Chuy!

My short answer is because we are not a hunting and gathering society. That is, one that lives off the land. In breaking away from hunting & gathering, we have produced and introduced artificial/un-natural elements that mother nature cannot easily overcome, i.e. smog, deforestation, erosion, etc... A deer or squirrel that breaks a branch is something mother nature can overcome. But city folk driving motorized vehicles through the wooks/desert is not a natural occurance; this can damage the earth with catastrophic results if we don't take the necessary precautions. I am new to caching but the 13 or so caches I seen here in San Diego parks are well placed, usurally in cairns, and never more than a step or two from a trail.

Garmin's GPS V is designed for multi-use: car, bike or handheld. It is a bit heavy at 9 oz.

Type in "etrex pc cable"; you should get over 45 entries which include the PC/cigarette power cable you have. They average $12.50, brand new from non-Garmin vendors. I just bought one for $22 plus $5 s&h, brand new; it includes an AC to DC adapter so I can use the cable in the house. The parts are made in the US but assembled in China. I'm sure the Garmin cable is also made/assembled in Asia, as their units are.

In San Diego, CA (actually Poway, Ca, since SD is on the coast): 611

Sometimes I feel like hunting micros, sometimes not. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.

Moi: 38 in June Olivia: 8 Isabella: 6 in April Ginger (golden retriever): 8mos

Not so easy. The Laptop takes more the 12V, so it needs a voltage boost... That said... Ok, I see it now, the laptop requiers 20VDC... My Dell laptop has the 20volt AC to DC converter but the battery is rated at 14.8 volts output. Does this mean you can hook up 12volts directly? Don't know and will not find out. I, also, have a 400watt inverter ($50 at Target) With this setup, Northstar, and a dual auto DC outlet, I am able to power the laptop and my GPS receiver with the receiver connected to the laptop for autorouting. It is a maze of wiring, but you can string the cables to minimize the clutter.

Good to hear positive responses to the 315; I want to get one for my 8yr old and as a backup unit to my Vista.

Unlike garri, I don't have the guts to post my clunker, an 89 Corrolla with 160K miles (and still on the original clutch). But right after counting the sheep, this is what I drive to caches: SRT10 with the heart of a Viper This is what the Lightening and SS drivers will see: Some day... (please, don't pinch me.)

I would pay some attention to brands and where they are made. Of the big name bike companies, Trek, and Specialize use Asian companies to produce some of their bikes. Giant and Schwinn rely exclusively Asian made bikes. Giant, however, is proud of their Asian ties. Their Asian-made bikes were the first used at the Tour de France (ONCE team), and it appears Jan Ullrich will be riding a Giant bicycle at the Tour this year. With the exception of Giant, most Asian-made bikes are lower in quality as they are mass produced, even if they have quality components. I just hate it when US companies go Asian (Schwinn, Raleigh). For now, Cannondale has not jumped the bandwagon, but economics may affect them someday as well. No doubt Asian-made bicycles are increasing in quality, but I generally avoid them if I can. I will say no more. I ride a 1988 Bianchi hybrid bike and a 1987 Nishiki road bike. (I'm hoping one will break down soon so I can justify a new-bike purchase.) I am new to caching and have yet to find a cache on either bike. No doubt I will soon as I have found many caches along my commuting route. I hid a cache, GCHNGR along a popular bike event in Baja California enjoyed mostly by Southern Californians, Rosarito to Ensenada; I hope some of you will make it out here someday.

One website I looked at said a well condition sled dog can carry 50% his/her weight! This site has good general info, GORP.com I am no expert - I only just ordered a dog pack yesterday, but I have done some research. Naturally younger dogs will be easier to accostume them to wear a pack. Some dogs will not flinch when a pack is put on; others may bite at the straps; and yet others will struggle to get the pack off. For these last two groups the key is to get them used to wearing something on their back. My golden was wearing cutesy dog shirts at 5mos; she seemed uncomfortable at first, but after a couple of hours she was her usual self. When my pack arrives, I intend on putting it on empty and taking short walks in the neighborhood. I will slowy introduce weight. Eventually, she sill equate the dog pack with hiking/taking a walk, something most dogs love to do. When I first put on a harness on our golden, she fought me as I put it on. Now, when I break out the harness, she drops what she is doing and runs over to me; if I hesitate to lift her paw to slip the harness on, she will lift it herself. Sometimes, she falls on the ground with both paws in the air. I have no doubts the pack will eventually produce the same results.

I am not clear how GPS is helping convict Petesen. I am led to belive the GPS' primary purpose was to keep track of him as the investigators built their case; they were worried Petersen might flee to Mexico. Are his attorneys claiming false arrest due to the use of GPS in tracking him? If so, this would have nothing to do with the criminal charges most of which will be supported by forensic evidence. Am I missing something else here? Forgive my ignorance as I have not been following the case closely. Matter of fact, the info from this tread is the most I read in one sitting. I did meet a California DOJ investigator (Dept of Justice) involved in Petersen's San Diego arrest. He said they had been tailing Petersen 24 hours a day the few days prior to his arrest, as issuance of an arrest warrant became imminent.

Usually people have the dog carry its own water and lunch etc. The packs can be quite useful for longer hikes. Also, her leach and/or extra leaches, a small water bowl, toys, first aid kit, etc..., and of course, a my-handler-is-lost card of sorts with my name and number. The pack will take some weight off myself as I already carry stuff for my daughters (6&8 yrs old). Additionally, my golden is only 8monts old; I'm hoping the bags will prevent her from dashing into thick brush where she could get hurt or run into other animals (i.e. snakes). The general rule of thumb is dog should not carry more than 1/3 their wieght. I will be starting out much less with our golden.

Thanks all for your suggestions. I went with the Granite Gear Ruff Rider. BackpackGearTest.org gave it good reviews and, thanks to Indiana Cajones, I found it on sale at REI.

Each have their pros and cons. For geocaching a camera is more appropriate as you can't upload video footage. And you probably never will as it takes too much server space. Camcorders are heavier and more expensive. Probably the smallest camcorder is the JVC DVP9; it weighs 12 onces (the Canon A70 weighs 7.6oz) and can fit in a shirt pocket. But it only takes 1.33 megapixel stills and costs about $900 on the street. Now if you already have a camcorder and it can take still pictures, why buy a camera?

I'm shopping for a dog pack for my golden to carry her own stuff (i.e. H2O, snacks, etc...). Please let me know which are good and which to stay away from. This one looks sturdy: JanddP This one has nice features but appears to sit too wide (middle): Palisades More promising models: Mountainsmith; Kelty Sherpa I think 2 feature I must have are removal bags and a chest strap.

8 month old Ginger with Olivia.

I wanted to share this find: an affordable GPS carrier with velcro straps that attach to the shoulder straps of a backpack. It is designed for cell phones, but my Garmin Vista fits well. Only $5 in Performance Bike stores across the U.S., or online: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=15249 They are currently on sale for $3.97 in the San Diego, Ca shops; I purchased two more. I plan on cutting an opening on one so I can see the display without having to take the GPS out of the carrier.