New website for Geocaching!

I've only just started to read into this website as I have come across it a few time. Garmin, arguably one of, if not the largest manufacturer of GPSr's and GPS software now has their own version of www.geocaching.com

So I checked it out, and I'm not overly impressed. I am now just seemingly getting the hang of our account (on geocaching.com), and how things work! However I am open to change, and if it's easier or the kids can learn it too - I'm in! So I'll do more reading and reviewing on my own, and ask around! 

If anyone has been poking around on this new site, please post your comments!

None listed in FMC area!

Canada and Northern USA!

So, the caches are being listed slowly but surely. Definitely worth a look into. 

Building Geocaches! Daddy's job.

I LOVE BUILDING GEOCACHES. I don't know why, but I do. I have always collected and kept lil tins, tubs, containers, kool stuff that I thought would come in handy some day! Turns out, as a Scout you always need little containers to make packing easier. Now, that the sTuRgi are geocaching ADDICTS! my collection is coming in handy! 


I have built 3 ammo can geocaches - one got scooped. They are great for caching, and are easy to kamo! I found mine at Princess Auto (this is the place for a Daddy to grabajaba, a cart and 2 hours) but you can get them anywhere nowadays! 


We have successfully built some solid, weatherproof, geocaching friendly caches to date, but they have been basic. Time to turn it up a notch.


SPOILER ALERT - If I need to explain, click the x in TRHC!


Our next series of caches will be bumped up in terrain, and difficulty. As our experience grows hunting for caches, as does our experience for ideas to hide the treasures! Coming next will be a serious of "L&L's" aka Lock n Loads. Small to regular size caches (according to geocaching.com) with great hidden SWAG and fun for all! These caches will include multi-caches, micro-caches, a possible Earthcache, ah here's the list I'm working off.

As much as I like doing plain ol GC'ing - there's so much more, but baby steps, baby steps I remind myself!! I would really like to host a CITO event in the RMWB, but that's when Scouts is done. 

I also have some kool lil dudes that are supposed to hold stuff. So I had a brain fart one night and decided to put these lil fella's in the GC collection of stuff. These outta make for some good stories when found. They will be higher in difficulty, as to NOT get scooped! 

Now, another great part of building geocaches is adding the SWAG in each cache we build. I go to the dollar store (don't get me started on the issue of finding stuff actually a buck) with a coffee, and 4 empty recycled shopping bags to fill ;-)The crap one buy for more-or-less giving away in our caches is alot of fun! As much as the toys are important to the mini me's it's tuff keeping it out of their site till it lands in the cache. I guess it's practice for Santa. 

Candass and I discussed on the way south last trip the plan to construct a big plaster of paris and chicken wire "fake rock" cache. Complete with lid and shocks to hold it open! More on that to come soon !!!!!! This will hold great stuff we need to get rid of and trade. Remember GC rule # 1

I also just created 3 of our first "micro" caches. Which brings me to my next rant about building caches. Some people seem to make up their own versions of what/how each cache size is rated. I go with the geocaching.com version below, most don't (IMHO)!

and here's the websites examples

sTuRgi caches below!

My lil dudes. 

A magnetic cache. 

Yes, it's an onion!

Magnetic and out in the GC world!

Our "Sign of the Oil Sands" cache. 

Wise in the use of all resources. and kamo duct tape. 

Expect regular updates on new, fresh built caches!

Been light on the geocaching, but not really. The mini me's found a couple during a rip into FMC, any day is a good day to Geocache.

Lately we've been busy with Scouts and camps. We are very fortunate to have a great Scout Camp located just south of Anzac off of Hwy 881 on Engstrom Lake. We've completed 2 successful camps with all 3 levels of Scouting in the Boreal Frontier. At both of these camps we did gps and directions discussions, along with hiking and 3 geocaches hidden for the Scouts to find. It was a long day of stomping thru the bush with the Scouts, but FUN was had by all - and I think some of what we were doing was sinking in.

Last Thursday I took our Scout Troop for a 1-1/2 hike to locate our Woodward Trail GC - and the Scouts fared well, they needed a bit of help, but for the most part have the gps coordinates, and reading direction well. It was a great hike, we found owl pellets, the GC, a deer skull and antlers and learned a sense of direction. To top it all off, we hauled 3 bags of garbage out of the bush!!!

This past weekend, which will take me 2 days to recover from was another successful geocacher exposing weekend for our Beaver Scouts. Now they are 5-7 yrs old, and learning gps technology, lingo and how-to may seem challenging, but I think they understood the "idea" behind the game, it all went well. The Beavers Scouts got to find a real treasure chest, with Beaveree patches to put on their campfire blankets!! It was FUN!!

Next up 16MAY12 I am hosting a geocaching 101 seminar. Im not 100% what I'm doing, but hey I'll share what I know, lean on my geo-friends and share our experiences and help promote GC, the outdoors and spending quality time with your family!