Geocaching, letterboxing, and orienteering are all fun ways to get out and explore. You can go on hikes, learn to better navigate your surroundings, and discover new places near you. You can do them alone or with friends and family, and they are all world-wide hobbies. All three activities have different levels, so you can challenge yourself as much as you like.
Geocaching is a hobby where you use a GPS to find a hidden geocache in a public space. Geocaches often have logbooks inside where you can write your name when you find it. Some have puzzles you have to solve before you can get to the container. Often, inside the container there are small trinkets inside that you can trade and some even have trackers that people have left in them. The goal with most of these trackers is for people to pick them up at one geocache and leave them at another. Some have specific goals, like traveling from coast to coast or going to all the countries in Europe. However, not all geocaches have a container at the end. Some are "earthcaches", which lead you to a specific location.
Anyone can make a geocache, but it is better if you have found geocaches before hiding your own. You don't have to be creative when hiding your geocache, but there are endless places to put it.
Letterboxing is very similar to geocaching except you are given directions to the hidden container rather than GPS coordinates. The containers don't have trinkets but a stamp that's often hand-carved, a logbook, and sometimes an ink pad. You bring your own stamp, logbook, and ink pad and you stamp the letterbox's stamp in your logbook and your stamp in the letterbox's logbook.
As with geocaching, anyone can make their own letterbox, but it is best if you try a few yourself beforehand.
Lastly, orienteering courses give you a list of checkpoints to find in a certain order. You are also given a compass and a topographical map (which shows elevation and geographical features) with the checkpoints circled. The list may have brief descriptions of the different checkpoints such as "near a rock that's 1.5 meters tall" or symbols representing the same thing, but there are fewer clues as you do harder courses. Unlike geocaching and letterboxing, however, you don't have to search for the checkpoint—it's marked.
Many orienteering courses are temporary and are only up during competitions. If you are competitive, these can be a lot of fun, but even if you aren't you can still do the courses. However, while competitions aren't happening due to coronavirus, there are some permanent courses that you can do.
All of these pastimes are fun ways to get out and find new places. You don't have to go on hikes to do them though. There are urban geocaches and letterboxes, and you can find canoe and cross-country ski orienteering. So tap into your inner treasure hunter and go explore!
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