The Art of Letterboxing

 by: Amanda Baker

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!