mcrow

I wouldn't trust an unknown CD in my computer, but I am curious if they are safe to play in your car? Seems like they would be. If it's an original CD, you shouldn't have to worry. A burned copy? I probably wouldn't put it in a PC. I doubt it could cause you any trouble in the car unless it's scratched or dirty.

I would avoid any photos that make things extremely easy to find. Now, I will take pictures of a cache and post them but only if it's a common container type. I'm also careful to not include anything in the picture that would be a direct give away. So, if the cache is a one of those micro "bolts", don't take a picture of it. It would be complete give away to do that. If was a film canister with cammo tape on it, it's probably OK because they are a dime a dozen and probably not sitting in the open. Sometimes I will put something in the picture if it's very hard find that can narrow spots down a bit. Like if the cache is in an area with grass but there are many beacons around on concrete or tar I might take a picture of the cache with a corner of the picture showing some grass. The key is not to make it no fun to find.

I think a lot of the garbage you find in caches are from the younger cachers. For me, I could care less what's in the caches unless it's something very interesting. TBs..Geocoins...ect don't remotely matter to me. However, if I find something very interesting and I decide to take it I do my best to replace it with somthing equally or more interesting (IMO, of course). It does irritate me to find stuff in caches that couldn't have any value to anyone. Bottle caps (not old or collectable types), broken toys, pennies...ect. There are things that people value that I do not and I recognize that, so I wouldn't disturb that kind of stuff. When I take my duaghter (3 years old) with we put small kids toys in caches. Typically we put two toys in for each she decides to take. She like rocks too and sometimes will add a rock to the cache in addition to any toys we add. So if you are in MN and find a random rock in a cache that may have been my daughter.

My worst injury from caching has been Poison Ivy. For most people it's not that big of a deal. You get itchy and put some creme on it and your good in a few days. However, I'm highly sensative to it. I can be wear boots and pants with long socks and the whole bit and I will still get it on my legs. Before I found out how sensative I am, I got it really bad on my legs while wearing shorts. It started out being a little itchy, then a few hours later my skin started peeling of of my legs and the wounds were weeping so bad that it would soak through the bandage and pants with int 10-15 minutes. Had to go the ER where they gave me a perscription ointment and steroids. Now I keep a tube of the perscription creme in my Caching pack just in case. I really have to watch where I step. I'll even get a mild case when fully covered with two layers.

Well, I hope I never get poison ivy in the crotch. I'm highly sensative to it and it nearly always ends with scraring and an ER visit due to skin peeling off. However, I get the frustration.

Not all phones rely on a data connection (or any cell connection at all). For example, my Nexus One uses cell towers to get a preliminary location, but does all the GPS calculations itself. Without a connection, its initial lock can be slow (just like any GPSr that is turned on after having changed locations). But it doesn't rely on servers to do any of the GPS calculations, so once it has a lock, it's fine on its own. That's true but no having a signal takes away the stuff that makes a smartphone app cool. Like the "near by cache" function and things like that.

I just added a Bushnell Onix 350 to my collection so I now have: Android Phone Garmin eTrex Venture HC Magellan Explorist 300 Magellan Explorist 210 Bushnell Onix 350 My wife uses the Venture HC, I will be giving the Onix a try but I like the Explorist 300. I have also been using the cell phone a lot lately just to test it out. I keep the others around for backups and for when we are showing new people how to Geocache. I tend to buy the best deals instead of the newest, fanciest things. I tried buying the top of the line stuff but in the end most well made GPSr regarless of price will get you within 20 feet. However, if I could by the best right now I would get: Garmin GPSMAP-62 or Explorist 710

I see this as a non-issue. The front page does not mean to show Geocaching as either a solitary or family event which is correct because it's both. Some people don't have a wife or kids that care to go Geocaching, many others do. Neither is more right or wrong and neither one alone was ever the intent of those who pioneered the game. The front page simply is just showing the three basic steps of geoacaching. I fail to see how you can read anything more than that into this. What is wrong with people these days? Everyone wants to make something mean this or that when it does not. I wish people would take things at face value more often these days.

I have not seen a anyone really bashing using phones. People state the obvvious drawbacks of using a phone: #1- They're not weather resistant. #2- Screens somtimes are bad in direct light. #3- While they are accurate enough, they are not quite as accurate as a good GPSr. #4- Short Battery life compared to a GPSr. #5- Apps function differently on phones, the app might be very good on one phone and junk on the next. The iPhone 4 and the upper end Android phones run it very well and are pretty accurate. This mostly has to do with processor speed. #6- You need a good signal to get an accurated GPS reading. This means that your ability to use the phone and it's accuracy is highly dependant on your carrier. Most of these drawbacks can be overlooked or compensated for depending on your use. You can put the phone in a ziplock to keep in from getting wet, use a phone charger and/or extra batteries, buy a higher end phone (generally that will fix screen issues and some of the accuracy issues), get a phone from a carrier with the best coverage in your area. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using a smartphone alone. You just have to keep in mind that you may have a larger GZ to work with on some caches.

This is what I do. I put it in a ziplock while it's in compass mode and in my pocket when I get to GZ.

There are many options for a budget GPS: Explorist GC ($100 or so) Bushnell Onix 350 ($70-$80 for a nice GPS) If you get an Android phone, most of the newer models have good GPS setups and are pretty accurate. Get the one with the best processor that you can afford. Better processor=better GPS accuracy and functionality. I currently own: Android (LG Optimus V) A slower processor, but works pretty well most of the time. Explorist 210: Picked it up for $20 on Ebay, pretty accurate, bare bones sort of GPS Bushnell Onix 350: Not the most intuitive GPS, but very accurate and has a lot of good features for the price.

