Letterboxing 101

See how I did that? This is post #101, and so I used that number to give a basic tutorial on Letterboxing. Clever, eh? (I've been waiting 30 posts to do this.)

Now, I hate to write about things that only interest me and a select few other people. But, in an attempt to make all of my readers (both of them) interested in the things I'm interested in (so I can write about them without feeling bad), I've decided to walk you through the process of letterboxing.

What you need: Very little. Here's a list of everything you need to get started:

• Internet access (if you're reading this, you've already got it)
• A pen (if you need one, swipe one from your cashier the next time you go to Costco)
• A Logbook - An empty notebook or journal (I guess it doesn't even have to be empty, but the stamps look better if they don't have words underneath them). A book without lines on the pages works best.
• A Signature Stamp - This can be a little trickier, but it doesn't have to be. You can use any stamp to start out, and over time you'll get a better feel for what you want your own personal stamp to be. You can use stamps from your scrapbooking supplies, or just ink up your fingers and make designs. If you really can't come up with anything, just draw a little picture.
• An Ink Pad - Helpful, but not always necessary. Well, okay, fine, in Utah it's pretty much necessary. The pads dry out too fast here, so it's best to carry one with you. You can get them at a craft store for $2 or so.
• A Sense of Adventure - Okay, you don't really need this, but it helps.

Start your search by checking out www.letterboxing.org or www.atlasquest.com to find clues. Do a search for your area. On Letterboxing.org things are divided up by state, region, and county. On AtlasQuest, you can do a variety of searches, including searching along interstate highways.

Select a letterbox from the list and look at the information about it. I'll refer to AtlasQuest because it provides the most information. You should see a page like the following:

The name of the letterbox is at the top, followed by a few pictures. Those pictures help you easily identify the characteristics of the box. The hand means that there's a hand-carved stamp, the little girl means that a kid can figure out the clue. This box is a pet-friendly, bike-friendly, drive-by urban letterbox, according to the pictures.

In the box at the bottom you can see when the box was last found. If it's been awhile, you might not want to go too far out of your way to find it. You can click on "Show Finds" to see the entire history of everyone who has found the box.

Click the "Click here for clue" to get the clue. It will look something like this:

Follow the directions to the starting place. Some boxes are more mysterious and you have to figure out clues to know where to start; some have puzzles that have to be solved; and some just tell you exactly where to go.

When you get to the starting point, follow the clues.

After you find the box, stamp YOUR stamp into the little book you'll find in the box. Stamp the stamp from the box into YOUR logbook. Write a little note in the little book in the box, and write the name of the box nexst to the stamp in your book. Maybe even write a short note about how much fun you had finding it.

Rinse and repeat.