Geocache Breaks

Geocaching in Australia is about the best sight-seeing excuse around!

Our first stop was in South Fremantle near Perth where we found Bookworm, a cunningly hidden cache in plain view of most folk. Thing is, they didn’t seem to know what we were up to! The bookshop was closed, it being a Sunday and quite late, so I can’t vouch for their selection.

However, I have it on good authority that you’re welcome to enjoy a cuppa on the sidewalk while browsing through your book purchases. I was surprised that this was such a big cache container, filled with goodies.

Our next caching adventure was a three hour wander through the Perth Zoo. Please take a look at the link I’ve provided here. If you’re ever in Perth, I would strongly recommend a visit to this zoo. All the animals are well cared for, with the staff taking a personal interest in each one of them.

I was fascinated by the orangutans. Their cantilevered arms shouldn’t work at all – but of course, they do! It was very special to see Puteri with her baby, Teliti, playing around her.

We were treated to a short talk about Simmo, the estuarine croc. Now, Simmo was in his tank, keeping a beady eye on the guide whom he knows quite well. Luckily. Because Simmo has been known to try to break the glass of his tank in an attempt to eat little people. But of course, the glass is too thick even for him to get through, so no worries there.

We then visited May Gibbs in a restful park in the middle of Fremantle. This was after our zoo visit, so we were grateful to sit for a while, enjoying May’s company.

Although May happily shared her stories with us, she wasn’t about to reveal where the nano cache was hidden, so we had to ferret around for a while before unearthing it and signing the log.

We were rather peckish after this, and had packed a picnic in anticipation. But the wind was blowing icily in midwinter, so we finally settled in the warm car, shut the windows and enjoyed our cheese, salad and biscuits in comfort. All in all, a very worthwhile day.

Yes, that’s right – boots!

It’s a subject which occupies the minds of geocachers new and old alike. Not surprising, really, when you consider comfort is most important when hiding and seeking plastic containers. I mean, who can possibly be determined to find that darn cache hiding over there when your feet are aching and complaining about being stood on?

And don’t go thinking that it’s summer and your feet will get hot. Yes, maybe they will. But if they stay clean, blister-free and more important, thorn-free, then you’re ahead of the game. Ah, and nettle free, too. That’s vital.

So, a good pair of boots is a must.

The best buy is a pair which gives good ankle support. When out geocaching, I am so busy concentrating on my GPS that I often don’t look where I’m going or where I’m putting my feet. I really don’t want to be out in the New  Forest with a broken or sprained ankle, so my boots are fairly high.

This has another advantage – keeping me tick-free. In summer, the deer and ponies have their fair share of ticks, who think nothing of hitching a ride on a human passerby if they can get the ride. I’ve found two or three ticks on my legs after a lovely summer walk – not a charming idea at all! Apart from the fact that they suck your blood, ticks are also carriers of Lyme Disease, which is a curse to diagnose, although it’s fairly easy to treat. So now I make sure that I wear long socks, and tuck my trousers into them. Ticks grab hold of my jeans but can’t get hold of me. They lose interest pretty soon and drop off, to await a passing pony.

Boots should also have a well-defined sole.

By this, I mean soles with ridges so you don’t slip when negotiating steep slopes or muddy river banks. A fall into a river might be fun when planned, but disastrous when you’re carrying expensive electrical equipment. I took a dip in a deep stream on New Year’s eve last year, with my mobile phone in my pocket. Luckily, I whipped the battery out and dried the phone for three days before trying to switch it on again and saved it. Not an experience I want to repeat soon!

Talking of water, boots should be designed to handle water. In that they should be waterproof but breathable, if that makes sense. Waterproof to keep the excess water out. Breathable to allow water vapour or sweat to escape. Even while sitting still, your feet will sweat the equivalent of a quarter cup of water over eight hours. Wet feet blister, feel cold and uncomfortable. So find a boot that allows water vapour to escape, leaving your feet dry and happily unblistered.

And  here’s another really good tip for boots:

If you find your toes hurting on a long walk, think carefully about what’s happening. If you’re going downhill, your feet possibly slide forwards in your boots and ram your toes against the front of your boot. This can hurt, naturally, but you also run the risk of damaging your toe nails. They will probably turn black and fall off! (Don’t worry, they’ll grow back again, but the pain can be avoided very simply.)

