Are you planning a geocaching tour soon? Are you already studying the weather forecast so you don't have to walk through the landscape completely soaked? Or maybe the weather doesn't matter at all to you when you go canning? In this blog post, we'll tell you a few tips and tricks on how you can assess wind and clouds with a little weather knowledge.

Does weather even play a role in geocaching?

The answers to the question about the weather when geocaching are varied. On the one hand, there is a clear view of the GPS satellites. Unfortunately, the signal strength from above can sometimes be reduced by a dense cloud cover. Although this is very annoying, it can be avoided by downloading route data in advance. With the help of online use without GPS reception, you can find the way to the desired geocaches.

Of course, every geocacher reacts differently to the current weather conditions. Some prefer to cache in sunny weather, while others find heavy rain and gusty winds a very special challenge. Of course, we definitely recommend that you always pay attention to your safety and not to put yourself in danger. This is generally true and should be independent of the weather.

Enough of the raised index finger and back to the weather and the hunt for the next can: If you are one of those geocachers who feel comfortable outside even in wind and weather, you can jump straight to the next chapter. For anyone who wants to find out at least a forecast beforehand, the following free weather apps are recommended: It is practical that current weather developments can also be called up there:

• The free WetterOnline app offers a rain radar. This can be helpful if the clouds are gathering quickly and you want to assess the situation for the rest of your tour. You can find the relevant website at www.wetteronline.de/regenradar

• You can get a real-time lightning map on the website www.lightningmaps.org. Lightning is no joke, and if you hear thunder in the distance, check out this lightning map to see if the storm is heading your way. In this case, it is definitely worth looking for suitable protection in good time.

Nerd facts about wind and weather

Perhaps you would like to score points with a few nerd facts and expand your weather forecasting skills. What actually is weather? Wikipedia summarizes it succinctly as follows:

„Weather (from Althochdt.: wetar = wind, gusts) refers to the noticeable, short-term state of the atmosphere (also: measurable state of the troposphere) at a specific location on the earth's surface, which includes sunshine, clouds, rain, wind, Heat or cold appears.” (Retrieved on February 8th, 2022, www.wikipedia.org)

In contrast, climate is a longer-term phenomenon and everyone is talking about the current climate change. The fact is that our geocaching planet is currently changing a lot and forests are also having to struggle with drought more and more often. So be careful if you are out and about in strong winds in the forest. Branches and trees can hit you faster than you think. Attention: keep your eyes and ears open is the motto here! (There it was again, the raised index finger, sorry!)

If you do get into trouble and still need first aid: We will tell you how you can prepare yourself well in case of emergencies - or rather for an emergency - on our SecretPoint blog in the article "First aid during the geocaching tour“.

What do storm clouds look like?

Knowing about thunderclouds is not enough, especially since today's highly developed smartphone technology can simply fail. In general, it is a great ability to be able to interpret the signs of nature in a practical way. Don't worry, this isn't a meteorology lecture, just some additional nerd knowledge.

Good to know if you can correctly assess the sky and clouds up there and natural history doesn't totally put you off. Well, there are many cloud forms. Storm clouds are called “cumulonimbus” in Schlaumaier Latin. They like to look like an anvil on which blacksmiths used to hammer swords and other tools. Rain, hail and also snow fall from this form of clouds. So, watch out when cloud clusters form. There could be a thunderstorm coming your way. If you want to know more, here is a detailed and easy to understand one Article about “The Language of Clouds” on geo.de.

Would you like a bit of nerd knowledge for your next geocaching tour in the wild? With pleasure! How heavy is a cloud? Just estimate how heavy a cloud with dimensions 1 kilometer by 1 kilometer by 1 kilometer is. We don't want to keep you in suspense any longer: clouds look so light as a feather because they float above our heads, but such a cloud can easily weigh 200 elephants. Wow, harder than expected!

Geocaching in different climate zones

You now know the difference between weather and climate. Climatic zones go one better: Climatic zones are large areas of the earth in which a similar climate has become relatively established. There are different climate zones on our earth, such as the polar zone and the tropics. How about a cacher trip to a remote climate zone that would give your geocaching career a whole new kick? We have really exciting offers to offer:

The Great Northern Tour from June 12th to 25th, 2022 offers you an unforgettable journey full of adventure and fun. It takes you via the Faroe Islands to Iceland and Greenland. It goes without saying that we will also go geocache hunting together as a group. The complete travel description and the conditions can be found here on the page under„Great North Tour“.

You will learn a different climate zone on our cacher trip„South America“ know in September 2022. A total of 5 countries are on our geocaching route: Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.

Our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have about our cacher trips. We will be happy to tell you which climate zone requires which preparations, what there is to see there and how the trip is structured. Just call us now or send us a message directly via social media or email. We look forward to you and your passion for extraordinary geocaching tours across the globe.

See you soon in the forest!