Opening a geocache to find some ‘tradables’ and sign the logbook. (Kat Nickola)
I’m hunched over and using the light on my phone to navigate the twists and turns of an underground World War I bunker. My daughter kindly points out a massive spider and I cringe in the dark, camp space.
All morning, we have been exploring the corrugated metal structures, historic trenches and dark caves as the cold fog slowly lifts. Suddenly, I hear my husband and son call from a side cave, “We found it!” My daughter and I rush past the block walls and duck under a low rocky ceiling to find them pulling a modern plastic container out of a rubble pile. “Any swag?” I ask.
We’ve just found a geocache. As a lunch-sized container, it’s rated as a “large”. Inside are various items to trade. We grab a bouncy ball and place one of our cactus clips inside. Then we dig out the logbook, sign it and seal the case back up, hiding it again for the next person.
This is geocaching, and looping in a few finds during our travels has taken us to amazing places.
Inside a geocache: logbook and tradable items (Kat Nickola)
There are geocaches all over the world. They range from micro-sized items that can barely hold a minuscule roll of paper to large containers as big as dumpsters. The fun is in the secretive nature of navigating to and finding a cache.
“The primary goal in geocaching is simply to find the hidden container and sign the logbook.”
In urban areas, this can be tricky, sneaky fun, since it’s a major faux pas to be spotted uncovering a cache by regular folks walking past (muggle in cache parlance). Urban caches are often super-well camouflaged as well, mimicking bolts, magnetized to signs and often blending into the landscape so well that they are hiding in plain sight. In wilderness spots, navigation may be the biggest challenge. A phone GPS cannot always be relied on, and you may need to go off-trail, delve into caves or even rappel to find the toughest wild caches.
A small sized geocache may only have enough space for a tiny logbook. (Kat Nickola)
All geocaches are registered at www.geocaching.com and you must make an account in order to play. Registration is free and a great way to start. You can use the website to discover caches you’d like to find, but I highly recommend using the Geocaching App since it allows you to search for caches near you, log your finds on-the-go and can help with basic navigation.
If you get really into it like my family, then a paid membership gets you access to all the caches and helpful resources on the app like filtering and downloading details.
On the App, you can use a map to choose a cache to go find. Each cache has a star rating out of five on how difficult it is to find, how tough the terrain is, and its size. You’ll also find a small description and a hint if you are having trouble; in Europe these are often in the local language, so be prepared to translate. There is a “Navigate” button that offers a basic straight-line distance gauge and compass. Lastly, there is the “Log cache” button for you to click once you’ve completed the mission and signed the log in the container.
Always bring a pen, and you may want to carry a small collection of tiny treasures like the cactus clips my family offers. Caches larger than the ‘micro’ size may have tradable swag, these are usually small items you can take if you leave a replacement. This aspect is especially fun for kids!
Finding a geocache in the forest. (Kat Nickola)
This is a list of fun local cache’s that have many favorite points and are great for a beginners. They do not required a paid subscription; however, you will need to make a free account. The links below will only work if you are logged in to the geocaching website.
Germany
Batcave | GC2ZACA | Near the KMC, poke around in a local cave to find this cache great for trading swag.
Wald der Märchen | GC8KAAZ |Near Grafenwöhr, this is a series of 22 caches along a 4km loop that are all fairy-tale themed.
Nächster Halt: Wallgraben | GC45NWC |A unique urban cache in Stuttgart, this one is big enough for swag and travel bugs.
England
Narrow Minded | GC1TK6P |This popular cache near London’s King’s Cross station is hidden along a canal towpath.
The Jubilee Line #13 | GC3MRK7 |Near RAF Lakenheath, this cache is hidden in the woodlands full of birds.
The Winchester Geese | GC13ZAG | In London, this is a fun travel bug (TB) “hotel” where people trade trackable swag.
Italy
Vesuvius - Il Gran Cono/The Big Cone | GC4A2N8 | If you are visiting Mount Vesuvius, this is a great cache to add to your trip up the mountain.
First Malcesine | GC1Z4MY | A favorite for those visiting Lake Garda, this cache is worth the climb.
IL TETTO DELL’ETNA | GC8JVNE | This geocache is a great way to add fun and exploration to your visit up Mount Etna.
