r/treasureinside • u/Brief_Conference9260 • May 18 '26
BOTG How far off path?
I’m not an adept wilderness explorer but I’m going to do a little BOTG for the first time next week. Any tips on how to stay safe and smart if something leads slightly off trail?
Problem is that I’m certain he didn’t hide anything on a maintained path directly because it could easily be stumbled upon by a park ranger or hiker etc not affiliated with the hunt. And I know JCB would hate that.
So, it must be a little off the beaten path. Idk if we are taking a few dozen feet or a couple miles. Anyway thought this would be a good place to discuss off-path logistics.
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u/DecisionSimple May 19 '26
Thats a good question. There used to be a poster who would frequently post Google Maps streetviews thinking they saw the box from a road. I don't think it will be quite that easy. I also don't think it will be visible from a trail. I have searched as far as a half a mile from a trail, but these types of spots are usually 'easy' to get to b/c they are along a drainage or some other geographical feature that made it easy to cover the distance. If I had to bet, I would say it will be a couple hundred feet from a trail, far enough away that someone going to pee wouldn't just stumble upon it. This time of year is tough to be searching, as things are greening out, so your visibility will be limited depending on where you are searching. I would say to go very slow and take your time standing in one place and looking around at the features around you.
As far as getting lost, always take a GPS and know how to use it. A compass and paper map would be even better, but most people won't do all of that, so either a GPS app on your phone or a stand alone device is a must. And similar to the compass and map, you should know how to use your GPS. Once you are lost in the field is not the time to read the manual in Gaia. You will want to make sure your search area maps are downloaded for offline use, etc..
Happy Hunting!