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Geocaching & GPS Navigation Tools

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Here, not only will we discuss GPS products and software that are especially suited for geocaching, but we’ll also give tips for beginners who are just embarking on this high-tech hobby. Surprisingly, the costs for this particular hobby are really quite low, especially when compared to other sports and activities. Moreover, geocaching is an activity that knows no age boundaries – both young and old alike can work together and experience the joy of discovery. This hobby will take you away from your computers and to the outdoors. Geocaching began nine years ago, and has taken off. From the first few five gallon buckets with a note book, a pencil and some tiny toys to exchange it is a sport where there are multiple websites that list some of hundreds of thousands of geocaches scattered through the world, on every continent- even Antarctica. There are many variations; virtual geocaches, scavenger hunts, and ones that require you to solve puzzles to get the final GPS coordinates for the cache. There is a website for handicaching, where geocaches are rated on their access for handicapped people. Others are virtual caches, where you take a picture of yourself on the location and post the image on the website where you learned about the cache. There are geocaching events, where people come together to celebrate the sport, and mega events, which have more than 500 people attend, often from other countries. In addition to being fun, geocaching can also be highly educational, allowing the participants to learn more about the environment, coordinate mapping, and other scientific topics. It’s a wonderful activity to plan for scout troops and other organizations, and is suitable for people of all ages. Geocaching is also a great way to meet people. Since it is practiced worldwide, you can meet people from all walks of life sharing the common interests of treasure-hunting and exploration. Geocaching is an environmentally aware sport, and those who participate not only carry their GPS and all of the debris they brought in, but often police the remoter areas they visit, and pack out trash they find there. It also brings people to a greater awareness of the small wild areas that exist near urban centers, and encourages their exploration. Geocaches are everywhere. On one geocaching website entering a zipcode showed forty geocaches within two miles of the location. There were hundreds more nearby in upstate New York. Sites code their geocache locations for difficulty, and many are family friendly.

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