6coondawgs

We usually cache as a family so it's usually our kids (4,7,10) that are trading. They have enjoyed things like...little rubber animals, shiny rings, little airplane kit to make a glider, an ink stamp, small stuffed animals. I think the only thing I've taken was a bullet without it's shell, I'm not sure what you'd call that but I thought it was kinda cool. One time we traded a rubber crocodile for a rubber alligator.

My first GPS had only the base map and did not have any capability to add other maps. I used it for about a month and we found caches with it. I decided that since I was hooked on geocaching I may as well upgrade and get a unit that was a little more versatile. I got a Vista HCX and added Map Source Topo maps to it. I have to say it makes a world of difference in navigating and I've used it on a ATV as well. So I'd say you can geocache without the maps, but they sure make your GPS a lot more useful.

I haven't found too many coins, but I just found one the other day and it was in a plastic holder that had two compartments...one for the coin and one for a note or whatever. The hider had a brief note about themselves and the coin and asked to keep it moving. I'm new enough that I'm not sure if this is enough of an insurance that it will actually keep a coin moving, but it's better than nothing I suppose.

I'm still fairly new and have not placed any caches yet. There are caches in my area that have not been visited in a while, mostly because they are on the mountain or rough terrain, etc. and I suppose (alhtough I don't really know) that the local cachers that are interested in those caches have already been there. Some of these caches are ones that I am looking forward to because of their location, views of the valley, hike to the peak etc. and I would be bummed if they got archived just because I was too slow getting my lazy self up there. I think I would leave a cache alone unless there's some kind of problem with the location and perhaps just start a new one.

We were at a family reunion a couple weeks ago and I had read of a cache that was an actual treasure chest. So I took my three kids and about 15 other nieces and nephews (and assorted other in-laws) to find it. They all thought it was amazing that we could find this in the woods. All the kids had to have their own toy, luckily I had a full back pack of swag to trade just in case. Normally my kids just decide if they want anything based on what's there. About half the time the item they chose isn't so cool anymore by the time we reach the next cache and they trade it again (kinda like a McTravel Toy:).

I've created a bit of an issue with a Jeep TB. I found it a few weeks ago and logged it and everything. Then yesterday I dropped it off while on a trip out of state. When I got home and went to log the drop off I realized that when I found it I was using a username that I changed after only a few days. So I thought...I want to be able to track this with my new username. So I logged that I dropped it in a local cache near where I live planning to log a pick up with my new username and nobody would know the difference. Trouble is I couldn't log the pickup because I don't remember the ID# on the TB. So now there is a Jeep TB showing up in a cache where it's never been and a Jeep TB in a cache in Idaho that isn't logged properly. I notified the owner of the cache where I was trying to be sneaky and transfer it to my new name, to let them know that I'd goofed and I also logged a note saying that I'd picked it up, but it still shows up in the cache because I can't log it with the ID#. I also posted a note to the Cache where I actually dropped the Jeep, but of course it doesn't show up on that cache's page. So I feel like a total doofus and probaby am. What should I do to insure that the Jeep can continue to be tracked and that I don't screw up these two caches? Please help I'm losing sleep and I think I'm developing and ulcer over this.

I think it is set to follow road. I'll try that thanks. Somehow I knew Miragee would have a bit of helpful advice. Thanks again.

I'm using a new vista HCx and if I select a geocache and select goto while I'm driving it continually says "calculating" and goes thru 1%, 2% then starts over and will not let me get back to a map or compass or any other screen unless I stop my truck. Is this normal? Am I supposed to select "map" until I'm out of the car and walking? I was in mountainous terrain lots of trees around etc., it seems that in map mode it has no problem even while driving. Any insight or help is appreciated. Thanks

While hunting for a cache, where we had to climb 3 or 4 cliffs, I kept asking my 10 year old daughter "Do you just want to wait here?" After a few times of me asking she finally said (with a bit of irritation in her voice) "I wouldn't have come looking for this stupid cache if I wanted to wait here."

I have not tried caching without a GPS. My kids are 10, 7, 4 and all love to go geocaching. I know that here the local 4H office has GPS you can rent for like $5 for 2 weeks, I also heard that some of the State Parks here have started placing their own caches and they have rental GPS units at the gate. If I were trying to talk my wife into a GPS I'd probably see if I could round one up to try out.

Thanks! That's what I was hoping to hear.

We found a cache not too far from our house and logged it found. Then a few weeks later we noticed that it had a travel bug in it so we went to retrieve it. How do you log this? Do I post another found it or just post a note? Also, is it uncool to revisit a cache that you've already found just because there's a coin or TB in it. We're kinda new and just got excited and went and grabbed it, now we're not sure how to post it.

I got a Magellan Explorist 200 and it worked fine for geacaching. It did not have any port to connect to a computer so I returned it after doing a little research and wound up buying a new Garmin Vista HCx ($240). I have to say that I prefer the Garmin although it's not really fair because they are in entirely different leagues. The things I found important were color screen, and ease of connection to computer, also expandable memory if you are intersted in lots of maps. If you are geocaching with it I think that Garmin is the only unit that can directly download from the website. If you are looking in the $150 range I would probably do like the other posters and look for a used Garmin unit. I pretty new with all this, but that's my $.02 worth.

Some friends told us about geocaching and I thought it sounded interesting but not that exciting. Then for Father's Day this year my wife and kids got my a GPS so we could go geocaching. We were instantly hooked and I already upgraded to a new Vista HCX a couple weeks ago. Loving it.

Thanks for the help.

How do you use a card reader? I'm not sure I know what you're talking about. So with Topo maps do most people just download the local area that they will be traveling in rather than down loading the entire map to the GPS?

So can I add 2025 segments and install it to the GPS and then add another 2025 segments in a separate install? Is it possible to install the entire US onto the GPS if you have enough free memory?

Ok that's probably the problem. What is the best way to work around it? Just install it piece by piece? Thanks

I just got a Vista HCx and was putting some Garmin Topos on it. I installed the U.S. West maps to the computer no problem. When I go to transfer to the GPS it says there's too much to transfer. So I tried just transferring Utah, Idaho, Wyoming...bingo no problem. I have a 2 Gb card so I don't think that's the issue. Is this normal or do I need to try something different to download the whole map at once?

I've called my son Coon Dog (Also G-Money...I hardly remember his real name anymore ) since he was about three. There's six of us in our family. Anyhow coon dog seemed like a cool caching name, but the kids wanted something even cooler so we came up with 6coondawgs.

We have made several trips to Guatemala in the last few months, because we are adopting a little boy there. We've accumulated a pile of Quetzales, which are coins from Guatemala. We usually drop off a Quetzal.

I just ordered an Etrex Vista HCx and I want to order a memory card for it. What am I looking for? I'd like to put topo maps and road maps on the unit so how big of a card should I get and what is the particular type of card needed?

I have the same decision to make between the Legend and Vista HCx. So does the Legend HCx have any compass built in to it? I have a Magellan 200 now and it has a compass that I find handy at times, how do I know if it's an "electronic" compass. I guess my question is...do GPS's have compasses that are not Electronic? Scott

thanks for the help. Now it seems the possibilities are endless.

I'm pretty new at geocaching and have figured how to find coordinates for caches near my home address. Let's say I'm headed to Yellowstone next weekend and don't know a zip code, etc. how do I look up available caches on geocaching.com? Thanks, Scott