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GEOCACHING--GPS now a sport?
Technos
and outdoor types alike unite from around the world for high tech Hide
and Seek. If you hide stuff in the woods will they come?
Well yes.
Photo
by Dave Ulmer
By
Jack W. Peters, February 17, 2001
Caching
is a term used by mountain men to describe a stash of food and goods
left in the hills. GPS enthusiasts have discovered a way to make a
great outdoor game, inspired by the past with a high tech twist. The
sport began after the government removed Selective Availability
in May of 2000. That was the scramble device that made GPS inaccurate
up to 100 meters. Now with GPS accurate within a few meters, it is
now possible to leave coordinates for treasure hunting.
Geocaching
pioneers like Dave Ulmer of Portland, Oregon, was the first to hide
a stash, then post the location on the Net. The coordinates went up
on an Internet GPS users group on May 3, 2000, and by May 6th
the stash already received two visitors. Dave came up with the idea
knowing that the applications for GPS use would increase with the removal
of Selective Availability. He now smiles and shakes his head in disbelief
knowing in less than a year his GPS game has become an international
phenomena.
It works
like this. Fill a waterproof box like a GI ammo can or plastic container,
full of neat stuff organized in zip-lock bags. Find a good hiding spot
somewhere out in the great outdoors that is accessible to the public.
Record the Latitude/Longitude or UTM coordinates of the hiding spot.
Then publish the stash location on the Geocashing Home Page. Its fun
to have a look to see if there is any stashes within your wilderness
backyard. You might be surprised. This sport is growing quickly with
hundreds of stashes across the United States and now all over the world.
Any why
not? What a great excuse to load up the family for a hiking trip in
the great outdoors. What respectable adventurer would pass up the opportunity
to tromp around in an unknown patch of woods looking for a box of hidden
stuff? It sounds like a fun way to get a little exercise and practice
using a GPS receiver. Its a great way to improve navigation skills
because is requires the ability to understand maps, use a compass, and
read coordinates. To be proficient in navigation requires knowing how
to use GPS, maps and a compass in conjunction with each other.
How the
stashes are hidden depends to the skill and creativity of the one doing
the hiding. Some are easy to find, others take some work. They could
be on a cliff, in a cave, buried in the sand, even underwater. It may
sound easy because you receive the coordinates, but getting there can
be the tricky part. As Dave Ulmer states, Remember there are 360 ways
to get to any one location. Roads on a map may not be accessible, and
a map may not show the difficulty of the terrain. Urbanites can also
play along by hiding a logbook in a city park or around buildings.
So whats
in these stashes? Well youre not going to get rich, but you will find
some interesting stuff. They are typically filled with information
about who did the stashing, with gifts and maybe snacks. The idea is
to be creative and leave stuff that would be neat to find and even a
little useful. Contents include: books, maps, software, CDs, cash
and beer. How about waterproof matches, carabiners and mountain bars?
You cant clean out the stash though, there has to be stuff left over
for the next seeker. In fact the finder should leave something behind.
They should also sign a guest book and maybe take a self-portrait with
a disposable camera.
I found a sample essay, possibly better write my paper and article reviews. . comparison digital camera prices Like any
other sport, there is a few dos and donts. The stash needs to be
hidden on public property. Ask permission before placing a stash on
private property or in public parks. Do not hide anything dangerous
or illegal or in an environmentally sensitive area. Seekers can be
warned of stashes located in potentially difficult or hazardous areas
by the difficulty rating of each stash on the web site. Site photos
and special instructions may also be included. The seeker also has
the opportunity to leave comments on the web site relaying their experience
in finding, or almost finding each cache. Happy hunting, and check
out the Geocaching Home Page at: http://www.geocaching.com
Check
out the founder of Geocaching, Dave Ulmers new idea in next months
Whats New!
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