Wogus!

Thanks for that post. That's some reassuring information. Interesting. Just doing some round averaging it sounds like I can expect 10 hours or so, on a decent set of rechargables. I wouldn't call that grand, but then again, I think I've been spoiled by the 20+ hours I get from my Legend. I'm hoping that the PN-30 might last a little longer than the '40 since the '30 lacks the eCompass and altimeter. Either way, with a spare set of batteries on hand it sounds like I should be good to go. I never leave the house on a hike without two spare sets anyway so... Yeah. Now if Amazon would just freaking SHIP the thing, I'd be all happy-camper. Once I have the '30 in my hand I'll do some side-by-side testing just for fun.

Coffeeville? Say hi to my buds in Olathe, would you? I grew up in Overland Park. /Please, for the love of GAWD, send barbequed ribs (beef or pork I don't CARE), chicken, beans (with burnt ends please), STAT!!! Conditional Emergency: Entire state of California confused by "grilling" vs. barbeque. Don't know how much longer I can hang on. You... You may be my only hope!

Not yet... (Letting my budget needs to catch its breath!) Excellent information. The $30 "all you can eat" plan is looking mighty good and the pics of those maps? ohmygosh!!! So wweet... Still, you all are right, I'll hold on to my trusty Legend for a while, but I'm getting pretty amped about my new toy. This is quite a step up. Ugh... The dreaded "Double Post". Blame the server's 45-sec time-out error...

Double-Post deletion...

*COUGH* Uh... No. Not... Not at all. No sir. No fascination with all things map-related here. In all seriousness, thanks for the input!

Ahhh... Okay. Roger that. I can work with that, but it's good to know. Also, see my edit above? I have a 16GB memory card... That'll hold lots of maps, yes? I can get a 32GB card, but I have some 16's lying about now, so... Your thought's?

Well my "package deal" included the DeLorme Power Pack and that comes with one of the preferred Li-Ion battery packs (I really liked the idea of being able to charge things up from the car's cig lighter). I am assuming the charger that connects to the cigarette lighter will re-charge batteries, correct? Not just power the device itself but recharge the batteries that are IN the unit? Does that work with only the DeLorme Li-Ion battery pack or will it recharge my NiMH batteries as well? No matter either way, I'm just curious at this point since it sort of came up. I ask because I have several NiMH rechargables that I use for lots of things around the house that have proven VERY good and long lasting in devices. So one plan could be to keep things "topped off" with the car charger using the "official" Li-Ion battery pack and then, if I need to, I can swap for a set of my known-good NiMH's. And if the NiMH's I have now prove compatible (and there's no reason they shouldn't be) I'll probably switch to them full time. It's hard to beat a good 2700mA NiMH but I'm open to suggestions. Thanks for the input, this is most helpful. Whoops... One MORE question. Heh... I have a 16GB memory card lying around that will fit the PN-30. Is 16GB enough room for a decent supply of maps? Subjective phrase, "decent supply", I know, but give it your best shot, eh?

Thanks, and will do... I'm hoping for great things. Awesome linkage... Thank you! I've bookmarked your profile, because I do anticipate selling off old reliable at some point, assuming the new kid and I get along. If you're still interested in my Legend in, say, a couple weeks or so, I'm sure we can come to terms. Thanks for all the replies... Looking forward to going paperless at last.

Ack! After days of consideration, post-reading and hesitation, I just placed the order for a brand spanking new DeLorme PN-30 (in RealTree camo (LOL)) from Amazon. They offer the unit, the Power Pack and a carrying case, all of it taxed and shipped... For $277. I'm not sorry I did it, but how am I going to say goodbye to my trusty, dependable, always-been-there, saved my stupid arse more times than I count eTrex Legend HCx??? Please, PN-30 users out there... Regale me with stories of how wonderful life is going to be with my new unit. I have to say, I was swayed heavily by the variety of maps available and the how much comes "in the box". I'm concerned about one thing only: I've been spoiled by the battery life of my Legend (20 hours plus on a set of NiMH 2700a rechargeables). I went with the PN-30 over the 40 because I could care less about an altimeter and I live and die by my magnetic compass as it is now. I figured this helps save not only a few bucks but also battery life, correct? What kind of usage can I expect from a good set of NiMH batteries in the PN-30? I carry spares, of course, but I'm curious if I'll be able to do a dawn to dusk day-hike without having to switch to the spare set. And please, people, it's a done deal, so lets not hash Garmin vs. DeLorme vs. whatever... It's too early and too Monday for that. Thanks in advance.

