A Brief Introduction to Letterboxing

Are you looking for a way to introduce younger children to the joy of hiking? Maybe you’re trying to motivate older children to get out more, or simply find something you can all do as a family. No matter what the reason, letterboxing is a fun, family-friendly activity that can enhance your own experience out in nature. This post gives a brief overview of letterboxing and offers a few tips for a successful letterboxing experience.

What is letterboxing?

On a basic level, letterboxing involves the following steps:

A letterbox creator places a stamp and small notebook into a waterproof container, hides the container somewhere in the woods, then creates a set of clues on how to find that container. The clues are posted on a letterboxing website such as Atlas Quest. You can also find some letterboxing on Little Peanuts Club.

Others go to the letterboxing website and look up clues for letterboxes in a particular area. One they’ve found a letterbox they want to search for, they take their own letterboxing kit, which includes a stamp, a notebook, an ink pad or markers, and a pen or pencil, and set off in search of the letterbox based on the clues provided by the letterbox creator.

Once the letterbox is found, the finder opens the box, stamps a blank sheet of the creator’s notebook with their stamp and writes a brief note, then stamps their own notebook with the stamp provided by the creator. The finder then replaces everything left by the creator into the original waterproof container and returns the container to its hiding place. After the hike, the finder updates the website with their find.

How do I know whether I’ll find the letterbox?

Unfortunately, you don’t know for sure. But that’s also part of the fun! Letterboxing websites offer plenty of information that can help you determine whether your chances of finding the letterbox are good. Take a look at date of the last find for every entry you’re interested in. More recent finds are more likely to be found by you, too! The difficulty of the walk will also be indicated for each entry, which can help you decide whether your family might be successful in reaching its goal.

Which supplies do I need for letterboxing?

You can get started with only a few items! Those are:

·         a notebook or simply a piece of paper

·         a stamp, whether it’s one you purchase or carve yourself. (If you have a tight budget or don’t want to make the investment until you’ve tried letterboxing a few times, you can use items found in nature as your stamp, such as an acorn cap, a small leaf, etc.)

·         a stamp pad or markers for inking your stamp

·         a pen or pencil to leave a note

You can place everything in a small bag or even in your pocket, but keep in mind that your stamp will have ink on it—you might want to be sure it’s wrapped in plastic to protect your clothing.

That’s letterboxing in a nutshell! It can be an exciting, rewarding experience for the whole family. We hope that this brief introduction can help get you started. Have fun!

To view locations with letterboxes on Little Peanuts, choose the Letter Boxing option under the Search section.