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Home Polar Aviation Environment & Earth Science Overland Climbing & Mountaineering Ocean |
Expedition Fun: GPS Recreation
In recent years, the explosion of inexpensive and accurate Global Positioning System receivers (GPS units), as well as the fundamental ability of the web to rapidly communicate to the world audience, has given rise to two novel recreational uses. The basic idea behind both of these activities is to essentially use the device to get yourself to a very particular point on the planet. Once at that point, there may be a reward, as in Geocaching, or perhaps getting to the point and informally surveying it is the desired result, which is the goal of the Confluence Project. These two activities have their roots in web pages that were started by individuals and have grown in both interest and sophistication. However, they can have positive effects beyond just "playing," encouraging the productive use of the technology, promoting a outdoor appreciation, and encouraging people to visit places they may not have been otherwise likely to visit. The "Global" part of Global Positioning System is not lost on the participant. These activities help remind us that we all live on one planet, what we do to it is important, and our lives are fundamentally connected. It gives us a sense of place. The Confluence Project I first heard about this project about two years ago from discussions in Geocaching circles. This project, started as something of a whim, I believe will grow to become a valuable tool for future generations. I call it the "world's largest distributed expedition project," and its goal is this: visit the so-called primary intersections of even latitude and longitude lines and photograph the location. Since most of these intersections are on the water, those have been designated as secondary, because for the most part all anyone would see would be water, and most would look the same. Secondary points also occur near the poles where points would be so close together as to render many of them redundant. As for the rest, there are some 16,000 points remaining. By photographing these points in a systematic manner such as this, a global reference to the topography, vegetation, and human impact of the location can be created. Imagine if you will aliens visiting Earth, or perhaps earthlings in the far future arriving at a new planet to be colonized. In addition to surveying the planet from orbit, it would be highly beneficial to get a quick overview of the surface conditions. A systematic approach would be the most efficient and detailed, and using the latitude/longitude system makes the most sense. In the same way aliens might, we can get a handy reference guide to the planet ourselves. The value of this project will come in the future, as people post photos during different seasons, and then over time. Imagine if we had this kind of survey of the planet from 100 or 200 years ago. In the same way, 100 years from now this "snapshot" of the surface could prove highly valuable to scientific research on global changes. At this point in time, most of the "easy" confluences have been tagged and recorded at least once. Only a few points remain in the continental United States and Europe that have not been visited. That means the 'game' part of getting to these points and getting the photos is starting to get serious now. It's no longer a matter of driving an hour or so to arrive at an intersection, serious planning and preparation is required. For example, the closest unrecorded point to me is over 600 miles away into Canada, and will likely require a 7 mile hike through wooded terrain to locate it. The next closest has been attempted, but is in the middle of a bog. It will require a canoe or kayak, or else a visit in winter when the bog is frozen to get the photos. And in this venture, close doesn't count. Required for acceptance is a photo of the GPS unit showing coordinates of the confluence. Geocaching
Sound easy? Ha! Today's GPS units are quite accurate, though even with 30-foot (about 10 meter) accuracy, that still leaves a 60 foot diameter circle of forest to search for a small object that is intended to remain hidden. Such is the challenge of Geocaching. I began to play this game about three years ago, after borrowing a friend's GPS unit. I wanted an activity that would help me get to know how to use it, explore its functions, and be challenging at the same time. If I was going to rely on this gadget for more serious situations, I'd better know how it works. I had heard about Geocaching on a techie website somewhere, and hunted down the site. Geocaching.com is a well-organized, easy to use system for anyone to identify hidden caches in their area, as well as those interested in placing caches for others to find. With help of the site, you can easily plan a day of caching, or just take them one at a time. I have found Geocaching to be an excellent way to spend a Saturday, or even a lunch hour on a nice day. It has introduced me to many small hideaways of my hometown - places I'd never even known about, much less visited. And, it is a great activity to do with the kids or dog. Other Games There are a few other games around as well, with varying degrees of "maturity." By this I mean well-established and functional rules, web sites, general organization, popularity, etc. Many of these also have team organizations as well. Feel free to explore these sites and see if these activities are of interest to you. Geodashing - In this game, a list of coordinates is presented to all users and teams, selected at random from around the globe. Games are active for only a certain length of time, and the goal is to visit as many points in the list as possible during that time (this is where a multinational team is an advantage). There is also a variant based on golf rules, 18 points, lowest score wins. MinuteWar - This is a large-scale version of capture the flag, played with local teams. The object is to capture and hold as many virtual "flags" as possible. The rules are somewhat complex at first glance (I've not actually played this game), but looks like it could be fun. GPSGames.org - This site has a pretty good listing of GPS gaming resources, discussion groups as well as some ideas for new games. -- Tim Harincar, webExpeditions.net editor
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Geocaching is arguably the most popular GPS Game currently played. Basically, I am going to hide something, you have to find it. I'll give to a hint, and that hint is the exact coordinates of the location of the object I've hidden, in this case, a small waterproof box with a few trinkets in it.
