Chief301

Here are some general hints: Look for caches with a difficulty of 2 or less for your fist few caches. Stick with regular sized caches for your first few. Micros can be quite hard to find sometimes. Stick to areas you are familiar with. Look for anything out of place or unusual. Look for unusual piles of sticks, grass, leaves, rocks, sand, etc. Feel where you cannot look. Think vertical, not all caches are on the ground. Look up or at eye level. Look for traces of previous searches to zero in on the spot. Think like the hider - where would you put a container in this location? Look for things too new, too old, too perfect, not like the others, too many, too few. Change your perspective - a shift in lighting can sometimes reveal a cache. Keep in mind that many micros are magnetic or attached to something (via string, wire etc). Slowly expand your search area to about 40 feet from where your GPS says ground zero is. Bring garden gloves and a flashlight - they help! Be prepared to not find the cache more often then you think. Most of all - have fun!! You must have this paragraph saved as a macro or something

I don't know about the Oregon 450 in particular, but in general the base map that comes pre-loaded on most GPSr's is just that, very basic. Has major highways and such but that's about it. You will probably need to download a more detailed map of the area you are going to be caching in. Garmin will sell you detailed maps for your part of the world, I think they run about $80 or so (but that's for all of North America, I think...). However, you can go here... www.gpsfiledepot.com and get lots of detailed map files for free. Search for the area you're interested in and see what's available. I got free maps for the whole Southeastern United States and I don't know if Garmin's maps are any better, but they're plenty accurate and detailed enough for Geocaching.

If your GPS is telling you that you're there, you can probably expect the cache to be anywhere within about a 20' radius of that spot, generally speaking. What is the GC code of the cache you're seeking, perhaps we can give some advice based on the description. If the terrain is listed a 1 or 2 (easy), then you are correct to assume that you shouldn't have to go climbing down the bank or wading in the river to find it. Shouldn't be under the bridge, either, assuming the terrain listing is accurate. Lots of bridge caches are magnetic and stuck to the bridge structure somewhere. What is the listed size of the cache? If it's a micro then it's probably a small magnetic container, maybe about the size of a matchbox or a 35mm film canister. Feel around under the bridge railings, guard rails, etc. Start from "Ground Zero" (when your GPS is telling you you're right on top of it) and expand your search from there. When your GPS zeroes out (or is showing 10' or less) put it away and start searching with your eyes and hands.

I have the same GPSr but I'm still new with it, so I don't know all the tricks yet. I've found that least complicated way to get caches loaded on the unit (for a newbie) is to plug in the USB cable, then go to Geocaching.com and select a cache you want to go after. Click "Send to GPS" and it loads onto your device. Repeat for whatever caches you want to go looking for. Disadvantages: -You have to click on the caches one at a time. Depending how many you want to load this might get time consuming. -You will only get the most basic information, i.e., cache name and coordinates and that's about it. You don't have access to the cache description, hints, recent logs, etc. That's why I usually go out with both the GPS and my iPhone. -Caches are listed by GC number, not by name, which can be a little confusing when you have a long list of them. You'll probably still need to print out the cache page, unless you have a smart phone or similar device that lets you bring the info with you that way. If you really want to get started this weekend, I'd do it that way. You can be out the door and searching with a minimum of fuss. Like someone else said, you can also just input the coordinates by hand in the field. Learn to do this skill anyway, whatever method you end up using. Now, once you've got the hang of the unit and caching in general, you'll probably want to learn to do Pocket Queries. Gives you a lot more versatility and the ability to do batch downloads of caches to your unit all at once. But there is a bit of learning curve, at least I thought so. Very handy but takes some time to learn how to do it. Good luck!

Well, technically, I think it would be this one.... http://blog.geocaching.com/2011/02/travel-bug-with-311-million-miles-might-return-to-earth/ ...by a long shot. So the proper question might be, what's the furthest an earth-bound cache has travelled?

