Geocaching Gear

Remember your first geocaching trip? During our first geocaching experience, we ended up deep in the brush swatting swarms of mosquitoes, clomping around in muddy tennis shoes, and wondering just how the heck we would get back home. Of course, geocaching gets easier as you learn a few tricks of the trade.

I always like to research the geocache site at least minimally before we actually set foot on a trail. Use geocaching.com's mapping feature to give you a rough estimate on the terrain. If the cache is in a parking lot, your gear will be different than finding a cache in the woods.

Obviously, a GPS unit will be number one on your pack list, unless you've got some kind of coordinate chip implanted in your head. Some units have lanyards which you hang around your neck or wrist for easy access.

No matter what time of year you venture out, wear proper foot gear. Terrain can change on a daily basis, and you never know what you'll encounter. Sturdy hiking boots are a good bet for anything you'll encounter, and good snow boots are essential for freezing/snowy conditions.

Bring your own treasure. Most people like to take an item from the cache, and leave an item. My daughter still cherishes a hockey puck she found in a cache a few years ago, even though she doesn't like hockey. Depending on the cache container size, you can bring small toys, spare change, or interesting souvenirs. Advanced geocachers often hunt for travel bugs, which can be found on geocaching.com. These bugs, usually shaped like dog tags, can travel the world, and are often tracked on website logs.

If your cache is a hike from the car, remember your cell phone, and water. Snacks are always a good bet if you have little ones whose blood sugar runs low, creating cranky geocachers. The cell phone is essential if you loose your way, and need to call in the cavalry.

Keep purses handbags at home or in the car. A better option to tote your gear is a small backpack, leaving hands free to store waypoints or to bat away brush. A bottle of sunscreen and bug spray in your pack will keep you comfortable in less than ideal conditions.

Finally, bring a camera. There is nothing like the thrill of finding a hidden cache. Capture the moment in photos. If you've got a digital camera, it's fun to upload your picture to a cache's comment page.