Jester2112

I also carry all the items listed above in my pack plus a couple of pre-made micro caches and also at least one pre-made regular cache. You just never know when you'll turn a corner and find a perfect place for a new hide.

Google Earth can be your friend. I travel quite a bit for my job and I've used it a couple times now to locate caches along my route.

We at the Florida Geocaching Association are in the midst of designing the first Florida geocoin. On one of our forums, a member by the name of footTRAX posted about 18 links for places who mint custom coins. You can visit the thread HERE. Hope that helps.

Just sent you a PM with my email. If you want, shoot me an email and I'll reply with the one I've made and used in the past.

That brings up a good point that I've pondered before. Can we really believe that everyone's favorite Wally World micro was given permission before being hidden? I seriously doubt it. I like Renegade's version of only getting concerned if it's hidden on private property that isn't a "place of public accommodation". But then again, even Wally World is Private Property. So, where do we draw the line. Is it as cut and dried as "If it's not in a public park/land, then we have to ask the store manager's permission"?

A few of my favorites include: Cumberland Cliff Hanger (GCE53A) - Be careful on this one...it's a steep drop. Bring good shoes. Fort Negley (GCM77J) - Plan to spend at least an hour at this awesome historical site right in the middle of TN. Really cool and no entry fee at all. Shy's Hill (GC309F) - Awesome view of Nashville...once you make it up the hill that is. No marked parking avialable, but I parked right next to the trail head and had no problems. I can't verify how close these are to the hotel, but I can confirm for you that they are quality hides at quality locations. Happy Caching!

This RECENT THREAD might help. I've got a Magellan SporTrak Pro. The Garmin group would slam me for it until they found out the price...FREE! Can't beat that with any Garmin I've come across yet. Although I've been tempted lately to branch out to a Garmin so I have the cool features they offer and can use the Magellan as a backup.

Yep, and I've used them. The paint is about $5/can at my local Wally World. They recommend using their clear coat as well if it's going to be outside, but I've found you really don't need it if the surface you're painting is rough enough (e.g. not slick plastic lock-n-locks).

Thanks for sharing the stats. Nice avatar as well!

Here's a log that just made my day: Frank Nelson Park Cache (GCPR7W) for 2 reasons. First, I own the cache. Second, porcupines...in Florida???

Glad to see I'm not alone on this one. My first time losing something, almost, just happened at this cache.

I just planted THIS CACHE on Friday for the same reasons the OP asked about. I didn't make it a requirement to hide one of the enclosed caches, but a request. Also requested that they keep it to the local area. Hope it works.

I've had it happen 3 times now. Most recently at this cache. I sent a PM to the owner offering advice on it's location and giving him my contact information if he still wasn't able to locate it. Great news was, he re-visited the site after getting my email, found the cache and it's back up and running now.

Thanks everybody. I'll be a busy Ebay'er tonight.

OK folks, seen lots of topics on the how, when, where and why of no print-out necessary caching. I REALLY want to go paperless caching. Before I ask, keep a couple of things in mind: 1.) I've already found every cache within 35 miles of my house so gas prices have come into play 2.) I'm expecting my 2nd caching buddy around the end of January and we all know how expensive kids can be, if you don't, I hope you will one day as it's one of God's little blessings that he can bestow upon you that actually make you thankful to be alive, much like the "best place on earth" that your favorite cache to date has taken you to, only better 3.) The PDA in question will strictly be used for the sole purpose of caching and nothing else. I live/die professionally by the calender on my laptop which is handy around the office and on the off-site sessions I do for my job. However, it's not so great for carrying around the great outdoors. 4.) I'd really LOVE it if I could get away with spending $100 or even better, much, much, much less than this. Let's all hear it for Ebay, I just need to know what model to type in to the search bar. Should I start with the Palm Pilot version 1.0? My question is this: What is the most basic, cheapest, nobody but me will be impressed by it, don't show it off at events type PDA that you recommend for paperless caching??? I know based on the el-chepo request that I can't expect much, but I would like it to be able to at least handle 1 full pocket query (500 waypoints worth of info). Not that I ever have that many downloaded to the GPS for individual hunt days, but I'd like the option. I see this question come up all the time as to what is the cheapest GPSr to invest in to get started with caching, but I haven't seen a thread, nor can I find one using the search feature, that talks about cheapo PDAs. Thanks in advance and if I've touched on a subject already covered, somebody please MARKWELL it for me.

