You may be wondering... what is letterboxing?
I liked Wikipedia's Definition. Letterboxing is "an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art, and puzzle solving." Basically you are finding small weather-proof boxes that other people have hid in publically accessible locations (like parks and trails). You find these boxes using story-like clues posted online. When you find this hidden box there is a stamp inside. You stamp that stamp in your log book and then stamp your own personal (usually hand-crafted) stamp into the box's log book.
Think of it like treasure hunting for non-pirates.
Letterboxing has been around for 150 years. A friend (who loves letterboxing) told me there was a box hidden in Erwin Wildlife Management Area so I decided to go have my first letterboxing adventure.
In order to get the whole letterboxing experience I decided to start out by making my own stamp. I also decided I didn't need to look online to seek directions for that which then resulted in having to have two attempts. I admit that I forgot that stamps show up as a mirror image, and my letters were backwards on my first attempt. I then went out and bought my first compass and headed to Erwin. We were victorious and found the box.
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| The Stamp in the letterbox = very cool |
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| My Stamp (Amateur Guidebook) |
What I liked about Letterboxing: It is really fun to know something is there that no one else knows about. The process of following the clue through your hike is also really cool. Learning compass skills is also a plus. All the benefits of hiking with a quirky yet oh-so entertaining twist.
What I don't like about letterboxing: my lack of stamp making skills made me feel inadequate.
heh heh. I'm picturing your face when you realized your letters were backwards! ;o) Don't lose heart dear Bethany, I'm sure if you stick to it your stamp making skills will improve!
ReplyDeleteSo, did you already lose or break the compass that came on the oh-so-cool whistle/compass combo thingy? Just askin'!
ReplyDelete