New to Letter boxing

Hi everyone,
I'm hoping you can help me or show me via websites etc., how to get started...i love walking and in June will be visiting Dartmoor for 4 days.
I would love to be able to make a start at Letterboxing here as it's such a magical place to me. Ideally need to know EVERYTHING to get started!! ...how do i get clues to find them, etc., etc.,
I really hope you can help and look forward to joining the "group" Caz

Hi Caz, firstly welcome to the site, you will find loads of information here and what to do, what to take and how to find boxes.

In order to be able to buy a book contains 1000's of clues, you have to find your first 100 boxes, list them and then send a copy of your list to the letterboxing club. Details can be found here http://www.letterboxingondartmoor.co.uk/.
Finding your first 100 boxes is not as bad as it sounds, I'm sure that after four days on the moors you should meet this figure and probably surpass it! It's just a matter of choosing the best areas to go, of which we can all help guide you.
When you get a little better known here, some of us might pass on a few clues your way.

There are many website on the internet that give you ideas on what to do and take, plus safety on the moors, this site for one will give you a lot of information that you are looking for. You could of course visit my personal site at the bottom of my signature for even more info.

Have you every letterboxed before? Do you have an idea on how to use a compass/map etc?

Dizzy

Welcome to the site - I hope you can get all the information you require on here... well its what we are here for

Letterboxing - what you need
A map
Compass (GPS use is cheating in my eyes but useful)
Trousers you can stuff into your socks (it is going to be aq long sheep tick season
Broken in walking shoes - new ones will kill your feet
Woollen socks not man made fibres - otherwise you will get blisters
Start somewhere easy - I would recommend Parking at Pork Hill car park (the first park on the right after the cattle grid if you are coming from Tavistock to Princetown.
An ink pad or two (a large black one) other colours if you wish
And most importantly - a friend or two to keep you company

If you do this "traditionally" you start without clues or cluebook until you get your first 100 boxes - then you are eligible to joint the 100 club

There is a lot more advice in the navigation section of the site - a lot by me


Happy hunting and enjoy your life out on the moor - just remember this is a wild area so be expected to see things you wouldn't like to see - like dead animals - this is only nature doing its thing

Many thanks you guys - i'll have a look at your pages and the sites you suggest and get back to you both I'm really looking forward to getting to know you all and get to my first 100 !!!!
I can read a compass..... but have never done this before.

Thanks Caz

Hi, and good luck with the hunt for the 100.
We started simply by pulling in at one of the parkling areas near a tor (Didn't even know which one it was at the time!) and wandering around for a bit. Soon got the hang of the kind of places letterboxes were secreted away. After a couple of days like this we became a little more adventurous and went 'off tor' with the map and compass.
It soon becomes almost second nature.
Just one word of advice (sorry if i'm teaching grandma etc) but as the weather on the moor can change so quickly I always carry a gps with the car park saved as a waypoint just in case I become completely disorientated. Never needed it yet but you never know!
Good hunting

Hi Caz, it's nice to meet you

I'm with StannyD - I always pinpoint my car's position on GPS these days, especially when in an area I dont know - just in case.

(Sorry Nik)

Tina

Hi Caz!

Welcome from us also!

We're fairly new to letterboxing also, and still have not reached our first 100, but hopefully will do fairly soon.

The site is very friendly and I'm sure that you will get lots of sound advice!

James & Jenny

Hi, It's great to hear from you all....i can't wait to become "one of you guys"....Thanks for all the advise, i don't take offence about hearing from you on stuff i know/common sense!!! it's nice to know your there and for your help ...so don't ever worry about giving advice Counting down the day's til my trip!!! Caz

....i can't wait to become "one of you guys"....

Are you m-m-m-m-m-mad, insomniac, bleary eyed, lookin forward to a beer at the end of a long day fruitlessly boxin... then never wondering was it worth it, but iching to get out the next day... den you is one of de guys!

Oh yes i think once i start collecting i'll become as addicted and mad as the rest of you, sadly i won't be able to do this on a regular basis BUT i will make sure i have fun and enjoy the surroundings as well as boxin !!!! Caz

We are in a similar boat it would appear; not being able to simply pop onto the moors but rather having to fit a bit of boxing into the holiday seasons! The Dixon Clan always manage to spend a couple of days per holiday out on Dartmoor though so it's not too bad.
Enjoy the moor and if you ever see a family group arguing around a lovely brown greyhound about where a box should be according to the map then pop over and say hi!

Hello Outdoorgirl. Welcome to the Moor. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. There are some great places that feel a long way from civilisation but are in fact only a mile of so from the nearest car park!

I think the area around Burrator is a fine place to start... the friend of the newbie letterboxer, Sheepstor affords some lovely views.

Enjoy, the Dartmoor Diddicoy.

Dunno if the area has been restocked with stamps - but the last time I was up there (looking for my Adventures on Dartmoor stamps) - but I only found three after a days walking - and a lot of empty sites...
I agree with the views though - they are good

Hello Dartmoor Diddicoy & Stanny D Glad to hear i'm not the only one who has to save this fun for the holidays!!! Good to hear from some more boxers I'll be sure to say hi to you if i ever see you guys

Inky fingers if you are reading this you found it.

yup Good luck outdoorgirl, from an equally new letterboxer.

Nik - KOTM wrote:Dunno if the area has been restocked with stamps - but the last time I was up there (looking for my Adventures on Dartmoor stamps) - but I only found three after a days walking - and a lot of empty sites...
I agree with the views though - they are good

Hi there - I'm a newbie to the foum.

I used to do letterboxing years ago when I was in the Scout Association, but have been yearning to get back to it - so I started today.

The weather couldn't have been better. I went up to the Sharpitor/Leather Tor area and could only find two boxes in better condition.. The views are great. Unfortunately, one had the stamp missing, and one appeared to have actually been destroyed, which I don't understand - such a pointless act.

Anyway, I managed to get two today to start off my collection. Could anybody else recommend a really good area with a bundle of stamps in a close area? I was pondering on going Ingra / Leeden / Hard / Black tors - unless anyone has any better suggestions, of course.

Thanks,

Z.

Welcome to the site Zooster - I hope you can glean loads of info off here... but...

I went up to the Sharpitor/Leather Tor area and could only find two boxes

There is a reason why there are not many boxes on and around Sharpitor - this is done by agreement that there are to be no boxes on the tor as it is owned by someone - However many years ago I found my first box on Leather Tor - The Lost Ferrit - sadly no longer in existance any more!

Anyway as I said - welcome to the site and I look forward to more posts from you - fresh idea and all that! (And to everyone else reading this - I am not bored with your company though you might be of mine )

Thanks for that - this explains why I didn't find much!

Anyway, I took a trip to Ingra/Leeden/Black Tors today and found six, which was quite an improvement on before - and the weather was still marvellous.

Ho hum, back to work tomorrow.

Anybody got any suggestions for other good places to go?

Thanks,

Z

Pew Tor/Sampford Tor/Feather Tor you should find upwards of 40 on there another place if transport is no problem is Yar tor and up around there Saddle Tor etc...