Snow? Sounds like NIGHT CACHING weather!

What do you do when it snows in April in Michigan?  NIGHT CACHE!

Tarabusi Creek Group Photo

Sitting with TaGeez (Steve) before last night’s night cache (GC4THAD Night Caching Tarabusi Creek), I asked him his favorite ‘night caching’ tips.  Together, we’ve probably found over a dozen of them.  This is a brief list of tips we came up with.

• Best to go in early Spring or late Fall.  There’s less muck & mud, vegetation is dormant (to navigate and to see reflectors), the sun sets earlier, less bugs out and snakes are dormant.
• Buy a headlamp.  They are relatively inexpensive and widely-available.  Using a headlamp keeps your hands free for blocking tree branches, climbing over logs, and searching.  We recommend using it on a lower setting or angling it slightly down so you don’t blind the other Cachers.
• Even with a headlamp, keep a spare flashlight in your pocket.  This is particularly useful when searching the final GZ or if something happens to the headlamp.
• Wear safety glasses because branches aren’t easy to see in the gloom/dark.
• Wear long sleeves, long pants & (optional) gloves to protect from the thorns.
• Read the cache page for special equipment.  We recently did an older night cache that required a strong, older flashlight.  New-fangled LED lights weren’t powerful enough to set off the beacon.  In addition, we’re seeing more demands for UV flashlights in our area.
• Bring glow sticks.  If you get separated from your group, hang glow sticks from nearby branches and stay by that tree as you call someone for help.
• If using a Smartphone for navigating, dim your light so it doesn’t effect your night vision.
• Waypoint your car before setting off because landmarks are harder to see on that return trip.

Consider these (plus basic safety tips) next time you go out and night caching will be less scary!