Welcome to my CarolinaCacher site. I'm Randy Hefner. My caching screen name on
GPSgames,
Geocaching, and
TerraCaching, is RanHefner. I have been caching since June 24, 2005.
You may be asking, "What is caching?" You would probably know it as Geocaching. Geocaching is the combination of technology, outdoor activities, and treasure hunting. You use a GPSr (
Global Positioning System receiver) to locate hidden containers of different sizes and shapes. All cache containers will contain a log (piece of paper, notepad, or notebook) to document your finding of the cache. Some containers are large enough to contain
trinkets for trading. The rule is that you take somthing and leave something.
There are many
handheld GPS receivers on the market ranging from around $75 to over $400! All of them will get you started with geocaching. The more expensive ones are good for geocaching and road navigation. The two most popular companies offering GPS receivers are
Garmin and
Magellan.
Garmin offers a
GPS Guide For Beginners. It is a little "technical", but does offer a lot of great information about how the Global Positioning System works.
The online "How To" manual,
wikiHow, offers a very good guide to geocaching. This is a good article for beginners.
This article takes you step-by-step from selecting a GPS receiver and how to log your find.
A good place to start is to join a local caching club. There are several in the Carolinas. If you live in North Carolina, you should join the
North Carolina Geocachers Organization. This "club" is for everyone in North Carolina or anyone interested in caching in NC.
If you live in the foothills area of North Carolina, there is a group for you! The
NC Foothills Geocachers is affiliated with the NCGO above, but is targeted towards the members living in the foothills.
If you live in the Asheville area of North Carolina there is a Yahoo! Group called
Western NC Geocaching.
If you live in the upstate of South Carolina, there is an organization for you. The
Upstate South Carolina Geocachers Association covers the 10 counties in the northwest portion of South Carolina.
There are two South Carolina state-wide geocaching organizations.
South Carolina Geocachers Association and
South Carolina Society of Geocaching.
Join the organization that best fits your needs and participate in their events. You will get more out of geocaching by making new geocaching friends!
CarolinaCacher Recommends:
It you have played GeoGolf, you know that some holes are on private property and are unreachable. You can get only so close. Scout to the rescue!
I have some good news. First, the Newton Department of Recreation has completed the cleanup of Southside park. This means that the "Introduction to GPSGames.org" event will still be held as planned.
I stopped by the Southside park in Newton, NC and say a sign that said "Park Closed". I called the Newton Department of Recreation and they told me that the park was closed due to debris from a recent storm. They assured me that the park would be open in time for the event.
A new geocache has been added to GPSGames.org by talesfromthesurface. Pelham is his first hide on GPSGames.org. It is a micro in South Carolina just off of I-85 between Spartanburg and Greenville.
You have found many geocaches. It's fun, but you may be asking yourself, "What else can I do with this GPS receiver?" There are many games to play other than geocaching!
What is a "ShutterSpot"? ShutterSpot is a game on GPSGames.org using pictures as the clue to your find.
It's tick season and there are many emails going around touting easy ways to remove ticks. Some of the more popular myths is to use liquid soap. This and other methods do not work and can even make the problem worse! 
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