1. Geocaching and Orienteering
for Cub Scouts
How many attended the Map and Compass Essentials course earlier?
How many are coming directly from the GPS sessions?
How many are coming here from the Dutch Oven Basics session? AH… now THAT’s my favorite!

2. Geocaching & Orienteering
So… we’ll start off covering geocaching. For those who attended the GPS session, I look for you assistance here.
Next, we’ll cover Orienteering. Again, for those who attended the Map and Compass Essentials session, I’ll look for your input here.
And then we’ll cover Getting Outdoors. Putting together a program that includes one or both of these fun navigational games. And that’s exactly what they are… like Scouting, they are games with a purpose.
And finally, we’ll wrap it up with any additional Q&A. It will also be during this time where we will do the last of the session evaluations and with your filled out evaluation, you will receive your patch for attending today’s training sessions.
Before we dive in though… I have found the best sessions at PTC are those which had ample audience participation. I STRONGLY encourage folks to chime in with ideas and examples as appropriate. Of course, if we begin to run tight on time, I may revoke my request for input, but we’ll see how it goes. Now of course, the inverse of that is true too… if I don’t get ANY participation, this session stands the chance of being a VERY SHORT session. I’m hoping that’s not the case.

3. Geocaching & Orienteering
So… we’ll start off covering geocaching. For those who attended the GPS session, I look for you assistance here.
Next, we’ll cover Orienteering. Again, for those who attended the Map and Compass Essentials session, I’ll look for your input here.
And then we’ll cover Getting Outdoors. Putting together a program that includes one or both of these fun navigational games. And that’s exactly what they are… like Scouting, they are games with a purpose.
And finally, we’ll wrap it up with any additional Q&A. It will also be during this time where we will do the last of the session evaluations and with your filled out evaluation, you will receive your patch for attending today’s training sessions.
Before we dive in though… I have found the best sessions at PTC are those which had ample audience participation. I STRONGLY encourage folks to chime in with ideas and examples as appropriate. Of course, if we begin to run tight on time, I may revoke my request for input, but we’ll see how it goes. Now of course, the inverse of that is true too… if I don’t get ANY participation, this session stands the chance of being a VERY SHORT session. I’m hoping that’s not the case.
Orienteering

4. Geocaching & Orienteering
Get Outside
So… we’ll start off covering geocaching. For those who attended the GPS session, I look for you assistance here.
Next, we’ll cover Orienteering. Again, for those who attended the Map and Compass Essentials session, I’ll look for your input here.
And then we’ll cover Getting Outdoors. Putting together a program that includes one or both of these fun navigational games. And that’s exactly what they are… like Scouting, they are games with a purpose.
And finally, we’ll wrap it up with any additional Q&A. It will also be during this time where we will do the last of the session evaluations and with your filled out evaluation, you will receive your patch for attending today’s training sessions.
Before we dive in though… I have found the best sessions at PTC are those which had ample audience participation. I STRONGLY encourage folks to chime in with ideas and examples as appropriate. Of course, if we begin to run tight on time, I may revoke my request for input, but we’ll see how it goes. Now of course, the inverse of that is true too… if I don’t get ANY participation, this session stands the chance of being a VERY SHORT session. I’m hoping that’s not the case.
Orienteering

5. Geocaching & Orienteering
Get Outside
So… we’ll start off covering geocaching. For those who attended the GPS session, I look for you assistance here.
Next, we’ll cover Orienteering. Again, for those who attended the Map and Compass Essentials session, I’ll look for your input here.
And then we’ll cover Getting Outdoors. Putting together a program that includes one or both of these fun navigational games. And that’s exactly what they are… like Scouting, they are games with a purpose.
And finally, we’ll wrap it up with any additional Q&A. It will also be during this time where we will do the last of the session evaluations and with your filled out evaluation, you will receive your patch for attending today’s training sessions.
Before we dive in though… I have found the best sessions at PTC are those which had ample audience participation. I STRONGLY encourage folks to chime in with ideas and examples as appropriate. Of course, if we begin to run tight on time, I may revoke my request for input, but we’ll see how it goes. Now of course, the inverse of that is true too… if I don’t get ANY participation, this session stands the chance of being a VERY SHORT session. I’m hoping that’s not the case.
Orienteering
Q&A

6. Geocaching for Cub Scouts
So… You all have obviously heard of Geocaching (you’re here aren’t you?)
How many have actually gone out geocaching?
The cool thing about geocaching is that it’s a fun event for the entire family. As you can see here… by two boys are here with me checking out the loot within a cache we discovered down in Oregon while on vacation. My youngest, the 4 year old calls it treasure hunting.
for Cub Scouts

7. What is Geocaching?
So… there is NO WAY that I can describe geocaching better than they’ve done at geocaching.com. So for those who are new to geocaching, here is what it is in a quick vignette.

8. Geocaching
So geocaching.com is pretty much THE web site to go to get lists of geocaches hidden all over the world. You can use your computer or even an iPhone or iPad if you like.
Just plug in your zip code or even coordinates and it will provide you with a list of different caches all around you. The iPhone/iPad app is even easier as it is able to determine where you are and search based on that information providing a similar list of nearby caches.
If you’re just starting out with geocaching, you’ll want to take notice to the terrain rating and the level of difficulty. Both are measured on a scale of Therefore a terrain/difficulty rating of a 1/1 would be the easiest to access and most likely to be an easy find. While a 5/5 would be the most challenging both in difficulty and terrain.
I have seen some caches that required rappelling to get to them. So… a 5/5 can be quite a challenge. Personally… as a family endeavor, I prefer to stick with caches with ratings no greater than a 2/2.

