4x4van

My oldest of 3 (now 14 and "too cool" to geocache with her dad), went on her first weekend camping trip when she was 2 weeks old. Granted, I "rough it" in a motorhome, but not in campgrounds, and alot of time spent hiking, sitting around the campfire, etc. Jetskiing on the Colorado River in the summer and off-roading in the California desert during the winter months. All 3 of my kids grew up with camping as simply a normal part of their lives, starting at a very young age. Just use common sense to keep them safe. But over-sheltering them from any given threat, in my opinion, does more harm than good. At some point in their lives, they will not have you protecting them. Children learn by living. Many easy caches would be more than reasonable for you to take an infant, although take pictures, because they certainly won't remember it! We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

I don't have a problem with "corporate" stuff, since alot of times the items are quite unique and useful to boot. And as far as knives go, I geocache with my kids (age 8 and 19) and have no problem with pocket knives in caches. My son has his own swiss army knife, although he once took a small one from one cache and later left it at another cache. All under my supervision, of course. Quite frankly, there are much more dangerous things in the woods than finding a pocket knife in a cache box (lions and tigers and bears, oh my!!). We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

One of the most important things that a newbie geocacher should do when placing their first caches is...WAIT! Let me clarify. Many common mistakes could be eliminated (or at least greatly reduced) if they waited to place their first cache untill after they have found at least 8-10 caches. By doing this, it will give them a much better idea as to what makes a good cache and what makes a bad cache. Search out a number of caches. Learn from them. What did you like about the cache? What did you dislike? And would you "like" the one you're placing? I searched out and found 10-12 caches before placing my first (and, so far, only) cache. Mine hasn't had alot of traffic, but I knew that would be the case because of the terrain. It has, however, been very well received by those that have visited it, because the area/views/features make it worth the hike. Again, cache, learn, think, then hide. We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

quote:Originally posted by Brainerd:I love Garmin because of my GPS V. However my folks have the Magellan Sportrak Pro. It's a nice unit at a very good price. The only thinging I noticed absent from the Pro were an accuracy estimate, and the ability to search for the nearest POI (when they are loaded from the CD). The SporTrak Pro does have an accuracy estimate, although on the Magellans it's called EPE (estimated position error). It is available by default on the position screen, as well being able to added to any other screen by using the "customize" section of the menu. We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

I have the SporTrak Map Pro, and love it. It's been very accurate, easy to use, and has more detailed maps than the SporTrak Map, as well as more memory available for future map uploads. We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

dave and jaime, Thanks. I would never have thought of looking in that thread for the answer to my problem. This place is really a great source of information. Thanks again! We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

Wow, this place is a great source of info. I'm having the same problem, but without the antenna. I have a Sportrak Pro, and I'm using an older "black box" MAG 315 power cable. Once the batteries get low, the unit will shut down if using the backlight on high. Without the backlight, or even with the light on low, it will continue to operate. So it appears that the MAG 315 power cable will only supply enough power to run the Sportrak without backlighting (or at least low light only). Running the light on high results in the additional power requirements coming from the batteries. Man, I hate to have to buy a new 12v power cord when the 315 cable comes so close to working, especially for the price Magellan wants for them. We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

I have a SporTrak Pro, and I'm using a 12v power cord from my old 315 unit. Although the shape is a tad different, the connector still works fine and all the contacts make good connections. It seems to work fine. But now, I've noticed a problem. Evidently, even though the unit "states" on the SAT screen that it is running under external power, I believe it is actually using at least some battery power. While plugged in and using "external power", if the batteries are a bit low, then when I turn on the backlight, I get a message that "battery power is low, unit shutting down". If I leave the backlight off, it continues to operate normally. Is it possible that the cord for the 315 does not provide enough amperage to operate the SporTrak with the light on? I haven't contacted Magellan on this yet, as my guess is that they will simply say that I need to purchase the Sportrak cord. But I'd like to be sure of that before I discard a perfectly good cord. (not to mention that $30 for a power cord is highway robbery) Anyone else have any ideas/opinions on this? We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