If you tie your laces really tight, you’ll find the stress being spread along the top of your foot. You feet will move around less in your boots, and your toes will stay pink and happy. And you’ll hang on to your toe nails!

Well, no, not as such.

Are any beasts dangerous? They can be if they are provoked. Personally, I have no fear of cows. They’re bovine, productive in many ways, and are lovely to look at – from afar. Think chocolate box or postcard scenes of snow-capped mountains in the distance, green fields dotted with black and white cows, happily ruminating on the state of the world in the sunshine.

I wouldn’t think twice about crossing a field with cows in it. However, apparently some cows have a rather strange dislike of dogs, and will express this dislike in a rather violent fashion. A fellow geocacher had a scare when wandering through a field. A cow flipped his dog four times before the German Shepherd made good his escape. The cow even insisted on trying to get through the hedgerow to try again, once the dog had exited the field.

There are some amusing anecdotes of folk escaping similar treatment, though, and I quote:
“I was out a couple of weeks ago. At one point the footpath went diagonally across a field containing a mixture of young heifers and bullocks. Now I’m not usually fazed by animals as I reckon a sharp prod with a Leki pole or a clout on the nose with a 4 cell Maglite will usually sort them out. So.. over the style I went while my ‘mates’ held back and watched. All was well for the first few yards until one of the beasts started running towards me. Next minute, I had a whole herd coming straight at me in full stampede mode. I was back over that style only moments before they reached me. (Mates rolling on the floor, laughing)
But it didn’t stop there…. These carnivorous bu**ers had got a real bloodlust going and followed us all the way round two sides of the field before giving up and going off in search of other prey.”

Now this one – well, I would give a wide berth to any field he was controlling!

The last word has to be given to this comment:
“I grew up as a townie, and didn’t meet cows until fairly late in life. I got over the surprise of how big they are (compared with, say, a hamburger), I learned to tell the diffference between cows and bulls and I don’t have a dog.

So I’ll enter a field full of cows without a second thought. “Out of the way, ladies” I say, if I need to walk amongst them, and if one of them looks at me askance, I say “Horseradish sauce” to her.

Large gangs of bullocks, though, are another matter. I’ll usually walk through a field of bullocks, but I’m a lot more wary, especially if they gang up and start chanting “You’re going home in an ambulance”.

So far, I haven’t had any trouble with cows.

Dogs, though … some owners need a dose of discipline.”

Technorati Tags: bull, cacher, chocolate, cows, geocache, German Shepherd, horseradish sauce

Someone sent me an email saying I should explain why James Cracknell is my best friend. Well, truth to tell, he isn’t. I’ve never met him. But I admire what he’s done, so this post is to put you all in the picture.

James Cracknell has world-class status with two Olympic Golds and six World Championship titles in rowing. That, in itself, is an enormous achievement, showing focus and dedication – and, not least, a willingness to admit that he’s the best at what he does.

He retired from the international sporting arena in 2005, after 13 years as a very special sportsman. After all the excitement, he wasn’t happy to settle for a normal life. So he took part in a rowing race across the Atlantic. He and TV presenter, Ben Fogle, set the British record for East West crossing from La Gomera to Antigua in just 49 days.

He raised £340,000 for Sport Relief by showing just how close Africa and Britain are in 2008. He rowed the Channel alone, cycled down through France and Spain and swam the Strait of Gibraltar – all in ten days, entirely using his own strength.

If that wasn’t enough to make you question the man’s sanity, he then took part in the Amundsen Omega3 South Pole race, finishing second to a Norwegian team.

James has competed in the Devizes to Westminster canoe challenge, cycled the L’Etape du Tour Mondovélo and taken part in the Marathon de Sables – an ultra marathon across the Sahara Desert.

So it was a great surprise when he expressed an interest in geocaching. After all, it’s a sport, albeit an alternately challenging one. That is, of course, if you’re into night caches and finding hidden treasure off shore. But that’s caching of a different sort, which I choose to leave to more experienced insane thrill seekers!

Have you just discovered Geocaching?

It’s great, isn’t it?

