Chances are there’s at least one person in your family who’s into Pokemon Go. An international phenomenon, by July 12 of 2016 there were already 21 million users playing the digital version of the 90s card game.
Pokemon Go is all about using a GPS-enabled app to locate digital monsters—characters from the original Pokemon game. Unlike stationary video games, players use GPS technology to capture Pokemon out in the real world (a feature made possible through modern day advances in augmented reality).
Eggs are the source of the rarer Pokemon. In order to hatch an egg, you must walk a certain distance with the egg in an incubator (you’ll be equipped with one by default). If you have multiple incubators, you can work on hatching multiple eggs.
If you geocache, Pokemon Go presents an opportunity to incorporate both games into the same experience. For instance, if you geocache, you will always know the distance to the cache. You can plan out a geocaching trip based on how far you need to go to hatch your eggs. Along the way, watch for Pokemon to catch! As a bonus, collect poke balls and eggs at Pokestops along the way.
Here’s where the multi-dimensional fun comes in. Program the geocache coordinates into your GPS. Set off with your family on a grand adventure. If someone in the group is not playing Pokemon Go or geocaching, equip them with the metal detector. You never know what they’ll find. While you may capture digital Pokemon along the way, actual relics, coins, and valuables may be there for you to find with the metal detector.
Once you arrive at the geocache site, your metal detector will be able to sense the location of the cache if there’s any metal involved. What’s more, you may be exploring areas where many Pokemon Go players might not have gone yet. This will increase your chances of finding more Pokemon and you’ll also be ahead of the competition in incubating eggs.
Overall, your family will discover multi-dimensional treasures: geocaches with your GPS, treasures with your metal detector, and Pokemon with Pokemon Go.
Daniel Matthews is a freelance writer and social worker from Boise, ID who specializes in travel writing, tech, and business. Constantly curious and passionate about the written word, he loves to explore anything interesting in the world right now, especially if it gives him an excuse to do new things with his family. You can find him on Twitter.