9. Seeking a Cache What to bring 10 Essentials
So now you have your list of nearby caches, what’s next? Well, clearly, you’ll need a GPS. With the proper software you can download the coordinates of each of you listed nearby caches in to your GPS. Once again, if you have an iPhone or iPad, the list is already there and you’re set.
No different than going out on a hike, I always recommend that you bring your 10 essentials. What happens if someone gets hurt while out in the woods? Better to be prepared – just as if you were hiking.
Another rule of hiking???? Always let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to return. Again, like hiking, in the event you don’t return by a certain time, help can be summoned.
So… use your map to get you close, then use your GPS to get you to the cache – or at least close. This is always the fun part. Following the clues of this cache owner to see if you can solve the puzzle. Look for something that looks out of the ordinary. A rock in a tree… a pine cone where there are no pine cones. A pine cone were there are only fir cones?!?!
So… what might you find?

10. What might you find?
You might find a geocoin. If you do find one of these like on the left, it will have a number printed on it as well. Sometimes these are used as travel bugs. When you find the coin, you logon to geocaching.com, plug in the coin number and it should reveal where the coin owner wishes for it to ultimately end up. Your job then is to register where you found it and then to plant it in another cache that hopefully gets the coin closer to its final destination.
I’ve never found one of these, but I believe it would be neat to do so.

11. What might you find?
And here of course is an actual travel bug. Again, it’s trying to make its way to an ultimate destination or perhaps just an interesting experiment to see where the bug travels to.

12. Containers
Containers take on all sorts of sizes and shapes. Traditionally, ammo cans like these were the norm, however, over time, even though clearly marked as a geocache, discovering a hidden ammo can tend to cause a little alarm.
So folks have come up with some creative ways of creating cache containers. Here… if I’m not mistaken, this is a peanut butter jar with camouflage duct tape. The main thing is… the containers need to be tolerant of the weather. Nothing worse than finding a cache that has a soggy log book.

13. Containers
Again… more containers. The one on the left is an old military NBC kit. They seal well and are of descent size therefore make for a good geocache container.
The upper right container is called a bison tube and meant for small or micro caches.
And then below on the bottom right… can anyone tell me if they spot the container here? Correct… it’s the bolt. It’s a micro cache. Very clever!

14. Canisters
The top-right are more bison tubes, and you’ll notice the one on the far right is a micro cache.
And then the bottom right is just a simply old 35mm film canister.
Again… more containers. The ones on the left are of the tupperware-like variety. Again, it’s important that containers seal well so as not to leak and ruin any of the objects within it. You’ll also notice the one that looks like a rock. Again, ways to disguise a cache are pretty popular with some geocachers – just how clever can they be?
Anyone care to share some of the more creative caches that they’ve come across or seen?

15. Creativity

16. Hiding a Cache Follow local laws
NEVER on school grounds or military installation
Get permission
Never bury a geocache
Respectful to surroundings (LNT)
At least 1/10th of a mile from another cache
AFTER hiding, register geocaching.com
Pretty straight forward. Don’t forget… NEVER place food in a cache as it will only attract animals. Also… geocaching is a family event, be sure that whatever you place within a cache is family appropriate – family friendly.

17. Geocaching
And finally… no matter if your seeking a cache, or hiding one. Should you find any trash, be responsible and take the trash out with you… Cache In… Trash Out. Falls right in line with LNT.

18. Orienteering for Cub Scouts Geocaching
Again… how attended the Map and Compass Essentials this morning?
Did they get in to orienteering at all? What did they say about it?
Orienteering
for
Cub Scouts

19. What is Orienteering?
So who here as seen the Amazing Race on television?
THAT is a form of orienteering.
In the Amazing Race, contestants are instructed to go to specific locations – some of which a riddle or puzzle is used to “discover” the next location. Once there, they perform any sort of assigned task before receiving their next clue to the next control.
Participants are given coordinates to a control point or they follow and control chart and then make their way from control to control until the ultimately end up at the finish line. At each control the must record a control number or punch a score card or use an electronic punch. The entire process is timed and the person with the fastest time to complete the course wins.

20. What is Orienteering? So what do you need for orienteering?
First off… a compass. A map. And in the instance of a permenant course, like that at St. Edward State Park, a control card instructing you to travel from control to control.

21. What is Orienteering?
On an orienteering map you’ll notice a variety of Hot-Pink symbols. The triangle indicates the starting point. Each circle is a control point. And finally, the double-circle would indicate the ending point – or finish line if you will.
Along the way participants will discover controls that can look like any of the following. As you can see, they can

22. What is Orienteering?

23. What is Orienteering?

24. How to do it

25. Geocaching
Get Outside
Orienteering

26. X X O X

27. Orienteering

28. Discussion

29. Resources & References
Cascade Orienteering Club
Geocache Container Photos
Courtesy Roderick Parks