Grab your FREE report, ‘Geocaching – How to Get Started’ where you’ll find everything about the game. Whatever you need to know is covered, plus some stuff you probably won’t:

• What’s a Trig Point?
• Where can I find the best pair of boots for caching?
• When you visit other countries how do you read the cache pages if theyre not in English?
• Are cows dangerous?
• If I was to start at the XX Factor House or Hampstead Heath Extension caches and work south, would that be the wisest move by off road wheelchair?
• Does anyone know some easy/quick caches in London close to some of the tourist sights?
• Trying to sort out paperless caching – any hints, please?

Technorati Tags: cows, geocaching, paperless caching, trig point

What could be more healthy or entertaining than a family treasure hunt, on bicycles, on a winter’s day? James Cracknell tries geocaching – an absorbing mix of Harry Potter, orienteering and lucky dip.

On the right track: James Cracknell goes geocaching in the great outdoors with his wife Beverley, daughter Kiki and son Croyde – Photo: ANDREW CROWLEY

When it comes to walking I’m afraid I side with Edward Abbey, the late American author, who said: “Walking takes longer than any other known form of locomotion except crawling.” I reason that running saves time and gives a better workout. (Admittedly, Abbey undermines my argument by going on to say: “Life is already too short to waste on speed.”)

So when a weekend walk is suggested, my reaction tends to be about as enthusiastic as when someone gets the karaoke machine out (in both instances, it is usually my wife). But that lack of enthusiasm is no more (for walking, at least). For now I have discovered geocaching.

Geocaching is a hi-tech treasure hunt that is a long way from Anneka Rice, skin-tight jumpsuits and helicopters. It owes its existence to computer and GPS technologies that enable anyone to find ”treasure’’ left at specific coordinates by others.

The treasure, or ”caches’’, are normally small Tupperware or ammo boxes containing a logbook and small items for trading. At the time of writing there are 953,077 active caches in more than 100 countries on all seven continents. Locating them requires a hand-held GPS or a GPS-enabled phone.

As a pastime, it has only been possible since May 1 2000, when Selective Availability (SA) was switched off. SA added time variance to civilian GPS devices (so they couldn’t be used for accurate weapons guidance), resulting in errors on the ground of 330ft. If a rocket’s heading in your direction, distorting its accuracy by 330ft doesn’t seem much, but when you’re searching for a small Tupperware box in the Lake District it causes big problems.

Pioneering geocachers were quick off the mark. The first documented placement of a cache was two days after SA was withdrawn.

The official cache hunting site, www.geocaching.com, holds the database for active caches around the world, including information on when they were hidden and last found. Register and the coordinates of a million Tupperware boxes await your pleasure, although, as I found out, a GPS location in the hand may not be worth two in the bush.

Hiding places are ranked on two scales: from one to five, based on the challenge of the terrain surrounding the cache, and the difficulty of finding the damn thing once you’re there. Exact location descriptions vary: some are straightforward – “In the trunk of the fallen-down tree”, for example – others have cryptic clues and hiding places that would leave CSI scratching their heads. Some are isolated, requiring days of trekking over mountain peaks, underwater or 50ft up a tree, but there are also 210 within five miles of my house in west London.

The geocaching home page has photographs of families happily traipsing through the sunny countryside with smiling children finding containers. And so, our family bike ride had been magically transformed. It was now a goal-orientated activity. My wife Bev’s anxiety increased as I emerged from my study with a list of coordinates and a focused look on my face. My son, Croyde, dressed as a pirate, logical for a six-year-old off on a ”treasure’’ hunt.

As caches are not allowed to be buried they need to be waterproof. They also vary in size. They range from ”nanos’’, which are the size of your fingertip (how you find one of those I have no idea), and ”microcaches’’, which are the old 35mm film canisters only big enough to hold a small paper log, to traditional caches that are the size of a small cylindrical ice-cream tub.

The logbook is to record the date you found it and to leave a message for the cache owner. In case it is discovered by unbelievers who haven’t heard of geocaching, there is also a note explaining what they have found and asking them to put it back.

Croyde was most excited by the small trinkets and toys inside a traditional cache. A geocacher is allowed to take something, as long as it is replaced with something of equal value.

Naturally, Croyde didn’t really buy into the replacing side of the arrangement, but the chance of getting his hands on a small plastic toy that could be left around the house as a booby trap for some sock-wearing parent was all he needed to get into the spirit.

My argument that a pirate’s outfit wasn’t going to be the determining factor in finding the treasure and perhaps waterproofs would be better in the rain was met with a stonewalling that would have impressed Bob Crow. But, as with the train lines, Croyde buckled under adverse weather conditions and eventually agreed that wellies might not be a bad idea after all.

