ImpalaBob

I carry a .32 Seecamping tool in my pocket for getting myself out of a tight jam when required.

Sanyo Eneloop batteries are your best investment for GPS use. I've tried EVERYTHING and will continue to advise new cachers to choose these batteries for geocaching! The most important feature for GPS/geocaching use is that they hold their charge for extended periods of time. Koikeeper and I each have 4 eneloop batteries (2 in the 60Cs and 2 spares each). These 4 batteries each have been supplying GPS service for over a year (with recharges of course!) and they are still going strong!! Use the PowerXs and others in high demand devices .... but Eneloops work the best for hand held GPS/geocaching IMHO.

Sanyo Eneloop rechargeables AAs and charger are a great investment! No other NiMhs hold their charges for as long a period when not being used. I am using 2 while storing my 2 back-ups in my geocaching pouch. I have had and used other higher MaHr batteries when we first started geocaching, but the Eneloops have proven themselves to be the best batteries for GPS use. Wallymart and Circuit City carry them.

Ban Roll On Deodorant. Get a bottle and keep applying it to the area. It will dry it out quickly. Throw the bottle out or label it for Poison Ivy Only. Get a few pack of BUJI wash for your pack and use it next time you get into the stuff.

I stand corrected .... 5 hotsync names! Cachemate is such a bargain!!! Memory is the first thing to go! ImpalaBob

I pulled this link from another forum post: Find caches near an airport It should be exactly what you are looking for! ImpalaBob Commercial Glider, Pvt. S.E.L., Pvt. M.E.L., Commercial Helicopter, Expired advanced jet helicopter instructor (Hughes 500), Ultralight pilot also (Pterodactyl Ascender II + 2)

NO .... unless you want the identical unit hotsync ID on both units as it is keyed to what name you give your unit. If you have SD cards you can just write the file into a "cachemate" directory on the SD card and do not have to hotsync as this is what we do. Koikeeper hotsyncs her palm E2 and writes the file out on my SD card for the TX. We do have 2 cachemate licenses but only use the one. GREAT PROGRAM! ImpalaBob

You have a Venture Cx .... Do you have mapping software (City Select or City Navigator)? If yes then your unit will route you from home to the first cache you do a FIND > Waypoint > (you pick waypoint) > GOTO (follow road mode). If you do not have the detailed maps then it only knows major roads ..... so pick the google maps and get an idea where it is. Your unit is not going to plan a route for you ..... but with the detailed maps and Mapsource you can figure that out at home before leaving. Without the mapping software you should just expect to get a directional arrow and distance (off road mode).... start driving and have fun. The best advice is to find someone close who can show you the ropes. ImpalaBob 60C with City Select! It really is worth the extra money to know every road and never be lost!

I've gotten ours to work by not turning on the Palm desktop manager or hotsync manager until after I connect my TX to the PC. Koikeepers E2 works without any problems. Ultimate Solution: Since my TX uses a SD card she just copies the cachemate file to my SD card (laptop has a SD slot built in .... or you can get a USB flash drive that accepts SD cards) into a "cachemate" directory and the cachemate program on the TX recognizes the change when restarted after inserting the SD card. I just read in the new file to the "unfound" category. This is by far the easiest way to go as it requires no hot sync. ImpalaBob

The new hybrid Ray-O-Vacs and Sanyo Eneloops are great as they hold their charge when not being used. They may not be as high a MAhr rating but work much better for longevity over time. If you were playing a radio continuously, the batteries with the highest MAhr rating would last the longest. If you were playing the radio for an hour each day, the hybrids would last much longer even though they have a lower MAhr rating. The hybrids make much better carry spares! ImpalaBob

Garmins need the cache icon to be the closed treasure chest for those functions to work properly. Once you mark it as found the cache icon becomes an open treasure chest and can be found in the FIND > WAYPOINTS menu. ImpalaBob

Put in the 8 digit code .... your option # 2. If you have problems Garmins phone tech support is great to work with once you get connected. ImpalaBob

There are many travel bugs that are attached to automobiles, motorcycles, airplane propellers, cinder blocks, and even babies. For obvious reasons you will not be taking them with you to the next cache! This is exactly the reason for "Discovered It" when it comes to Travel Bugs. Geocoins are getting more and more expensive. If a cacher is willing to look at and enjoy my geocoin collection, it is a nice gesture to let them "Discover" the activated coins. Some coins are attached to the cache container so they can not move but again are available for the cacher to see. "Discovered It " also works for this situation. Otherwise ...... I like to move TBs and geocoins so every one can enjoy them. ImpalaBob

GPS accuracy should never be expected to be better than plus or minus 30 feet. I've found caches off more than 60 feet. After years, caches often move so far away from the original hiding spot that the owner can't find them! We have 2 identical 60C units and they almost never coincide exactly with each other while walking to a cache. When moving in the car they are usually very close to each other. It is the moving and constant recalculations that make them more accurate. ImpalaBob

Make sure the battery contacts are good. Sometimes a little more bend in the contact spring can make a difference. ImpalaBob

Koikeeper and I have the majority of our caches as Members Only. This feature adds the ability for us to look at an audit log and see who has looked at our caches. Any non-premium members who have E-mailed us and expressed an interest to do our caches are given the cache information and a link so they can log it. Your idea of somehow wanting to exclude the people who pay to help support the cost of running this site is ....... well think about it ..... not within the spirit of friendly geocaching. If you want to do a Members Only geocache please E-mail the owner and I think you will be pleasently surprized! ImpalaBob

Look into Express Logger. ImpalaBob

REI does sell bison tubes ..... usually up by the pay counter in the key fob area. As said most drug stores also sell similar items as pill holders. I bought a bunch on E-bay. ImpalaBob

You can no longer change your user name. ImpalaBob

Platinum Members have to take care of ALL server issues! ImpalaBob

When I said "night caching" .... it meant doing actual caches designed to be done at night. Being in the woods with a group of people at night can be a fun time. We do not do normal caches at night for precisely the reason you mentioned. Having the police show up is never a good thing! ImpalaBob

Koikeeper and I have placed unactivated First to Find geocoins in many of our new caches. We have also gotten geocoins as first to find prizes. We won $20 on a FTF scratch-off lottery ticket once. ImpalaBob

It's a game! I get so much more pleasure out of meeting other geocachers than actually finding caches. The social aspect of this game is more impotant than the number of caches you find. Team efforts and phone-a-friend will always be a part of the game. Koikeeper often needs me to get to the cache so we can log it as she is physically unable to get to some of them. Some of my favorite caches have been group night cache outtings (to find actual night caches .... not to do caches at night). It is great fun to see the city folkes reactions to some of the night creatures! ImpalaBob

Here is a cipher link that may help you and others ..... or it may confuse you even more!!! CIpher list ImpalaBob

There is a distinct difference between doing normal caches at night and actually doing a "night cache" which uses reflectors / firetacks to guide you to the cache location. ImpalaBob