Instead of faded maps and handwritten instructions, this updated game, called geocaching, uses Global Positioning System (GPS) devices to search for hidden treasures. Geocaching has now become a type of sport. It has spread to all 50 states and is being played in over 100 different countries. There are many different variations of the game but all are essentially the same.

The cache is the treasure that is hidden. The word cache (pronounced cash like $$$) comes from the computer term cache, which is a part of the computer’s memory that is usually unseen or hidden from the end user. In geocaching, the cache can contain most anything. It almost always includes a logbook with comments from the person who first hid the cache and notes from all the people who have found the treasure. The cache, generally found in a plastic or other weatherproof container, can also include trinkets, pictures, games, books, or just about any other objects.

The treasure-seekers use a handheld Global Positioning System device to find the cache. The GPS device utilizes satellite technology to pinpoint an exact location anywhere on the planet. Some devices have their own built-in maps, compasses, and even voice navigation. People document the exact latitude and longitude of the caches they have hidden on the Internet at Web sites such as www.geocaching.com. There is no lack of hidden treasures. Although I live in a small town in North Carolina, when I entered my zip code at geocaching.com, I found that there were 24 hidden caches within 10 miles of my home. Entering a zip code for suburban Chicago revealed 213 caches in a 10 mile radius.

Just because you have the location of the cache doesn’t mean that actually finding the cache is easy. The GPS will get you in the right vicinity, but you still have to discover the exact location yourself. In the city, the cache may be located inside buildings or underneath objects like trash cans and newspaper bins.  In rural locations they may be on the side of a rocky cliff or even underwater. Caches may require hiking, climbing or special equipment. Even though your GPS tells you that the cache is two miles straight ahead, there may be a lake or other immovable object that you have to circumnavigate. Many caches are pretty ingeniously hidden adding to the thrill of the hunt.

Once you have found a cache, you make an entry in the log book and remove the treasure that you found and replace it with whatever “treasure” you want to leave behind. You also document the fact that you found the cache at the Web site where it was listed.

Some wealthy individuals have been known to put fairly large amounts of real money into caches. This makes geocaching even more fun. What could be better than finding some unexpected real treasure? Other caches contain clues or riddles that can lead to other caches.

If you are interested in this new past time, there is plenty of information on the Web.  For details on how a GPS system works, surf over to the HowStuffWorks Web site. For more on the sport of geocaching itself, just type geocaching into any search engine and you will find a ton of information. Geocaching.com and Navicache.com both have excellent instructions on how to get started as well as forums and chat rooms. Garmin, a GPS manufacturer, has a free downloadable pamphlet called “Introduction to Geocaching.”

Geocaching a classic sport that has used technology to reinvent itself. It’s not only interesting and enjoyable, but it will get you out and about…. a perfect way to enjoy the fresh air and the great outdoors!