Bev highlighted a potential problem: “Are you sure we’ll be able to find them?”

“I know exactly where they are, I’ve got the coordinates!” I replied, waving my list of latitudes and longitudes around like Neville Chamberlain.

“OK, but this has to be about the adventure, the journey, or he’ll be really disappointed if you can’t find them.” Her tone implied that an ”I told you so” was ready and waiting.

The prospect of family harmony didn’t improve as we were greeted by a sign apologising for “any inconvenience while the park is being regenerated and transformed”. I read it as: “We apologise for any caches that have been destroyed while…” Then the heavens opened.

Sheltering in a grim café, the reality of geocaching was looking very different from the website ideal.

Then the sun burst through as the rain abated, producing a magnificent rainbow. “Daddy, the treasure will be at the end of the rainbow!” Croyde shouted. I couldn’t break it to him that Hounslow was at the end of the rainbow and if we wanted to discover gold it was probably best if we took our chances with the coordinates in my pocket.

We had a weather window in which to discover our treasure. Geocaching against the clock might be a popular pastime, with records for the most caches in 24 hours (413 in fact, or one every 3.5 minutes), but we weren’t going to search for 24 hours and I guessed the record holders did not start their geocaching careers against the clock.

I entered the GPS co-ordinates into my phone, we mounted our bikes and headed towards the red flashing dot on the screen. Figuring it was an important fatherly role to look like an experienced treasure hunter, I had planned an easy one to start with: level one in both difficulty and terrain. Our clue was more a description: “Under the fallen tree.”

I was hoping to re-establish my credentials after a recent DIY session with Croyde centring on the construction of a wardrobe. After five minutes he ran off saying: “Daddy said a rude word!” as I wrestled with an Ikea flat-pack. Geocaching was my trump card.

Sadly, there was practically a forest of fallen trees due to the building work. But I was still hopeful. Bev and I have considered seconding Croyde to the Health and Safety Executive, so adept is he at his skills in finding the most dangerous object, no matter how small.

Unfortunately, those superpowers only seem to work when you don’t want him to find an object. I stared at my mobile, double-checking the location while Croyde splashed in puddles, our baby chewed on the paper instructions and Bev tutted a lot.

In the same way that I should have read the wardrobe instructions before my DIY masterclass, I wondered if perhaps a recce of the area was required before dragging the family out on a cold, wet weekend. But with an accurate GPS location and a simple description, I had thought: “How hard can it be?”

I hadn’t allowed for thieves or ”muggles’’, a term that comes from the Harry Potter books, in which a muggle is a non-magical person – in this case a non-geocacher.

Apart from revealing the slightly geeky side of the person who put together the geocaching glossary, this highlights a serious problem. Because caches can only be hidden, not buried, other people may find them, or see a cache being opened then wait until the geocacher has gone and steal it. Or – more outrageously – look up their locations on the website and deliberately steal them.

It wasn’t just muggles we had to worry about, but being reported for child cruelty by making a six-year-old repeatedly crawl under fallen trees. But rather than blaming ourselves, there was a family consensus to blame muggles. Well, I blamed the muggles and the rest of the family blamed me.

Luckily, Indiana Jones had a backup location, so in went the coordinates and off we went on our bikes. Again, the clue seemed straightforward: “Hole in wall near disused buildings.”
As we approached, it wasn’t muggles but the regeneration work we had to worry about. Scaffolding surrounded the buildings and the wall had been knocked through in various places. It meant there were plenty of holes to temporarily rejuvenate enthusiasm in a six-year-old (and his parents) but, once again, we left empty-handed.

As my family grew more impatient, I started feeling some sympathy for Gordon Brown. I was getting punished for other people’s crimes. And, like Brown, I decided that throwing money at the problem was the best solution. If we couldn’t find any treasure then we could hide a cache.

Croyde didn’t really grasp the concept of going on a treasure hunt and leaving behind more than you took away. I agreed with his logic, but it was the only way to make sure the day wasn’t a total waste of time.

With Croyde’s help we’d put together a cache that had the required logbook and pen and some items for trading. I put in some caffeine chewing gum to help lift a parent running on empty and Croyde wanted to leave some real treasure, namely an old rowing medal he pinched from a box full of ‘’stuff’’ that every man has somewhere in the house.

