Is Waymarking exclusively for gps users?

The FAQ at Waymarking.com states that a gps is handy, but not necessary. However, I believe this policy is not policed. Example: I searched for wm's during my vacation, and found that every wm I considered required a photo with the gps. Additionally, I found a few photos with comments like: "the gps is my phone, my camera is my phone. hope this will count." Should I log a find and quote the FAQ to justify my lack of gps? What would you do? I think the gps is just one. more. thing. that I do not want to carry.

a view from the bean in chicago. "A" and I are near the center facing the bean.

Product Review: SMART ID Tag

Some of us carry ID on our shoes.
Click to enlarge and see the details.

Before we left for vacation, I made a point to get a SMART ID Tag for the members of my family who tend to go out without pockets and purses for holding identification information, like a student ID card.

An ad in the latest Iowa Momentum Magazine noted that a recent running race had a runner removed to the hospital. Without ID, family members were uninformed for hours. Knowing that four kids with different interests could easily become separated from a mom and dad with different interests in an unfamiliar town, I made a point to buy tags. This could also happen very easily in the deep and disorienting woods where we love to geocache.

When I'm geocaching, I try to travel as lightly as possible. Many of us like to pack very little on the trail, and if we're racing to find caches at an event (can you say FTF, anyone?), I intentionally leave the wallet behind. A SMART ID makes a sensible replacement.

I started using my ID (got it from a running club) last year. It snaps around your laces so you can move it to different shoes. Inside, the tag contains empty spots to fill in medical info as well as emergency contact info. I never thought to ask for one when I took my daughter shoe shopping for cross country (they're free at Fitness Sports with the purchase of shoes), but we were able to get a free one for her, post-purchase. One feature of note is that the information you put on the tag is private until it's removed.

While you can purchase the tags from the website, it's cheaper for Des Moinesians to buy from the store. They are almost half the price that way. They come in nine different colors and are reflective.

Young children may not have lace-up shoes, and most young children certainly do not have student ID cards (or pockets that would be large enough to hold such a card). In this situation, I feel that some type of ID is very important, and that a SMART ID tag could be placed somewhere else on the shoe -- the strap of a croc or sandal, for instance.

*** I was not paid for this post. I did not receive free product. I wanted present a solution to an important issue to a larger audience. But if a company wanted to have me review a similar product, hey, bring it! ***

Waymarking for frugal family entertainment

at a former gold mine

I keep a geocaching blog and I’ve taught people how to find and hide geocaches. For families intimidated or looking for less adventure, waymarking may be a good fit for you. If you have found geocaches or waymarks, leave a comment about your favorite or most recent.

What it is. In my mind, waymarking is like directed sight seeing – a funny sign, an unusual tree, an interesting historical statue that is somewhat hidden from streetview, an out of the way memorial, or interesting sight (fairy door, anyone?), as well as conventional businesses and cultural landmarks – that you locate with a gps unit. The sights are not hidden like a geocache. A gps unit is not completely necessary but frequently very helpful.

Who can find a waymark. Many waymarks are handicap and stroller accessible, much more so than geocaching. Anyone with a gps who can physically drive or walk to the sites listed at waymarking.com can find participate in this hobby.

How to find a waymark. Visit waymarking.com and create a free account. Search for the ZIP code (or category) of your choice. Choose a waymark to find and enter the coordinates into your gps. Find it, log your visit at the waymarking website, and you’re done!

Where to find waymarks. Waymarks are everywhere. You can find 75 waymarks as of today’s date in Des Moines proper. Many more exist, waiting to be found, in the suburbs.

Why find waymarks. Waymarking is like geocaching in that it reveals a new perspective to the ordinary, everyday places. Some folks also enjoy competition, and others make a game of finding one waymark per day, one in every county, one in every state, etc.

Waymarking places landmarks as the focus of the hunt. Children and adults alike can perform this activity. GPS units can be checked out in geocaching backpacks (see article here).

This article is also located at my Examiner column.

Waymarking

My family and I have been staying in Colorado. When great natural resources abound, like Rocky Mountain National Park, geocaches are rare, so I look at Waymarking. I love the way that geocaching.com suggests nearby waymarks. [I haven't noticed reciprocity, though. When I look up a waymark, the word geocache doesn't appear.] In sensitive, natural areas, I'm OK without bagging a smiley face. I love increasing my numbers, and I can do that with Waymarking. The reward is the experience I'm having --

walking the tundra with one of my sons

seeing new things

doing the different