Susieiz

I was a lurker afraid to post. But I am trying to come out of my shell.

Related Question: Can you take your GPS through airport security? If yes, do you have to turn it on? Will they know what it is? Will it be damaged by xray? Can you use it in flight to add or edit waypoints?

Thanks for starting this topic. Lots of good info. My first hide will be river access only on an island on the Shenandoah. I am considering a pulley system in a tree. Our 100 year flood plain has flooded twice in the five years since we bought the place...island, field, forest and all! Thank goodness the house is on a hill!

Place a couple in active caches and then go back and visit the logs. If they move, then they are good! FYI: I like them.

I took a '96 Land Rover Discovery for a "test drive" yesterday. Beautiful vehicle and love all the extras. I put 5 gallons in at $2.36 a gallon and didn't get very far! It's back at the lot.

Now that's funny!

I have only searched for and found 1 virtual cache and I did enjoy it and I learned something I didn't know before. So, a success!

As a newbie with only 27 finds, I have gone through many phases of "What Geocaching Means To Me." First it was about the hunt, then the trade, then the TB, then the Jeep TB, then the hike. Now it's all about the enjoyment of it all. I love it! Even if I walk away from a cache without a cool object in hand, I always take something away with me...a photo, a memory, a feeling of satisfaction. With that said... After reading how passionate others are about what is left in caches I started feeling guilty about the batman, the jawharp, the Tomb Raider game and the jeweled headband my family and I have left in some of the caches we have visited. I thought they were pretty good at the time but gosh with all the complaints I started feeling pretty crummy. So I revisited the cache sites online and much to my surprise all of those "gifts" have been retrieved by other geocachers! Hmmm. Very interesting! I guess someone liked them. On the same note, another item I thought was cool, has been sitting in a cache for quite some time. So I guess maybe the value of a trade item is determined not by who leaves it but by who takes it. Maybe it's a good idea for everyone who thinks they are "trading up" to go back and check on the items they have left behind. Have you made someone happy? Or is your "trade up" item collecting dust? Then adjust your swag accordingly. Just a thought.

I carry a Lowe Alpine backpack. I picked it up for $20 at Next Adventure in Portland, Oregon in their used section. ( http://www.nextadventure.net/ ) The tag read "Fake. But very cool!" I am curious about the "fake" part but for $20 it is very cool! -Susieiz

Testing Just Ducky

Those are good suggestions. Now...where to buy? Walmart offers 30 day return and no restocking fee. (Circuit City and Best Buy don't.) You can try one out and return it if it doesn't work out for you. They have good prices as well. I purchased a Magellan Meridian Gold for $198.00 (much lower than anywhere else) and am completely satisfied...for now! They have less expensive models as well. The only drawback is you can't call to ask what they have in stock....I tried that and three clerks said "GPwhat?" So you have to go in and shop in the sporting goods section. I have seen the Garmin Gecko and eTrex at Target but compare their prices to what they offer online before you buy. Costco online offers the same return policy however their units are more expensive. Good luck! Susieiz