Here it is, your basic necessity geocaching GPSr unit for $87.74...the Garmin eTrex! Hope you enjoy and welcome to the addicti....ooops...hobby!!! No really, you can quit any time you'd like!

Finally found a thread close to what I've been wondering. Just became a PM and love downloading the waypoints rather than manually entering them. Here's my question. While I will be obtaining a PDA in the very near future, I haven't yet. I like GSAK's format that I can print out to take with me but was wondering if there is an easy way to get the hints to display on the database so when I print it, I have all the info, including the decoded hint? Thanks in advance.

Now that's cool. Great pic!

I'm a big fan of GSAK (Geocache Swiss Army Knife) but that might be because I just started a couple weeks ago and it's the only one I've tried.

While my previous post shows that I'm surely no GSAK pro, it might be that you're running an older version of software on your GPS. When I first hooked mine, Magellan Sportrak Pro, up a few weeks ago, it was running version 3.xx. I went to the Magellan site and found version 5.28 for download. Just a thought, but you might want to see if there are any software updates available for your unit. Perhaps you're running an older version that GSAK doesn't recognize. Hope that helps. Edit to correct mispelling.

Just became a Premium Member, just started using GSAK and just started downloading waypoints. When I first attempted, GSAK threw an error and advised something to the affect that there was no communication with the device. After playing around a bit, I figured out that GSAK defaults to COM Port 3 and I was plugged in to COM Port 1. Quick fix via preferences in GSAK. Next, It thew a different error, can't remember what it advised but the fix was that GSAK and my GPS were set at different baud rates. Again, a quick fix via settings in my unit and GSAK. Hope either of these 2 might be causing your problems as they both took a total of 30 seconds to check and correct.

Holly Heck Batman! Is there an echo in here? I thought duplicate posts were frowned upon. Sorry sept1c, and I've been tracking the thread since my original posts, but I still don't see the point in being so exclusionary in our mutual enjoyment of an activity that gets us all outdoors and makes us appreciate the few rights as an American we all get. What happens to a cacher once they pass the "I have now found XXXX caches" milestone??? Do the PTB visit your house in the middle of the night, kidnap you, transport you to somewhere you've never been and conduct some sort of ritual right of passage??? Please let's give this GAME it's chance to be what it was intended to be, in my opinion, and that's an environment for me to place coords on the site, that bring people to someplace that's special to me, that you might not visit otherwise...AND...you might just find a box of trinkets and a log book at the end of your search! Sounds OK to me, but I'm sure there are those out there that have found so many and reached such an exulted status that no silly mortal should be allowed to join the ranks without first returning with the Ark of the Covenant as proof of worthiness!!!

As far as the idea of limited seasons go, visit Florida for a year. We DO get 4 seasons. They're known as: 1.) Almost Summer 2.) Summer 3.) Still Summer 4.) Christmas Most, with the exception of every other Christmas include, 2000% humidity (anybody who hasn't lived here thinks the scale ends at 100%...ha, ha, ha ), skeeters that laugh at bug spray you buy at a store (the military might have something out in Nevada that could help, but they don't share), we won't introduce you to "no see-ums" on this thread, hurricanes, tornadoes, sunburn, sand (and sandspurs) in places you didn't know you had and other things. Back to the OP, in the NW of FL...also known as the Panhandle, you just can't beat the weather in October. Highs average 65-75, lowes average 45-65, no humidity to talk about...anywhere from 500-700% (see above paragraph), skeeters go to their red carpet balls celebrating their "pints donated for the year" awards they've received and the place pretty much empties for the only time of the year from the college/rufian type tourist group. The water is still warm enough to swim in, the air is still warm enough to enjoy and it's hard to find people out and about during the work week.

Or, better yet... 1.) You leave a day early, on the earliest flight you can get to allow enough daylight hours as possible to go caching 2.) You've actually missed a flight because after passing through security, you check your cache supply and realize that the good 'ol GPSr is still sitting next to the computer and your wife didn't make it back to the airport in time 3.) You've actually lost your company provided cell phone while on a cache hunt and had to make up an excuse about how you must have left it at the place the client dinner took place the night before to your boss ALL of these are true stories...names withheld to protect the innocent...and/or not get me fired!!!

I'll be adding that one and the barrel of monkeys to the personal collection, thank you very much...those are just GREAT!!!