Geocaching in England Published June 18, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Tabitha Lee 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Geocaching is a great way to get out, explore the environment and get to know a new area. My first geocaching trip was about three weeks ago with a close friend and his two kids. We rode bikes though Mildenhall Woods, England, and found caches using a global positioning system device. When we stopped at the first cache, I didn't know what to expect. The GPS was accurate to about 10 feet so we had to look around the area for a few minutes. I don't know if my friends were just being nice, or if it was actually beginners luck, but I found the first cache of the day. It was an old plastic film canister skillfully hidden in a wooden post. I was so pleased with myself for finding it and it really boosted my confidence for the rest of the trip. We spent more than four hours riding though the woods and found seven caches, each one unique in its design, position and contents. Geocaches can come in many shapes and sizes and can be hidden anywhere. According to www.geocaching.com, there are more than a dozen different types of geocaches and they can be anywhere -- the local park, underwater or on the side of the street. Geocaching can accommodate any skill level and is a great way to get the family out to do an activity together. Getting started is easy; just follow these five steps: 1. Find a website that has a database of geocaches. 2. Locate caches near your postal code. 3. Enter the coordinates of the geocache into a GPS device. 4. Use your GPS device to assist you in finding the hidden geocache. 5. Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location. Many geocaching websites allow you to share stories with other geocachers and log the geocaches visited. There are even ways to leave hints for others to help find the cache. In addition to the excitement of finding geocaches, people can create their own geocache and register it for others to find. Specific guidance for geocaching and placing a cache in the United Kingdom can be found on the Geocaching Association of Great Britain website at www.gagb.co.uk.