I agree. Maybe something like a Geomate Jr., which can be had for around $80 I believe. No frills, no maps, no bells and whistles, but will at least lead them to the cache with a minimum of fuss. Then, maybe print out some handouts about Geocaching in case they'd like to try it for themselves later.

Agreed. The iPhone is a great device and the Groundspeak Geocaching app is very user friendly. Plus, the GPS accuracy of the iPhone 4 is excellent, in my experience. I found my first 80 or so caches using the iPhone and it normally puts me within 10 feet or so of the cache, an acceptable margin even with a dedicated GPSr. Apart from really draining the battery (which is one reason I finally bought a handheld GPS), I've had nothing but positive experiences with my iPhone.

Your GPS is probably bringing you to the right spot, but it's not going to find it for you. Once your GPS tells you you're at the site, stop staring at it and put it in your pocket, and start searching. Look for things that look out of place, or too unlike the things around them. Feel under, on top of, and behind things where you cannot see. Read the cache description carefully, have some idea what you're looking for....know what size container it is. Micros can be incredibly small, like a pencil eraser in some cases, though usually more like a 35mm film canister or similar. Look around and think where you would hide something like that. Stick to larger size caches at first (small or regular size)...they will often (but not always) be easier to find, just because there are less nooks and crannies where you can hide something like that. Don't be afraid to use the hint if one is provided. Also (and this is just me nitpicking), it's "CACHE", not "CASH" (pronounced the same though)

Yes there is. From the "Navigate to Geocache" screen (the map screen), in the upper right hand corner next to the "compass" button is a button with a flag icon on it. Tap that button, it opens a screen that lets you manually input coordinates to generate a new waypoint. That, or use the free Motion X Lite GPS app, it's pretty useful too. Hope this helps. Good luck!

You might also try an app called "Motion X" which is a great general purpose GPS app. I have the paid version but the free or "Lite" version works just fine as well (just doesn't let you save as many waypoints and routes). "Geocaching Toolkit" is another free app that can be helpful with multis, including projecting a waypoint.

From the cache page, you hit "Post a Log/Field Note" (it's down near the bottom). I suppose you've already done this step since you entered the find on the phone. After entering your log, you can either hit the "Save and Close" button on the upper right, which only saves what you've written to the phone for further editing or later uploading, or "Save and Send Log" down at the bottom, which actually uploads it to Geocaching.com. That last bit is probably the part you didn't do. It will show as "pending" until you hit the "Save and Send" button. Hope this helps!

So use a map and compass if that's your thing...it is still only going to get you to the spot. You still have to find the cache, they're not just lying around in plain view. Getting to the site is only part of the challenge.

Whaddaya use for a container? You think keeping water out of a cache is tough....

We got spotted by a cache owner last weekend after we had been searching for about 20 minutes for a cache at a ball park. The owners were driving by and stopped to let us know that the cache was actually muggled, just hadn't been deactivated yet.

Wow, that's the smallest dogs I've ever seen....

If I may offer a suggestion, spring for the $10 Geocaching app. It's way more robust than the freebie app and allows you to view the caches on a map, so you can just click on the one you want to go to next. Or alternately pick one off the list. Very much worth the price for ease of use and features.

Some would say that's also the problem with Geocaching I'm 43 and usually cache with my son, 20, and daughter, 12.

More like personal opinion...or more specifically, your personal caching style. I have been caching for several months with an iPhone 4 and I find it is plenty enough accurate for Geocaching (although I understand that the 4 is noticeably more accurate than the previous models). I just recently acquired a handheld Garmin and I used it for the first time this weekend, but I think there is a place for both depending the type of caching you do. If you're into long hikes out in the boonies, then the handheld would be a better choice just for battery life and general ruggedness. If you do a lot of driving from cache to cache and have the opportunity to put it on a vehicle charger every once in awhile, the phone works fine. A protective case like the OtterBox Defender is pretty much a necessity if you want to take your phone out caching, though. The main advantage of the iPhone app is it's generally less hassle to use than the GPS...more user friendly and intuitive, less of a learning curve if you're a newbie...the app makes it pretty simple. You can do spur-of-the-moment caching, whereas with the handheld device you have to do more planning ahead, i.e., downloading caches to the device before you go out. This isn't really difficult with Pocket Queries, but still rules out spontaneous caching. With the iPhone app, you also get the advantage of having hints, pictures, full descriptions, and recent logs available out in the field, which of course can be of great assistance. You can also log from the field if you are so inclined. If you decide to go with the app, definitely up the $10 for the paid version, it's well worth the price.