What sort of video card/integrated video chipset is the problematic PC using and are the video drivers for it up to date?

I always run fresh ammo cans through the dishwasher once before sanding off the mil-specs and repainting it. The cans come out looking great and there's no fuss, no muss, no bother. And before anyone asks, Cascade (lemon-scented) is my first choice with ELECTRASOL (or Finish or whatever they're calling it now) a very close second. Seriously though, the dishwasher, it works like a charm.

Well, uh... I guess I always cache under the assumption that the cache, and by extension its location, was my choice... So no, I've never been struck by the idea that I have no idea what I'm doing at a "boring" GZ. I choose my cache hunts carefully, however, and have a pretty good idea what to expect well before I leave the house; whether it be a quick one over my lunch hour at work, or a half-day on a weekend to do, say, an interesting Earth Cache or some such. I also typically appreciate that someone has placed the cache period, so no, I've never left a "grumpy" log entry. Sorry, I'm just not seeing where you're coming from on this. But maybe that's just me. I'm a pretty happy-go-lucky sort of guy.

CITO, when used by a geocacher typically means "Cache In Trash Out". Can't really tell you anything about the history of your found cache however.

If you're interested in shopping for them online, Army Surplus Warehouse is the best online source I've found for ammo cans because they don't charge sales tax or screw you on the shipping. .50 cal cans are $10 and .30 cal cans are $7. I'm in California and I regularly get orders within 2-3 days via UPS. The cans I've gotten from ASW have all been in very good condition with excellent gaskets. Dirty often times, but take the lids off, run them through the dishwasher (yeah, seriously) and, voila; they sparkle about as much as OD green ever will. Ammo Cans Galore at Army Surplus Warehouse Do yourself a favor, though, and don't uh... don't mention my name. <cough>

If I know I'm going to be hiking the deep back country, I put a sign on my fridge with my parking and destination coords and my date of departure. If I don't show up at my office some Monday morning, I figure by Thursday or Friday the work will have piled up sufficiently to warrant breaking down my door so I can either A) get rescued from whatever perilous situation I've managed to get myself into, or have whatever is left of my mortal remains collected. Hopefully the former but you never know.

LOL... My assurances to the contrary. Sometimes I simply crave a fresh start. That being said, if someone finds fault with my container assessment post, or has other thought's on the topic, please, let's discuss! Jupiter Jack is all ears... Also, if my previous post/s come off as trying to sound... authoritative, allow me to say that I'm only expressing my own opinion, based on my own experience, and I certainly don't claim any degree of authority on the topic beyond that! I'm all in good fun, all the time. <--- See? /that IS a well-done sock puppet though!

You assume correctly.

I've been using my Legend HCx for months now and the only thing I wish it had was some kind of paperless option for GC'ing. Not that I need it so much -- when I head out to go GC'ing I just plug-in the coords and off I go -- but I keep thinking it would be really nice to have. Then too, I consider myself a casual geocacher and a hard-core hiker/backpacker; I'm often 10-20 miles off-trail on a good weekend hike. The Vista is everything my Legend is plus the Electronic Compass and, I think, the Altimeter. My Legend has suffered some significant abuse (I don't pamper my electronics like some people) has amazing (to me) battery life and, again, does everything I want it to do. I thought about the 60 CSx but I love how small and round my Legend is. If you want something rugged and basic I'd say the Vista would be an awesome unit, especially for the price. If you're leaning toward something more fully-featured, and don't mind shelling out the bucks for those features, then 60 CSx is the way to go. Hopefully something there proves helpful...

