Geocaching may not be as exciting as other hobbies, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be just as enjoyable, if not more so. Geocaching is the kind of hobby you can take at your own pace. It can be a regular thing or an occasional treat. You can take it easy, or you can go for the most thrilling caches. With millions of caches all over the world, you’ll be spoilt for choice. This guide will help you learn how to get started with geocaching.

I got into geocaching in 2022, and it was such a breath of fresh air, quite literally. Before I started, I spent most of my time indoors, whereas geocaching encouraged me to get out and about. I not only explored my local area, but I went further afield. I’ve even found geocaches in other countries!

I also met other geocachers who became my friends. Geocaching attracts people from all sorts of demographics and you can meet people you otherwise never would’ve done. I can’t wait to show you all how to get into this hobby!

What is Geocaching?

Geocaching was first invented in May 2000. It involves players hides containers known as caches which can then be found by other players. Inside is a logbook which the finders need to sign. It started off as a niche activity for a very small community but has since snowballed to have millions of players.

Caches can be hidden almost anywhere and they’re not even limited to planet Earth! In 2008, a geocache was placed on the International space station… Unsurprisingly, not many people have found that one! There are all kinds of geocaches big and small hidden almost everywhere. Although some areas are definitely more densely populated with caches than others, there’s likely to be plenty near you, ready to be found.

Your finds will be listed on your profile. Every new geocache that you find counts towards your total score. However, geocaching isn’t a competitive hobby and it’s just about making the most of it for yourself. It’s fun watching your total finds go up over time.

What are the Rules of Geocaching?

Geocaching has only one official rule – sign the logbook. This is why you should always carry a pen with you when you’re geocaching so that you can sign it when you find it. However, if you don’t have one or if yours runs out, try and find some other way to sign. One of my geocaching friends once told me an amusing story about how they once signed with a twig and some blackberry juice from a wild blackberry bush. However, if you really have nothing to sign with, you can try and take a photo and send that to the cache owner.

Some players are more of a stickler for the rules than other players. Personally I’ve never felt the need to police others so if someone tells me they found mine, I’m not going to penalise them for not having a pen. However, I also know people who meticulously checked the online logs against the ones written down inside the cache. They then delete any logs that aren’t physically written in.

Aside from signing the log, there are also some general etiquette rules around geocaching. The main one is to replace the cache exactly as you found it. Cache owners go to great efforts to choose a hiding spot. You don’t want to undermine those efforts by putting it back willy-nilly. You also should take care not to be seen by muggles (non-geocachers) when retrieving the cache.

How Do I Sign Up For Geocaching?

To start geocaching, you’ll need to set up a profile on the official website. Doing so is a simple process. You just put in a few details, choose a username and you’re good to go.

Even though it’s optional, I would strongly recommend downloading the geocaching app. It’s available for both Android and iOS, and it makes geocaching so much more convenient. Your phone can use your current location to show all the geocaches around you, and you can pick which one to go after. It has a handy navigate function, so if you’re terrible with directions, you can just follow the arrow and it’ll tell you where to go. It also allows you to write a log on the cache page, without having to go through the hassle of doing so on the website.

Geocaching is free to sign up for, but I would strongly recommend getting a premium membership. Not only does Geocaching Premium help support the hobby, but it’s so much more fun. You’ll get access to a lot more geocaches, as many cache owners only make their caches available to premium users. It also has more functionality especially on the app. It carries a nominal yearly fee that is well worth paying, in my opinion.

What Equipment Do I Need for Geocaching?

Depending on what kind of caches you plan on finding the equipment you need will vary. There are two pieces of equipment that are pretty much non-negotiable. Those are:

• A pen/ pencil – As per the rules of geocaching, you’ll need something with which you can physically sign the log. It’s good practice to always have a pen on you, even if you’re not planning on geocaching. That way, if you change your mind, you’re covered.
• A phone/ GPS – To be able to sign the log, first you need to find it. Geocaches are usually hidden in plain sight, but they’re not obvious enough to find them unless you’re actively looking. You’ll need to know their exact location coordinates, and so you’ll need a phone or other GPS device.

Non-Essential Equipment for Geocaching

Some other pieces of equipment that you might find useful are:

• Telescopic stick – Sometimes caches are hidden within a tube or otherwise out of reach in some respect. Having a stick with you that you can extend outwards and then pack down again is really convenient. Bonus points if it has a magnet on the end, as often the cache container will be made of metal.
• Tweezers – Sometimes retrieving the logbook itself is half the challenge. Especially with nano-sized caches, the logbook can really get stuck in there. A pair of tweezers can help you pull it right out.
• Swag – Not all caches will have space for this but many of them do. ‘Swag’ refers to little goodies that players leave for each other. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy or have any real monetary value. Just make sure to only take something if you’re going to trade it with something of your own.
• Ladder – If you’re going for caches with a higher terrain rating, you might sometimes find it hard to reach the cache on your own. Having a ladder to hand can help you reach those higher caches.
• Trackable – These are special tokens that you can track through their unique reference number. They’re designed to travel, and you can also help move trackables from one place to another.

Some players own specialist equipment for specific types of caches. However, there’d be no end to niche equipment if I mentioned all of those.

How Do I Find Geocaches?

