Gadget Cache Road Trip!

Last summer I took an epic geocaching road trip to North Dakota. I drove past the majestic painted hills in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, across the badlands, past the colorful fields, all the way to the east side of the state to a one-horse town called Gilby. Gilby may be small but it’s mighty! It contains a rare treasure for those discerning enough to look past the farmers’ crops and into the bushy windbreaks between them. It has been hailed as “the Disneyland of geocaching” and it definitely lives up to the name.

First introduced to me by Joshua Johnson, aka The Geocaching Vlogger, Gilby is considered a geocaching mecca because of an innovative and creative geocache builder named Chad Thorvilson, better known as Trycacheus. He installs caches throughout his community wherever landowners will agree to host them. For those not already well-versed in the art of outdoor treasure hunting, geocaching is a real-world outdoor game of adventure and discovery. Participants use the Geocaching app or a hand-held GPS to find and log hidden caches of varying size and complexity all around the world. It’s highly likely that there are some geocaches hidden around your present location.

Finding gadget caches

Trycacheus specifically builds a rare and special type of geocache called a gadget cache. Gadget caches are the Holy Grail of geocaching. Dense collections of them, like in Gilby, are few and far between. The only other places I’m aware of that have such a concentration of them are Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Seattle, Washington. I also hear there are quite a few in Germany.

Gadget caches are a high-tech twist on the traditional geocache-finding experience; cachers must also solve a challenging physical puzzle before they can access the logbook and record their find. Gadget caches are like a locked-room puzzle, but hidden outdoors, built tough and rugged enough to withstand the elements. They are a significant challenge to dream up and build as they must be designed to take abuse from both nature and cachers alike.

Trycacheus’ gadget caches are remarkable. No two alike, they are some of the most well-crafted, high-quality, and heavily favorited geocaches I’ve ever seen. They include electro-mechanical puzzles, mind-bending mazes, and challenges that demand physical dexterity and patience. From swinging large wooden mallets, to rearranging magic blocks, to controlling a robot arm (my personal favorite), each gadget cache is an intriguing and unique experience. After 2 days of walking narrow paths, ducking under twisted trees, dodging mud bogs, and stepping over thickets, I found and solved 30 of his gadget caches and I still didn’t catch ’em all.

Visiting gadget cache headquarters

The highlight of my trip was spending a few hours with Trycacheus. He is a kind and genuine maker with a background in carpentry. I was honored to get a behind-the-scenes tour of his process and mind-blowing shop. Imagine cache building materials piled to the rafters, as well as shelves, drawers, and bins full of hardware, switches, and electronic components. Add to that a full woodworking setup and copious tools, and it’s a maker’s paradise. 

So the next time you’re craving an adventure, grab a GPS-enabled device and head to Gilby for the gadget caching experience of a lifetime. Unlike the real Magic Kingdom, there’s no entry fee, and you can skip the line whenever you want. You’ll be challenged, impressed, and inspired, all while battling the unknown dangers in the “wilds” of North Dakota. I only hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Really Fun Interesting Device?

The first gadget cache I encountered in Gilby had a lot of red herrings. Taking the first letter of each word in the title, you can figure out what technology might be inside to unlock the goodies!

Strong Man at the Fair

One of Trycacheus’ most famous caches, with 350+ favorite points. It’s a ton of fun and works just like the game you’d find at the fair. It’s a test of raw strength and precision, and only the mightiest will be rewarded with access to the cache!

You Be the Judge

Instantly my #1 favorite cache of all time — you get to control a robot arm to try and find a micro sized cache secretly hidden under one of the random objects inside. Each switch controls one of the robot motors and you need patience and precision to be successful.

Larry Has Returned

This type of puzzle is called a cryptex. You have to line up the letters in just the right position to open it, like that bike lock we had as kids — except this one has an interesting trick to it.

I See BM

This unique cache had a few tricks to it. I’ve never encountered anything quite like it. This cache will pump you up!

Magic Blocks

A clever electronic puzzle that requires you to set the magic blocks side by side in the proper order to get the combination for the padlock to show up on the 7-segment displays. Build one with the instructions in Make: Vol. 86!

Bulldozer

Surprisingly fun, and has some twists to it. It uses magnetism in interesting ways. I want to make a version of my own!

Last Stop Saloon

Requires you to count a number of specific items in order to find the digits to enter in the proper code on the number pad. It usually takes a few tries to get the counts right.

Thar She Blows

Dispense yourself a clean straw and then insert it into the small holes and blow! You need just the right amount of air pressure to make the lock digits appear.

E.T. Rides Again

The object is to generate voltage with a dynamo attached to the exercise bike to power a solenoid to release the trap door to get at the cache. But — the solenoid will only activate with the proper knife switch positions. Word to the wise: Don’t touch the switch contacts while pedaling, you might get a tingly feeling in your hand like I did!

A Cache You Can’t Resist

This gadget is one that many makers will appreciate, especially the electronics types like me! You get to learn about the resistor color code and reading values. Highly educational and fun.

Pull My Finger

Makes a familiar sound each time you pull a finger, haha! There’s a super secret trick to solving this cache, which did take me a bit of time — one of those caches where you have a single “aha!” moment.

FTF Cache

Cachers love to be the “first to find” a cache right after it’s published — a coveted achievement in the geocaching world. This cache gives out FTFs like they’re candy.

Micro Ammo Cans

I kept stumbling across these cute 3D-printed micro-sized ammo cans. I traded some trinkets for one, because I had to have one. Later I was lucky enough to run into the maker of this tradeable treasure, Lisa Kaufman (GmaHat); she found the ammo cans on Etsy, stickered them, and loaded them with miniature swag. We shared some great Gilby gadget caching experiences! Funny enough, we were even coincidentally staying at the same hotel that weekend.

This article appeared in Make: Vol. 86. Subscribe for more maker projects and articles!