Geo caching? Tips please

archiesdad

Hi all can anyone give me anymore info on geo caching, I have registered and get the general idea, however I have a few questions.

Is there an easy way to find caches which would be suitable for finding with kids as am thinking this would be a good activity for a group this weekend ages 7, 4 and 5. At the moment it seems I have to read every one.

What sort of items do you leave?

Any tips on getting started?

Was gonna use my I phone as my gps.

I am based in hampshire but am happy to make it a bit of a day out if there are any that you can suggest.

Many thanks

susieb

I would look for one with a low difficulty, you can tell this from the main search page, they show you the difficulty and the terrain.
So pick a cache thats no more than a 2 rating.
Also with kids its best to pick a larger cache as 1 its easier to find and 2 there will be swaps in there.
As for items to leave, anything thats child friendly, but not smelly or food items as that attracts animals.
We have an assortment of stuff, little maze puzzle games, pencils, rubbers, small toys.
Where abouts in Hampshire are you as I have done a few caches in the Newforest and Winchester that would be good for kids.
Or if you go on the main forum, someone local to you may be able to come and help you start off.
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showforum=35

theres a thread on there offering to adopt a newbie, with lots of areas covered.
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=91205

archiesdad

Hi I am based in portsmouth but might be up for a day out in the forest if you can point me in the right direction. Thanks for the links I will have a look tonight.

susieb

These were our favourites in the forest, but to be honest all the onesi n the forest are good.
http://coord.info/GC25KMV - we made this harder than it needed due to not taking wellies.

http://coord.info/GCRFM9 this is in wilverly enclosure, theres a couple more here as well that make a nice walk.

http://coord.info/GCT1TN this is an easy one you can even do without a gps.

http://coord.info/GC189NB this is harder, but well worth it, just to see the tree.

http://coord.info/GC1J3R1 just a short walk to this one in a pretty area

magicmum_3

Hi
We started geocaching last year and my children absolutely love it.
We always make a day of it and look for local country parks that normally have quite a few geocaches to in.

MY children love finding the bigger caches and for swaps they normally take things like keyrings, small toys, magnets anything small that they can find really. However if you take something out you must replace it with an item of equal value.

It is great fun and the more you do it the better you get at finding the caches.

lolly1981

to put in any caches we find we have bought a few sixpences, some postcards of our favourite places in the city we live (with a bit of history printed on the back for people who might not live in the area to take away ) we have also got a few rubbers, pens etc (tesco do them quite cheap, near the party stuff for party bags, sometimes you can get stuff that is reduced there too)
we keep an eye out for stuff at the carboot too, something unusual but little, we like to find interesting stuff in them so we like to leave interesting stuff too

it really is great for the family, i have a 2 year old and a 6 year old so we look for the caches that are larger, and try to find a few within the same area so not too much petrol used, we also take the camera along take pics of any areas of interest (often they are hidden in places of interest, historical value or just places you would never know were there) we also take a photo of the kids with the box we are making up a scrap book with all the caches we find....we have turned it into a 'project' that the family can do even if its raining i.e making the scrap book, letting the kids decrypt the clues on the website etc

so long as you dont mind little bit of mud occasionly, or getting stung (i suffer really bad reaction to nettles but that doesnt put me off ) sometime lots of walking and be prepared you might not always find the cache (they may have been moved or 'muggled') make sure you write as much info off tyhe cache page on the site (clues, surrounding area) it makes it much easier with kids if you have a better idea of where the co-ord will lead you....we tell the kids its a treasure hunt, we also keep score on who found the cache (bit of competition never hurt anyone ) daddy haze is in the lead so far.

enjoy it, dont stress too much if you dont find the cache and take in the usually beautiful surroundings....its so much fun x

Mark_Hewitt

archiesdad wrote: »

Hi all can anyone give me anymore info on geo caching, I have registered and get the general idea, however I have a few questions.

Is there an easy way to find caches which would be suitable for finding with kids as am thinking this would be a good activity for a group this weekend ages 7, 4 and 5. At the moment it seems I have to read every one.

The easiest way is to look for caches which aren't in an urban area, out in the woods you're more likely to find larger caches, which IMO are easier to find and you get out and about more easily. Doesn't take a moment to click on each and look at the 'size' box, if it's bigger than the smallest category that means it's a tupperware box or bigger.

With a group it's probably best to go for a cache series, there's no specific tool to look for these but if you browse the map and see a load of caches arranged in a line, chances are it's a cache series which will take you on a pre-defined walk.

What sort of items do you leave?

Personally I don't take or leave anything; as that's not why I do it, but just little trinkets are best, nothing of any value.

Any tips on getting started?

Patience. Don't be put off if you don't find your first few. It takes a while to get the 'cachers eye', where that strategically placed pile of twigs to a cacher you might as well put a neon sign above it, but to anyone else it just looks normal.
Have a few trips out without the kids first, just so you can be sure what you're doing.

Was gonna use my I phone as my gps.

Entirely depends what phone you have. iPhone 3GS, not so good. iPhone 4- great!

Official app is on iPhone, Android and there are other apps for Nokia, WM7.

Former_MSE_Andrea

Any more geocaching tips anyone?

Jane2112

ArchiesDad,
I have nothing to add to the other posts, but please tell us how you get on.
I started geocaching about 2 years ago, by myself, at late 40's !!!
If you have done a search and found a couple of caches you fancy looking for check out the most recent posts, make sure that it is still in place go for at least a medium size one. That way you know you can fit in stuff for kids.
found a great one for kids a couple of weeks ago, but it was in the Yorkshire Dales.
Good Caching

Jane2112

OOps, just realised that this is a old thread. Any new cachers out there?

iammumtoone

yes, very new to this. I intend to find some with my son (nearly 6) over the school hols. We went out to find one after school today, however when we got there it wasn't really suitable for him I had to cross an area of nettles and weeds nearly as tall as him! I made him wait on the footpath while I searched and took the box to him so he could swap an item.

I only used a phone gps, it worked fine for me.