People have always been fascinated with treasure and looking for it. We have all heard stories about lost treasure in some exotic location just waiting to be discovered. There will of course be a very vague map with an approximation of the location of the treasure. Over the centuries treasure hunters have sought out old maps with a view to discovering the lost treasure. Fiction has given us some rip roaring tales of buried treasure, pirates and skulduggery, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is one that comes to mind. Just imagine how exciting it would be to go on a treasure hunt yourself, with hidden clues and things to find.
Well you can! These days geocaching is an exciting and accessible activity that everyone can enjoy. All you need it is a global positioning system or GPS and a bit of knowledge as to how to operate it. Don't worry, you do not need to go and spend a small fortune on a specialist GPS unit, if you have a Smartphone, chances are you already have a GPS and you can use this to track the 'treasure' or in this case, the cache.
So, what is geocaching?
Geocaching is a kind of treasure hunt where a number of objects are hidden in a variety of locations in a particular geographic area. The area can be fairly localised or it can cover hundreds of miles. There are several different types of treasure hunt and much depends upon the organiser and the theme of the hunt. Everyone will be given a sheet containing a list of items to find and sufficient information to find the first location. You use your GPS to navigate to the location of the 'treasure'. Usually, upon finding this location you will either collect something or leave something and there will be clues for the next location. Each location is then associated with an item on the list which is ticked off. Some clues can be very straightforward whilst others can be cryptic.
There are of course many GPS treasure hunts that are not organised events and with this type of hunt you can use an app on your Smartphone or download one that will give you the clues and locations. This type of geocaching means that you find the 'treasure' using your Smartphone GPS, which is usually a well hidden Tupperware box containing a variety of items and a list. What you do is remove 1 item from the box and replace it with something you have brought making a note on the list as to what you have taken and what you have left in its place. Then you look for the next location and repeat the process. Some of the boxes can be very well hidden, so just because you cannot see it does not mean that it is not there, you just need to look very carefully.
Treasure hunts are great fun and will help you hone your navigational skills using a GPS. The whole family can be involved and is something that everyone can enjoy. Other than an app for your mobile phone, you do not need any specialist equipment. So, what are you waiting for?
Graham Baylis writes articles for Promap on the fascinating world of mapping, highlighting the ways that modern digital mapping is changing how see the world today. The way that information can now be overlayed onto maps is making planning and other decisions far easier. To see how, check out www.promap.co.uk