+1 on the iPhone paid Geocaching app...I used it exclusively for my first 80 or so finds and still use it paired with my new etrex Legend. Can't beat it for spur if the moment caching and the iPhone 4, at least, is plenty accurate. You might also consider getting the Motion X GPS app...lite version is free and full version is only around $12, I think. Both work great as a general purpose GPS app. Also, Geocaching Toolkit is another free app to help with puzzles and multis. You can be truly delighted! See my post here (and the previous post in that thread). Basically you use the little 'flag' icon on the map screen to add a point (or points). Storing the cache as a favourite will preserve these extra waypoints. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=267876&st=0&p=4601364&fromsearch=1entry4601364

You're still missing the point. The average law enforcement officer may know about geocaching and be cool with it. But further up the food chain are the powers that be that sign his check. At that level official policies are generated, steered by an army of lawyers and consultants intent on eliminating legal liability for the city and the police department. Yes, the cop on the street knows it's a geocache. The bomb squad knows it's a geocache. The incident commander knows it's a geocache. The cache owner standing right there at the scene telling them with absolute certainty that it's a geocache and he knows what's in it and will gladly walk over there and get it for you and show you what's in it, knows it's a geocache. And the Powers That Be know it's a geocache, but NOBODY is going to go against established policy because exercising a little common sense and ignoring procedures can cost you your job nowadays. And no one in a position to dictate policy is going to change it in the extremely remote, one-in-a-billion chance that some mad bomber one day might decide that labeling his bomb "Official Geocache" would be a good way to escape suspicion.

We had a somewhat frustrating start on Sunday...1st cache we stopped at had too much muggle activity so we gave it a miss. The second one, the coordinates seemed really screwed up and just didn't jibe with the cache description, so we DNF'd that one too. Third one, the cache owners showed up as we were hunting and told us it had been muggled. Next one was another DNF after about 30 minutes of searching. We were really getting frustrated...we usually do better than this! However, things started looking up after that and we found the rest of our targets for the day. Very nice day for caching, springlike conditions, and the ones we did find were nice boxes in the woods as opposed to P&G micros that we get so often around here, so overall a good day!

When you find yourself doing the drunken bee dance, that's the time to put away the phone and start searching. Once your phone gets you going in circles in a very small area, you're probably very close to Ground Zero. Be prepared to use your hands as well as your eyes...feel under, behind, and on top of things. You may have to get down on all fours and peek under and into things. Also, don't forget to look up, many caches (especially micros) are not on the ground. Don't give up , once you find a few you'll have a better idea what they look like and where they can be hidden, and it will get easier!

I really owe my start to NF1, who is the chief of the volunteer fire department next door to mine. Although I had heard of Geocaching before, he is the first person I actually knew of locally who was doing it, and he gave me some initial advice on how to get started. Thanks for the new obsession, chief! Pistash, a local cacher who I haven't met yet but hope to meet in person at an event someday. I live in a really rural area so caches are sometimes few and far between...he has many of the local hides that made it easy for me to get started hunting and gain some experience in areas that I'm already familiar with. He also has been very responsive with hints and advice when I DNF'd a couple of his hides when I was first starting out. Thanks! Finally, just thanks to everyone on the Groundspeak forums! I've learned so much about some of the finer points, tips and tricks of caching from reading these forums. Everyone is so helpful and friendly here, there's a real sense of community and lots of really experienced voices to learn from. Thanks again!

Kind of ironic actually, you can put almost anything you want to in the ammo can....except ammo...

By George, I think you've got it! I did post in that thread. Thanks!