I'd be interested in hearing more about the Explorist GC. The 60CSX would be great for doing more backroad exploring for fishing and would be a great price for me, but the reality is right now I'm looking something more for geocaching with the family, and probably fits my budget better. Well, I don't know a ton about it because I don't personally own one. However, from everything I've read and another person I know that has one says, it's very easy to use, accurate and designed specifically to be a 1st GPS for a Geocacher.

Of course. However, I maintain that for about 80% of caches, a phone will work fine. We don't have many here that require more than 15-20 mintues of hiking. Not to mention ones that require a long hike typically are not anywhere near a place to get a signal for a phone. I keep a Magellan 210 around for anything where I can't get the phone to work. Picked it for $20 on ebay, works great.

I don't see where this should be a problem. I also play Disc Golf and many disc golfers are like Goecachers in that nearly all courses (until recently) were free and non-commercial. Now there are a lot more pay to play courses popping up around the country. These commercial courses are often much nicer, very well maintained and provide a unique experience that can't be had at most free places. Because it costs money to provide such a course for play, I don't see a problem with being charged to play and don't mind if someone can make a living at it. I would say this cache is like the pay courses in Disc Golf, it provides a unique experience that does not come free to the owners of the cache. The only time I would start worrying about commercial caches is if there are so many more of them than free ones, but I doubt that would ever happen.

Battery life isn't normally a problem for my Android powered, LG Optimus V. I have a car charger and I plug it in on the drive to and between caches. The only time where it could be a problem for me is if I have several on a string in a large area where I won't be in the car. But even then it's not a problem on a full charge.

Paperless isn't required but is nice. Basically you just get the notes,logs...ect,a lot of the extra info that's on the website. Some caches are alot easier to find if you have the notes and hints, that's the advantage. You can still have that info without a paperless GPS but then you have to print it out or right it down and carry it with you. IME, the accuracy from one GPS to the next isn't that big of a difference. I've had a $500 GPS that was no more accurate than the one I bought for $120. I have a smartphone that's just as accurate as any I've owned. If it gets you within 30 feet, it should be good enough to Geocache with and I have yet to use a GPS that can't do that pretty consistantly. Don't upgrade for accuracy unless you plan to spent a lot of money. Upgrade for better features, ease of use or for replacing a broken GPSr. I think the entry level Garmin Dakkota 10 or Oregon 450 are good as are the eTrex Venture HCs. Magellan has a couple of excellent entry level GPSrs: Explorist GC and 310. I believe the Explorist GC can be had for $100 new or around $80 used. It is a paperless GPS. The Venture, I believe is also paperless and can be had for $80-$120 new or used. The others mentioned abover are probably going to be more than double the price of the GC and Venture but then you get a lot more features.

I use the Android version as my primary GPS. I'm in the car a lot for work and I can often stop and grab a Cache in between stops. My phone is just as accurate as my Garmin and much smaller and more portable. It's also nice to log right on the spot. I also like being able to find near by caches at any given time and snag one during lunch. As stated above, it's not great for poor weather and some cellphone screens can be very hard to read in direct sun. You must have a good data/cellphone connection, which in more remote places isn't going to happen. However, if you are near or in a larger town or a city it shouldn't be much of a problem. A tradition GPS has better battery life and is much more durable and weather resistant. They also have some better features for non-caching activities. However, my Android is my: -Primary Phone -Primary Caching GPS -Primary Navigating GPS for driving with Voice directions -Gaming device -mobile internet -mobile radio (I like talk radio) -mobile weather -mobile video player (mostly for my daughter) -Video recorder and Camera It's a great all in one package for my purposes. It does everything I like to do that can be done on a mobile device. So, instead of carrying a second device, I just use my phone.

I currently use my Android Phone, LG Optimus V with the Groundspeak App. Works as good as my Garmin did if I have a cellphone signal.

I used to have a Garmin and Magellan GPS, the Garmin died on me and the Magellan broke a while ago. Both were fairly old anyway. So, I use Virgin Mobile for my cellphone service and decided to get the Optimus V that runs Android. Short story longer, Android is awesome and the phone is great for ~$120. Virgin coverage is very good in most places in MN and so far, I'm doing just fine finding things with about the same accuracy as my previoud GPSrs. Not to mention for $25 VM gives you unlimited data,text and internet plus 300 minutes (enough for my purposes). I find this to be a great Geocaching Phone and VM a great carrier for it as well. Which phone and carrier do you use? Which app? What are your thoughts on the phones/carriers/apps for geocaching purpose.

Yup, unless you have the cable you could be looking for a lot of inactive caches.

I got questioned an frisked by a cop yesterday while caching. The cache was near a very small bridge in a quiet area. He said he stopped because I was sitting in my car looking like I was up to something. Of course I was, I was firing up my GPSr! At first he didn't believe it when i told him what I was doing (looking for a cache), then he made me show him, so I took him to find that cache.

I would hope so since the company lists them as a "partner".

I just bought one of those can't wait for it to show up.

It all depends. I've only hidden one cach so far but: IMO, if it's a 6 mile hike through a beautiful trail or park even if the ammo box is laying in the middle of the trail at the end I would not be too disappointed. I guess for me it's more about the journey for those types of caches than the However, it would also be cool to have to look into every geobeacon in the area as well. I would be very PO'd to do all that hiking and have to look for a micro disguised as a pebble in a pebble field because it's unimaginative and would only be found by pure luck. So it really depends from situation to situation for me.

I think sometimes it means something. Like "This was #500 for me", milestone types of #'s are cool and I think cache owners might find it cool that their cache was someone's #1 or #1000. While I don't find none milestone #'s tacky or anything like that, it certainly would be cool,IMO, to see someone post that my cache was a milestone cache for them.