G & C

A lot of pilots I know and fly with use bad elf with their iPads. I don't know if the bad elf units for the iPad are much different than those for the iPhone, but I've yet to hear anything bad about them. They aren't usable for navigational purposes (legally, anyway) while in the cockpit, but certainly for reference on a jet chart or approach plate, it does the job. I've only seen it in action once, and it was pretty cool, but when you're talking about a small jet moving at 450 knots, 30' of accuracy isn't really a huge deal like it would be for finding geocaches.

I am happily autorouting on my Dakota 20 with the free Open Street Maps: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ Awesome. Thanks for the heads up on that.

I really like my Dakota 20. It's small and light, easy to use, and rugged. If I'm carrying a camera with me in the backcountry, it's my GPS. There is no picture viewing option on the Dakota 20 that I'm aware of. PQs will show the last 5 logs, that's it. Free maps are enough for me for geocaching here in the states, your mileage may vary across the pond. I do, however, use Garmin maps so I can autoroute, which you can't do with any free maps that I've used.

I have already, just not through GC or my webstore... yet ~J So... you've done a presale, but not everyone has a chance to get one. Awesome.

It's a fun little twist when it's made available. I've only found one chirp enabled cache, and have two out there. I also have another chirp in my car that transmits my cars tracking number for discover by geocachers, people seem to get a kick out of that.

Well, ok Bert. But this is REALLY gonna sting... One of my more popular trackables isn't tangible at all. You literally can't touch it. It's a Garmin Chirp that's in my car. I've yet to hear any complaints about it.

Simply put: I find them boring an stopped moving and logging them ... Again, what´s the sense behind logging, for example on a Stargate Coin Site, when the real coin is in some Collection and all others get to see a blank piece of aluminum? IMO a cache should be some kind of "treasurechest" with some sort of "preacious" things to find in there. The reality sadly is that the find itself is the only excitement, 90% of the "swag" (at least in my area) is broken plastic figure crap. There´s way more excitement about finding a real coin ... If a coin gets lost, why don´t let it die? What´s gone is gone. Sad but true. What´s the excitement of bringing a copy on the road continuing a travel it hasen´t done? In the end, sure, do what you like. Really. I just wondered and wanted to know what people think about it. Not more not less. And I wouldn´t quit caching because of this. Also I got three stunning coins at home, which I never will send out. And I never would activate them. Why should I, when they never leave my home? They´re no Travel items anymore. They´re collected. One of them I bought twice, one to keep an one to let go. People should be able to find precious things. Just for the wow effect ... That´s all I´m saying. You've got a weird double standard with your desire only to see real coins, yet not being willing to set free your own. I hope you see that. When I buy a trackable, I'm more interested in the tracking number and the ability to share that number. The medium through which I do it is usually secondary. If I share that number with you, you get proof of it through your trackables history page, and that's the mark that I enjoy leaving. Almost as much as I enjoy the mark that you leave on my trackables history page. All of this being said, I've never released a proxy coin. I've always released the actual coins. But I think it shows an odd sense of entitlement for you to be so judgmental towards people for not sending out trackables in the form that you wish to see them in. Nobody HAS to send out anything, and we should all be grateful for the fact that anyone sends out anything that cost them upwards of $10, expecting nothing in return, even if it is just a copy. Would you honestly prefer no trackables over proxies?

You wouldn't have gone wrong with any of the GPS units you listed there. All are great units.

Another thing: I'm getting dangerously close to 1k trackables moved/discovered. And I've seen MAYBE 20-25 proxies that I can recall. That is a ridiculously small percentage with all things considered. I tend to think that this is not nearly the problem that others tend to make it out to be. It just isn't that big of a deal.

What a narrow sighted viewpoint that is... What must you think of those who don't buy trackables at all?

I too am interested in the replies to this.

Simply put: it's none of your business what I do with the trackables that I purchase. If you don't like proxies, leave them be. I'll do as I please with my purchase, and don't care much to hear whining about it if it displeases people who have never bothered to send out hundreds of dollars worth of coins with nothing but a long list of theft to show for it. I don't mean to call the OP out, but he's got 4 trackables on his seen list. How often can proxy sightings possibly be happening to him?

This hasn't been my experience. I leave mine on at all times, and I've noticed no significant change in battery life from my rechargeables at all from when I didn't leave it on. I have a couple of Chirps out there, and maybe it's just where I have them, but if you're anywhere within 50' of the things, your GPS reads it. One was in front of my house for a while, and no one had any problems getting it.

I think that this conversation is kinda moo. Because when someone returns an item to REI, REI doesn't ship it back to the manufacturer. They re-sell it as a used gear item at their used gear sale for a massive discount. So why the manufacturer would give two shakes of a lambs tail is beyond me, they never see the stuff again. Plus, REI has been in business for a good long time now. They've been listed as one of the best companies to work for more than a few times in their existence. I think they're doing ok, even with this long standing policy of no question returns.

Nope. Not with the Dakota. Or any other Garmin that I'm aware of. I think that the Delorme PN-60w can do it through SPOT, if I remember correctly, but that's neither here nor there.

The suggestions to improve the quality of your hides are nice, but they won't work either. Even some of the best, most creative, most challenging hides that I've found or placed get lame TFTC logs.

seriously, taking advantage of a store's own policy is borderline theft? Pshaw, that's not what he said. C'mon now. He said boderline theft. It's right there in the quote! either you can't read my post, bolded now, or i am missing whatever point you're trying to make Nah, neither. My joke just snuck by you. He mis-spelled borderline "boderline". That's all.

seriously, taking advantage of a store's own policy is borderline theft? Pshaw, that's not what he said. C'mon now. He said boderline theft. It's right there in the quote!

The one thing that REI will not refund is items purchased at their used gear sales. When you return a used item to them, they turn around and sell it at a huge garage sale of returned goods. Those items are marked with X's in permanent marker, and can not be returned for any reason. That's how I got my Garmin Dakota 20 backup GPS for $60. Someone just didn't like the small screen after using it for a month, thing was basically still brand new. Just a big X on the back of it.

+1 I think this is probably what I'll do when I start hiding. That's actually a really good idea. Also a good way for other cachers that look at the attachment to hold others accountable for signing or not signing the log!

Spoken like someone who is absolutely dependent on his government to protect him. What? It was spoken like someone who can defend himself without the need for a gun. Tomato, tomAto, I guess.

Spoken like someone who is absolutely dependent on his government to protect him.

Maxpedition 5" Holster. Perfect for the Oregon series. It goes everywhere I go.

I'm sorry to hear about your cat. I placed my bids as high as I could! Good luck to you, I hope this turns out well.

I have about 150 activated coins in my current collection, not counting the couple dozen I have out and about traveling. The coins in my collection are in coin flips, which are in coin pages, which are in one of those CD binders. Works pretty well, and it zips up nicely. I'm going to need to start a new one soon here, as I'm definitely running out of room.