How Did Geocaching Start

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How Did Geocaching Start?

This phenomenon began May 3 2000 with Dave Ulmer a computer consultant hiding a bucket in Oregon and putting the GPS coordinates on the internet. This was found by 2 others and geocaching was born. … All of this combines to describe the adventure that is geocaching.

How was geocaching developed?

Geocaching was started by a group of people who were interested in technology and geography. They used GPS devices and the Internet to re-invent the older hobby of letterboxing. … Waymarking is similar to virtual geocaching. Waymarking clues lead participants to interesting spots or trails.

Who came up with geocaching?

Matt Stum

Geocaching first coined by Matt Stum on the “GPS Stash Hunt” mailing list on May 30 2000 was the joining of two familiar words. The prefix geo for Earth was used to describe the global nature of the activity but also for its use in familiar topics in gps such as geography.

When was the first geocache placed?

May 3 2000
The first documented placement of a GPS-located cache took place on May 3 2000 by Dave Ulmer of Beavercreek Oregon.

What is the point of geocaching?

Geocachers seek out treasures hidden by other players while exploring interesting locations. At its most basic level geocaching is a game where players use GPS receivers to track down a container or cache.

What are the three main rules of geocaching?

Follow Leave No Trace guidelines in the natural environment. Be careful of the area around the cache—don’t trample the grounds rip up sprinkler heads etc. in your frenzy to find the cache. Follow all laws and regulations. Never enter private property without permission.

Is geocaching still a thing 2021?

Whether you’re a seasoned geocacher or you’re new to the activity you’ll be happy to know that yep geocaching is still a thing. According to the folks at the official Geocaching headquarters there are more than 3 million active geocaches located around the world.

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What geocache has been found the most often?

The ‘most found traditional geocache’ in the world is a distinction that’s currently neck and neck. Two traditional geocaches both have more than 12 400 finds. That’s more than twice as many finds as the Geocaching HQ geocache in Seattle and more than any other traditional geocache in the world.

What came before geocaching?

Around the same time orienteering was taking off so was geocaching’s direct ancestor letterboxing. Letterboxing was started in Devon England in 1854 by James Perrott. He placed a bottle at Cranmere Pool where visitors would leave postcards and the next visitors would collect and post them.

How popular is geocaching?

Geocaching by the numbers

There are more than 3 million active geocaches worldwide. Geocaches are hidden in 191 different countries on all seven continents (even Antarctica)! More than 642 million “Found it” and “Event Attended” logs have been recorded since the game started in 2000.

Where is the very first geocache located?

Back in May of 2000 when Dave Ulmer hid the world’s first geocache (stash) in the woods just outside of Estacada with instructions that finders “Take some stuff leave some stuff ” little did he know that he was creating a new worldwide hobby.

Where is the very first geocache?

Oregon
The First Geocache was hidden on May 3rd of 2000 in Oregon United States by Dave Ulmer. Dave placed a 5 gallon bucket that contained Delorme Topo USA software videos books food money and a slingshot!

What state has the most geocaches?

	State	#caches
1.	District of Columbia	5
2.	Ohio	446
3.	New York	492
4.	South Carolina	222

Can you take stuff from a geocache?

One of the guiding principles of geocaching is “take something leave something.” A geocache hider places a number of goodies in a container when a new cache is first started. … If you take something from a cache be sure to leave something. If you forgot your trade items just sign the logbook.

What are Muggles in geocaching?

Description. The word muggle was adopted from the Harry Potter series of books used to describe someone as non-magical. In geocaching it is used to refer to someone who does not geocache. … When the approaching muggle is a police officer or person of authority honesty is the recommended policy.

What the heck is geocaching?

Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity in which participants use a GPS-enabled device to hide and seek containers called “caches” at specific locations marked by coordinates.

Are there dangers involved in geocaching?

At the top of the dangers is that you might not find the cache. While this might not sound so bad if you have an intense desire to find the certain item you might be out in the forest or street for many hours. Sometimes caches are taken from their GPS location by people (children) or by groundskeepers.

