Geocaching

Geocaching is a fun way to have a treasure hunt, get some exercise, and win a reward. Quite simply, geocaching is a modern way to find hidden treasure. A couple hundred years ago, a buccaneer would secretly stash his booty somewhere, then draw a treasure map so he could find it later. Geocaching is the same idea, but legal and technically advanced, requiring Global Positioning System (GPS) knowledge or electronic maps.

While traveling around the world, I’m going to be placing Ends of Earth decals on things.

As you can see, the decals are small, not much larger than a quarter. There is a small box on the right where I will pen in a secret code.

The first person to find a decal and email me with the code will be rewarded with a prize. As readership grows, so should the prizes I’ll be able to secure from participating businesses.

Here are the instructions. They are simple.
1. Find the decal and remove it.
2. Email brook@endsofearth.com the secret code on the sticker. Add a picture, video, or story of your find, just for fun.
3. I will send you instructions on how to claim your prize.

TIPS
I will post the location of a decal using GPS coordinates from my handheld device. The coordinates will be in degrees minutes and decimal minutes (DD MM.MMM). The elevation will be in feet Mean Sea Level (MSL). That should be an acceptable format for nearly every GPS device I can imagine.

Your ability to find a decal depends on your motivation, location, and skill level with GPS. To make the game a little more challenging, decals might be placed in physically or socially awkward locations. In other words, you might need to summon a little inner courage or physical prowess to get to the decal!

If you don’t know much about GPS, you can still play. Simply copy and paste the GPS coordinates for a decal into Google Maps or some other mapping software. From there you can get driving directions or figure out the best path to get to the treasure! As an example, I might place a decal near an interesting landmark, then provide these coordinates: 40° 44.015′ N  113° 33.084′ W

After copying those coordinates and pasting them to Google Maps, you will get a result that looks like this:

Click the picture to see a larger image. Notice that Google Maps automatically converts the coordinates into a different format. In this example, the format doesn’t matter much after getting this far. Simply click on the “Get Directions” link, enter your location, and you’ll have custom instructions on driving to the decal.

It is very important to remove the decal. Because I’m constantly traveling, I won’t have time to manage the “cache,” or sticker. To minimize impact on surroundings, it is crucial that the decal be completely removed. I tried to find biodegradable decals, and was successful in finding some marketed “biodegradable.” Unfortunately, they were designed to say and be put on biodegradable items, but are not biodegradable themselves.

Another important reason to remove the decal is to ensure your win. If you leave the decal intact, someone else might stroll along, get the code, and email me first. I have no way to know who was really the first to get the code, so I have to choose the first email reply.

If anyone has questions or more tips, just leave a comment!

Tags: Geocaching, GPS, Treasure Hunt