critter_crazed

I can't say I've ever had an app take more than a couple minutes to authorize. I'd cancel it and retry. (I'd check the bank to see if I was charged too and make sure I won't be charged twice if the first one went through for some reason.) CC

Here you go, this link was very helpful when I started. http://www.geocaching.com/about/glossary.aspx

You may want to check out www.geochums.com It seems more of the NE OH crowd is more active there. If you were here longer I'd try to catch up but we already have weekend plans. Cheers! CC

Geauga/Portage/Trumbull here. Always open to new caching buddies!

Double post sorry

Well when asking about GPSr units be prepared for 101 opinions. I heard from evangelists of all brands and ultimately chose the Oregon 450 for myself. Honestly though your best bet is to go to a store and play with the top choices. I was turned off by Magellen's lack of customer support so I was between Garmin and DeLorme. What pushed me to Garmin between the two was loading caches at events. The events I've been to have only been able to load to a Garmin. That probably a topic for a different thread though. Glad to hear you're enjoying the off weather days too! CC Edit note: wow my quotes got all messed up!

Oh lordy my spouse would run for the hills if the dogs and I were itchy. The boys (chocolate labs) sound much like your dog and just stick their noses where ever they see something interesting. (like the dog in the movie UP... Squirrel! but for these two it's WATER?!?!) So they enjoyed their bath (literally) and aren't allowed to wander on the back of our property until I figure out where they picked it up. Things are improving now that it's been over a week but what a week it was! I learned a little bit from this escapade so that's a good thing. The eyes were definitely the worst of it. CC

I've had a great experience with my Motorola Droid (1). There are free options as well and the GPS is not disabled. I guess the first question is are you considering a specific carrier or is that also open? That limits a lot. If I were set on AT&T I'd likely get an iphone although lately Steve Jobs has irritated me with his antics. Verizon-One of the Android phones either Droid X or Droid 2 Sprint- Evo I've had WinMo, Palm etc and nothing has been as fun as the Droid. I have not had a BB. CC

Wow, I'm hesitant to post because my flame proof undies are in the wash but what the heck. First, I own both a Motorola Droid (1) and an Oregon 450. I started caching and found my first 150+ caches with geobeagle and some other apps that cobble together a solution. Now that the Android app is out it's on my list to buy. My Droid does a great job for those times I have a few minutes between appointments. The downside for me was accuracy in the woods and limited battery life. I chose not to place a cache having been told about others experience of hundreds of feet off. One was over a thousand feet off. (no idea on the details just hearsay from long time cachers at a coffee) My Oregon is awesome for those days I like to go for an all day trip. Endless batteries, thousands of caches and easy to read leaving my phone free and charged for emergencies. (and yes I'm prone to them) This is peace of mind for my family and myself. My hides were placed with the Oregon. My understanding is various GPSr units all get you within roughly 20' of the cache. Sometimes better, sometimes not. So my feeling is whatever floats your boat and remember what they say about opinions. Everyone has their device of choice. I have met folks who are die hard magellan, garmin, delorme etc. Frankly it's what works best for YOU and what makes YOU happy. My reading between the lines here is folks are concerned for the safety of your smart phone and trying to share their experiences of the pros and cons of a stand alone GPSr. It's your choice what you do with that info. You can ignore it, file it away, take it under advisement or laugh at it. No one will know the difference down the road. You'll feel your way and decide as your caching experience matures. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts in a couple hundred finds just out of my own curiosity. I chose to use my phone to make sure I was going to stick with it before investing any big money into a GPSr. When I decided I wanted a GPSr I read and listened along the way and made the choice right for me which is ultimately what you'll end up doing down the road. CC

Animals shouldn't be affected by it...HOWEVER they CAN carry the oil on their fur to share with others. That is what I'm dealing with right now. My dogs were out helping with yard work romping in the woods while we did yard work. I caught it off the dog. Naturally it took the rash several hours to show itself and I have PI all over my face, hands and arms. We had to decontaminate the dogs by giving them a bath in Dawn and I ended up going to the doctor because it's in and around my eyes. Apparently soap and water wasn't good enough before I took my contacts out. I'm not a happy camper. Had to see the doc for treatment this time. Ivarest isn't doing much for me but Benedryl gel is working probably the best. Calagel no help, calamine not really, I got to it too late with tecnu, OTC cortisone no help either. That's my experience but I also react pretty badly to the stuff. This is my first bout in about 30 years and I hope my last! I intend to try Ivy block but no field experience yet. I'll add some alcohol wipes and dawn mixture too. CC