Why should you not let Muggles see you geocaching?

Muggles (aka non-geocachers) who get curious have been known to unknowingly take or damage geocaches which is why it’s important to maintain a level of stealth while geocaching. A waypoint is a reference point for a physical location on Earth. … Save the waypoint with any name.

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What should you not put in a geocache?

Explosives fireworks ammunition lighters knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools) drugs alcohol and any illicit material should not be placed in a cache. If someone other than you places an inappropriate item in a cache that you own and this is reported the cache may be temporarily disabled.

What is blue switch day?

Blue Switch Day is held on May 2 each year and recognises when the US Government ‘flipped the switch’ and made high-accuracy GPS available to everyone.

Is it worth paying for geocaching?

Yes premium membership is way better than basic. Loads of better caches can be found! The good caches are kept for premium members by premium members.

How do I geocache for free?

Go Geocaching for Free

Step 1: Signing Up. First off if you haven’t sign up for Geocaching.com then do it now. …
Step 2: Downloading C:GEO and Signing In. In the Play Store search for “c:geo” and download the app. …
Step 3: Using the App. …
Step 4: Prep the Device. …
Step 5: Find the Cache.

Who has the most geocaches in the world?

Today more than 1.4 million geocaches have been hidden and found by more than 4 million people worldwide. More specifically the United States and Germany lead the world in this activity with the Czech Republic Canada and the United Kingdom following.

Who has found the most caches?

Aerial Video Clips – Many taken near geocaching locations

Row	Geocacher	Caches Found
1	mondou2	222952
2	Alamogul	215830
3	Alamogul	191542
4	mondou2	184642

Who holds the record for most geocaches found?

The one with the highest count is Almogul (formerly Team Alamo) with over 150 000 finds.

What are some tips to practice good geocaching etiquette?

Always pack a pen to make sure you’re ready to sign your Geocaching username and the date. Leave No Trace – Be kind to the geocaching game board which happens to be the entire world. Make sure to Cache In Trash Out (CITO) when you geocache: pick up litter along the way and don’t leave anything behind.

What do geocache containers look like?

Geocache boxes come in all different shapes and sizes. They can be anything but they are usually small weatherproof boxes made of metal wood or plastic. You might find a camouflaged Altoids tin a can of mixed nuts or an ammo box. The cache will be hidden (but not buried) in a safe non-intrusive place.

What state is home to the oldest surviving geocache?

Kansas

The Oldest Geocache In The World Is In Kansas – Only In Your State.

How many active geocache types are there?

There are about 18 different types of geocaches you can search for.

Are geocaches buried?

Caches cannot be buried – except with permission

To avoid problems with land managers and property owners geocaches were previously not allowed to be buried under any circumstances.

Where is Mingo geocache?

And Mingo was its name-O. To most people it’s just a hole in the ground next to a fence post in the middle of nowhere. But to savvy geocachers it’s a hole in the ground next to a fence post in the middle of nowhere worth travelling hundreds (or thousands) of miles to find.

What is the oldest geocache in Michigan?

Michigan’s Oldest Caches

Brown Bridge Pond Peek-a-Boo Cache: 44.652200 -85.492480.
Bell Creek Park Cache Stash: 42.399850 -83.311400.
Crooked: 42.321730 -84.118680.
Midland: 43.727680 -84.424930.
Chief Noonday: 42.625430 -85.476170.
Atsa Biggie: 42.683820 -84.520350.
Pine Bowl : 42.866080 -86.199780.

Is geocaching bad for the environment?

Abstract. Rising popularity of geocaching is linked to increased risk of negative impacts on natural environment. … Despite the local nature of detected impacts an increased attention shall be devoted to environment care and specifically to regulation of attendance.

What’s so great about geocaching?

One of the chief benefits of geocaching is that it involves being physically active. The level of physical activity will vary according to the person and the caches that are chosen. … Simply resolving to hunt for a cache once or twice a week can help people increase their level of physical activity.