long pants, sleeves
Geocaching and our Parks
• Geocaching is allowed in most parks and open spaces
• Rules vary by park district• Santa Clara County Parks: Caches allowed with a
few restrictionso Must be within 20 feet of trailo Must be labelled
• Please respect the park, don't do any damage, stay on trail as much as practical
• "Cache In, Trash Out"...please pick up any trash you find!
Types of Geocaches
• Traditional. A container hidden in the woods.• Multi-cache. One cache leads to another [to
another...]• Puzzle. You have to solve a puzzle or riddle to get
the coordinates.• Event. A party or clean-up event organized for
geocachers.• Virtual. There's no container, just something special
to see. (Grandfathered.)• Webcam. Go to the coordinates and get your picture
taken! (Grandfathered.)
Games within the Game
• Different people play the game with different goalso Trade itemso Geocoinso First To Findo Numberso Challenges and Statistics
Where do caches come from?
• Anyone can place a cache!• Must meet a set of guidelines set by geocaching.com
o Not on private property (without permission)o Safeo Not commercialo Not scary. No visits from the bomb squad!o No digging!o Must be 0.1 miles from any other cache
• Must meet any rules set by land ownero Santa Clara County Parks rules: 20 feet from trail
• Reviewed by a volunteer at geocaching.com, then listed
GPS Display and Controls
Finding a Geocache• Enter coordinates, OR
select pre-entered waypoint
• Follow the GPS arrowo The arrow is only
accurate when you're moving!
• When you get close (10-20 feet), put away the GPS.
• Think like a spy! Where would you hide something?
• Check the cache page for info (cache size, etc.)
• Stumped? Decode the hint
• Success!• Sign the log, make a
trade, replace the cache• Don't let muggles see the
cache location!
Go Outside
And Play!