This great set of tips for responsible geocaching says it all.  There’s good advice for everyone here, whether you are taking off for a day of caching or hiding your first cache.  Beginners should read it carefully but it’s a good reminder for advanced geocachers as well.

My favourite tip is the simple phrase – Cache in – Trash out!  Take a garbage bag with you and help the environment by clearing up the trash in the area you are visiting. 

Photo by ChrisChampion on Flickr

I loved this story of the son of an English war bride who dropped a photo of his mom together with a note and a travel bug, into a cache in Missouri. The travel bug had a mission to reach his mom’s family near Nottingham in England, where she had been brought up prior to moving to the US in 1946.  This resonated with me because my mom was a war bride from Nottingham too.  She was only 17 when she met and married my dad in 1944. After the end of the war, he came back to Canada and it wasn’t until 18 months later that she made the trip on the SS Queen Mary – with a daughter my father had never seen. They were happily married for 51 years. 

This is what is so great about geocaching and the community that enjoys the game. My ice cube travel bug is now in Tasmania, but with its mission to make it’s way back to the frozen north, it’s got a long way to go.

I’d love to hear more stories like this.  What a great collection that would make.

Our friends at Cache Advance let me know of Northumberland County’s geocaching marketing, and it’s great to hear they are promoting it. If you haven’t visited this part of Ontario, it is an area of rolling hills, farmland and lots of woodland. The Trent River makes its final run down to Lake Ontario through the county and there’s conservation areas and pretty villages to explore.

Warkworth is a real secret – a little town of craft stores and art galleries, along with some very nice restaurants.  There’s a great micro-brewery just outside Campbellford and a chocolate outlet in town!  And of course there are plenty of caches to be found.  What more could you ask for on a geocaching break in this great area?

Image of Maiden’s Mill near Warkworth by John Charlton

When you are choosing a winter cottage for a snowy geocaching break, there’s a few things to consider.  Not all caches are winter friendly, so make sure the ones you have chosen on Geocaching.com have the snowflake icon.  To find out, go to the cache page and check the Attributes box on the right hand side; if you can get to it in winter there is a snowflake to identify it as winter friendly. Here’s an example at As the Crowe Flows

Make sure you carry a snow shovel, a sack of sand/salt, a flashlight, and a blanket in the car with you, and don’t even think about heading to cottage country without snow tires.  Even if the side streets are all clear of snow in the city, you will not find the same in the country. Some roads may have been ploughed but not sanded so if they are icy, it could be quite challenging.

Dress for the weather. This should go without saying but its a reminder to wear warm, layered clothing, good boots, and really good gloves. 

When walking on trails, watch out for snowmobiles, particularly if you have a dog with you. Remember the riders cannot hear you, and may be going fast.  If you hear a sled coming, get everyone off the trail and wait for them to pass.

Carry a pencil in your geocaching pack in case your pen freezes up!

I know a ton of people who regularly get out in the fresh air, GPS in hand and spend a few hours, or a whole day, searching for caches in out of the way places.  They do it for the love of the great outdoors, because it’s a great family activity and because it’s free!

My son and his wife are in their mid-twenties and are the non-geekiest people I know. Fit and active, they scuba dive, sail, ski, snowboard, and go geocaching when they can. My sister is in her sixties and loves the activity as a way of entertaining her five grandchildren when they come to stay. We have friends in UK who take their children camping and plan geocaching as part of every vacation.  This is an activity that suits every age, and since there are caches in towns, cities, villages and country areas around the world, it is one of the most accessible games you can play.

Get going….pick up a handheld GPS, register at geocaching.com and get out to the great outdoors!

Photo on Flickr by Caveman 92223