What is Geocaching?

Geocaching is a new twist on an old sport. An intriguing mix of treasure hunting, navigation, and outdoor hiking/walking, basically it works like this: individuals go out into the world and hide a box of "treasure", this is the "cache" (anyone can create a cache).

The cache is typically an old army-style ammo box or some type of tupperware container, and will normally contain various trinkets, gift certificates, money, whatever. There will also be a log book so Geocachers can log their entry. They then go online to Geocaching.com and post the longitude/latitude coordinates of the hidden treasure. You go to Geocaching.com and find hidden treasures, or "Geocaches", in your area, and program the coordinates into your portable GPS. Using the GPS, you find the cache!

Proper Geocaching etiquette dictates that upon finding a given cache, you:

1. Sign the log book contained in the cache, including your name or handle, the date, and where you're from. This can be interesting, as the log books will often show people from all corners of the globe having visited a particular cache.
2. Take an item out of the cache (whatever looks appealing to you), and add something to the cache to compensate for what you took.
3. Replace the cache back to its hiding spot

What's fun about that you say? Plenty -- Geocaching is a great way to discover new areas/trails/hikes that you wouldn't have otherwise found, and is a fun mix of technology, outdoor activity, and orienteering.

Where's the challenge in finding something when you have the coordinates? Well, it's more difficult than it sounds. Even a really good consumer GPS is only accurate to within 5-20 feet. If I told you something is hidden somewhere inside a room, it can still be difficult to find it. The GPS gets you close to the cache, but you still have to hunt around for it (people will frequently post hints in the Geocaching.com post that will help you find the cache) -- believe me, it can be tougher than you think!

What equipment do I need?

There are many excellent GPS units to choose from. The good news is that a lot of GPS fun can be had for under $100. At the other end of the spectrum, you could spend over $500 and get a great all-in-one unit that does it all, and has a high performance GPS receiver:

If You're On A Tight Budget (under $100)
	It doesn't get any more basic than this: input a set of coordinates, and the GPS leads you to the target. This unit has no maps, but it does support tracklogs and up to 500 waypoints. If you want the most basic model to start Geocaching, the eTrex is a great, rugged outdoor GPS that'll get you going for under $100. (note that Garmin is releasing an updated version of the eTrex with a higher sensitivity receiver in the latter part of 2007 for about the same price, so you may want to hold out and grab that one (eTrex H))
The "Money is no Object" Option
	Garmin's GPSMAP 60CSx combines SiRF's high-performance receiver, a barometric altimeter, electronic compass, IPX7 waterproof (can be completely submerged), a large color display, and built-in basemaps of the U.S. to make for one awesome handheld GPS. As of this writing, the GPSMAP 60CSx sells for around $350. I personally use this GPS when Geocaching, and find the digital compass a great feature. Unlike Garmin's automobile GPS units, their handheld interface is a little difficult to use at first, so you'll need to read the manual first. Actually the interface is pretty aweful, but it's still the best option around, so this is the unit I use. If you're really looking to do things deluxe style, you may want to pickup some additional maps for the GPSMAP 60CSx. One of the strengths of the pricey GPSMAP 60CSx is that you can install additional maps. Adding Garmin's City Navigator maps (about $110) will give you the same high quality street-level maps and POIs found on Garmin's nuvi and StreetPilot series units. Garmin's TOPO maps (about $70) will add topographic maps of the U.S. Topographic maps can be handy when hiking on a trail, as you can see if you'll be hiking uphill or down, and how steep the incline/descent will be. BTW - this GPS does ship with basic maps pre-loaded, but it's pretty much just major highways, so it's not well-suited to turn-by-turn navigation and Points of Interest lookups. If you want to be able to load the entire U.S. map data onto the GPS, you'll need to buy an extra MicroSD memory card that's at least 2GB(around $30), otherwise you'll have to load regional data since the whole U.S. won't fit on a 1GB card. You could buy Garmin's pre-loaded NT map data instead, but this way you can add multiple maps onto a single card. For example, you can have both street-level and TOPO maps installed at the same time, and switch between them. If the City Navigator maps are present, the GPSMAP 60SCx can provide turn-by-turn navigation, albeit without any voice prompts. Still, even without the voice prompts, this is a great way to enter a set of coordinates, have the GPS route you in automobile mode as close as possible, then switch back to pedestrian mode once you can't drive any closer to the cache.

How do I use the same GPS for Geocaching and driving?

What if you already have a GPS, can you use it for Geocaching? As long as a GPS can navigate to a set of coordinates instead of a street address, it can be used for geocaching. You probably won't get the ruggedness and waterproofing of a GPS designed for outdoor use/geocaching, but there's no reason you can't use your existing GPS if it supports routing to coordinates.

Inputting Coordinates on a Garmin nuvi or StreePilot c-Series GPS
	Garmin includes the ability to input a set of longitude/latitude coordinates as a destination address on most of its automobile-centric GPS devices, such as the nuvi and StreetPilot c-series units. To route to a set of coordinates, tap on "Where to?" and then scroll down to see the Coordinates option, as shown above.

Getting Started Geocaching

Okay, you've got a GPS and you want to get started, what next?

1. Head over to Geocaching.com and search by zip code for Geocaches in your area (you'll need to create an account, but it's free)
2. While you're there, it's probably a good idea to briefly read their Frequently Asked Questions page on Geocaching
3. If you're using a Garmin GPS (I realize this review is Garmin-centric, but that's the equipment I personally use. I wanted to get the best equipment, and so far the Garmin units appear to be the best), you should download Garmin's browser plug-in that lets you transfer Geocaching waypoints directly from the Geocaching.com into your Garmin GPS.
4. Once the Geocache's coordinates are loaded onto the GPS, head out and find the cache
5. Log your entry in the cache's logbook, take something with you and deposit something
6. Replace the cache back where you found it

That's pretty much the basics. Geocaching is basically a new, high-tech twist on the ancient hobby of Letterboxing (finding caches using paper maps).

I was skeptical of Geocaching at first, but it really is more fun than you might think - give it a try!