When planning to go geocaching, you might wonder what kind of equipment is needed. In fact, there are several important and indispensable items that you need for geocaching.
In addition to these essential items, there are also some optional items that can make geocaching easier. So… What kind of equipment do you need to get started with geocaching?
To begin geocaching, you will need a reliable geocache app, a mobile phone or GPS device, a pen or pencil, and SWAG items. Additionally, it is advisable to bring a power bank with a charger, an extra logbook, and some food and drinks for your outing.
These items are the essentials to get started with geocaching. However, there are a few additional things that can enhance your geocaching adventure. In this blog, I will mention all the necessary items for an enjoyable geocache experience. Enjoy reading!
1. Geocache App
The first thing that you need to start geocaching is a proper geocache app. In a geocache app you will find the locations (or coordinates) of every geocache. There are multiple apps for geocaching. The most famous apps are:
- Geocaching by Groundspeak Inc. (official app)
- Cachly
- GeoCaches
- C:Geo
- Spyglass
- Cache Maid
- Looking4Cache
There are several differences among geocaching apps, including their cost and compatibility. Some apps are free, while others require a purchase. Additionally, certain apps are exclusively designed for either iOS or Android devices.
In my opinion, the easiest option is to choose the official Geocaching App since it is widely used by most people. Moreover, this app is compatible with both iOS and Android, providing you with the highest chance of accessing a larger number of logs.
To provide you with a brief overview of the prices and compatible devices for the top geocaching apps, I have created the summary table below:
| App | Compatible With | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Geocaching – Groundspeak Inc | Android and iOS | Free, for premium members $29.99/Year |
| Cachly | Only iOS | $5.99 (one-time purchase) |
| GeoCaches | Only iOS | Free, for premium members $29.99/Year |
| C:Geo | Only Android | Free |
| Spyglass | Android and iOS | $6.99 |
Notice that the free version of each app is very limited. The most of the time, a premium membership provides you the following additional options:
- Unlimited caches. When you don’t have a premium account, you will only be able to find the traditional caches. Furthermore, you can only log maximum 3 caches per day. With a premium account, you will be able to log unlimited caches.
- Exclusive geocaches. If you do not have a premium account, you will only have access to view the basic or traditional caches within the app. However, with a premium account, you gain the ability to see all types of geocaches, ranging from easy-to-find caches to those located in more challenging or remote areas.
- Filter by type geocache. Premium members will, unlike non-premium members, be able to filter on type of geocache. Think about size, difficulty and size. This is a very useful feature since it saves you a lot of time figuring out how difficult a geocache actually is.
2. Smartphone or GPS (with mobile data)
When embarking on a geocaching adventure, you will require a device capable of guiding you to the designated location. The most convenient option is to use your own mobile phone. Alternatively, if you do not have a suitable phone, you can utilize a GPS device.
If you opt to use a mobile phone, it is important to ensure that you have sufficient mobile data. This is necessary because you will frequently need to refresh the map during the activity. Additionally, it is crucial that your smartphone has a built-in GPS, which is present in almost every smartphone nowadays.
Keep in mind that during your geocaching expedition, you will often venture into areas without Wi-Fi access, as you’ll be exploring the wilderness.
Therefore, it is essential to check your mobile data availability before commencing your geocaching journey. Make sure you have an ample amount of data to last throughout the day!
3. Writing material
The basic principle of geocaching is that the finder writes down his name in a so called ‘’logbook’’. This logbook looks like a paper notepad. In the most geocaches, you will often find a pen or pencil. However, there are also micro-geocaches.
In these small geocaches, you won’t find a pen or pencil. This means that you should always take a pen or pencil with you during your geocaching adventure.
4. SWAG Items
I understand that the term “SWAG” items may sound unfamiliar. It refers to “Stuff We All Get,” which are the items commonly found inside a geocache container.
When geocaching, it is important to bring your own SWAG items. This is because you will need to exchange them with the items already present in the geocache container.
Some examples of suitable SWAG items include marbles, cards, rocks, toys, and pendants. However, there are many other items that can be considered appropriate SWAG. As a guideline, remember that the items you contribute should be of equal or greater value than the items you take.
It is worth noting that certain items are not suitable for placement inside a geocache container. I will cover this topic in detail in my upcoming blog.
5. Power bank with charger
As said before, you will constantly need your mobile phone to get to the indicated location. This requires a lot of battery which means that your mobile phone runs out of battery quickly.
Therefore, you always have to bring a power bank and a mobile phone charger with you. If you are using a GPS, you should bring spare batteries.
Make sure that the Power Bank is fully charged before you start with geocaching. Otherwise it might happen that in addition to your mobile phone, the power bank also runs out of battery.
6. Extra Logbook
It is possible that you may encounter situations where there is no space left to write in the logbook found inside a geocache. This would be unfortunate. Hence, it is advisable to carry an additional logbook with you.
However, it’s important to ensure that the extra logbook is not excessively large, such as an A4-sized notebook. It should be a compact logbook that can easily fit inside the geocache. Since you cannot predict the size of the geocache in advance, it is best to follow the rule:
“The extra logbook should be smaller rather than larger.”
7. Proper clothing
During your geocaching adventure, you will often enter rough regions. Think about areas with many branches, rocks and sharp shrubs. This means that it is probably not a good idea to put on your beach slippers and swimsuit.