I also put in the optional travel bug, essentially a dog tag with its own unique number activated on the geocaching website. I asked that our bug be “Taken to a land down under”.
Anyone who opens the cache can take the travel bug and note the number, checking the site to see where the bug is heading, then pass it on to another cache. Whether I will actually keep track is doubtful, as firstly someone has to find the Tupperware pot. Croyde seemed determined to inflict his disappointment on other searchers by hiding it as deep into a bush as was humanly possible.

The only positive thing I could take from leaving empty-handed was that I only dragged the family to the local park, not up a mountain. But I wasn’t going to give up on geocaching without actually finding one and this meant getting inside the mind of a geocacher. I dispensed with the amateur psychology and settled for a cache that the website said had been found within the last few days, thus reducing the chances of it being muggled, or the area suddenly being regenerated.

Before inflicting another crushing disappointment on Croyde (or being slowed down) I scoped it out on my own. Arriving at the latitude and longitude, I searched the area around the Thames Conservation Marker near the towpath as instructed and found the cache: a 10in plumbing pipe. But, like going to the cinema alone without anyone to share the experience, it wasn’t quite the same.

I took Croyde back a few days later and seeing the disbelief, then excitement and pride flow across his face (followed by more disbelief and excitement when he discovered chocolate coins inside) reassured me that having to work for any success in life is no bad lesson. We signed the logbook, careful to use the geocaching acronym TFTC (Thanks For The Cache) to avoid looking like novices.

To progress up the geocaching ladder the Cracknell family needs to challenge itself to finding caches using cryptic clues and more challenging terrain, although we might be running before we can walk. The world’s leading geocacher has more than 37,000 registered finds. At our current rate of one a week, we should get to that number in about 700 years and that’s an awful lot of walks.

Today I’d had enough of sitting inside, hiding from the cold. Printed the info for the Crossways Mystery cache and off I went, into the New Forest.

It’s close to a couple of caravan parks and just on the edge of the New Forest.

After find easy parking, I set off through the shrubbery. I passed a family who were giving their eldest (all six years old of him) a riding lesson on a pony. The charger was huge (for him) but barely came up to my midriff, and Heir Apparent was awestruck at being lifted into the saddle. I left him figuring out the technicalities of fitting foot into stirrup and headed off towards the green. Seems I need my green fix regularly!

Pushing through some trees, I came to an open glade where some New Forest ponies were grazing.

It’s a puzzle, this place. As the description of the cache goes, “There are … yew trees, an apple tree and some very distinct shapes with sharp corners …” yet no mention as to what was here appears on local maps dating back to 1872.

Is it a leftover of the brick industry? Or a home? Could have sworn I could hear the ghost of the owner chopping down trees further on…

However, I did hear a cuckoo in the copse nearby. Must be spring.

The cache was a tricky one to find because of the tree cover. I eventually had my eTrex and my Garmin Nuvi out to check the accuracy. By drawing some inferences from both of them, I was able to walk straight up to the cache – hah! Another one bites the dust.

Could you leave a comment if you can shed some light on the mystery?

Technorati Tags: cache, family weekend, geocaching, GPS, New Forest

or Muggled, if you know what I mean? If not, it’s all explained here.

One of my caches takes in some intriguing history around Christchurch in Dorset. It’s called ‘Geocache Breaks Series No 1′. You are taken on a walk around Christchurch, collecting clues and perhaps stopping to view some of the historical oddities that make this village so quaint.

It seems the hiding place wasn’t so much a hiding as a resting place. With the change in seasons, the covering I’d used had shifted and the cache was clearly visible. Someone who calls him/herself a chav found the cache and removed the log book. S/he left a note stating that this was the fifteenth cache to be ruined by taking the log book.

How odd!

It’s very strange that folk would want to spread unhappiness. I am genuinely puzzled by it.

Well, the cache location has now been moved to somewhere much more season resistant. Perhaps also chav resistant? Time will tell.

No matter, I enjoyed looking for a new hiding place. That’s half the fun of laying a cache, looking for somewhere suitable and taking note of the journey.

This particular cache had originally been laid with the intention of taking folk past a bed and breakfast called Three Gables. You’ll find a bit of blurb about it here. However, the final stage added more aggravation than pleasure, and now that the cache has been mugg(l)ed, I’ve decided to make the whole experience shorter, snappier and more direct.

