Geocaching - Get Your Swag On!

Geocaching is a game similar to a virtual scavenger hunt that uses GPS coordinates. You find the cache site, sign the log book, and if you're lucky, trade out a bit of swag. When I go geocaching, it's all about the swag. The general guideline regarding swag is, "Trade even, trade up, or don't trade at all."

So far my favorite bit of swag found has been this guy here:

What Trackables Are and Why Geocachers Love Them

However I recently snagged my first trackable coin swag! I have to say, that was a real thrill. Trackables are items people register online. When you find it, you log in and record it. When you drop it somewhere else, you record that, too.

The above trackable coin is the first one that I found. I have found another one since, but that first one is my favorite. These are the gold nuggets of swag, and the people who invest in them enjoy tracking where these bits of swag adventure as much as we geocachers enjoy finding them.

Swag Doesn't Have to Cost a Fortune

But swag doesn't have to be expensive, or even anything big. Swag can be something as trivial as a cheap plastic party favor. As my oldest son's BFF remarked after finding his first bit of swag, "All this work for a plastic stink bug."

Sometimes that is exactly how it feels. But then you look at that plastic stink bug and remember the satisfaction of finding the container, and being able to mark one more location as "FOUND" at the Geocaching website. Here are some things that make excellent swag.

• loose change, even pennies and nickels
• plastic army, cowboy, indian, or any other men
• dice and game tokens from old board games, like Monopoly
• plastic party favors like you'd see at a child's birthday party
• anything made with plastic pony-style beads

The Best Swag for Your Buck


Plastic party favors make great swag because they are weatherproof. Unlike baseball cards, they won't fall apart due to rain or snow that leaks into the container. And unlike the coveted trackables, they are fairly inexpensive.

I personally like the cheap plastic swag because it never fails to put a smile on my face. It takes me right back to the birthday parties of my childhood, and reminds me that even if it is only because I followed the coordinates to the site container, I am still a winner at something.

Click on the picture above now to order swag for your own geocache bag. As always, if you are member of Amazon Prime you will enjoy an additional bonus discount along with free shipping. And if you have other ideas for swag, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section!