Therefore, it is highly recommended to wear long pants with proper shoes. These shoes must properly fit your feet. This reduces the chance that you roll your ankle.
Wearing long pants reduces/avoids scratches on your legs. Make sure that the clothes that you are wearing fit well because you have to walk/cycle long distances.
8. Umbrella and raincoat
In addition to wearing appropriate clothing, it is a wise idea to consider bringing an umbrella and a raincoat with you during your geocaching adventures. This recommendation applies particularly when the weather is unpredictable or rain is expected.
While geocaching in the summer with no rain in the forecast may not necessitate these items, they become essential when the weather can change abruptly. Getting soaked by rain during your geocaching expedition can be extremely bothersome.
Moreover, using an umbrella can provide a more convenient experience when writing in the logbook during rainfall.
Additionally, having protection from the rain helps prevent potential damage to the SWAG items within the geocache and prevents ink from the paper logbook from smudging or leaking.
9. Compass
When you are really close to the geocache, you might want to know in what direction (North, East, South or West) the geocache can be found. Sometimes, the direction of the geocache is given in the Geocache App.
Using a compass can help you to find the direction of the geocache. You can either choose to use a portable compass or you can choose to use the built-in compass in your mobile phone.
10. Gloves
Something you won’t quickly think about are gloves. In my opinion, it is a really good idea to use gloves. The reason for this is because you often have to remove branches, rocks and leaves in order to find the geocache.
When you don’t use gloves, you can easily damage your hands/fingers. Of course, there are many cases where you don’t necessarily need gloves but it is always a good idea to bring these things with you.
11. Food and drinks
During geocaching you burn a lot of calories because you are constantly walking or cycling. Furthermore, you need to think to solve the puzzles.
Therefore, it is very import to consume enough calories. Furthermore, you will lose a lot of moisture through respiration and perspiration. To avoid that you get dehydrated you need to drink lots of water.
It is therefore extremely important to bring enough water with you. In case that you forget to bring water, you should purchase some water at the local shop or you can ask some local persons if they have water for you.
To give you a little indication of the amount of calories that you burn, you should take a look at the following table:
| Activity | Number of calories burned per hour |
|---|---|
| Walking | 200 – 400 |
| Cycling | 500 – 700 |
12. Sunscreen and sunglasses
The most of the time you will be geocaching in the summer (because of the good weather). In the summer, the temperature can be really high. To adapt to these high temperatures, you have to use sunscreen and sunglasses.
By doing this, you avoid that you get burned. Furthermore, you will better be able to see the road and the geocaches.
13. Bug spray and tick remover
As said before, you will often enter areas with many vegetation. In case that you walk through tall grass, you should be aware of ticks. These ticks can bite you and sometimes these critters give a person the Lyme disease.
To avoid this, you should directly check your legs, arms, armpits and knee cavities after you came in contact with the tall grass. It is therefore crucial to bring a tick remover with you!
Furthermore, you should consider to bring a bug spray with you. Near to stagnant water (like ditches and lakes) you will often encounter annoying insects. You can avoid that these insects bite you by using bug spray.
14. First Aid Kid
Bringing a first aid kit with you when geocaching is an excellent precautionary measure. This is particularly important when you encounter situations that involve climbing elevations or traversing dunes.
During such climbs, there is always a chance of injuring your legs. Additionally, if you are cycling, there is a possibility of falling off your bike. Having a first aid kit handy ensures that you are prepared to address minor injuries, such as cuts or scrapes, by having band-aids readily available.
15. Rain cover for mobile phone
The touchscreen of a mobile phone can malfunction when it becomes wet. To mitigate this issue, it is recommended to carry a rain protector for your mobile phone, especially when rain is expected.
A rain protector serves as a barrier, preventing raindrops from directly contacting the touchscreen of your mobile phone. By using a rain protector, you can avoid difficulties in navigating to the desired geocache during rainy conditions.
16. Flashlight
Geocaches are often located at dark places. For example, they can be found inside bushes, fake stones and in dark holes. Some people therefore like to use a flashlight. This is especially very convenient when you are searching during dark days or during twilight.
17. Magnifying glass / reading glasses
During geocaching you will often have to read small texts. Think about the texts on the geocache items, the coordinates in the geocache app and the texts in the logbook.
When you are visually impaired, this will be challenging. To avoid that you can’t read the texts, you should either bring a proper magnifying glass or your reading glasses with you.
18. Backpack
As you can see, there are quite some things that you have to take with you during your geocache adventure. It is recommended to use a proper backpack to carry all this stuff.
In the backpack is enough space to carry all these accessories with you. Furthermore, the backpack itself is also easy to carry. Very convenient!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not every mobile phone is suitable for geocaching. The mobile phone must be able to download a proper geocaching app. Furthermore, the mobile phone must contain a GPS function.
In fact, it would be possible to go geocaching without an app on your phone. However, this would be really difficult and time-consuming since you have to download all the locations of the geocaches. Furthermore, you can’t log the geocaches during the hunt.
Yes, it is highly recommended to have mobile data for geocaching because you often have to enter areas without Wi-Fi. Luckily enough, many providers offer daily mobile data packages. This means that you can simply purchase a daily mobile data package when you want to go geocaching.