There’s nothing hard about geocaching, except for sometimes finding that devilishly hidden cache. You go to www.geocaching.com or any of numerous geocaching websites to find cache sites. Download the site coordinates into your portable GPS unit — and the hunt is on!

It doesn’t take much to get started (see our Aug. 5 post), and geocaching is fun for the whole family. The goal is find the cache. You use your GPS to follow the coordinates to the cache site. Using your GPS to pinpoint the site location, you then have to scan the area (think deviously), poking around under stones and inside decayed tree trunks to find the hidden container. (Beginners may want to printout the “tips” provided for many cache sites when they download coordinates.)

The rules are simple:

• Fill out the logbook with your name (or cache name), hometown and home state. Make a comment if there’s room in the logbook. Take a look at the logbook. You may see other cachers who have found the site from across the country and even around the world.
• If the cache has prizes (odd trinkets or message slips), take one.
• Add a prize of your own to the cache.
• Carefully close the container to protect the contents from the weather and return the cache to the exact position in which you found it.
• Respect the environment and other cachers. Geocache responsibly. Obtain permission before caching on private property. (Unless placed by the property owner, nearly all caches are located on public property.)

You’ll meet a lot of friendly people geocaching and discover interesting and unusual sites you didn’t know existed. Visit ActionGPS for great deals on portable, handheld GPS units perfect for geocaching.