Scout Geocaching Badge

How to earn your badge:

• Show that you know about the Global Positioning System (GPS) by explaining:
  • how it works
  • ownership and control of the system
  • its benefits to society
  • what factors affect its accuracy
• Programme a handheld GPS receiver to:
  • find your location (grid reference, plus latitude and longitude) and record it
  • enter the grid reference of a local landmark and navigate to the waypoint
  • enter the latitude and longitude coordinates of a nearby point and navigate to the waypoint.
  • Be sure to check the accuracy
  • walk on a bearing using the GPS and a map
• Show that you know the difference between Ordnance Survey, and latitude and longitude coordinates.
• Using an Ordnance Survey map (1:25000 or 1:50000 scale) to plan a route of at least 4km that contains a minimum of 10 waypoints.
  • Talk about the features and challenges along the route. Programme the route into a handheld GPS and take the journey.
• Sign up to a geocaching website.
  • Find out about geocaching and show that you understand what’s involved in both locating and placing a geocache.
• Show that you understand the safety and environmental aspects of geocaching, such as the Highway Code, Countryside Code and the Geocaching Association of Great Britain (GAGB) guidelines.
• Find five geocaches using a GPS. At least three geocaches must be ‘multi-caches’, with at least two waypoints.
  • Talk about the GPS receiver’s accuracy of information provided.
• With the help of an adult:
  • plan, assemble and hide two caches, one of which should be a multi-cache. Make sure the location is suitable and that other navigators have proper access to the land and terrain
  • either submit your caches to a geocaching website or give the details to other Scouts so they can find the caches