Do Any Of You Go Geocaching?

I just thought I'd give you all an idea of something to do when you have down time.

It's called geocaching. Basically it's like an online treasure hunt sorta. You get the app on your phone, and it tells you where the caches are around you.

A cache is typically some type of container hidden at a physical location. Inside the container there is a logbook for you to sign proving you actually found the cache. Some containers also contain little prizes or trinkets for you to trade with your own trinkets. The general rule of thumb is to leave something equal to or greater in value than the object you take. But the real prize is the search itself.

There are literally millions of caches around the world. I think it first started with the hiking community. In order to prove they had hiked somewhere, hikers would be required to sign a logbook at the top of the mountain or end of the trail etc. It grew from there to include rural and urban areas. I'm not exaggerating when I say they are literally everywhere now.

The way it works is you open the app and search your area for caches. Pick one out and the app will use your phone's gps to guide you to the cache. Finding the cache can be sometimes easy, sometimes difficult. Once you find it you simply sign the log book, and also log your find online through the app. Then you move on to the next one. One interesting aspect of this is you try not to let onlookers or passers-by know what you're doing. So there's sometimes a fun sneaky side to the search when other people are around.

There's no winning or losing in this. It's simply designed to get you out into nature for some exercise and activity. Personally I've always loved to hike. So this gave me yet another reason to get out there. But you don't have to be in good physical shape to do this. A cache may simply be on the other side of the parking lot you're at. Or some you can drive right up to.

For example, I'm parked at a TA north of Chicago. There's some kind of park with paved nature trails about a half mile away on the other side of the road. Along the trail there's maybe a dozen or so cashes hidden. The wife and I are going over there in a little while to find them. Otherwise we would just be stuck here with nothing to do.

If you want an easy way to check it out, just go to geocaching.com and do a quick search around you. You will be surprised at how many caches are actually close to you. If you like it, get the app and go for it.

This may sound like I'm trying to sell or endorse something. I'm not, I just want to let you all know there's something out there like this to do. I've been doing it off and on for 6 or 7 years myself, and have nearly 900 finds under my belt. I'm going for finds in all lower 48 states.

Anyhoo, there you have it. Some of you will love it, others maybe not so much. Check it out.

I'm totally familiar with the concept and I almost started playing around with it but never did. I do a ton of hiking with my doggy and we climb the Adirondacks together. I make him take "Summit Selfies" with me, that's our version of Geocaching you could say. We record our hikes on GPS and take the selfies to show we were there.

He thinks Summit Selfies are dumb, but he humors me with it anyways cuz it makes me laugh.

In the past I would purposely leave my phone in the truck when I hiked, not wanting to succumb to the lure of technology while out there. Hiking was kind of a "get away from it all" activity for me. Of course my dogs were always my companions too.

After I got into geocaching I started bringing my phone with me. The handheld gps units are far better for backcountry hiking than phones. But I never got THAT into it.

Most established trails in the Adirondacks are loaded with caches. I guarantee you've passed within a few feet of scores of them, if not more .

I suppose hiking is one of the things I miss most now. So any chance I get to go wandering I take. There's just so much out there to see.

Perhaps that's why I enjoy driving otr too haha.

Another thing about caching is it has brought me to places I would've never knew existed were it not for someone placing a cache there.

In many cases they are placed at an historic, scenic, or otherwise interesting location just off the beaten path. The local geocachers place them, and we get to experience them as a result.

Hey someone else who has done this! It's been a while since doing it here but it's a good outdoor activity and can be a challenge. Mostly stuck to local caches. It's been tough to want to devote time to it when going somewhere new as there is usually other stuff planned or to see. andmilestogo - Geocaching.com

I used to go jogging all the time when I was on the road. That was a lot of fun, especially when I was way out in the middle of nowhere and could really enjoy the scenery. I'd always try to plan it so I was jogging at sunrise or sunset too, if I could.

In many cases they are placed at an historic, scenic, or otherwise interesting location just off the beaten path.

I've heard that, and that's interesting because tomorrow the doggy and I are going to attempt Wright Peak, and there's an Air Force bomber just off the trail that crashed there in 1962.

I like the idea of finding places of historical significance. The caches would indeed be very cool for that.

Geocaching is great fun. We did it in Boy Scouts, but with a map and compass. This is MUCH better. And, worldwide I might add.

Brett, Geocaching can be a quick addiction. Since truckers travel so much, is easy to get into it. A TravelBug's dream! (A TB is a goody that needs to be taken from where you found it to somewhere else. I've moved several some the country.)

Geocaching.org

Brett, Geocaching can be a quick addiction. Since truckers travel so much, is easy to get into it. A TravelBug's dream! (A TB is a goody that needs to be taken from where you found it to somewhere else. I've moved several some the country.)

Geocaching.org

Yup, I've moved many myself. I have a TB of my own that has around 12k miles on it. It's currently somewhere in the UK!

I've thought about coming up with some sort of TruckingTruth stuff to pass around the country. Like when you have it you take a selfie with it and say your location, then pass it on to someone else who does the same, etc, etc. Over time we'd see who has had it and where they've taken it. That would be pretty funny!