{"id":1081,"date":"2016-04-04T01:44:13","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T01:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/?p=1081"},"modified":"2020-10-21T04:14:38","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T04:14:38","slug":"letterboxing-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/2016\/04\/04\/letterboxing-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Letterboxing 101"},"content":{"rendered":"

Letterboxing is an adventurous, clue-based activity focused on hiking and exploration that anyone can participate in.<\/span> Search for letterbox clues in your area at <\/span>Atlas Quest<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0or letterboxing.org<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and search by location. A list of letterboxes will load, and you can choose to open whichever set of clues you like. You can either read the clues directly off a mobile device or print them out. The first clue will give you a starting location. From there you will begin your letterboxing journey, but before you start the adventure, make sure you have the right tools and know the proper etiquette.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your Trail Name<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Letterboxers<\/a>
Letterboxers Baby Bear (left) and Silver Eagle hosting the 12th Texas Annual Letterboxing Event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A trail name or \u00a0call name is what you refer to yourself as when you are on your adventure. It is also what people write in the letterbox\u2019s logbook, which contains all the names of people who have visited the letterbox.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPick a good trail name and signature stamp since it will define you as a letterboxer,\u201d \u00a0letterboxer Steve Yates says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yates chose \u201cSilver Eagle\u201d when he had to pick a trail name during a Native American themed camping trip with his daughter. He continued to use it in his letterboxing adventures because of the emotional connection. Once you start making your mark on the letterboxing community with your own trail name, people will recognize you by that, so choose wisely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tools for the Job<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Tools<\/a>
Tools for making a stamp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The basic tools you need to letterbox are a stamp book, stamp, inkpad, compass and the clues. The clues are the most important part, because without them you might never find the letterbox, so come prepared.<\/span><\/p>\n

In general, letterboxes are hidden in the woods. Because of this, one may encounter poison ivy, bug bites and uneven terrain, says letterboxer Mark Pepe, whose letterboxing call name is \u201cSilent Doug.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>The best way to protect yourself from poison ivy is to avoid the plant altogether,\u201d letterboxer Mark Pepe says. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bring simple bug spray to defend against the common pest.<\/span> Wear proper hiking clothes <\/span>\u2014 <\/span>\u00a0layer up if it\u2019s cold <\/span>\u2014<\/span> and spray yourself with bug spray. Bring water to stay hydrated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding the Box<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Inside<\/a>
Inside of Letterbox at NEMO lake in Kirksville, Mo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Letterbox containers come in many shapes and sizes, but it can stay hidden for a long time. Often the box can be very difficult to find even if you are looking right at it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn order for a box to last a long time, it not only <\/span>needs a durable container but a well-disguised one<\/span>,\u201d Yates says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of containers include Ziploc bags covered in camouflage duct tape, film or pill canisters, Lock \u2018n\u2019 Lock containers or other food containers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be apt on your orientation skills. Some clues will require you to follow ordinal directions. Remember, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Also, many smartphones come equipped with a compass app, and learning how to use your compass can be very helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Re-Hiding the Box<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the haste of your new find, don\u2019t forget to remember to return the box. Furthermore, replace the box exactly where you found it, and make sure it is well hid.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReplace letterboxes better than you found them so they stay hidden,\u201d Yates says.<\/span><\/p>\n

When finding or re-hiding the box, be covert. Open the letterbox in a manner so no stranger sees what you are doing. They may not respect the box once you leave the site.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be Exclusive \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Stamp<\/a>
Stamp found inside of the Hornsby-Bend Letterbox.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Be cautious of with whom you share the golden experience of letterboxing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKeep letterboxing a secret except to those you feel will embrace it well. Often people will letterbox without following the proper etiquette, and they are not prepared. They lose interest and cause boxes to get lost, therefore ruining the experience for others,\u201d Yates says. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Simply put, do not reveal where a letterbox is once you find it so the letterbox will remain an adventure for future letterboxers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have Fun on your Letterboxing Adventure<\/strong><\/p>\n

Letterboxing is exploration, and now you are prepared for the journey. If you would like to know more about the history and practice of letterboxing you can go to <\/span>letterboxing.uservoice.com<\/span><\/a><\/span>, and if you would like to learn more about the letterboxer Silver Eagle check out his <\/span>page<\/a><\/span>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Letterboxing is an adventurous, clue-based activity focused on hiking and exploration that anyone can participate in. Search for letterbox clues<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":1077,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,56],"tags":[248,247,250,249],"class_list":["post-1081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-explore","category-tri-state-area","tag-letterbox","tag-letterboxing","tag-silver-eagle","tag-stamps"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1081"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1081\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2206,"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1081\/revisions\/2206"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmn.truman.edu\/detours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}