More of this Feature • Location, Location • What to Take Along • Which 4x4 to Drive • Insider Secrets

Join the Discussion "...I have been letterboxing for just over a year. ... I believe geocaching came out of 'boxing' with the advent of G.P.S. There are some 'boxes that are dual in that they are a geocache and a letterbox all rolled into one." TOMCRO

Related Resources • GPS & Navigational Aids • Fun Stuff • CB's & Radios

From Other Guides • Letterboxing Attracts Walkers

Elsewhere on the Web • Locate A Cache • Geocaching In The News • How To Hide A Cache • Geocaching Accessories • For The GeoPet

• For car geocachers (ones you can drive to and walk a short distance), refer to MapBlast or Mapquest before leaving home. These program enables you to zoom in on the location see how near the road the cache is located.
  
• Keep in mind that distances can be deceiving. When using a GPS unit to find a cache, the unit only knows how close the site is in a direct line. Therefore, while you may only be a mile from the cache, there could be a river in the way or a difficult hill to climb. To avoid any surprises, look at a topo map of the area first.
  
• Before you leave home, be sure that you're wearing a good pair of hiking boots.
  
• When you leave your vehicle to search for the cache, take a moment to input the waypoint of your vehicle's location so you will be able to easily find your way back. It's easy to get disoriented when you're caught up in the hunt for
  the cache.
  
• Keep in mind, the final 30-100 feet are the hardest. It can be difficult to hone in on the exact location where the cache has been hidden. Use as much information as you've been given in the notes about this particular cache. For example, it helps to know the type of container the cache is in.
  
• It's best to have Lithium batteries in your GPS unit.

When you leave your vehicle to get to the cache, resist the urge to travel light. Just because your GPS unit says you're less than 500 feet from the cache, for example, chances are it will be harder to find than you think, and/or you might take the wrong trail or have to climb a big hill or something. Better to be safe than sorry - take along the necessities that might seem burdensome but could actually save your life. The lesson: No matter how close the GPS unit says you are to the cache, always take along things like water and and a cell phone or radio.