I do hope to see your name in the logbook!

Technorati Tags: geocaches, muggle, what is a muggle, what is geoacaching

I don’t have a dog, more’s the pity. However, I share the fun of walking in the New Forest with other dogs who are taking their humans for a walk. It’s wonderful to see how well-trained they are, following in the wake of a waggy tail and a happy, tongue-lolling out mouth.

Humans are hard-pressed to keep their pets safe and healthy, though. Summer’s coming up and with it, all sorts of blood suckers will be poised, waiting for someone to feed off.

These critters are sneaky, not only because they’re determined and well-adapted to their environment. They’re also small, in fact, one could say tiny. Last summer, after walking in an area well populated by ponies, I found three ticks on my legs – two days later! I’d not noticed them earlier, simply because they were smaller than a pin prick. But after a couple of days of feeding off me, they became visible, but only just.

Luckily for me, I suffered no ill-effects other than a flash of horror as I dislodged them and squished them – quickly! Ticks are carriers of Lyme Disease, a nasty ailment which is difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are similar to a cold or a dose of ‘flu, but if left untreated, can have serious, sometimes fatal, consequences.

The best way to prevent your pets from being bitten  is to treat them regularly with a proven tick and flea remedy, such as Frontline Plus. It’s a simple application to the skin behind the neck. The solution spreads through the hair, coating the skin and thus making the dog unappetising to ticks.

Frontline Plus is also great at controlling fleas. An adult female flea will lay eggs as she moves around the host animal. These eggs drop to the ground and hatch. Sometimes, fleas can lay dormant for long periods, until the weather warms up. Then they start jumping around, and will land on anything that moves. Frontline Plus works in two ways. Firstly, it kills the adult fleas. It also causes sterility in fleas, so any eggs laid will not hatch. In this way, it breaks the breeding cycle and eliminates fleas completely.

Do yourself a favour and buy some before summer, to ensure your pets are safe – and so are you!

Technorati Tags: fleas, fleas on dogs, Frontline Plus

or perhaps that should be river-falling-in?

It was New Year’s eve, daylight still flooding the world, leg stretching time. How better to do it than with a tricky puzzle cache in the New Forest?

However, the area turned out to be very damp. In fact, this is how part of it looked

While this was a straightforward cache, it had its interesting moments.

Such as the one when I almost lost my boot because the ground gave way to mud which just continued towards Australia. And jumping from grass mound to tussock in a foolish attempt to keep my feet dry – clean was out of the question by now! All this exercise kept me warm, at least. My breath was misting as I walked, and I was glad of the thermals, gloves, hat and scarf.

I’d collected clues from this light pole and was leaning on a gatepost filling in the formula when I heard an odd noise. Coming towards me was a jogger dressed in a wetsuit, splashing happily through the puddles. O-kay, well, perhaps this was the best attire for a wet run in the enclosure? He seemed to think so and wished me a happy new year as he headed through the gate to pastures unknown.

It wasn’t long after I took this pic that I crossed a bridge, concentrating on the numbers on my hand-held eTrex. They were going the right way, so I was happy. I was working my way along the river’s edge, alternately ducking under branches and hopping from tussock to grass mound, without giving much thought to the time, the light draining from the day, or the cold.

Then, it happened. One of those moments when you find a thought fixed in your mind and nothing can budge it. ‘I must get across the river – now!’

But it was such a long way back to the bridge, and I couldn’t face the hopping, squelching, pud-muddle-jumping again. I wandered up and down the river bank, looking for a likely place to cross. The river wasn’t deep, mostly it was about mid-calf, so it should be a cinch to just wade. But of course, I’m a girl and I don’t like getting my feet wet. Have I said that before?

Eventually, I found a sturdy enough looking branch which had fallen across the river, and decided to use that as a bridge. Of course, you know what’s going to happen as you read this, don’t you? Yup, halfway across, the branch broke.

And oh dear! I was waist deep in water. Freezing, fast-flowing river water.

The first thought in my mind was, ‘Uh oh, I’m in deep trouble now!’

But Lady Luck had smiled on me – twice. First, I had a walking stick in my hand and quickly plumbed the depths to find a foothold steady enough to get me out of there. And second, I was wearing a thermal base layer.

