Looking for cheap ways to keep the kids entertained over school break? For travelers in the know, there’s a free vacation activity that’s hiding in plain sight.
Exploration
With containers hidden around the world at historical locations, famous landmarks, scenic vistas, and more, exploration is built into the geocaching equation. Game participants can explore their immediate local area, a bucket list destination, and nearly anywhere in between.Economy
As travel activities go, the affordability of geocaching is tough to beat. While premium accounts and paid apps are certainly available for more hard-core enthusiasts, the basic membership, and smartphone software are free. Also, though exchanging inexpensive trinkets can be part of the cache-finding fun, it isn’t mandatory. You can simply search out a cache, and log the find.The economy of geocaching can apply to travelers of any budget. On the pricier end, certain caches can only be accessed with a passport and a trip abroad. Even then, I find it more affordable and fun to explore on foot while caching. On a recent extended trip to Europe, my logged locations included a castle, a Roman bridge, and a quaint mountain village. The money I saved on packaged tours paid for two high-speed train tickets to Paris.
If your vacation fund dictates a more modest getaway, there is plenty of adventure for you as well. Simply pull up the app on your phone to see what hides are available in your local area. These hidden stashes can be found on hiking trails, during an afternoon road trip or even at places you walk past on a regular basis.
Efficiency
Those who travel with hobby supplies in tow know firsthand that every bit of luggage space counts. Geocaching can be done with nothing more than a pen and a mobile phone. I try to find purse room for a small plastic bag stocked with a few extra log sheets, a small pair of tweezers, and a couple of tiny trade items such as stickers, charms, or mini erasers. It takes up less space than a pack of gum and lets me participate at a deeper level.Another way this game is incredibly space efficient? Souvenirs. In addition to trip memories and the electronic record of your overall game score, geocaching allows you to earn free digital souvenirs designed to represent the way in which they’re won. There are fun ones for completing specific challenges, visiting different states and countries, and attending special gatherings. There’s even one for finding a hidden code in some of NASA’s equipment footage from Mars! Since you can view these souvenirs from your phone, there’s no need to worry about finding room in your bag or lugging around extra weight.
Events
Whether you’re traveling alone or with a partner, long-term life on the road can feel isolating. This is especially true when you are only in a place for a short time, making it a challenge to form connections through traditional means. As geocaching has evolved, it has come to include not just physical caches, but events where members get together for any number of activities.Travelers can search out preplanned event caches at their selected destination, or schedule their own pop-up adventure for locals to attend. These meet-ups can focus on a range of interests from kayaking to a picnic spot, to poetry writing at a coffee shop, or going to a museum. I’ve even hosted a postcard making experience at one of my favorite beer joints. Attending and logging in at these social sessions counts as a cache find in your overall game total.
Extras
Events aren’t your only option for thinking outside the traditional container box. Adventure Lab caches are a great way to experience a new city as a geocacher. As with traditional and event caches, these vary widely. Expect anything from self-directed public art tours and searching out historical markers, to tips for finding favorite local swimming holes and suggested selfie spots. Other options include virtual and Earth caches, which are designed to help you learn specific things about the area. Typically, I’ve been required to submit photos or question answers as proof of completion.If you have a tiny bit of room in your trip bag, travel bugs are another neat geocaching extra. Typically a small novelty item attached to a coded tracking tag, a travel bug is registered in the app to a member, and placed in a cache. From there, another player can pick it up and take it to another hidden container for the next player to move along. All locations are documented in the system, so it’s a nifty way for folks to follow the journey of their item. Containers with room to house these trackable items tend to be a bit larger, and are often categorized as travel bug hotels. These are some of the more unique container caches out there. Hidden in locked urban junction boxes that require a code, secret compartments of little free libraries or even large containers in the woods, they can be a significant memory maker, especially for youngsters.
If all this sounds like something you’d like to try, information for finding, making, and hiding caches is available online. Geocaching.com, Groundspeak’s main user website for the hobby, offers a deep dive into everything a new player needs to know. Bottom line? Geocaching’s worldwide reach and affordability make it a budget travel win. Whether you want to see and save in some of the world’s most sought-after destinations, or search out local options for family fun, this international scavenger-style hunt has something to offer.
