Geocaching is contagious! And just may get you in shape!

Plus the kids love it!

It's always great to see your kids outside playing hide and seek, getting fresh air and exercise. They don't realize how good it is for them because they are enjoying it! Geocaching (pronounced Gee-Oh-Cashing), is the biggest hide and seek game you'll find. And it can get you out in the fresh air and it's something a whole group of people can do together. So why not start the whole family out Geocaching in Waterloo Region. I think you'll find that it's fun for everyone and this article will help you get started!

What is Geocaching?

Geocaching is the worlds biggest game of hide and seek. If you ever used to hide toys around the house and then tell your siblings "Warmer ... warmer ... hot .. hottest!" as they got close to them, then you've played a very small version of Geocaching. 

How does it work?

A Geocacher is someone who is playing, and many, many of these players have gone out and hidden items all over the world, including right here in the Waterloo Region. They've marked down the latitude and longitude coordinates of the items they've hidden and now it's up to you to find them!

Once you find them, you will have fame and glory! You get to write your name down in a log book of other finders and you may even leave a small items for the next geocacher to come along.  Then of course you place the container back exactly where you found it for the next seeker.

The most important site for Geocaching is the Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site, located conveniently at www.geocaching.com. Sign up is free and you will have access to all the locations of every cache.

What do I need?

You do need a handheld GPS that will take coordinates. I've heard of people who tried just zooming in on the map and guessing where the cache is located, but this doesn't work very well if at all.

My family is using the Magellan Triton 400 which is at Best Buy for $149.00. It runs on double A batteries and has worked extremely well. We'd love to hear in the forums if anyone has other suggestions on how to get started.

Is it fun?

Yes! There are so many different types of cache, that you can always find one that you like. There are puzzle caches, where you have to figure out the clues to get the coordinates. There are multi-caches that involve going to the first cache to get the coordinates to the second cache and so on.

Some are urban caches, hidden right around downtown! And some are far out into the woods. Personally I enjoy the hikes and like finding these caches sometimes in places I've walked by over and over and never noticed.

There are drive-by caches, hidden just off the side of the road. I'll bet there is a cache within a few miles of where you are right now. The Waterloo Region is full of them!

Here is an example of how a cache can be hidden, even once you are at the right coordinates: