Letterboxing Workbook_v2 - Girl Scouts of Citrus Council

What is Letterboxing . . .
Letterboxing is an intriguing “treasure hunt” style outdoor activity. This activity is a mix
of treasure hunting, art, navigation, and exploring interesting, scenic, and sometimes
remote places. It takes the ancient custom of placing a rock on a cairn upon reaching
the summit of a mountain to an art form. It started when a gentleman simply left his
calling card in a bottle by a remote pool on the moors of Dartmoor, in England.
Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly-accessible places and post
clues online. Clues can be straightforward, cryptic, or any degree in between. However,
clues to finding some of the most highly-sought boxes are passed around by
word of mouth. Selecting a location and writing the clues is one aspect of the art.
There are about 20,000 letterboxes hidden in North America alone.
Letterboxes can be hidden almost anywhere. Most are planted in scenic, outdoor areas,
but others have been planted in bookstores, libraries, coffee shops, and one was
even planted in the Smithsonian. Where one can plant a letterbox is limited to only
your imagination, though for legal or security reasons, you should avoid planting boxes
in locations such as national parks or airports. Letterboxes usually contain a log book,
and often a hand-carved stamp, may contain an ink pad and perhaps other goodies.
Hunters in possession of the clues attempt to find the box. In addition to the clue and
any maps or tools needed to solve it, the hunter should carry at least a pencil, a personal
stamp, ink pad, and a logbook. When the hunter successfully deciphers the clue
and finds the box, they stamp the logbook in the box with their personal stamp, and
stamp their personal logbook with the box's stamp. The box's logbook keeps a record
of all its visitors, and the hunter keeps a record of all the
boxes they have found, in their personal log book.
Most letterboxers have a unique stamp to represent themselves,
called a signature stamp. Most letterboxers will urge
you to create a hand-carved stamp rather than a storebought
one. Carving a stamp is surprisingly quick and easy
with the right guidance and tools.
Many first-time letterboxers, too
eager to get out and start finding
letterboxes before carving a signature
stamp, will use their thumbprint.
(Many experienced letterboxers
who forget to bring their
signature stamp have been known
to use this method as well!)

The year was 1854, and a Victorian guide named James
Perrott placed a bottle in the wildest, most inaccessible
area on Dartmoor, England, along the banks of Cranmere
Pool. In it, he included his calling card so future visitors
could contact him and leave their own calling cards. Little
did anyone know, this small act would be become the
hobby we now know as letterboxing.
A hike to Cranmere Pool in 1854 was anything but a simple
walk in the woods. The easiest access point required a
nine mile, one-way hike through this difficult terrain, and the
low, undistinguished profile of Cranmere Pool meant that
hikers could easily miss the pool even if they found themselves
within a few hundred feet of it. Those who made it
to Cranmere Pool were justifiably proud of their accomplishment
and recorded their accomplishment by including their
own calling cards in the bottle. Needless to say, not many
people picked up James Perrott's calling cards in those
early years.
Letterboxing started in Dartmoor,
located in the southwest
corner of England
In 1888, a small tin box replaced the original bottle. Visitors left self-addressed postcards
and the next person to visit the letterbox (except if it was a same-day visitor)
would retrieve the postcards and mail them back from their hometown.
By April 1905, another upgrade was in order - particularly a means by which the increasing
number of visitors could record their attendance. For the first time, it included
a logbook, and a zinc box replaced the tin box.
The first suggestion for a rubber stamp appeared in the logbook on July 22, 1907 by
John H. Strother who wrote, "Reached the pool at 7.10pm, misty day with cool breeze,
and would suggest that a rubber stamp, something like the post office stamps for postmarking
letters or rubber stamp for putting the address at the top of a piece of notepaper
be provided and kept here. If this were done it would be proof that cards posted
had really come from Cranmere." The letterbox finally reached the point as we largely
know it today as a box containing a logbook and a rubber stamp.
Letterboxing is perhaps the slowest growing hobby of all time. Forty years would pass
from when that first letterbox was planted by James Parrott until a second one made its
way into letterboxing history at Belstone Tor. Another 44 years would pass before a
third letterbox was planted at Ducks Pool. After 122 years, fifteen letterboxes dotted
Dartmoor.

In 1976, Tom Gant created a guide map pinpointing the fifteen letterboxes in existence,
at which point letterboxing began to boom in a big way. The number of letterboxes
tripled the next year and in the 1980s grew into the thousands. Letterboxing became
a full-fledged hobby in its own right, and letterboxers who wanted to distinguish
themselves started to create descriptive names for themselves and personal stamps to
mark the letterboxes they found.
Unfortunately, this wild west of letterboxing did not work out very well. Letterboxers
started pulling apart historic rock walls, painting graffiti marking the location of letterboxes,
and so forth, and Dartmoor National Park wanted to crack down by removing all
but the Cranmere Pool and Ducks Pool letterboxes, both of which at this point had permanent
structures to house the contents. Godfrey Swinscow rescued letterboxing from
extinction. He met with officials from Dartmoor concerned about the impact of letterboxing,
wined and dined them, and hammered out a code of conduct still in use to this
day:
1. Boxes should not be sited in any kind of antiquity, in or near stonerows,
circles, cists, cairns, buildings, walls, ruins, peatcutters' or tinners' huts, etc.
2. Boxes should not be sited in any potentially dangerous situations where
injuries could be caused.
3. Boxes should not be sited as a fixture. Cement or any other building material
is not to be used.
Letterboxing stayed mostly a Dartmoor-only tradition
until April of 1998 when the Smithsonian magazine
published a small article in the United States. Many
people read the article and loved this treasure hunt
concept wishing it was a bit closer to home. A few
readers, through means of the internet decided to take
matters into their own hands by hiding letterboxes for
each other in the United States.
Through this effort, Letterboxing North America (LbNA)
was born. By 2001, over a thousand letterboxes spotted
the United States covering all 50 states. Letterboxers
traveling to international locations started to plant
letterboxes around the globe from Aruba to Zimbabwe.
Atlas Quest made its debut in 2004, allowing letterboxers
to create a virtual online logbook to show one's
finds and plants.
The Cranmere Pool letterbox,
as it stands today
James Parrott never could have guessed his small act would evolve into a rubber
stamp addiction among adventurists from around the globe 150 years later. What will
happen with letterboxing in the next 150 years?
Information from Atlas Quest.com

Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace principles are a set of guidelines for outdoor etiquette in order to minimize
the impact we have on our environmental resources. It is important for letterboxers
to follow this philosophy - even more so than the typical hiker - because if letterboxers
start developing a reputation for damaging environmentally sensitive areas, letterboxing
in those areas will be banned. The letterboxing community should be an example
to others for how humans can co-exist with natural areas in peace.
Finding and Planting
Care must be taken in both planting and finding letterboxes. While planting a letterbox,
avoid environmentally sensitive areas. Do not hide a letterbox far off the trail where
others will trample vegetation, flowers, or otherwise cause damage. Use natural hiding
places for your letterbox instead of digging holes or moving large rocks. Letterboxes
should be placed in publicly-accessible areas, yet stay out of sight of anyone not looking
for them. This includes seasonal considerations such as a creek that will flood letterboxes
during the spring runoff or leafy brush that hides a letterbox well in the summer,
but is plainly exposed through the naked branches of winter.
On the Hunt
While looking for a letterbox, remember to leave the area just as you found it. If you
look under a rock, replace the rock back where you found it. Don't pull out plants or rip
up the ground looking for a letterbox. Avoid trampling vegetation while searching for
the letterbox. And sometimes - if a letterbox is poorly located - your best option might
be to let the box go. You might know the letterbox is located on the other side of that
meadow, but if you cannot cross that meadow without creating a new path through it,
let the letterbox go. The environmental damage caused in acquiring the letterbox is not
worth it. A well-placed letterbox should not require any damage to the surrounding
area to get. Even better, if you discover such a letterbox, you should notify the owner
of the box suggesting that the letterbox be moved to a better location or the clues removed
so others don't damage the environment.
Set and Example
While letterboxing, set an example for others to follow. Pick up trash along the way. Do
not cut corners at trail intersections or switchbacks. If you have a dog, follow all leash
laws. Keep your distance from wildlife. Some lands have restrictions on land use; know
them and observe them. For more information, visit the Leave No Trace website
www.lnt.org.

To start finding letterboxes, all you need is a clue such as those provided on Letterboxing.org
or Atlas Quest. It's also recommended that you have a signature stamp, a logbook/journal,
an ink pad, and something to write with. The signature stamp is what
you'll stamp into the logbook you find in the letterbox. Many letterboxes contain ink
pads, but you should always bring your own since most do not, and even if they do, the
ink pad in the box could be dried up, and otherwise incapacitated. Most letterboxers
carry several small ink pads with varying colors. Having something to write with is nice
so you can write in the logbook the date and perhaps a comment about the weather or
experiences in finding the box. And you'll want your own, personal logbook so you can
record all your finds with the stamp found in the letterbox.
Many boxes require a compass to find, so a compass should become part of your
regular letterboxing kit. You'll find gloves invaluable for those times when you need to
reach your hand into deep, dark holes that letterboxes are so frequently found in.
Check holes first for safety, a small flashlight and a stick work nicely. Some letterboxers
also recommend to bring a few dampened paper towels in a plastic bag to clean
ink off the letterbox's rubber stamp after you've made an impression in your personal
journal. Sometimes you may come across a damaged box, or wet one, so it is always
nice to carry extra zip lock bags to put the contents in and protect the contents until the
originator can come and repair the box. Depending on the location and circumstances,
you may also want to bring water, snacks, sunglasses, hat, mosquito repellent, cell
phone, flashlight, first-aid kit, and anything else that would ensure your safety, comfort,
and general well-being.
Got A Clue? Ink Pad Pen Zip Lock Bag
Signature Stamp Log Book Wipes Compass

Gathering the Materials
To carve a great stamp, you're going to need the right tools and materials.
Carving Blocks: Soft-block carving is the art of carving
stamps from erasers and other soft material. Speedy Carve
(a.k.a. "the pink stuff"), PZ Kut and MasterCarve are popular
choices.
Hi-Polymer Erasers: Most of these erasers are about 2.5
x .75 x .5. They can be found cheaply in art supply stores,
discount stores, and drug stores. They carve very nicely.
These are great for beginners!
Rubber Plumber's Gasket: Some letterboxers use common plumber's gasket, which
is available in 6 x 6 x .12 -inch sheets at home improvement and hardware stores. It
is thin, but you do not need thick block to carve. (Some of the most intricate carvings
were created in gasket material.)
Carving Tools: Some soft-block carvers regularly use X-Acto knives, but most carvers
really like Speedball's linoleum carving tool.
#1 nib is for detailed carving
#5 nib takes out large areas quickly
#6 nib (or an X-Acto knife) to cut large
chunks of carving material into smaller
chunks of an appropriate size.
The Speedball nibs fit into a Speedball handle for carving. Technically speaking, they
call these 'linoleum cutters' and any brand will do, but Speedball and Staedtler Mars
are the most popular options.
Tracing paper: Any brand of tracing paper will do. You can find it at drugstores and
supermarkets. The easier it is to see through, the easier it is to trace.
No. 2 pencil: If you trace your images, you'll need a #2 pencil.
Pencil sharpener: For clear, crisp lines, you'll want to keep your
pencil sharp.
Ink pads: When you're done carving, you'll need to test your
stamp. Have some ink pads and scrap paper nearby!
The Speedball Stamp Carving Kit (retails $12) includes a carving block, nibs
(#2 and #4), a handle, and tracing paper - a good starter kit for beginners.

Carving The Image
After you have your desired image on your carving block,
carving a stamp becomes nothing more than cutting away
the parts of the carving medium that you don't need.
You have two choices:
Negative-Stamp Image - where you carve away the dark
areas of your design - is quicker and easier, but tends to
look less professional.
Positive-Stamp Image - where you carve away the light areas from your design - generally
is slower and more challenging to carve, but the results tend to look much better.
Carve the more intricate details first - in this case, the dots and line on the back
of the ladybug's shell. Use the #1 nib for carving these details.
Carve from the inside of the stamp outwards.
Carve away from yourself. Not only is it safer, but it's also easier to do!
Only cut as deep as necessary for a clean-looking image. Excessively deep
cuts will cause your stamp to deteriorate quicker.
Cut a long line with one, long continuous cut to get the cleanest edges. Using
several cuts to make one line creates a more jagged appearance. (Of course,
you might desire this effect, which might represent hair on an animal.)
Keep your nibs sharp or else buy some new ones. A dull nib will tear away
pieces rather than cut them out resulting in very ugly edges.
Tip! Cutting at sharp angles (left image) creates ragged edges
and poor carvings. Use shallow angles (right image) for clean cuts.
Tip! Never undercut the image. The cut-out portion of your stamp
should slope away from your stamp's surface for maximum stability.
Negative-stamp images (left) are
quicker and easier to carve, but
positive-stamp images (right)
generally look better
When carving a positive space design, carve
out all the areas that don't have pencil transfer.
Consider these tips while you're carving:

Signature Stamp
Many new letterboxers feel that they must get a signature stamp just right
before they can begin letterboxing. You probably have a real signature
right now - but it didn't happen overnight. First you learned how to print
your name in a scrawl that only a mother could love. Then you learned
cursive. You probably practiced different looks for your signature, developing
it into what it is today over a period of years.
Signature stamps are the same way. When you first start carving
your own stamp, it'll probably look a little less than perfect. You'll
improve and want to recarve a new and improved signature stamp later.
Don't feel that whatever your first signature stamp is, you're stuck with it
forever. Some people carve two signature stamps - one for small logbooks
that require a very small signature stamp, and a second one for
normal-sized logbooks where they can make their stamp extravagant.
Others have seasonal signature stamps.
Signature stamps will evolve, so don't try to make the very first one the one you'll use
forever. Go in with the mindset that it'll have a limited life span and eventually it'll be
replaced.
Some eager letterboxers who want to letterbox before even carving a
crude signature stamp will use their thumbprint as a signature stamp.
It's original, it's always with you so you can't forget it, and it makes a
very effective signature stamp. You can even decorate thumb prints
using a pen by turning them into animals or flowers or something!
Keep in mind that many letterboxes are very small, and have equally
small logbooks. If you carve something larger than about one square
inch, you'll eventually run into a box where your stamp won't fit. Don't
despair! You can always use your thumbprint if necessary!
Atlas Quest.com

Armchair Treasure Hunt: An activity that requires solving real-life literary riddles and
then searching for treasure somewhere on the globe -- while never leaving the comfort
of your couch.
Atlas Quest: Atlas Quest is one of the largest and fastest growing letterboxing sites on
the Internet. It is best known for it's City-Centered Search and stamp carving tutorials.
Baby Wipes: It's good practice to clean off a letterbox's rubber stamp after you've
made an impression in your personal journal, but avoid using baby wipes for this purpose.
Baby wipes, even the unscented variety, do have an odor that can attract animals
to the letterbox after you've rehidden the box. A better (and less expensive)
choice is to simply pack a few dampened paper towels in a plastic bag.
Blessing: Process of sprinkling leaves or other forest debris over the hiding place of a
letterbox to make the spot look more natural. The box should be completely hidden
from view before blessing it.
Bonus Box: A letterbox with a clue that is not published, but rather hidden inside another
letterbox. Usually a bonus box will be hidden near the host letterbox. See also
cuckoo clue.
Bookbinding: Many letterboxers make their own journals for their boxes. A few simple
bookbinding techniques can be employed to create artful, attractive and functional letterbox
Box In, Bag Out: A principle of letterboxing aimed at helping to maintain the natural
environment in which letterboxing takes place. It's a good habit to carry a trash bag
with you as you letterbox, in order to pick up any trash you find
along the way.
Boxing Buddy: A Boxing Buddy is a small mascot, complete with
its own signature stamp and logbook, sent to travel with you and
share in your letterboxing adventures.
BYOI: An acronym for Bring Your Own Ink. Many letterboxes don't
include an ink pad even when the clues don't include a BYOI note.
Cache: A hiding place especially for concealing and preserving
items. Every letterbox can be considered a cache, but more typically
this word is used as a shorthand for a geocache.

Cairn: A pile of rocks that is used as a boundary marker, a memorial, or a burial site.
Letterboxes are sometimes hidden in a cairn.
Caretaker: A letterboxer who has volunteered to maintain an abandoned letterbox.
Clitter: A field of large boulders than have tumbled down the slope of a hill either by
erosion or deposited by a glacier.
Clue: The key to finding a letterbox. A clue can be created in many different formats:
in rhyme, as a riddle, as a story, with pictures or cartoons, or as directions with paces
or compass headings. The only limit is your imagination!
Clues Sheet: A printed copy of clues to one or more letterboxes.
Code of Conduct: It's been said that letterboxing has no rules, but there are established
guides to codes of conduct for safe and respectful letterboxing.
Confiscated Letterbox: An unauthorized box that has been
removed from its hiding place by park authorities.
Coordinates: A set of two numbers used to determine the position
of a point with reference to latitude and longitude.
Cootie: A small letterbox that is passed surreptitiously from letterboxer
to letterboxer.
Cuckoo Clue: A clue to a letterbox that travels from letterbox to letterbox, usually
within a small area near the location of the cuckoo clue letterbox. When you find a
cuckoo clue, you should take it with you and deposit it in another nearby letterbox (or
copy it down and leave it in the original letterbox). Cuckoo clues are not published on
the Web, and should not be publicly discussed.
First Finder: The first letterboxer to find a new find. Some individuals leave a First
Finder's Certificate in their newly-planted letterboxes to reward the first person to find
the box.
Flea: A flea is a hybrid combination of a cootie and a hitchhiker. It may be passed from
person to person like a cootie, or left in a letterbox like a hitchhiker.
Hitchhiker: A letterbox with no permanent home. A hitchhiker is carried by a letterboxer
from one box to another, where it is left for the next visitor to find. Hitchhikers
sometimes have their own plastic boxes and are hidden on top of or next to an existing
letterbox, while others travel in a plastic zip lock bag and are meant to be stowed inside
the host letterbox.
Homage Stamps: Homage stamps are created to pay respect to another letterboxer.

Letterbox: A hidden stash whose location is found only by following clues. A traditional
letterbox contains, at minimum, a rubber stamp and log. Other items that may be included
are a page describing letterboxing for anyone who accidentally
finds the box, stamped, pre-addressed postcards to be mailed to the
box owner to let them know the box has been found or needs maintenance,
a First Finder's certificate, an ink pad and a pencil or pen. A
letterbox's contents are usually packed in two sturdy zip lock plastic
bags, and then placed in a waterproof container to protect from the
elements.
Litterbox: A letterbox that has been abandoned by its owner, and now nothing more
than trash in the woods.
Log: Also known as a logbook. A book included in a letterbox to record visitors
to that box. A log can be a simple notepad or a handmade book, but it should
be made of paper that is thick enough so that stamped images don't
bleed through to the other side. A personal journal is used to record a
letterboxer's own adventures.
Muggled: The term used by some letterboxers to describe a letterbox that has been
damaged by non-boxers. Derived from the term "muggle" in Harry Potter stories that
describes ordinary non-magical people. The term was first used in geocaching.
Mystery Letterbox: A letterbox that does not provide a specific geographic location in
its clues. The seeker must first conduct research or solve a puzzle in order to determine
the location of the letterbox. It is considered bad form to give away the location of
a mystery letterbox.
Non-Boxer: Anyone that is not a letterboxer. In busy parks, you may have to create a
diversion or try later if there are too many non-boxers in the area. Stealth is required in
the presence of non-boxers to avoid having the letterbox discovered and, perhaps,
damaged. AKA MUGGLES
Pace: Either one or two steps, depending on the interpretation. Traditionally, a pace is
two steps, and most letterboxers use that definition.
Trail Name: A trail name is the normal name that other letterboxers will know you as.
An alias is like a secret identity - another trail name that nobody knows is you. Letterboxing
is a very secretive hobby so it's not surprising that some letterboxers have
adopted one or more aliases for any number of reasons.
Urban Letterbox: A letterbox planted in a city or town, as opposed to in a forest or
other wilderness area. These usually must be especially well-hidden so that they are
not inadvertently discovered by passers-by, and letterboxers must exhibit additional
caution when searching for them so as not to draw attention to the box.
Word Of Mouth Letterbox: A letterbox, the clues to which are distributed from person
to person and not published in any public fashion.

Girl Scout Troop 1093, while working on their Bronze Award hid eight
letterboxes for the annual RSVP weekend and for future campers.
Some letterboxes are easier to find than others. Each box contains: an
intricately carved stamp and a “bat” stamp hand carved by a ten year
old Junior Girl Scout, a log book, ink pad, cleaning wipes and a pen.
The Junior Girl Scouts were able to carve their own bat stamps without any injuries for
the Mah-Kah-Wee Letterbox Adventure. We recommend you work with a safety
buddy. The safety buddy is there to make sure no one carves towards their hands or
any other body part. Remember if you use letters, they must be backwards. Don’t forget
to stamp the letterbox log book and leave a message. The carved stamps are delicate
- so clean carefully.
Instructions:
This workbook is designed in two parts:
First Half: Is for the leader, it gives the resources needed to share
letterboxing with your girls.
Second Half: is the actual booklet to use while letterboxing at Mah-
Kah-Wee Program Center
Each girl in your troop should have their own book when doing the Mah-Kah-Wee Letterboxing
Adventure. Each page has the clues to find the letterbox on the top of the
page and an area to stamp the image on the bottom of the page. The last page is a
signature page for the girls to share each other’s signature stamps, (more copies of the
last page may be needed for the number of girls in your troop.)
Have fun and remember to:
Clean you stamp
Always put the letterbox back as you found it
Letterbox with a buddy
Watch out for onlookers . . . Keep it a secret!

Letterbox
#1
Where the Evergreens are Shady there is a
secret spot in the middle of cabins and
tents. Creep between so you are not to be
seen. Here nature has taken over as it
should. Make sure to be careful, be sure to
be good. Don’t lament over the cement.
Look up and down and all around. Under
the biggest block it can be found.

Letterbox
#2
Where little Bandits Scamper to steal their favorite
box of cookies from a Girl Scout Camper. There is
another kind of box to find. As you walk on the
purple trail look for the Bandit Scamper sign and
pass it on your right. The Craft Cottage should be
to your left. From the purple trail marker take
nine paces to a stump on the ground to your right.
Find the left side of the step to the tent the bandits
almost eight for dinner.

Letterbox
#3
There is a place where bugs go to munch on Girl Scouts for
breakfast and dinner and lunch. At the Hollow you must follow
where nature calls. (hint hint) Otherwise called the outhouse.
While in thought ... take a potty break then find the corner that
faces the lake. Follow the sidewalk southwest towards the water.
Count the cracks, but don’t break your momma’s back. Give or
take a few, the 27th man made crack is what you need.. other
than bug spray. While facing the water, raise your left hand.
Follow your hand down to the remains of an old tree, very
short and stumplike. Look behind and find a rock. While
over you peek under the rock is what you seek.

Letterbox
#4
Where you can find a fishin’ pole there is a hole
where you’d take a beach side stroll. To the right
of Danger that was placed by the ranger, you
might cast your line, but the treasure you would
not find until you looked down to your toes and
find where a rabbit goes. Under the stair with a
care make sure no one else has gone in there.
Remember this little white rabbit is a southpaw.
(Left “pawed”)

Letterbox
#5
At this center you might hear an echo....
”Avast ye Mateys!”
It almost looks like a ship with it’s all wood planks
all around. Here you must walk the plank that decends
ramplike in the rear. Here you will walk the
plank starting at its dirty bottom and walk 24
planks. Look under neath the 24 plank to find
your treasure. ARRGH!

Letterbox
#6
Follow the Blue Trail.
To the low sunlit oaken trees for this
prize to seize. Find the corner of the
outhouse that is the furthermost away
from the tents. You will see 5 posted
guards ram rod straight. Find the fifth
guard on the fight flank, look at behind
her boots.

Letterbox
#7
Here a big national bird might want to
rest all cabined and just the best. Find
the water warmer to point the way.
The tree shaped like a “Y” perfect for
an Eagle to Roost. Check where her
feathers might fall. Under the feather
is your treasure.

Letterbox
#8
Follow the Blue trail where an eager birdy
might run to look for a hummm. Find the
sign and see how it is aligned. Pay it no mind
but this bird is not blind. Don’t dismay, go
the other way. Listen for the Hummm but
do not touch, look to its right but not very
much. A pile of rocks conceals this little
Turkey.