As I surfaced onto dry land, a text message came through from family in Australia to wish me happy new year. That time already? I whipped the phone out of my sodden pocket to check the message, then the thought struck me – mobile phone: battery: water = not a good combination. Quick, battery out, SIM card out, tissues out, wrap it all up to get rid of the worst of the water. And camera – battery out, too. Wrap them all up after giving them a good shaking.

Need I say that by now, my desire to find a cache had evaporated? Yes, I’m not as determined a cacher as I thought.

An advantage to being soaked through is that you can’t get any wetter. So now, there wasn’t a problem with getting over puddles – I just walked straight through them! The half mile hike back to the car was bearable because the thermal underwear kept me warm but I was glad of the car heater and a change of shoes.

So what is the Tao of River Jumping? I’m glad you asked.

I learned some very valuable lessons from this little escapade and would like to share them here.

• Don’t try to get across a river unaided by a bridge. It’s there for a reason. Unless, of course, you’re particularly gifted in the walking on water department.
• Trees and debris in a river usually mean the water has gone under the obstruction and eroded the river bed, therefore the river is deepest at that point.
• Carrying a mobile phone makes good sense. At least you’ll be able to dial Emergency Services and give them your co-ordinates if you fall and break a leg. But please, put the phone in a water-tight container or plastic bag. Wet and electrical gadgets don’t belong in the same sentence. Put your camera in a plastic bag, too.
• A walking stick is useful whenever. Mine’s a fold-up jobbie for easy stowage in my backpack. Bought from a National Trust shop.
• And last, but most important, use thermal underwear in winter if you’re planning on crossing a river. It literally saved my life. I’d have been hypothermic by the time I got back to my car without the thermals.

Technorati Tags: caching, geocaching, National Trust, thermals, winter fun

This list popped up while I was browsing around various caching sites. It’s too good to lose!

1. They’re the ones constantly picking pine needles and cedar bits out of their coat pockets.
2. They’re the ones walking in circles around the spruce tree, while the dog waits on the trail.
3. They’re the ones standing beside that lamp post, trying to not look suspicious as you walk past.
4. They’re the ones who know what a used ammo can, a rubbermaid container and a film canister have in common.
5. They’re the ones carrying a plastic grocery bag around inside a film canister with the word CITO on it.
6. They’re the ones muttering something about it only being a 1.5 / 2
7. They have an insect shaped barcode on the back window of their car
8. They’re heading outside with a GPS in weather that would keep the postman home
9. They’re the ones that can’t walk 100′ on a trail without saying “That would be a good spot for a cache”
10. They are the ones standing under the bridge instead of walking across it
11. They keep repeating the phrase “Why have you brought me here?”
12. They have an XBox360, PS3 or a Wii at home, all with an inch of dust on top
13. They hang film canisters in their Christmas tree.
14. When at the store signing a credit card receipt, they accidentally sign their geocaching handle instead of their real name.
15. They buy items in the grocery store that come in containers that would make excellent geocaches.

(With thanks to www.cachemania.com)

Technorati Tags: cache, film canister, geocaches, GPS, rubbermaid container

or not.

If you want to spend the weekend reading the papers and getting frustrated by all the nonsense being reported, sure, then weekends are for being lazily informed.

However, if you’d like to watch the sun set on a Sunday evening, knowing that you’ve been out there, braving the elements and having some fun to boot, then here is the perfect place to start.

I love being able to wander around the countryside, finding caches hidden in sneaky places. I’ve been playing this game for the past two years now and still haven’t tired of it. To begin with, I didn’t have a clue. I wandered aimlessly along, trying to make sense of the numbers on my GPS. Eventually, I figured it out, but it would have been so much easier – and more fun – if I’d had somebody to ask how to do it.

And you’ll be able to find all the answers you need, right here. Head on over to the Archives page, where you’ll find a form just waiting for all your questions.

• Like what are travel bugs?
• What’s the best GPS route software to use?
• Where do you buy geocaching t shirts?
• How about android geocaching?

I’ll be bringing you up to date as the information floods in, so watch this space!

Technorati Tags: geocache, geocaching, lazy weekends, New Forest, Recreation, Travel, Travel and Tourism

The aim of the geocaching game is to have fun. And if you can have a short break with the family, enjoy the great outdoors and get some exercise into the bargain, I reckon you’re winning hands down.

