Had I read The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Geocaching, 3e (Complete Idiot’s Guides (Lifestyle Paperback))(written by the Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com) before trying to activate our first travel bug, I probably would not have thrown away the activation code along with the outer packaging. I also would have verified my first cache wasn’t hidden on land owned by a private owner (with one trip to hide the cache and one trip to retrieve it; at least the mosquitoes were happy). While enjoying the easy-to-use Groundspeak Geocaching iPhone Application, I would have known it quickly drains the battery life on my iPhone. I would have recorded our first ten finds (er, five DNF’s) and maybe left a useful log or two.
Hindsight is my niche.
Fortunately for those of you getting started in the high-tech treasure hunt that is geocaching, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Geocaching is available and now in its Third Edition. When presented with the opportunity to read this useful and comprehensive guide on the tips and tricks of geocaching, I jumped at the chance. Not an expert geocacher by any stretch of the imagination, I still have lots to learn. Organized into seventeen chapters and six appendices, you can pick and choose the topics and subjects that best meet your needs—or just read the book cover-to-cover like I did.
My favorite section: Chapter 6, Geocaching Tips and Tricks, How Not to Look Weird. Addressing how to handle the occasional muggle encounter in the field, the authors suggest you talk openly about geocaching and answer questions instead of talking into your GPS unit like it’s a pretend cell phone. Chapter 14 is entirely dedicated to Geocaching While On Vacation and touches on the idea of geocaching adventures, regional events, and geocaching as a social studies tool.
Rated somewhere between 4 and 5 stars on Amazon.com, I concur with the other customer reviews. While it’s natural to want to hit the ground running on your way to your first cache; pack this book in your car and perhaps save yourself an extra lap or two.
