alexan44

Thank all of you so much for your info and encouragement. I did send the cache in for review and it got accepted! Can't wait for the FTF's note to see if it was fun and interesting. I always look to you experienced folks to help me with these kinds of questions, and once again you all came through with flying colors! Thanks again! Liz

I have a new found friend that is president of our local Genealogy Chapter that is located in a registered historical building. We have placed a cache within the building, but before I submit it I want to make sure that this falls within the guidelines. I don't know if since one has to enter the building to find the cache if that would be considered promoting an agenda of some type. I thought since this is much like a library and there are a huge number of library caches out there it would probably be acceptable, but had to ask before I embarrassed myself by submitting it for review and getting turned down. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Liz

It's a strange game indeed. Ever since I got started in this hobby I look at everything in a different way. I think to myself...what a cool place for a cache! I then either check with the property owner to see if I can place one there or run home and see what permissions are needed. If you've found a great spot and have obtained any permissions then I say GO FOR IT! I love seeing that someone has found my hides. I think the next best thing to finding a geocache is having someone find yours. Especially that FTF!

I got mine at Cabela's. Check out cabelas.com. Item #QZ-416062. $7.99/roll.

I'm soooo excited! Got my Palm M505 today and it really and truly works with GSAK and Cachemate! Now I can leave those heavy binders behind! Won this unit on EBay for around $30.00 and figure that since I no longer have to carry around that big ole bag it's well worth the money! Seems that here lately I've not had time (due to work and other commitments) to do any geocaching. Now that I'm "paperless" it will be sooooo much easier. Can't wait to hit the road on Monday with my new PDA in tow! Yep, GSAK is $25.00 and Cachemate is $10.00 but as far as I'm concerned both programs are well worth the money. Happy Hunting and Good Luck to all my geocaching friends! alexan44 (Liz)

Not that long at this “game” but I take: (and not necessarily in this order) • H2O bottle. • Swag bag (filled with Dollar Store items…just in case). If you take something you need to leave something of equal of greater value. • Gardening gloves. • Garmin E-trex Venture HC. “Remember to “track back”! • Bug repellant (I like Deepwoods OFF and Permithrin). I treat my clothes with the Permithrin and let them dry well before donning them. • Keys to the truck…(yes, it is easy to forget them and lock them in, but the keypad unlock sure is handy)…just an experience kind of thing. • Flashlight. It may be light when you start out, but I promise you will become distracted if you are really searching hard and you might not make it back before dark. • Walking stick/monopod combination for poking around caches that are well hidden. • Camera, in case you need to submit a pic to prove you’ve found the cache (i.e benchmarks, etc). A cheap Wal-mart version will do just fine. • Printed sheets of the caches that I’m seeking. Can’t wait to go paperless as I have a PDA coming soon via Ebay. • A good ole fashion compass…just in case. • Cell phone…like it does any good in most of the places around here since the connectivity is so poor…but you never know… • Extra pens/pencils…to replace bad pens/pencils in caches and they always seem to run out at the most inopportune times. • Extra batteries…I use rechargeables mostly, but keep about a dozen non-rechargeables in my pack “just in case”. Enjoy the Find! Liz

I've tried searching the forums for PDA, but I keep getting the message "One or all of your search keywords were below 5 characters or you searched for words which are not allowed" so I'm just gonna ask about it here. I'm currently carrying in my geocaching bag a 2" three ring binder in which I have all of my "seeks" filed in order of their proximity to my home coordinates. So far there are over 200 of them so you can imagine how much paper and ink I've used printing out these pages. I'm desperate to go paperless and would love to find a PDA that is under $100 and that is compatible with GSAK so I can store not only the coordinates, but also the full text of the description including decrypted hints. I'm relatively new to this game and am so far loving it, but it sure would be nice not to have to carry that cumbersome binder with me on all of my searches...and yes, I do pull out only the pages that I will need for what I'm looking for, but it's still a pain to juggle the E-trex,the pages, and all the goodies in the bag and still look halfway inconspicuous. Liz

Excellent idea!!! I just printed out a really cool picture that shows all three. I'm gonna laminate it and pop it in my geocaching bag because quite frankly...I'm Tired Of Itching! Liz

I’ m relatively new to the game of geocaching, but this is what I’ve learned so far… 1. Always bring your own pen/pencil (BYOP) since many Geocaches, especially the Micros, will not contain these. 2. Don’t rely too heavily on your handheld GPS to get you to Ground Zero (GZ). No matter how great your handheld GPS is you can still be off from your find by as many as 50+ feet if you are under clouded skies or heavy tree and/or buildings. 3. When you get to a cache site start thinking like a “Hider” instead of a “Seeker”. Look for trampled areas that appear like someone has been there before you. If you are a deer hunter you look for “deer runs”…same thing with Geocaching – look for “Geocaching runs”. Look for other obvious signs like trampled vegetation and brush or rock piles that may seem “out of place”. 4. Carry with you “goodies” to place in containers that you find. My “Goodie Bag” contains dollar store items (i.e. toys) CITO containers, and new log books with pens/pencils (in case the originals are soaked or missing entirely). If you take something from a cache you should leave something of equal or greater value. 5. Don’t be sooooo disappointed if you don’t find the cache on your first try. Sometimes the owner of the cache will put in coordinates that are slightly “off” to make the find a little harder and not all GPS devices are exactly “tuned” to the “hiders” GPS devise. (Example: Garmin uses a different mapping server than Magellan does.) 6. Carry “bug spray” with you. I love Deep-Woods Off and also use Repel Permethrin (lasts up to several weeks after you’ve treated your clothes even after several washings). JUST BE SURE YOU DON’T SPRAY PERMETHRIN ON YOUR SKIN! READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY! 7. If you hide a cache be sure that it’s in a water resistant container. There is nothing more frustrating than to find a cache with an inch or so of water in it that you have to dump out in order to sign the logbook (if it’s salvageable at all). 8. If you hide a cache in an area that is protected (i.e. private property, city parks, Army Corps of Engineers land, or Department of Conservation land, etc) make sure you have permission from the powers that be (PTB) before placing the cache. 9. Remember…It’s Just a Game! Yes, that First to Find (FTF) is an exhilarating experience…but just finding the cache at all is a high point in the geocaching hobby. 10. HAVE FUN! Liz

Hey Lex! I'm new to this game too and started out with a Garmin Nuvi 855. I worried that my expensive GPS would get wet, or worse, totally trashed while in the woods and I invested in the Garmin E-trex Venture HC ($119 through Bass Pro Shops). I couldn't have made a better investment. Yes, it has become an addiction. I can hardly wait to find my next cache, and the E-trex is the best thing since sliced bread that I could possibly hope for. Use your Nuvi to get you close to GZ and then pull out your handheld (whatever you may choose) to zoom in on the cache. Happy Hunting! Liz

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...to use brand new pill bottles to hold empty plastic bags and a non-latex glove for trash pickup? In my profession I have access to literally tons of these, but since I'm so new to the hobby I don't want to do anything that might be frowned upon. I would place one of these containers, labeled CITO, in each geocache that I leave and that I find (as long as it would fit) in order to promote the philosophy of geocaching. Just want to know if it's okay. Liz

I've been bitten by the GPS bug and recently purchased a Garmin Nuvi 855. I fell in love with this model because of it's "hands free" capability. Ever since reading about geocaching on the Garmin site I've been trying to find local caches, but to this point have had no success even when I'm in Pedestrian mode. I'm really good at following directions and have only tried a couple so far but I'm wondering if the accuracy of the Nuvi 855 is sufficient for finding caches. I usually have all satellites locked in and have an accuracy of about 10-15 feet showing at best. Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance! alexan44