Otter Boxes/Pelican Cases make superb containers yes. The reason I don't put them on my list is because they are so expensive. Since I don't hide Micro or Small caches, personally, I'd be looking at $20+ easy for a decent-sized Otter Box, more for a Pelican Case of the same size. I can get three .30 cal ammo cans for that kind of outlay. If cost is not a consideration then yes, I would put Pelican Cases right up with actual GI ammo cans. Otter boxes would be right there as well but given the choice, I'd take a Pelican Case over an Otter Box, all other things being equal. However, for me, cost IS a consideration and that's why I don't list either Pelican Cases or Otter Boxes. I wouldn't be at all ticked-off if my $7 ammo can got toasted in a wildfire (quite probable here in S. California) but seeing a nice $35 Pelican Case melt into the surrounding back country might just bring a tear to my eye. There's a place for Pelican Cases in my life (like transporting my highly customized target pistol), but GZ for my latest and greatest cache is not one of them. Just my two-cent's.

In my experience, generally speaking (and I mean generally) this is how it breaks down: Undisputed First Place: The .30 (or .50) Cal Ammo Can Legendary durability. Cheap. Very camouflage-able. Great capacity. About as water tight as you can hope for, assuming your chosen can isn't a total rust bucket, average intelligence of the operator and a willingness to cooperate with the design (read: close the thing the way it was intended to be closed). Simply put, the Undisputed King of the Geocache Container Universe. The only perceived drawbacks I can think of are: 1. They are not transparent (and some GZ's absolutely require a transparent container for perceived safety/security/anti-Bomb Squad reasons) and 2. The limited number of sizes available makes them unsuitable for some, particularly more urban, GZ's. Still, all things considered, and solely in my opinion, there simply is NO better container. All hail the King! Second Place: Lock 'n' Lock Containers (Accept no substitutes (This means no Gladware, Rubbermaid orrrr Tupperware!)) Light, cheap, transparent and pretty much watertight (assuming average intelligence and a willingness to cooperate with the design) under normal circumstances (whatever those are). The plastic "ammo can". Only dethroned by a true .30/.50 cal ammo can and has the advantage of having many different shapes and sizes allowing it to potentially go where no true ammo can... can (go). Third Place: Nalgene Straight Jars/Nalgene Wide Mouth Water Bottles Pretty much neck-and-neck with Lock 'n' Locks and for all the same reasons. Beyond this I think we're getting into Micro Cache territory... And I hate Micros.

I've run across two caches that used Altoids tins. Both were in sad shape, generally speaking (referring to the containers and the log books, not the quality of the enclosed swag). And this is in S. California where we've had drought conditions for... oh, about the past decade. My suggestion: Just don't use them; they were never designed to resist the forces of Mother Nature, are not even remotely water-tight and are just plain flimsy right from the start. A quality cache starts with a quality container.

Derrrr... That's what I get for posting while still working on my first cup of coffee.

Well if you want to spend the kind of money you spent for your PN-40 again, you're going to get a lot of suggestions for the Garmin GCSx 60; one of, if not THE "benchmark" GPS units (~$300 on Amazon dot com). At the lower end of the spectrum you have the Garmin Vista HCx for around $200 or less if you want to shop around a bit. This seems to be the lowest-end unit most people would suggest for caching. Personally I use a Garmin Legend HCx, which is even more basic than the Vista, but it does the two things I want my GPS to do: It keeps me from getting lost in the back country, and it gets me within 20' or so of the cache I'm looking for. What to suggest depends on what you want out of your GPS and how much you want to spend. You don't address either in your OP so it's hard to give specific advice.

As requested by PM (by a party or parties who wish to remain anonymous) I present now, for your esteemed consideration, completely unedited pictures (except for some resizing) of the stuffed gorilla driving the (circa 1919) Ford Model-T that I found while doing a cache hunt as mentioned in my previous post. The white building, or structure, you see to the right in the first pic is a whole story unto itself... But without further adieu, allow me to present Gorilla Driving Ford Model-T: First, from a distance... Aaaaaand a closeup of our driver: .

I put a screen protector on my unit and if it's not in my hand then it got tossed in my caching bag -- which is just a canvas, general-purpose tool bag from my local Army/Navy Surplus store. But then I've never been one to fret over my e-gadgets getting the occasional ding. Lanyards are for you sidearm and little else, IMO.