Letterboxing is an outdoor activity that combines artistry, exploration, riddle solving and more than a little bit of treasure hunting. It predates the more popular scavenger hunt-style activity known as geocaching by more than 150 years, but even as an "antique" pastime, letterboxing is well-suited to the 21st Century.

Letterboxers obtain directions (more commonly known as "clues") to letterboxes from numerous websites, most notably atlasquest.com and letterboxing.org. Many letterboxers have their own websites and/or weblogs.

Armed with clues and their own logbooks, markers, inkpads and unique hand-carved rubber stamps—plus a variety of other equipment such as maps, compasses, hiking sticks, tripod stools, first aid kits—for people and letterboxes—water bottles, cell phones, signal flares, thermal blankets—letterboxers travel to local and distant parks, recreation areas and other scenic locations. Some expeditions feature grueling, day-long hikes over mountainous terrain to find one or two priceless works of art hidden in wondrously scenic landscapes. Others feature rapid-fire short walks in city parks to find a bunch of letterboxes in one day.

The letterboxers follow the clues to the letterbox, retrieve it from its hiding place, and extract the important contents: a logbook and a hand-carved rubber stamp unique to the letterbox. The ritual of "stamping in" proceeds with the impression of the box's stamp going into the letterboxers' logbooks. Then the impression of each letterboxers' personal signature stamp is made in the box's logbook. The box contents are then carefully resealed in the (included) zip-lock bags. Those are then inserted into the box, which is also sealed, and then the letterbox is replaced in its hiding spot. Efforts are made to camouflage the container, and the letterboxers move on to the next box.

This sounds fairly simple, and it is—but there are many nuances that you can't include in a short description of the hobby. Recent media coverage has resulted in a surge of new participants. There is concern among the "veteran" letterboxers that the "newbies" may, in essence, leap before they look. They may unintentionally create situations in which letterboxes are placed in jeopardy...

That's not to say you shouldn't give it a try! Many times it's great exercise. The kids absolutely love it (usually... for a little while...). You will see familiar places in a whole new light and you'll see unfamiliar places for the very first time—sometimes that were right under your nose! Letterboxers are a very friendly bunch of people, but they're also very protective of their creations.

So do everyone, especially yourself, a favor and read up about it before you set out on your adventures! Dot your i's, cross your t's and mind your p's and q's!

(C) 2007 Letterboxing Southeast