The staff here at 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility is excited about the third season of our GeoStash contest since we've added a new twist. We used to hide both the north and the west coordinates in the magazine. This gave subscribers an advantage because they receive their magazines before they are placed on the newsstand. However, the coordinates for GeoStash III will be split in two parts, the west (longitude) coordinate will be cut in half and hidden in the magazine. The north (latitude) coordinate will be posted on the magazine's website (www.4wdandsportutility.com) on the 15th of each month. The two-part format for the hidden west coordinate will always be hidden with XX in one section of the magazine and XX.XXXW in another section of the magazine. For example, the June '07 west coordinate was 106 52.979W. Had this coordinate been split according to the new format, 106 would have been separated from 52.979W. So, you would find 106 in one section of the magazine and 52.979W in another section. The north coordinate will henceforth be posted at www.4wdandsportutility.com on the message board under the "Latest GeoStash Updates" forum. These changes will definitely give more newsstand-edition readers the opportunity to participate in the contest.
For those readers who are completely new to the GeoStash contest, the north and west coordinates pinpoint a location somewhere in the continental U.S. A stainless steel plate ("marker") laser-cut with the magazine's title and my phone number can be found at this location. The marker is about the size of a vehicle's license plate. When it is found and redeemed, the lucky enthusiast wins a very cool prize. These prizes will range from products donated by our advertisers and manufacturers to 4WD&SU magazine apparel and subscriptions.
The west (longitude) coordinate can be hidden just about anywhere within the magazine. The coordinate will be divided into two parts and hidden in the magazine's text or ghost-imaged somewhere on a photograph. The coordinate parts will not be hidden in or on any advertising. Finding the marker will require use of four-wheel drive and involve some hiking. We'll keep it safe, so don't worry, you won't have to rappel off the sides of any cliffs. The stainless steel marker may be placed behind trees, between rocks, or under something, but it will not be completely buried or completely obscured from view.
The GeoStash marker will have my phone number listed on it. I must be called immediately when the marker is found. The marker must also be sent back to me for verification, but it will be returned to the person who found it. Each marker for any given month will have a unique identifying mark on it so it cannot be duplicated.
Very Important - do yourself a favor and check our website's Forums/GeoStash page to see if the marker has been found for any given month before you go out searching. Please keep in mind that the marker may have been found while you are en route to the coordinate's location. Once we have been notified, we will post where the marker has been found.
A disposable camera will be attached to the marker. Have a photo of yourself taken at the location (hopefully you won't be out alone) you found the marker and send the camera back with the marker when you mail it to me for verification. Though there will be a camera attached to the marker, we would prefer a digital image of the winner on the trail with the marker be e-mailed to us if you have the capability. If you do have a digital camera, please set it to the highest megapixel setting before snapping the photo. The GeoStash III page will highlight the enthusiast who found the prize, the product and its manufacturer, and the next month's prize to be given away.