Geocaching has been compared to "high-tech" hide and seek and to a modern treasure hunt. In its' most basic form the way you participate is this: someone has hidden a container somewhere in the world. Using longitude and latitude data you need to find the container. But what is in this container to make you want to find it?

The word cache means a storehouse of some kind. In geocaching the cache container typically contains an assortment of objects. These can be inexpensive items or more valued items. Having found the cache you are expected to take one of these items. But, there's a catch to the cache. If you take something you should leave something of equal value in return. That way the cache does not get emptied over time. In fact, over time the cache takes on a personality of its own reflecting the whims of the folks who have found it in the past.

The folks who hide caches publish the coordinates (that's what the longitude and latitude data are called) for their site on-line. Using a handheld GPS (Global Positioning System) device you travel to the posted location. Once you're at the location you'll need to search the area to locate the cache container. Even the best hand held GPS device, however, can only place you within an approximate distance of the coordinates.

The container could be any one of several sizes ranging from something as small as a 35mm film can, to a tupperware container, or a 50mm Ammo Can. The size of the container you are seeking is described in the on-line description of the cache site. But don't just search the ground. The container may be camouflaged or magnetically stuck to something, or covered with leaves, or up in a tree, etc, etc. You get the point. And, as Sherlock Holmes once observed "The Game's Afoot"

Using your senses of observation and perception you search the area your GPS has indicated is the location. You KNOW it's there somewhere. And, if you're clever enough - you find it. To mark your success all caches contain a log book which you sign and date to mark your visit. Many caches are hidden in parks, forests, or some rural location. Sometimes, however, the cache is hidden in a very public place. If your GPS leads you to a public place, you'll need to do your sleuthing while not attracting too much attention to yourself and what you are doing. Should you find the container in a place where there are lots of non-players (called muggles) around, you'll need to get the container, check its contents, and put it back without giving away its hiding place. Muggles have been know to destroy caches.

So that, in very brief terms, is geocaching. It's a fun sport that is part physical and part mental. Your competition is both the person who hid the cache and the other geocachers who are also trying to find it.

If this sounds like something you'd like to do, keep reading. The next section of this web site outlines how to get started. Oh, and by the way - there are over 200,000 caches hidden throughout the world at this time so there's a lot of opportunity for play.