In 2006 one of my students introduced me to Geocaching. I’ve been hooked ever since. Geocaching has taken me places I would have had never visited – ever – had it not been for caching. On top of that – I’ve met great people some of which have become like family. You can find my caching adventure’s under my account of “The Conman“.
What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. (See the Youtube video here.) The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Anyone can use coordinates found on Geocaching.com to locate geocache. I like to tell people “I’m hunting for lost tupperware in the woods”. 🙂
History of Geocaching
Geocaching, first coined by Matt Stum on the “GPS Stash Hunt” mailing list on May 30, 2000, was the joining of two familiar words. The prefix geo, for Earth, was used to describe the global nature of the activity, but also for its use in familiar topics in gps such as geography.
Caching, from the word cache, has two different meanings, which makes it very appropriate for the activity. A french word invented in 1797, the original definition referred to a hiding place someone would use to temporarily store items. The word cache stirs up visions of pioneers, gold miners, and even pirates. Today the word is still even used in the news to describe hidden weapons locations.
