Do you think the world around you appears to be what it looks like? The grass is green and the sky is blue? You are probably right. However, there still exists another world – a hidden place collateral to what we experience. There are people who are interested in exploring this world by using special equipment – they are doing ‘geocaching’. Would you like to know more about the connection between geocaching and 3D printing? Then have a look here:
How 3D Printing Does Support the Geocaching Community?
A while ago, we printed some fancy tube holders for a fellow geocacher who runs the German blog ‘Geo-Caching Handbuch’ and wrote about us. The models we printed consisted of a thread in which a smaller tube was screwed in so that a little note can be inserted. This 3D printed device can be placed on street signs with the open top end of the tube. The really nice thing about 3D printing its creativity. It offers the possibility to design any shape you can imagine. In the context of geocaching this freedom of creativity basically allows you to take measurements of any kind of surrounding. You are free to redesign it for your form to make it the ‘ultimate’ secret. We are very happy to support this community and create amazing things for them which help to improve this unique game. Interested in the geocaching community, then find out more.
Geocaching Worlwide
At the moment, geocaching seems to be one of the most popular outdoor activities worldwide. There are more than 2.6 million geocaches and over 6 million participants around the world. There are hidden geocaches in 184 out of 193 countries. The United States are in the front rank with 882k hidden treasures, followed by Germany with 275k and Canada with 160K. The only countries without any active geocaches were North Korea, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, the Solomon Islands, the Central African Republic and Somalia in 2013.
How to Join the ‘Second Reality’?
You can join the community either as a free member on Geocaching.com or you can sign up for a full membership for 29.99€/yearly. The full membership will provide you access to more hidden features and secrets of the ‘geocaching-world’. In Berlin, where I am located at the moment, you will find 34.588 places where you can look for something hidden. What will you need to access the hidden spots? Well, either you are willing to invest in a GPS tracker or easier a smartphone with a built-in GPS function. Of course, there are already geocaching apps. After joining the network, you can simply download it here to your iPhone, Android smartphone or Windows phone. Now you are all setup and ready to go. Look up a location where you would like to look for its hidden treasures. Some are rather easy to find, like little notes under a rock or inside the trunk of a tree, others are ‘hard-core’ and demand your undivided attention as well as years of experience. Once you find the treasury you can take photos and save them in a log book, such as you would go scuba-diving. The log book will become part of your experience and will show others what you have achieved so far.
Where Is N 52° 38.080 E 013° 12.416?
A geocache can be anything and anywhere. The treasures could be found for example in trees, inside old warehouses, in the middle of a field or maybe inside a tree stump in the woods. Geocachers have become creative over the years. Sometimes it is just a note you are finding. But sometimes it can even be a re-modelled broken piece of a set of stairs. Imagine a secret, hidden so well, you wouldn’t see it at all. This is an area where 3d printing can come in very handy. So if you have any ideas of items we can print for you to help you to become your geocaching dream true then don’t hesitate to contact us. If you are looking for 3D printed geocaching models have a look on yeggi.
If you already have a model you would like to print have a look at our 3D printing service. Do you like to print your geocaching device just white plastic for a reasonable price then check out MeltWerk.
image sources:
“Geocaching Container” by cachemania is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
“geocaching 083” by Chris Moewes is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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