Geocaching, the modern form of scavenger hunt, is on everyone's lips. What happens there, how does it work, what do I have to consider?

What is geocaching?

Geocaching is a modern form of scavenger hunt. The basic principle is the following: on special internet pages, other geocachers deposit information that leads to a secret hiding place of a geocache. With the help of this information and one suitable GPS device or pull smartphones with special app and then tries to find the hiding place of the geocache. Found successful, you can register yourself on a list and "log" the find on the Internet, so mark as found.

The hiding places of geocaches are often on particularly beautiful or interesting places, so there are, for example, beautiful circular walks that lead to special places. Especially beautiful and lovingly designed geocaches wrap the search in a story, for example, in a walk past historically significant places, and almost incidentally, you learn a lot about the places and the surrounding area.

This is also the special thing about geocaching: you are encouraged to be more out there, rediscovering the environment and spending time in beautiful places. Of course, hunting fever also plays a role. Especially when you are new to the area, whether by moving or on vacation, you discover the surroundings in a very special way. 

How does Geocaching work?

Of course you need a GPS device or a GPS-enabled smartphone. Notes on the caches, ie their description and the necessary coordinates, can be found on various platforms on the Internet. The best known is likely geocaching.com be, but also opencaching.de.

There are different Types of geocaches:

• Traditionals: waterproof boxes of various sizes that lie on certain coordinates.
• Multi-caches: Similar to Traditionals, however, different intermediate stations (the "Stages") have to be started and combined in order to reach the final coordinates (the "Final"). Often you have to solve arithmetical problems, crack codes or make bearings to work from stage to stage.
• Riddle or Mysterycache: in riddle caches, the coordinates are only available in encrypted form. Often you have to research at home first or solve puzzles.
• Night caches: as the name implies: solvable only at night. Mostly only the light of a flashlight helps here!
• Then there are some special forms such as Earth caches, webcam caches, letterboxes, event caches, etc.

difficulty rating:

At home you should read the description well, it also always contains hints to the expected difficulties in finding and finding as well as the terrain on which you have to move.

beginners Tips

At the beginning, a smartphone with an app like Geocaching.com or c: geo for Android. These apps allow you to easily manage the caches, view the description of the cache, "log" the find, add notes, and more.

Depending on the type of cache you should prepare yourself at home, consider what you take on equipment. Always there should be the expression of the cache description as well as slip & pencil, work gloves and headlamp. You should also have small swap objects with you - in many geocaches little things are hidden, which you can then swap and hide in other geocaches again.

Basic rules and precautions

Geocaching is in fashion, so quite a few people are on the go. That's why Natural reserve top priority - so please stay on the paths! Of course, private land may not be entered. 

Beware of Muggels! Muggels are the non-geocachers who should of course not notice the whole action - after all, you're on a treasure hunt! In addition, curious people could locate or even destroy the hiding place.

And now: have fun out there!