GeoTrail pieces are NFC geocaches. Hide a capsule or rock cache for others to find, or send a traveller medallion on a journey from cache to cache. Finders tap the piece with their phone to log their find and read the messages left by everyone before them. Finders don’t need an account or an app.
The pieces
- Cache capsule: a screw-top, O-ring sealed capsule with the NFC tag in the lid and room for a paper log scroll inside.
- Rock cache: a fake rock with the tag sealed in the top and a log scroll behind the screw plug underneath.
- Traveller medallion: a medallion that moves from cache to cache. Each finder logs where they found it, and its journey builds up on its page.
Placing a cache
- Activate the piece under My games with the code on its card. Then open Games → GeoTrail.
- Name it and add a short hint. Choose Cache (it stays put) or Traveller (it moves).
- Set its location. The easiest way: stand at the hiding place, log in on your phone, tap the piece and press Place it here. Or type the coordinates in your portal.
- Put a paper log in it and make it live. Until then, finders see that it isn’t placed yet.
- If you move it, update the location the same way. Mark it Needs maintenance if it’s damaged or wet, or Retired when you collect it.
Logging a find
- Tap the lid, the top of the rock or the medallion with the top back of your phone.
- Type your first name, check the date and, for a traveller, where you found it. For a cache, its location is filled in for you.
- Add a short, friendly message if you like (up to 200 characters).
- Tap Verify with GPS to get a ✓ on your log. Your position is only compared with the cache and is never saved.
- Please sign the paper log too, and put the cache back exactly as you found it.
Puzzles for the next finder
Every cache carries a chain of puzzles. When you log your find, you can leave a riddle, a brain-teaser or a number puzzle with its answer and an optional hint. The next finder sees it at the top of the page. Answers are checked loosely, so capitals, spaces, punctuation and a leading “a” or “the” don’t matter. Solve one before you log and your entry shows “Solved Sipho’s puzzle”. Answers are never shown to finders, only to the cache owner. The three newest puzzles stay open, and each shows how many people have solved it.
Keeping it family friendly
Every name, message and place is checked before it appears. Swearing, insults, slurs and hateful phrases are blocked in English and Afrikaans, including spelled-out and look-alike versions. So are web links, email addresses, social handles and phone numbers. Finders can report a message; after three reports it hides until the owner checks it. Owners can hide or delete any log in their portal.
Listing it on a geocaching website
The capsule and rock cache have a paper log inside, so you can also list them on a geocaching listing site. Follow that site’s rules. They usually need a physical log, and finders can’t be required to visit another website. Keep the NFC log optional (“tap the lid for a bonus log!”) and keep shop names and links off the listing page. Always get permission from the landowner before hiding a cache.
Questions
Does a finder need the app or an account?
No. Tapping the piece opens a web page. Finders only type a first name.
Who can see the messages?
Anyone who taps the piece. That’s why we only ask for a first name and block contact details.
I sold or gave away my cache. What happens to its log?
When the new owner activates it, it starts with a fresh log. The old log stays private.
Can I block extra words?
Shop owners can add words under Lunchbox Games → Settings. Owners of a single cache can hide any log in the portal.
Still stuck? Email support@lunchboxgames.co.za or use the contact form. Include your kit ID (on the activation card, such as S-AB3CD) or your order number, and we’ll get back to you within two working days.