Geocaching
Canfield's carries everything you need for geocaching! That's right, you don't have to go to those online stores and pay shipping. Get it at Canfield's! We carry official Geocaching stickers for the caches you hide, fake rocks, bison tubes, Rite in the Rain notebooks, ammo cans, travel bug dog tags, and more!
Stop by the desk at Post 21 inside Canfield's to see the GPS receivers as well as the geocaching items we carry! There's a picture lower on this page, too. Just scroll down.
What is geocaching, you ask?
Geocaching is commonly called a high tech treasure hunt. It's super fun for any age, and is hugely popular not only all over the United States, but pretty much all over the world. Basically, you use a handheld GPS receiver to go out and find caches (pronounced "cashes") that people have hidden.
What exactly is a geocache?
A geocache, commonly just called a cache (pronounced "cash"), is a container that a geocacher has hidden for other geocachers to find. It may be a:
"Nano cache," which is usually a tiny, hollow metal tube an inch tall or less
"Micro cache," which might be a magnetic key holder, a 35mm film can, or other similarly small item
"Small," "Regular," or "Large" container, such as a sandwich-sized plastic box, an ammo can, or a Rubbermaid tub.
Cache containers always contain at least some paper for a log so that finders can sign it and prove they've found it. Larger geocache containers can have several trade items in addition to the logbook.
How do I know where to look for geocaches?
Visit a geocaching website like www.geocaching.com. You'll find a TON of information about geocaching. Register for a free account on the site. Once you're a registered site user, you'll be able to see the coordinates for geocaches.
This is where the high tech part comes in. Cache locations are plotted on longitude and latitude coordinates. You look at a list of caches in a given area, and next to each cache's name will be its location in coordinates. You enter those coordinates into your GPS receiver and then go find it! Here's an example:
Say you want to find a geocache in the area of Canfield's. Our zip code is 68124.
Enter 68124 into the search box on Geocaching.com, and the site lists all the geocaches in the area, beginning with the closest one to the post office for zip code 68124. That post office is located right here in Canfield Plaza. The nearest geocache is just across the parking lot from Canfield's.
Enter that cache's coordinates, N 41° 14.065 W 096° 02.730, into your GPS receiver.
Read the hint on that cache's page, along with other information about the cache, like its size and the comments of others who've found that cache.
Head out to find that cache, using your GPS receiver to point the way.
Once you find a cache, you sign its logbook, then log your find on that cache's page on the geocaching website when you get back to your computer.
Are geocaches hard to find?
Some are. Some are really easy. On the geocaching website, with each cache's description is a difficulty rating in stars. One star is the easiest, and five stars is the hardest. A one-star cache might be found at the base of a tree in a city park. A five-star cache might be up on a mountain peak in Colorado. Of course, difficulty is relative. For a wheelchair-bound person, a five-star cache could be one in a tree that you have to climb to get to. Some caches do require some physical effort to get to, while others require some mental effort (I always avoid those caches requiring me to do math to solve a puzzle to get the coordinates).
Some caches are difficult only because of the activity in the area they're in. You see, geocachers know they have to be stealthy and not let "muggles," or non-geocachers, know where caches are hidden. But sometimes, devious geocache hiders will place a cache in a very busy area, just to make it more of a challenge. Try finding a cache, for example, in a magnetic container stuck to the base of a light pole by a busy intersection. Or one in a playground that's constantly full of children.
Why would I want to run around with a gadget in my hand looking for items strangers have hidden?
Because it's fun! Because it's addictive! Seriously, many people who get hooked on geocaching (which is most of those who try it) enjoy it because it's a fantastic way to get outside, get fresh air and exercise, and explore nooks and crannies of the world that they wouldn't otherwise see. Plus, it's absolutely perfect for those people who love to cross things off lists. This is because you can make a long list of all the caches you want to find in a certain area, or along the interstate on a trip, and then go find them! For example, on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, a beautiful, landscaped campus, there are multiple geocaches. You could go there, park the car, and wander all over this beautiful campus for an afternoon. Find as many caches as you can, enjoy the gorgeous gardens in the arboretum, and then sit down and enjoy a delicious ice cream cone from the ice cream shop there! Then go home and log all those cache finds on the website. The site keeps track of all the caches you find and will keep a running count for you!
