With
fall officially starting on September 21st, you may think all that
summer fun is gone! If you are coming into Vernon, or just looking for
something exciting to do, geocaching might be an option for you! Combining technology
with nature and exploration, geocaching is becoming hugely popular all over the
world!
If
you’ve never heard of geocaching, here’s a quick explanation! Basically,
geocaching is an international scavenger hunt using a Global Positioning System
(GPS). This is a great activity for all ages. There are thousands of caches
hidden all over the world, in huge cities to remote islands, and in forests and
deserts.
Interested?
Getting started is simple! Start by registering for a free membership at the official
geocaching site, https://www.geocaching.com/membership/register.aspx?type=basic
, then visit the “Hide and seek a Cache” page, http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?country_id=5
and put in Canada, British Colombia, to help pin point the closest Caches to
you! Then by using the coordinates through your GPS, you will find the location
of the cache, which could be on the top of a mountain or floating on the edge
of a lake. When you retrieve the cache, you can take it and keep it for
yourself, or log in your name on the logbook. If you do decide to take it, you
must put something in its place of equal or greater value.
The
thing about geocaching is that it is necessary to have a GPS device or a
GPS-enabled mobile phone to be able to navigate to the cache. If you do don’t
have either you can purchase one for around a hundred dollars or rent one by
day for a flat fee.
Now
that you have all the basics, you should start by attending the Okanagan
CacheFest, on September 1st. An annual, free, all-day Festival with
food, door prizes, and plenty of expert geocachers that will help you and answer
any questions you may have. So, now that you have a little more knowledge about
geocaching, hopefully you’ll come out to Vernon and try out this fast spreading
activity!
