rcom Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 We haven't done either, but ds10 is interested in geocaching (thanks Boxcar Children). Some time back I knew some people who were doing letterboxing, but I never got around to joining them. Has anyone done both? What do you like about one vs. the other? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I live where letterboxing started and I have done it all my life off and on. We have briefly tried geocaching too. I think geocaching is a little easier and a little more rewarding because letterboxes can be pretty hard to find. I don't know whether it is run exactly the same in the rest of the world as here, but you are supposed to find your first 100 letter boxes by just hunting around the moor, then you can join the 100 club and get clues. We come across a lot of letterboxes out walking but more often than not they are damaged which is disappointing for kids.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 We've done both but we all prefer geocachig. Near us thre are tons of caches, and 3 letterboxes. We've done all 3. LOL. I broke down and bought the $10 iPhone geocache app and it's awesome. You pull it up and finds all the caches near you, and has all the data, logs hints, pics, etc that the website has. It has navigation, maps... It also tracks your logs and finds. My kids and I probably go 2-3 times a week lately. If you have a Boy Scout store near you there is a merit badge book ($4-$5) on geocachig that my kids really enjoyed reading. You can just ask at the desk and they can find it for you. We really enjoy caching and I find it's a cheap, outdoor diversion on trips or slow days. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I live in an area where you can do both easily. My family only letterboxes because it keeps you on established paths. We don't have to worry about trespassing, or getting around a lake, or dealing with (too much) poison ivy. In the US, there are some really easy boxes to find, so you can get started right away. No minimum number to stumble upon and no gps equipment to buy. Our keepsake from this is a log book, so we can open it and see where we've been. I usually write a short entry to remind us about the day. Most of the log book stamps in the boxes we've found have been hand-carved. Some of them are rather impressive, so it's neat to have an imprint of all that creativity in our records. I have a child in a wheelchair, so geocaching could never work for him, but with letterboxing it's easy to go online and see which boxes are wheelchair/stroller friendly or which boxes I can get to by bike. The website also tells me how long the hike is so I can plan accordingly and whether or not we can bring our dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug's Mom Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 We love geocaching. It's fun when traveling, as it takes you to parks and other places that you might not see otherwise. We've also discovered areas in our town that we weren't aware of because of geocaching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 We love geocaching. It's fun when traveling, as it takes you to parks and other places that you might not see otherwise. We've also discovered areas in our town that we weren't aware of because of geocaching. This is one of the aspects of geocaching we have most enjoyed. We have visited lots of parks and playgrounds we wouldn't have thought to visit otherwise. We have encountered one letterbox, but we mostly stick to geocaching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 We go geocaching! My kids love it! They don't like finding the "micro" containers....they like the ones with the "treasure" in it LOL! We keep a little bag of "treasure" in our car so that if we are out and find a cache, we always have something to switch out with. I also have the geocaching app on my iPhone. It's AWESOME! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treestarfae Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I like letterboxing better. I like verbal clues rather than a gps signal that can fade under trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 okay what is this? Is there a link? This sounds intriguing but I have no idea what you guys are talking about! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 We've done both, and prefer letterboxing because it's more like a "treasure hunt" (and because dh lent his gps to a friend and probably won't get it back). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 okay what is this? Is there a link? This sounds intriguing but I have no idea what you guys are talking about! lol This a basic history of letterboxing and this is a US site about it. There are some differences between the Letterboxing I know and the rest of the world. I live on Dartmoor and here you have to find the first 100 boxes yourself either by searching or by doing charity trails, you are then eligible to join the a cub that provides clues. It seems like in the rest of the world they all have clues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcom Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 Thanks for all the replies. I think letterboxing sounds more appealing to me. Maybe my son will enjoy it also. We have dumb phones so we'd have to make some sort of investment to do geocaching. I'll have to check and see what's available in my area. I have the impression there will be plenty to do. On a side note, the Boxcar Children book my son read is #113 The Box That Watch Found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKidAcademy Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Which geocaching app do you like best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcom Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 This a basic history of letterboxing and this is a US site about it. There are some differences between the Letterboxing I know and the rest of the world. I live on Dartmoor and here you have to find the first 100 boxes yourself either by searching or by doing charity trails, you are then eligible to join the a cub that provides clues. It seems like in the rest of the world they all have clues. I was able to find plenty more letterbox listings on Atlas Quest: http://www.atlasquest.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphus Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 We letterbox, I like the creative and sluethy side. We've been doing it about 10 years now, all over the us and even in a few foreign countries! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 We letterbox and it is really fun! The kids love following clues to find the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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