Geocaching, also called Gymkhana GPS, is the activity of hiding and finding treasure anywhere using GPS. It is at level 2 of the augmented reality classification and the people who practice it hide objects in the countryside or the city and write down the coordinates with a GPS receiver to make them public so that other people can search for them.
In these places where the coordinates are published, you can check if there are hidden treasures near you or in an area where you are going to take a trip. The tag marks the people who find one of the treasures. The basic treasure is a notebook in which you write down your name to record the visit. There are others with larger containers in which, in addition to the notebook, you can find objects of small value. If you take something, you will have to leave something of equal or greater value in return for the next person who discovers it.
The objects that can be left are the travelbugs, which are the notebooks, and the geocoins, traveling objects that you can take out of the container to take to another geocache and thus fulfill its mission. There are also chained geocaches in which the object has a note with the coordinates of the gift and others that have more coordinates. The truth is that it is a very entertaining game in which you can have fun exploring areas near where you are.
How to download Geocaching and start playing with it
You can download the app from your app store. It’s free, although you can access a Premium version for 6.40 euros per month or 32.09 euros per year, with automatic renewal if you don’t unsubscribe. There are more than 3 million geocaches around the world and you can be one of those people.
The steps are very simple :
- Create your account in the app
- You will see the map with the nearby geocaches
- Use the app to navigate to one near you
- When you find it, sign and date the record
- Hide it where you found it and register it online
As soon as you start this activity, logging in with your Google, Facebook and Apple account or registering with your email in the same app, they tell you to pay attention to your surroundings while you are playing, as it can be dangerous. To see the nearest geocaches , you will need to turn on your positioning services like GPS. You have to give him permissions and he will look for the treasures that are hidden.
Give Show me and start discovering the possibilities that arise. A treasure will appear and it will indicate what it is, for example, a physical container hidden in the open air with its location . You have to look at the description for more details and suggestions. Give View and you will find several details .
With all the information you can explore your surroundings and find what you are looking for. If you click on navigate you will know how to get there more easily. You can even receive hints or send a message to whoever placed it. If you give the image by car it will give you the route of Google Maps. When you get there, discover it, register your visit in the area and also do it online. Remember that if you take a treasure you will have to exchange it for another.
Once you have discovered it, if you want to continue having fun you can go hunting for new treasures on the map with the help of the GPS or hide some for other people to find.
