Ike 13

Go to the cache page look in the box next to the map up top. You should see a clickable link that says 'send to GPS'. This adds it as a favorite to your gps. If you want the description, hint, and logs (and you do want that) then you have 2 options. Print/write that info and keep it in a notebook for your travels. Or become a premium member and it will load the whole page straight into your GPS.

1.2 miles away is a magnetic nano somewhere on a store sign at the back of a parking lot on the busiest road. I've searched for it many times. Felt in every nook and cranny. I must be blind. There is the beginning of a 2 stage multi 0.6 miles away but the second stage is probably 2 miles away and a good hike in the woods. I'm saving it for later.

150 finds with my nuvi. If you learn how to use it it works well. I may eventually get a handheld specifically for caching. Some tips: I don't worry about setting it to pedestrian anymore, but always turn it to off road. If you're searching a wooded area or in between skyscrapers signal bounce may occur, which means it will tell you to go 50 feet one way and then 70 feet back the other. Give it time to settle and sometimes hitting stop then restarting helps. Usually this only happens when I get close and slow down or not move. Once you get to within 100-50 ft of the location take your eyes off the gps. Walk until it hits around 20 and look for nooks and crannies and anywhere else that the cache could hide (it is almost never where the coords exactly match). Be careful to not just look down. It may be at eye level. Read the logs, decrypt the hint and expand the radius. With experience it gets easier, but I still strike out all the time. That's part of this sport/hobby. And trust me missing it the first time only makes finding it on the second (or fifth) time that much sweeter.

Maybe the location of a puzzle cache. Check with gpsfun. (s)He'll be able to tell you even if it was archived if there was a cache around that location (having exact coords would help) and if so who the owner is/was.

I too have a Nissan versa. Thankfully my discovery of this bonus feature wasn't as bad. I was chatting with some friends after lunch. Unlocked the car, but we continued to talk for 10 minutes. when I went to open it up I realized it had locked itself. Cool feature until it locks you out.

Now that I've maxed out really close caches and drive 50 minutes into the city I take some time to plan. Driving in random circles is a waste of time. I plan which road I want to take in and list caches just off that road. Once you get to the city have a certain space you'd like to search (downtown, southeast sector, something like that) I plan at least 20 (more if most look like P&G's). Basically this is all done by just looking at the map and seeing where a good density of caches are and planning a quick, easy, and efficient route between these are. I write down some general directions (Broad River (5 caches) turn onto whatever St (3 caches) hit the Seven Oaks park (3 caches),etc). Between caches I have a little memo book in the car that I scribble down one word names for each cache that I find. If there was something important I take note of it there. Memory works pretty well, but it's easier for me to write logs when I can keep caches in order.

Micro in the woods: And you thought trying to find where you left your keys was fun!

I use a nuvi 200. I haven't tried any hardcore hikes or going out on rainy days (thankfully the weather has been nice every time I've gone out). I have 145 finds. It may not be ideal but it allows me to go paperless and do something fun for no extra cost. As I get more into this hobby I may consider using my tax return for a handheld. I say try to use it make sure you love geocaching and then at that point consider getting one suited for caching. If you buy one now and decide to drop the hobby within a year you'll lose a lot of money. Sidenote to headhardhat: What you wrote would be 2 tenths of a cent, I believe you meant 2 cents or $.02. Sorry I'm a math teacher and had to correct that.

Thanks for the advice. Did I mention Newberry College is small as in tiny compared to most colleges. 900 students a campus that's less than a quarter mile from end to end. I was guessing that the Physical Plant (the people in charge of maintenance across campus) might be the logical choice, but they're known to be a little unreasonable and I've been shot down by them before (trying to get recycling started back on campus). I like the idea of getting professor's help. The multi would mainly involve plaques and cornerstones on the famous buildings and monuments (5 stages with the final). The spot for the final is close to student parking and the football field. I'm actually tutoring the daughter of the Education Department chair and VP of Assessment, Accreditation & Institutional Research. I'll start there for now.

I just hid my first cache today (waiting on approval). I have a couple more planned out. One is a multi around my alma matter. Newberry College is a small, private college. I still know a great deal of the faculty and staff and feel really confident I could get it approved. The problem is I don't know the appropriate person/department to ask. So here's what I need to know: Is this private land? And if you have hid a cache on any college/university public or private who did you talk to? Thanks!

