Letterboxing

[Q9 Kid]

Has anyone heard of letterboxing? it is a fun hobby where people hide boxes in the woods and create clues online for them. Then people go online, find the stamps, and stamp them in their log book. If you are interested, go to www.atlasquest.com and check it out!!!

[EternalThanos86]

I have heard of it before, but it was called geocaching. Not sure if they are the same or not?

~ET86

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by EternalThanos86

I have heard of it before, but it was called geocaching. Not sure if they are the same or not?

~ET86

Geogaching uses GPS to locate the boxes. Similar concepts.

[Jim]

Originally Posted by Q9 Kid

Has anyone heard of letterboxing? it is a fun hobby where people hide boxes in the woods and create clues online for them. Then people go online, find the stamps, and stamp them in their log book. If you are interested, go too www.atlasquest.com and check it out!!!

My first thought:

The box hidden in the woods is presented in its original aspect ratio. The black bars on the top and bottom of the box are normal.



Jim

[Q9 Kid]

Originally Posted by Cavalier

Geogaching uses GPS to locate the boxes. Similar concepts.

Not to mention that in Geocahing, people leave behind junk, like McDonalds toys, instead of a hand carved stamp.

[Q9 Kid]

Originally Posted by Jim

My first thought:

The box hidden in the woods is presented in its original aspect ratio. The black bars on the top and bottom of the box are normal.



Jim

You're confusing me...

[Jim]

Originally Posted by Q9 Kid

You're confusing me...

Ever watch a movie on TV that is shown in Widescreen? Before HDTVs were a popular, this process used to be called "Letterboxing" the movie, and there is usually a notice on the package saying something like "This movie is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio. The black bars on the top and bottom of the screen are normal." so people wouldn't think that their TV or the video was broken.

Jim

[Q9 Kid]

Oh, I see. that was a pretty funny comment.

[scottishlad5]

I heard about something like this and me and my friend happened to find one, and we thought they were drugs, so we were all scared when we opened it that something would like come out and kill us.

[Fuzzie Fuzz]

I Geocache, which is similar. And usually, it's not junk, it's interesting pins and things, and it's more the search that's important anyways. I 'cache with my little sister, and she gets the toy, I get the hunt.

Also, there are things called Travel Bugs that you log online and then drop off later at others, and you get to see where they've been. That's pretty cool.

Geocaching uses GPSrs, so it's kinda like the high-tech equivalent, and since it's all by coordinates, it's easy to go to someplace you're not familiar with and find it anyways.

Basically, Geocaching is way better.

(Not meaning to be mean here, just playin' with you. I do think 'Caching's better, but that's just me.)

[MI_Tiger]

I letterbox (is that a verb?), although I haven't been in a while. For me, it combines the fun of solving puzzles with outdoor recreation. Most of the letterboxes I've hunted require relatively easy hikes, so its given me an excuse to get off the couch and discover some local parks that I never knew existed. My kids usually go with me - they love designing their own custom stamps and stamping their own logbooks.

I've looked into geocaching, but for me letterboxing is more fun because of the puzzle aspect. Some letterbox clues are simple directions, but many require solving some sort of puzzle to determine the location. Plus many boxes are combination geocaches/letterboxes, so you can get the best of both worlds.

I used to travel quite a bit for work, and letterboxing was a great hobby to take on the road. I live in Michigan, but because of work trips, I've collected stamps from New Jersey, Washington, and Arizona (including a couple hidden in the middle of the tourist areas of Tombstone - like the Boot Hill cemetary).

If you are interested in the hobby, another good website is www.letterboxing.org

[Fuzzie Fuzz]

Originally Posted by MI_Tiger

I've looked into geocaching, but for me letterboxing is more fun because of the puzzle aspect. Some letterbox clues are simple directions, but many require solving some sort of puzzle to determine the location. Plus many boxes are combination geocaches/letterboxes, so you can get the best of both worlds.

This is also true with Geocaching. Many caches are puzzle caches, which you must first solve in order to get the coordinates. They may be virtual jigsaw puzzles, a sudoku, or something else entirely! The GPS will only get you within 30 feet or so, so it still requires logical thinking and searching to find them.