The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out exactly where to look. If it’s a traditional cache, then the coordinates will be right there on the cache page. Simply use your phone or GPS device to navigate to it. If it’s a puzzle cache or another type that obscures the coordinates, you’ll have to solve for the location first. Then simply travel to ground zero (the area indicated by the coordinates).

Generating accurate coordinates can be tricky, and the cache owner’s GPS device might not have been spot on. As such, don’t get too hung up on the exact location indicated by the coordinates. Instead try to look anywhere with in a 5-10m radius. That radius should be shorter if you’re in an urban location or it could be slightly wider if you’re in a rural location.

It’ll take some experience to get used to what kind of things to look out for. However, in general you’re looking for anything out of place. Cache containers come in all shapes and sizes, and the more of them you find, the better your searching will become. They can be hidden in pretty much anything and everything. Don’t be afraid to look under rocks, or up trees, or in gaps. Just don’t do any damage to the environment or property. Caches can’t be buried, underground or on private property (unless stated on the cache page).

What Types of Geocaches are There?

Not all geocaches are created equal. There are multiple different types and they require different approaches. The most common cache types you’re likely to find are traditional, puzzle, and multi.

Traditional cache is also known as ‘trad’, are the most common and also the simplest. The coordinates will be listed on the website/ app, and you just need to go to that location and search for them. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be easy to find, just that you won’t have to do any extra leg work to get the coordinates. Even if you know the broad location, some caches can still be very hard to find if they’re hidden well.

Puzzle caches, on the other hand, don’t give you their location up front. You’ll need to deduce the coordinates by following details found on the cache page. Sometimes you’ll have to solve a puzzle that’s written in the description section. With more difficult ones, you’ll have to really think outside the box, using every trick at your disposal. Clues can be hidden anywhere even in the metadata of the page.

Multi-caches are similar to puzzles, in that the final location isn’t written on the website/ app. Instead, you’ll be given a starting location where you’ll have to collect extra information. The information could lead you straight to the final location. Other times, there could be several steps before you get those final coordinates. They will eventually end with a physical cache.

Less Common Types of Geocaches

Even though the aforementioned 3 are the most common, there’re still plenty of other types of caches. These are:

• Event/ Celebration Event – Instead of finding a physical cache, you go to a specific place, at a specific time. These will be listed with plenty of notice so you can plan ahead. These are hosted by another player and they give you a chance to meet new people if you want to introduce a social aspect to the hobby.
• Virtual – Instead of finding a physical cache and signing a log, you go to a place and do a specified activity instead.
• Wherigo – This is a gamified type of cache. You’ll need to download a separate app for it. Then once you get to a starting location, you input answers, and it will give you new directions. Eventually you’ll find a physical cache.
• Earth – These ones have a geological focus. You’ll need to go to the location and then answer geology-based questions. You then send your answers to the cache owner, and can sign the log once they confirm that you’re right.
• Letterbox – This is a type of cache that’s combined with another hobby, letterboxing.
• CITO – Short for ‘cache in, trash out’, these are special clean-up events hosted by the geocaching community.

There are a few other rare cash types, but you’re unlikely to come across them. There’s a full list on the Geocaching HQ website.

What are D/T Ratings in Geocaching?

D/T ratings reference the difficulty and terrain of a cache. These range from one to five for each, and you can have half numbers. Difficulty and terrain are both judged based on separate metrics so you can get 1/5 or 5/1 ratings, although it’s rare for them to be that split. Many dedicated geocaches set a lifetime challenge for themselves to get at least one of every combination on their D/T grid.

Difficulty refers to how hard it is to find the cache. This could mean a difficult puzzle to get the coordinates in the first place, or it could be very well hidden at ground zero. It might require specialist equipment to retrieve or open. All of those would contribute to a higher difficulty rating.

Terrain is about how hard it is to actually get to the cache. So for example, a high terrain rating could be if it requires a long hike, or a climb. Anything that would be physically taxing will contribute to a higher terrain rating. You may need specialist equipment to get to the cache, such as a boat, or ice picks.

What are Adventure Labs?

Adventure Labs, or ‘Ad Labs’, are tracked through a separate app, but are linked to geocaching. These don’t have a physical cache, instead you go to the locations listed and answer questions. The questions will be related to things that you can see at the given location. You have to be physically present at the location for the app to give you the question, so you can’t do this virtually.

Adventure Labs have stages to them, usually a total of 5. Sometimes they can be done randomly. Other times you’ll have to do them in a specific order. At each stage, you’ll go to a location and then answer a question based on your surroundings. If you get the question right, you’ll get a find added to your profile. If the stages are linear, you’ll also get the coordinates for the next location.

Adventure Labs are a great way to get to know an area. They’ll usually involve visiting points of interest and you can do them casually throughout the course of a day. They’re also great for stacking up extra finds during geocaching challenges.

Conclusion

I hope this guide on how to get started with geocaching has helped answer any questions you may have about the hobby. Geocaching is accessible to pretty much anyone and it’s so much fun to get into. Beginners are always welcome, but it can feel a little intimidating at first with all the different cache types. Just take it at your own pace and don’t worry about what other geocachers are doing. Whether you’re getting 50 finds a day or 1 find a year, you’re still a valid part of the community.

What’s your favourite type of geocache? Let me know down in the comments. I love anything that lets me climb, especially ones that are hidden up small trees! Also, please follow our Instagram to keep up to date with my latest hobby adventures, including geocaching!