The Do's and Don'ts of Geocaching

Summer is right around the corner, and you may be wondering what your family will do with the kids enjoying a nice break from school. Many families enjoy the popular hobby of geocaching! It is fun, safe, and excellent for people who prefer a great outdoor adventure to sitting inside.

This is my brother Stephen and me finding our first ever Geocache!

Geocaching is marvelous for people who love an adventure, but don’t otherwise have a reason to get outside. It is a wonderful activity to do with friends, family, and even a household pet. Geocaching also helps get people off of the computer, and away from the T.V. to go out and have some fun. And best of all, it's free!

Why Geocaching is Good for You

When geocaching, your goal is to find caches. These are containers which hold anything from prizes and small toys to just a small piece of paper, called a log, to add your name and date to prove you found it. Please do not keep the caches as they are there for everyone to find.

The cache can be large, medium, small, or tiny in size. This helps to train your eyes, which can help in many other situations. Geocaching is also a swell way to get out and walk, as sometimes parking is not always optimal and you sometimes have to walk.

This is often because of parking not being optimal, the geocache having been moved a few feet from the original spot, or the geocache being hard to find. The feeling of finding the cache is incredible, it will surely have your heart racing.

A Few Things to Remember While Geocaching

While geocaching, especially when the weather is balmy or chilly, you will always have to pack certain items, depending on the weather. A backpack makes a superb “go bag” for geocaching, especially ones with many pockets on the outside to hold something.

• Several bottles of water (1 or 2 per person or pet)
• Snacks if you are planning a day of geocaching
• Swag, i.e. something to leave behind
• A few simple first aid items, such as band-aids and some sav for bee stings

These are only a few things you should take, you should also take some area specific items, for instance sunscreen if you are going to be geocaching in a warmer climate with open areas. Also you should always pack enough supplies for everyone going with you, maybe even extra. Here's the backpack I like to use:

It has enough pockets to keep me organized on the go while the interior space holds my favorite geocaching snacks, like trail mix and beef jerky, and bottled water. The pocket on the front is perfect for holding my phone, which I use in lieu of a GPS device. Click the picture to learn how you can get your own from Amazon now. Prime members get 20% off and FREE 2-day shipping!

What Not to do When Geocaching

While geocaching can be fun, there are always things not to do, below I have included a few important ones in a list, but as with any activity, common sense can save.

• Don’t forget to bring a coat in chilly weather.
• Don’t forget your GPS while walking to and from the cache so you won’t get lost.
• Don’t forget to bring an emergency kit, even a basic one can help if something happens.
• Don’t geocache in extreme weather including, harsh temperatures, rain or snow, etc.
• Don’t geocache barefoot.

These are only a few of the don’ts of geocaching. There are more, but most are simple and are easy to remember. Check online for more geocaching etiquette.

In Conclusion

Geocaching is a healthy activity for your whole family, this article only lists some of the benefits of and tips for geocaching, but there are more. There are lists online for kits you can put together for hiking and walking which also work well for geocaching. Try it, and I’m sure you’ll have fun! Let me know about your geocaching experiences in the comments section.

About the Guest Author

Jarod Muth is a blogger who hails from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. A home school student who graduated at age 16, he's now pursing interests like freelance writing and internet marketing while furthering his education through online classes. In his spare time Jarod enjoys gaming, geocaching with his family and their rescue pups, and flea marketing.