Have you tried Letterboxing? Letterboxing is a scavenger hunt style hobby where you follow clues looking for little boxes out in nature. Once you find the box, you stamp your personal logbook and go looking for the next one. This hobby is a great family activity that doesn’t cost alot of money to start or pursue. If you are ready to try this hobby, take a look at these tips!

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Letterboxing – Treasure Hunts & Rubber Stamps

Letterboxing is a “treasure hunt” style outdoor activity. Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly-accessible places (like parks) and post clues to finding the box online on one of several Web sites. However, clues to finding some of the most highly-sought boxes are passed around by word of mouth. There are about 20,000 letterboxes hidden in North America alone. Individual letterboxes usually contain a log book, an often hand-carved rubber stamp and may contain an ink pad. Finders make an imprint of the letterbox’s stamp on their personal log book, and leave an imprint of their personal stamp on the letterbox’s logbook.

Materials Needed

• Rubber Stamp
• Pencil/pen
• Notebook
• Ink pad
• Compass

To get started, you’ll need a “trail name” (or letterboxing identity), rubber stamp, pencil or pen, small sketch book, one or more ink pads or brush markers, a simple compass, and clues.

Once you find the letterbox, you mark the pad and record any thoughts about the visit or your hike.

For this hobby, you don’t need a handheld gps. Instead you go to the website, www.letterboxing.org and search for clues. You go to the map and pick your area of the state. Then you pick your city.

The clues are “old school” landmark directions:

From the Southern end of the bridge, last plank, in the center, between the tracks, take a bearing of 260* If you’re Superman you can see the box….Step one pace and climb over the short guard rail…..Reach back behind the diagonal posts…..In the “V” you will find the “OLDTOWN COVERED BRIDGE” letterbox with my best stamp yet.

Go here to Letterboxing.org for more information.

Thanks Lesley for telling me about Letterboxing. Have you tried this?