Find a cache with a travel bug in it and help it on its way to realising its dream. But what is a travel bug? And where is Sir Gawain, Knight of the Lego Order?

More questions than answers here. The mystery is solved by clicking on this link here. Have fun!

Technorati Tags: exercise, eZine articles, family weekend, geocache, geocaching, short family break, travel bug

What are your preferences when going geocaching? Click here to take the survey. It really is short, only seven questions – and a space for comments. All responses are anonymous, information will never be shared. Please take a few moments to click on the link above and tell me what you like and need when you go geocaching and hunting down tupperware with the aid of technology!

Technorati Tags: geocaching

Geocaching is a sport – well, depending on how competitive or active you are, geocaching could be considered a sport. And really, a walk in the woods or along a sea front doesn’t have to become a time trial, does it?

Geocaching started out life being called a “GPS Stash Hunt”. The first stash was a bucket containing, among other things, a can of beans; the stash was buried and had to be retrieved with the help of a spade.

Luckily for us, things have changed – the containers are mostly smaller, caches are definitely not buried any longer – and a more catchy name was found, which more accurately described what was to become a world-wide hobby, that of geocaching. Okay, so what is a geocache, and how do you become a geocacher?

First step is to lay your hands on a SatNav or a hand-held Global Positioning Satellite receiver, otherwise known as a GPSr (or just simply a GPS for the non-purists). There is a wide range of excellent products available from Garmin, TomTom or Navman to name a few.

Then identify the co-ordinates of caches close by, grab your Garmin and set off in search of your first cache.

Regardless of how long or short the hunt, you’ll feel as if you’ve had a wonderful break, almost as refreshing as a holiday.

Bump up your number of cache finds by clicking on the links below when you next take a break from your working week.

Technorati Tags: Geocache breaks

Christchurch sports a rich selection of caches, taking in all the delights Dorset has to offer – from breathtaking views at the top of Hengistbury Head to sandy wanderings along Southbourne Beach. There are lots of historical sights to explore while out geocaching, so the family will always be entertained.

There are wonderful places to stay in and around Christchurch, offering restful accommodation within easy reach of the New Forest. But you don’t have to wander too far from Christchurch to find geocaches. In fact, here are a few to whet your appetite:

Geocache Breaks Series No 1 takes you on a wander through Christchurch high street, past historical places of interest. Find the grave of Zachary Nash, and discover why Mrs Perkins was such a strange lady.

Robin’s Nest is a traditional cache, containing a vast amount of robins at the time of hiding. CrockRobin’s aim is to have a robin in every cache in Dorset. See if you can help him along.

Water Walks 1: Tolstoy’s Treasure is a lovely walk with a bit of history thrown in. Be sure to use your geocaching brain as this can be a sneaky hide.

Water Walks 2: Tuckton’s Treat can be reached by catching the ferry in summertime across the river. There’s a tea room close by, and crazy golf to keep the non-cachers occupied.

Wick’s End is very close to Tuckton’s Treat, so get two for the price of one.

Water Walks 3: Giant’s Resting Place will take you so close to the beach you will simply have to get your toes in the water.

Jabba the Cache is a multi-cache along Southbourne Beach. For all the Star Wars fans out there…

Bird’s Eye View is situated at the top of Hengistbury Head, an absolute must visit. This is a virtual cache, but be patient, there are two others within easy reach, once you are up the hill.

When Noddy Looked over the Harbour is a multi-cache with a spectacular reward at the end. Bring some stout gloves for your comfort, though.

Hengistbury Head is an earth cache in one of Bournemouth’s beauty spots. Get three geocaches for the price of one steep climb!

OK, own up, who caught crabs at Mudeford Quay?? is a little out of the area, but well worth the visit. A cache and dash, but be sure to park nearby and wander along the quay. Tea room, ferry close by, fresh fish on sale.

Dorset has its fair share of sunshine and beautiful spots to visit. You’ll be spoilt for choice of where to explore first. The lovely village of Christchurch could keep you busy for a couple of days with so many sight-seeing opportunities. At the foot of the high street is The Priory, the longest church in England which is not a cathedral. Make a point of finding out about the legend of The Miracle Beam. If you’re lucky, you may even hear the choir practicing.

Technorati Tags: geocache, Hengistbury Head, kids playground, leisure, mausoleum, Mrs Perkins, New Forest, robins, Southbourne beach, walking, Zachary Nash