Seriously, the draw for most people is the exploring. It's just fun to find all the out-of-the-way places you come across when geocaching.
Are all geocaches little containers hidden in parks and woods?
No. There are "event" caches, where groups of geocachers get together. A cool, ongoing event cache in the Omaha area is called Breakfast at the Moose. It's a Saturday morning breakfast event at the Chocolate Moose cafe in Plattsmouth. Meet fellow geocachers, pick their brains, and learn a ton about geocaching. You might even score a hint on how to find that cache that's been eluding you for weeks.
Some caches are "multi" caches. For these, you'll go to the listed coordinates and find something there that gives you another set of coordinates. When you get there, there may be yet another set, and so on. Some multi's are only a couple of sets of coordinates, and others may have five or more to find. At the end, of course, is the actual cache. One multi cache in Wilderness Park in Lincoln is designed to be done at night. The name of the cache is Reflections of the Light. You park at the listed coordinates, and shine your flashlight through the woods 'til you see a reflector. Walk to the reflector and you'll see the next set of coordinates written on it. When you get near those coordinates, use your light and find the next reflector. There are five reflectors to find until you finally reach the cache container.
Some cache containers are REALLY creative. There's one in Elmwood, Nebraska near a historic house that's not a typical (if there's such a thing as typical) cache container. There's a relatively new cache near a farm by Branched Oak Lake, northwest of Lincoln, that's based on the Hobbit.
Think Safety
Geocaching is a blast, but always think of your safety first. For example, during fall hunting seasons and spring turkey season, geocachers should either wear hunter orange at all times when searching for caches away from cities, or avoid remote areas altogether. Also remember that tom turkeys have red and blue on their heads, so don't wear red or blue clothing in the woods during turkey hunting seasons.
Sometimes geocaches in cities are placed in areas where crime rates are higher or that aren't necessarily safe to visit after dark. Keep that in mind if searching for caches alone or in unfamiliar areas. Also, try to always search for caches with a buddy, and always be aware of your surroundings.
Some caches involve a hike to get to or are otherwise in remote areas. Always carry a bottle of water, a first aid kit, and a charged cell phone, and let someone know where you'll be geocaching before you head out for the day.
What to Bring List for Geocaching
Geocachers are an intrepid lot. We're always ready for adventure, because we never know where the next geocache location is going to be or what finding the cache will involve. Because of this, experienced geocachers will often carry some handy items with them. Consider carrying the following:
- Multiple pens and/or pencils for signing logbooks
- Tweezers (in a Swiss Army knife, for example) or needlenose pliers (in a multi-tool, for example) for pulling stuck log paper out of narrow cache containers
- Flashlight or headlamp for locating caches at night or in dark places, and for seeing the interior of some containers
- Stiff brimmed cap for protecting your eyes while searching the woods for a cache
- Leather gloves for sticking your hand into hidey holes in trees and retaining walls where there may be spiders
- Spare batteries for your GPS receiver. Also bring spare batteries, and don't forget the spare batteries.
- Camera for making muggles think you're hunched over to take a picture of something fascinating when you're really trying to hide the cache container or logbook from their prying eyes. Also lets you take pictures of yourself and your friends in all the unique and exciting places geocaching takes you. And you might really see something fascinating and photo-worthy!
- Bug repellent
- Extra shoes and socks in case your main ones get wet or muddy
- Poison ivy cream in case you find yourself in a patch of Evil Plant Oil
- Water bottle full of drinking water
- Toilet paper, because you never know
- First aid supplies and wet wipes and hand sanitizer for any scratches you acquire out there
- Hiking stick for help with rough, uneven terrain or even stream crossings, and for turning over logs or leaves
- Cash for snacks and beverages for the drive home after a successful geocaching day
-Anything else you ever find yourself wishing for when you're out there. I once had a tough time twisting a cap off a small metal container. There was a metal, triangular loop on the lid, but it didn't help me twist open the container. I jammed my hand into my coat pocket searching for anything that might help me open the container, and found a paint can opener I'd acquired at the hardware store the day before. I stuck the metal opener through the loop on the cache lid, and it gave me the torque/leverage I needed to be able to unscrew the lid. You just never know...