RobAtSGH

The larger part is an adapter that allows the micro-SD card to fit into a standard SD slot on a memory card reader. As far as types, you really can't go wrong. For size - what kind of maps, and how many are you loading? Topo maps don't take up a lot of memory (you can cram quite a bit onto a 512MB or 1GB card), but CityNavigator maps with routing data and a POI database will be much, much larger. How much map data do you need to tote around with you in the field, and how infrequently would you care to load that data. If your unit isn't going to be used for auto-routing navigation, and your caching is confined to a few well-defined areas, then you don't need a big memory card. If you travel a lot and cache in various far-flung geographic locations, you may want to load a larger topo map set that covers a large swath of landscape or many individual areas. For example, the complete USGS 1:100,000 topo maps for MD, VA, DE, WV, and a small bit of NJ fit into 64MB.

Arrrrrr....

I think I've hit upon something. I've got this hiking staff with a threaded stud for a camera socket... I'll just get a piece of heavy-gauge sheet metal, drill a hole for the monopod stud, screw the cork knob down on top of it, and magnet-mount the antenna to it. I might even throw in a couple right-angle bends so that the antenna clears the top of the staff. I can then 1) use the length of the staff to get some additional elevation to clear ground obstacles, 2) remove the rig any time I want, and 3) stake the staff into the ground and use it as a steady platform for holding the antenna still in bad signal locations. I stole the idea from telescope motor mounting plates.

I've already delurked in a few other locations, but I guess I'll make it formal here. I'm new to the geocaching thing, but I've been an avid hiker on and off over the years. Right now, I'm sitting back and soaking up all the Lore. I pitch in to the discussion when I have specific equipment knowledge.

The MM2 comes with a mounting plate. I was planning on attaching the velcro to the plate, and then magnet-mounting the antenna to the now-velcroed plate. But you know, I'll probably just end up farting around with it in the field to find out what works. I really don't want a hat with cables coming out the back.

If there's one piece of hiking equipment you do not want to skimp on, it's your footwear. I had similar problems - numbness and pain after every hike. What helped for me was getting out of sneakers. Basketball shoes, cross-trainers, and tennis shoes have no place on a trail if you're more than a casual walker, and you care about your feet. They usually lack one or several performance characteristics which help prevent strain and injury in technical terrain. Go to REI or similar conscientious outdoors shop and have yourself fitted for some boots. Note that I said boots, and not "hiking shoes". If you're already susceptible to foot problems, you're going to want as much protection as you can get. A properly performing hiking boot will have several desirable properties. First, the toe box will be firm, but not constraining/pinching. You don't want to be able to slide around too much, but you don't want painful corns, spurs, and callusses either. Pick a boot that is lightly and firmly padded at the widest part of the foot. Second, the boot will provide semi-rigid heel support. Find a boot that cups your heel and holds it in position. Boots with replaceable insoles are the best, as you can shop for or have made an insole that supports each foot properly. Third, the sole will be more rigid than a cross trainer shoe or sneaker. This is the vital bit for those prone to tendonitis or faciitis. Soft, flexible rubber soles allow the foot to hyper-flex on steep grades and climbs. This was my biggest problem. Holy moley would my feet cry after a climb. A thicker, more substantial sole eliminated the problem. Fourth, ankle support. If you tend to pronate or suppinate, or your ankles roll over in uneven terrain, this is very important. Keeping the weight of your body distributed correctly on the bearing surfaces of the joints goes a LONG way to reducing stress on the ligaments and tendons. The more out-of-line the joint, the more force the tendon needs to exert to keep things together. I was borderline for surgery to correct tarsal ligament injuries and hallux rigidus (extreme turf-toe), both due to hyperflexion and my pronation problems. All along, it was crappy shoes that were the problem. Getting into a properly sized and fit pair of half-boots was all it took to correct nearly all of my problems. I'm new to the caching thing, but I've got plenty experience with hiking and foot/knee problems. You might also want to consider a hiking staff or trekking poles to help distribute some weight to a third/fourth set of points and give you something to push against besides your feet on climbs.

I've just received a Tri-M Mighty Mouse II amplified antenna. I'm leaning toward velcroing it to the top of my daypack, so that I can store the excess cable in the main zippered compartment. Any drawbacks to this method that anyone can think of? If you use an external antenna in the field, where do you keep it?

Some battery-life hints: In bright outdoors and full sun, turn off the backlight. It does little more than drain power in that situation. In areas with good signal, go into the GPS preferrences screen and turn "Power Save" on and "WAAS Enable" off. This changes the position update from 1 sec. to 5 secs. Both of these will extend your runtime out several hours on the internal battery (2 1/2 hours worth of field time drained my battery about 1/3 of a full charge). If you're going to be using the unit in GPS mode for an extended period without charging, look at an external battery pack. There are a few low-profile versions that can be loaded with lithium rechargeables and are fairly inexpensive. Agreed that it is much more fragile, though. I'd definitely consider a Pelican 1040 case with foam liner for storage on any long-term trip, and won't be using mine in any sort of inclement weather.

Two words: Garmin iQue. GPS, Palm apps, full US street maps, routing, and available topo from Nat'l Geographic (state mapsets and PocketTOPO! software). All in a nice, neat package for a street price of around $550. I've seen it as low as $470 for the basic kit (no auto accessories). Add an extended-run battery pack for $25 or so and an amplified antenna (I like my Mighty Mouse II ultra-low-current model) for $60, and you're prepared for just about anything. With release 3 of the Garmin software, almost all of the kinks have been worked out (very stable - there are only a couple odd interface niceties that could be taken care of). I'm lost without my iQue!

The problem isn't that the map sizes are different from one GPS unit to the other, or that one version of MapSource generates different files from the other. The problem's that the iQue 2.02 release's included version of the map installer mis-calculates the file size in the chooser display. If the OP updates the map install wizard to 2.5, the size calculation bug is fixed there. Selecting the entire NYC area correctly shows a total size of about 56 meg.