Geocaching: ‘X’ marks the spot

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stacia Zachary
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England (AFPN) --  Pirates sailed the high seas looting ships and left the bounty for future treasure hunters: Indiana Jones, Lara Croft and geocachers. What do all these have in common? Well, if “X” marks the spot, then buried treasure is the answer.

Techno junkies have reinvented the wheel with geocaching, combining geography and the process of concealing items in a cache, or hiding place. The adventure applies technology to the art of treasure hunting -- a new twist that encourages people to get out of the house and explore nature.

The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches worldwide and share the locations of these hiding places on the Internet. Global Positioning System users can then use the location coordinates to find the “hidden treasures.” Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they take something with them, they should leave something for the next explorer, said geocaching participants here.

“The wonderful thing about geocaching is it encourages people to discover their surroundings,” said Maj. Anthony Gatlin, 100th Air Refueling Wing deputy director of staff. “Being in England, there are so many things that go unnoticed, and going out in search of nature has allowed me to discover an entirely new setting that I live in.

“Plotting the points and finding the treasure is like having a back roads map of places to see here rather than following a mainstream travel guide,” he said.

In May 2000, the U.S. government increased GPS satellite accuracy to the public.

After GPS technology went mainstream, affordable versions of military hardware were introduced to the public. Companies such as auto manufacturers introduced GPS items for cars. These included a theft tracking system for police and insurance companies to track vehicles, and most recently, Web pages hailing the invention of technology-funded treasure-hunting tracking routes.

GPS technology revived orienteering -- using a map and compass to navigate between checkpoints along an unfamiliar course.

“It’s not just for the Boy Scouts anymore,” said Maj. Randall Ashmore of the 48th Medical Support Squadron. “This game of hide-and-seek has literally gotten me off the couch and outdoors. It’s absolutely addicting.”

It seems the itch is spreading like wildfire throughout the military. Not only does the new techno sport have an increased following, but it also provides an outlet for families to spend quality time with one another, participants said.

“The most enjoyable aspect was the chance to get outside and spend some time with my son,” said Brig. Gen. Mark Matthews, 48th Fighter Wing commander, after going on his first geo-hunt. “Though this was our first time (geocaching), I can see how this activity could be challenging and educational as well as just plain fun.”

With all the talk about geocaching being the modern-day version of treasure hunting, one might think the caches hold spectacular prizes.

In truth, the caches, usually housed in ammo cans, boxes or plastic containers, have prizes valued from 50 cents to $5.

So, why all the interest?

“Geocaching isn’t about the prize you get,” Major Gatlin said. “It’s about the hunt. It’s about using acute awareness to solve a puzzle and locate the treasure.”

The containers also hold a logbook for people who find the cache. Geocachers sign in to log their find and see who has journeyed to find the treasure before them.

“It’s always a thrill when you find a cache and realize your name is going to be the first signature in the logbook,” Major Ashmore said. “What’s even more exciting is planting your own cache.”

Geocachers can hide their own hoard of goodies and log them onto a Web site for others to find. They can then track the amount of “hits” their cache has gotten.

“The geocaching community is not a small one, but after a while, you start to notice the same names popping up on the logbooks,” Major Gatlin said. “You start to get into competition with them.”

No matter the time of year or setting, the world has become riddled with caches waiting to be found.

“The East Anglian countryside (here) is home to dozens of cache sites,” Major Gatlin said. “With more than 92,000 caches hidden in 200 countries, there’s tons of fun just waiting to be found for the scavenger that lies in every one of us.” (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service)