Discover Letterboxing
It's a lazy Saturday afternoon and you're bored. Or maybe your
kids are bored. Why not go on a treasure hunt? A hobby that many
families are taking up these days is something known as
letterboxing.
Letterboxing gives you the opportunity to go on a treasure hunt,
no matter where you are. With thousands of boxes hidden all
over, you're bound to find a treasure hunt waiting, no matter
where your travels may take you.
The premise is simple: letterboxers all over the globe will hide
what's known as a letterbox in an outdoor public location - a
park, a hiking trail, etc. In this box will be a small notebook
and a rubber stamp. The letterboxer will then write directions
to the box in such a way that finding the box will be like a
treasure hunt - and make those directions available to other
letterboxers.
As a letterboxer, you will also purchase a small notebook and
rubber stamp that you carry along with you. Your notebook acts
as a type of passport, and your rubber stamp represents a symbol
of you. When you find a letterbox, you use the stamp found in
the letterbox to mark in your "passport" your trip, then use
your stamp to mark in the notebook in letterbox that you were
there. You then replace the letterbox where you found it for the
next treasure seeker.
Your stamp is a representation of you, so you will want
something that reflects your personality. Letterboxers that are
very serious about this hobby have stamps made personally for
them so that they know that they will never be duplicated.
If you decide to make a box of your own, make sure you are
placing the box in a safe location where it will most likely not
be disrupted. You also want to make sure you are placing the box
in an airtight container that will protect the box against the
elements. Some letterboxers also will include self-addressed
postcards so that those who come across the box can drop a line
letting them know how the box is doing, or simply that they were
there.
Letterboxing journeys can be as simple as a few easy directions,
or as complicated as hikes that take several hours. It all
depends on how intricate the letterboxer hiding the box wants to
be, and how committed you are as a letterboxer to finding a
hidden box. Many letterboxers will hide several different boxes
in a variety of different locations, even different cities and
countries!
Letterboxing can be a great way to see parts of cities you never
even knew existed! So the next time that you're on vacation, or
you're sitting around at home on those lazy Saturdays, try going
on a treasure hunt! You won't be disappointed!