Letterboxing

The treasure inside a letterbox is a rubber stamp, along with a logbook for you to sign in. Usually the stamp is hand carved and relates in some way to the location. It is great fun to collect all those little pieces of art -- but don't take the stamp! Bring a small notebook and an ink pad so you can take just the image of the stamp. Soon you will have a fine collection of unique artwork. You can bring your own stamp, too, and stamp into the box's logbook to let people know you were there.

The requirements for letterboxing are few. You can make it as simple or as involved as you want.

• Clues -- These will be straightforward, or they might be a puzzle.
• Logbook -- A small notebook or index cards to collect the image of the letterbox stamp; some people make their own custom books.
• Ink -- Choose any color ink pad you want; some people use markers so they can make different parts of the stamp different colors.
• Compass -- Some clues give directions by compass heading, but most do not.
• Rag -- You will want to wipe the dirt off your hands.
• Signature stamp -- This is the stamp you carry to stamp into the box's logbook. You can buy one or carve your own to make it truly yours. Other letterboxers will come to recognize your personal signature stamp.

My Signature Stamp

Letterboxes can be hiding anywhere. They can be inside a building or in the great outdoors. They can be in the city or in the country. They can be steps away from your car or at the end of a long hike. I have found them in parks, cemeteries, interstate rest areas, inside books, and in a pinata. People like to strategically hide them so other 'boxers are drawn to discover those out-of-the-way gems unique to an area.

Some of the people who hide letterboxes will post clues on their own web sites, but most clues can be found on Letterboxing North America or Atlas Quest. There are boxes out there whose clues are word-of-mouth, and you just have to know the right person or be in the right place at the right time.

Atlas Quest has so much information about letterboxing it will make your head spin. You can find out how it all started, learn about different types of letterboxes, read the glossary of letterboxing terms, and even learn how to carve your own stamps. There are clues galore, and you can easily search for clues to letterboxes in a particular area. I use letterboxing to add interest to long car trips; Atlas Quest will find clues for me along an interstate and even put them in order.