Geocaching: What You Need

I've been into geocaching for a few years now, and I've found myself at times in need of something that I didn't have on hand, but could have if I had sat down and put a bag together. Putting a bag together is very easy, and really helps save on time and helps your status among other cachers (think replacing that lost cache). It comes in handy for urban caches, but is a real treat to have when on a hike to retrieve a long distance cache.

To begin, I use a small backpack, about half the size of a normal sized backpack, but either would work. I have lots of pockets in my bag, and I suggest that any bag you find have at least two or three different pockets aside from the larger storage area.

Being a cacher, especially a cacher with kids in tow, then you well know that caches with trade-able items are a big hit. It's considered bad behavior to just take an item without trading for it, and rude to not trade evenly so a key ingredient is to have your bag well stocked with trade items. What I've done is to take zip lock baggies and fill them with small stuffed animals, bouncy balls, key chains, and whatever else I can find on sale or at inexpensive prices. I have different items of different value so that I can feel confident that I am able to trade evenly when one of my children finds a treasure they simply must have out of a new cache.

The second crucial element to add to your bag (apart from your gps receiver) is duct tape. Having tape can be a real "life saver." I've used tape to fix a boot on a long distance hike that got a hole in it (which was very nice considering that the boots were waterproof, and we were hiking through some wet areas... my feet stayed dry). Duct tape is also convenient for fixing any holes on any caches you come across, as a lint roller of sorts to get nasty hitchhikers off your clothes, or to tape around a small cache that you have come across a good spot to hide. I highly recommend camouflage tape.

Also add to the list extra batteries for the gps receiver, extra small zip lock baggies, at least three or four pens, and a notepad for jotting down ideas, events, or cache problems so you can update the cache page when you "find" your cache on geocaching.com. You will also want a small first aid kit with bandages and antibiotic ointment, a flashlight, and at least one screwdriver. A small brush would also come in handy to clear away spider webs from holes. Including a small bag of handy wipes is indeed "handy" to have. Two or three small memo books come in handy, as well, to replace any log books you may come across that are full.

Other items you may find useful would be small cache containers such as bison tubes (in case you find a nice place to hide your own cache or to replace a missing one), a small knife, safety pins, a small sewing kit, tweezers, twine (or embroidery floss), and rubber bands.

I have used every item I've listed at least once in my geocaching experience, and having these items on hand made my caching experience much more enjoyable. I packed my caching bag so that I could find the items easily when I needed them so I could get in and out of an area quickly. Yes, a well stocked caching bag can save you a lot of time and frustration.