Geocaching is a great outdoor family activity
Jim Bradley over at Husky Hiker started a series yesterday on geocaching. This is a great outdoor activity that the entire family can participate in, and we have some family friends with older kids who say they have a great time doing it.
At 4, 7 and 8, our kids aren’t quite ready to tackle this, but they are probably close. I’m looking forward to teaching them how to terrain associate, which is being able to look at a topographic map and “see” the terrain around you. I’m pretty sure that my kids are much smarter than I was at that age, so it should be a quick lesson!
Geocaching is one of those outdoor activities that can really build a child’s self-confidence, and it incorporates technology (GPS) which is always interesting to kids.
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I so need to get into this, but my compass lacks the proper coordinates and my wallet says no to a GPS. Oh, well. My Boy Scout troop as already deposited a cached item on a hike near Filmore, California. I know you have to carry your waste back down the mountain, but I wonder if the state will allow us to leave a geocache site on Mount Whitney next May. Hmmmmm.
Don’t feel bad, Joshua, I’ve worked in the GPS industry for 10 years and my wallet still says no, too. I’m starting to weaken though…
Even better than geocaching, and a lot cheaper (no GPS) is letterboxing: http://www.atlasquest.com/ and http://www.letterboxing.org/
Tons of clues, hikes short and long, something for everyone.
This is a great activity for kids and Scouts, too.
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