I've seen a few of the No hint needed, it's not that hard. Please don't insult me. Here is one from a cacher that I respect for all their hides, but I felt this clue was evil (which I said in my log) Under the stop sign...really..it is! The container has a stop sign on it. Grrr not amused.

I love my nuvi. I know it's not designed for caching, but it works well. The accuracy is not a problem. It's paperless. Having directions to the nearest parking site is wonderful. I hold mine like an i phone/blackberry when I walk with it, and if I need to put it away I have an old camera case that I can attach to my belt. If I ever go on longer trails, or want to cache in the rain I know I need an upgrade, but if you have a nuvi and you're just starting out it will help get you experience for free.

My main frustration is the many broken rules I find that I say nothing about because I don't know who to tell. Maybe I'm just a prude, but I don't like finding caches with ants in them because someone decided to put candy/cookies in them. Or when cache owners are repeatedly told that their cache contents got nasty and they don't do anything about it--including warning people. Or like a cache that hasn't been found since August of last year, and when I requested a check on it, I got a response talking down to me.....and still no check! There should be a flag/report button on pages, and if there already is, it should be made more visible! *sighs* Sorry for venting, but the door was open..... At first I felt that way too. but if people use the size listing on the cache page properly it's not necessary. That would make the game a lot easier, and I like the challenge. Micros can be the toughest because they can be easily camoed and come in many shapes and sizes. This is a great micro near me. I believe it would be impossible without the hint, and even then you have to decode the hint http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...34-80bcbd63bf7a The thing that frustrates me the most is cryptic puzzles. I've solved a few that are straight forward. I feel when I get some extra time, I may be able to crack them, and with experience I'll get better.

Good place to start is the Getting Started forum, and more specifically the FAQ thread. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=8749 That should be very helpful. If you have more specific questions after reading that, then ask here (for questions specific to the south and fla caching) or on the getting started forum (which is seen by more people and will get more and quicker responses).

So it sounds like this hobby may not be for you. The things you said weren't fun is actually what makes this really fun. First the coords should get you in a close range, but from there you have to think. A camoed pill bottle (which could be a small aspirin bottle to a large vitamin bottle) in the woods is great. It's difficult to find, in a beautiful setting (esp on the side of a lake), and you don't have to worry about people watching you. My first try (actually first 2) wasn't successful, but it just made me try harder. I had mixed up a couple descriptions and thought I was searching for an ammo can by a stream under a pine tree, but was really looking for a pill bottle (a large one) that was camoed and hung in a tree. My coords led me to the right area, but I had to stop think about the title. I started look at eye level and not on the ground. After 5 minutes or so I spotted it. After that I went paperless so everything I need (description, size, difficulty, the hint, and logs) is on my nuvi. I'd say give it another chance, if you don't like the woods find the nearest city and it will be full of lamppost hides, and magnetic hide-a-keys on guardrails. Look at the ratings, read the FAQ's, and how to seek a cache.

I too am considering doing a series that when put together will yield the coords to a great cache. (Mine will be about math). I think if someone logs a proper find and forgets/loses/can't read the 'secret number' you could email them with that piece of info. Also if one goes missing, just inform hunters to complete the other 19 active caches and you'll give them the missing info.

Where's Waldo

I haven't made a TB yet, but have picked up a few. 2 out of the 3 had no mission card so I didn't know which way they were going till I got home. But I figure a responsible person that at least logs it and moves it to the best of their ability is better than letting it sit around waiting to get stolen. I meant to print off a mission card for one that I dropped today, but didn't get around to it so I just mentioned it in my visit log.

Well I had no idea. I was going off the other most recent logs. I want to start hiding some once I hit 100, and see your perspective. I think I'll spend the next hour editing all my logs. Thanks for the tip!

My grandmother got me one for Christmas. I tried it out for a few small runs. It worked well so I upgraded to a premium membership, so I could go paperless. Sometimes the area is off, but a majority of my runs are out in the woods, in the small towns. It has some problems locating a satellite once in awhile, but I think that is more due to my location. I made my biggest run today probably going to 30 locations, and had no major issues. I would love to upgrade one day to an Oregon or something made for caching, but I'm a teacher and right now this works fine. P.S. I use and old camera case that I can strap around my waist or on my belt if I have to take it on a hike to prevent dropping it and getting wet.