3isamagic#

how do I do this?

My caching buddy Jpod and I get together and cache, but we seem to be missing some steps on how to plan a day of caching. Here is what we currently do. First we decide on an area that neither of us has many smilies in. Then we create a bookmark based on fav points, recent finds, cache size etc. Both load to our gps and then.... we spend the day saying.... "How do people find so many in one day?" "oh, we are backtracking again, we should have got this one earlier" "maybe we should plan our route next time" So how do you plan your day???

Tutorial and help (for those of us not quite friends with gpsr)

I was out in our area caching with my kids and it lead us to a very active cemetary (there was a funeral set up but not happening). We talked about behavior and since they are teens, we went in. We stayed on the path and all felt ok (respectful, quiet, serious) until we got to the actual cache where it required you to walk into the middle of the cemetary (I never know where to walk....across someone else's grave?) and the cache was IN THE FLOWER VASE ON GRANDMA'S GRAVE!!! We stayed on the path, took a vote and decided not to get that smiley. Great moment to talk about respect. Yes, the Cache Owner might want geocachers there, maybe grandma was a hoot and a cacher, but what about the other families grieving??

Sometimes mine does the same thing (Garmin Colorado 300). It helps if I go outside and walk a little. Interested to see what the others in this forum advise.

Weird. How long since you did a hard reset? I have two Colorado 300s and use all sorts of brands of batteries. I never have any problem getting over 10 hours until the batteries reach the end or their lives. just when I thought I understood this unit....I need to tell it what kind of batteries I am using??how??

ok, Thank you everyone. I dug out all our paperwork from when we first got the unit and guess what? WE had a map program. After hours and hours of fighting with the program and the garmin, I discovered that in order to load the maps, you first have to hit a little button that looks like a wing. Then you can load the maps you need!! So now it is updated (downloads from Garmin), maps installed, and I feel much more confident with it. Thank you all for your suggestions. At the very least, if I end up upgrading, I can use this as a second unit. I will let you know how it does in the field....if it ever stops raining.....

so your advise is to upgrade? Maps look complicated. Do explorists come with preloaded street maps?

Please help. I was given a Colorado 300 when it first came out and have been using it to geocache. For years I have left all the features alone and just geocached. For the most part I love it, but it doesn't seem very intuative. Everything was great until my caching buddy bought an Explorist 500. GPS envy (and the fact that she gets to the cache more acurately) has caused me to wonder if it is time to upgrade my unit or just learn to speak Garmin. So I dove into the machine and poked around. I think I like what I found (turn by turn instead of as the crow flies, how to mark where I put the car, etc) but I am confused at some of the features. I called Garmin but they are short staffed because of some kind of blizzad (hmmmph). Maybe someone out there can walk me through a couple of questions. 1-I have an sd card with maps for North America. Works great for near my house but when I go to Canada...no streets. I looked at a map download for Canada and it is 200 dollars!!!! I could just buy a new unit for that money 2- There is an image gallery. But it doesn't take photos...what is the gallery for? 3-When I get to about 30 feet from the cache, it starts to change its mind. This way, no, back that way...over there, no back that way 50 feet. My friend goes right to within 20 feet and many times I am off searching the wrong area. Maybe I am doing something wrong. Maybe I need a new unit?? Please advise as if you are explaining to a newbie....funny, I work my phone and computer just fine, but this Garmin...not so much.

How do I "check the specs" I called Magellan and you were right. Thanks!

How do I "check the specs"

My daughter has saved her babysitting money and wants to spend about 50-60 dollars on a gps unit for when she geocaches with me. I have a Garmin Colorado (love it!). I found a Magellan Triton 500 for $60 on Craig'slist. All she wants to be able to do is read the description, the hint and find her way to the cache. My unit would be our main gps, but she is tired of looking over my shoulder for the info. Any thoughts?

Looks cool. Sorry, I haven't tried this yet. Interesting to see what others have found

Just when I thought the game couldn't get any more addicting and fun.....BAM! We rushed out late at night to be the first to find!!!! So much fun!!!

I would like to add that beginners have more luck when they know the cache is there. If I am taking out beginners or my kids, I only search for ones that have been found recently. When we get frustrated, we can tell ourselves, "Well, it was found last week so it has to be here somewhere". Another hint is to go with another person. If their GPS says "here" and your GPS says "20 ft that way" , you can search a little differently. Good luck!! Keep trying!

I went to Victoria, Canada last summer and introduced a friend to geocaching. We had a blast!

thanks for the suggestions....nothing is working. We are headed out on an old pq....better than nothing.

Is anyone else having troubles with pqs? I have a pq but it won't generate. It says "last generated never" We are running out of daylight and a big storm is coming...must geocache!!! help!

Geocaching: It's how fat people get sports injuries in the woods (Said after three weeks recovering from a torn ligament trying to hop over a log in the forest) Dr: "How did you hurt your knee??" Me: "Have you ever heard of geocaching?" Dr: "Geo...what?" Me: "I was out hiking"

Thanks everyone!! We decided to stick with our cache theme (Bear encounter). FTF will be a bear bell. If ftf wants it, great. If not, then it enhances the cache. Thank you for all your comments. I am very nervous about our first hide, but I think we have a good container and a good spot. I was encouraged recently at a meet and greet to get out and hide one because our geoname starts with a 3. Can't be that hard right????

ok....we have found over 150 caches. We are ready to hide our first cache. We have found the perfect place, thought up cute info, practiced setting waypoints, created a cammoed cache, gathered swag, found a small notebook and pen..... but what about the FTF??? I see things about coins, but honestly....is there another option? I have seen some caches that mention "a dollar for FTF", but I don't want to start off by being a lame cache. suggestions?

I prefer not to go alone, but my family hates gc. I usually take the GeoBox with me (see profile pic) and he loves it. When he is not available, Jpod is a blast to cache with.

I was following my GPS through a park in my city that I had never been to. It was much bigger than I had ever thought and was down in a wooded ravine with my three kids. The kids were singing at the top of their lungs enjoying the sense of isolation and the echo. I was closing in on ground zero and started to look around. Hmm...that's funny, that tree almost looks at if it were placed like a table....must be some kids making a fort or something. Wait...that one over there looks like a....campsite.... I looked up to the top of the ravine to see we were surrounded. There were people ducking behind trees and peering out like an old cowboys and Indians movie. We had somehow stumbled into a homeless camp! I began thinking about how isolated we were and how much my gps was worth. I thought about how no one knew exactly where we were since we had parked and hiked in. I turned us around and convinced the kids to give up the search and hike back out. Yikes!! We never went back for the smiley, but I am ok with that one. We did however get a boxer pup who now accompanys me on my journeys. He goes nuts when I get my gps stuff out. I feel much more secure with the GeoBox with me.

got it, thanks!

Can someone please tell me why some of the traditional caches are on the map as a circle and some are a square??