Welcome to the world of geocaching! All great ideas listed here. As you get more familiar with geocaching, you'll develop your own style and needs. I started with a fanny pack, but my needs/wants quickly outgrew it. I now use a small hip-mounted case for my GPS unit, and I picked up a small/medium hydro pack (Camelback type) for the rest. It's made by Outdoor Products, and has been very durable. It's small enough to be handy, but large enough to carry everything I need. In addition to the internal water bladder, I take along: -First Aid kit, solar blanket, light stick, sunscreen and bug repellant wipes, a small bar of soap and washrag. -A knife, flashlight, lighter, and cheap plastic rain poncho. -Cell phone, extra GPS batteries, compass, small calculator, camera, digital pedometer. -Snacks (usually jerky and trail mix). -Cache log sheets (my own design), pen/pencil, the cache page and any topo maps I've printed out. -Geo-loot (for trades). After reading this forum, I think I'll add a pair of gloves, signal mirror, and whistle. Always remember to mark/record your parking location when you first get there! Makes getting back to where you parked much easier. It also allows you to make the return trip a new route in itself, rather than simply backtracking where you've already been. And finally, perhaps most importantly, I always print out a list of the sites/coodinates where I'm headed and leave them with someone, in case I fail to return. We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

Point taken. I'll give myself 40 lashes with a camelback hose!! We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

Don't know if the Sportrak map uses the same firmware as the Sportrak Pro, but I just installed the latest firmware for it, and it was 4.06 We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

I've got EasyGPS and I have a quick question. When I download the cache coordinates from Geocaching.com, each one goes into an individual .loc file. But to upload those into my GPS unit, I must either do them one at a time (from each individual file), or open each of the files and drag each site into a single opened file. Then I can upload them all into my GPS in one shot. Is there an easier way to download the cache site coordinates, adding them to an existing .loc file? We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

Whenever I get ready to go do some geocaching, I always make sure to use the "Topozone" link on the cache site page to get an elevation. But what about the idea of including the elevation of the site right on the page, below or near the coodinates? Just a thought

Yeah, the manuals that come with GPS units could be a bit more "noobie" friendly. I had the same problem when I got my first unit. It took me awhile to figure out exactly how to use it since alot of the terms were completely new to me. With my second GPS, the manual was a piece of cake, since I was already familiar with the terms. Just to recap, in order to input a location, you "mark" your current location and then edit that to turn it into the desired location. Also, if you can, remember to check the desired location on a topo map (links are on the cachesite page) to get an elevation and make sure you edit that part of your new waypoint as well as the coodinates. If the elevation is way off, it can affect whether or not you find the cache. The more you use it, the easier it will get. Enjoy, and welcome!

Thanks. I tried searching using "opening screen" and didn't get anything. Using your suggestion, I got alot of hits. Took quite awhile to go through them and find what I was looking for, but I eventually did. Thanks again.

Is there a way to modify the opening screen on the Sportrak Pro? As in adding a "Property of..."? I had my name and phone number on the opening screen of my old GPS 315, but haven't found a way to do it on my Sportrak Pro. Tried to do a forum search here, but came up empty. Anybody?

Does anybody have info on doing this for a Magellan SporTrak Pro?

I've got one for you. $15 plus $3.85 for Priority Mail shipping and you'll have it in a few days. Do you use Paypal?

Irvingdog, How's the screen resolution on the SporTrak Pro? According to specs, it's 160x104 (comparable to the GPS 315), compared to 288x160 for the Legend. Are you happy with the resolution? Hoghunters, I'll definitely consider that. Do you take Paypal? Any other opinions out there? I know the SporTrak has 7 customizable screens, but how many screens does the Legend have?

I've got a Magellan GPS 315 that no longer picks up any satelite signals. I'm pretty sure that the cost of having it repaired is more than it's worth, so I'm upgrading to a new unit (Etrex Legend or SporTrak Pro). But I'd like to get this 315 open to see if there's something loose that I might be able to fix. Anybody have a clue? Is it glued? Or just snaps together? No visible screws, outside or in the battery compartment.

I'm getting ready to upgrade my GPS. Been using a Magellan GPS 315 for quite awhile now, but it decided to give up the ghost (no longer picks up any satelite signal). I'm really torn between the Etrex Legend and the SporTrak Pro. Any feedback, good or bad, would be appreciated to help me make the final cut. Thanks.