Road Bug

I live about 25 minutes north of the city. I'm going to Miami Whitewater Forest tomorrow. Yeah, I've been to Houston Woods and need to go back there. Thanks for the reminder.

I just read about Windigo. Pretty freaky. I would rather run into Bigfoot than someone with Windigo! Interesting.

I'm funny about carrying stuff in my pockets. I simply don't like to. I can't even carry a wallet. It bugs me. This might sound stupid but I keep my wallet in my car when I'm out and about and only bring it with me if I am on a mission to buy something. Hence, I have never carried a pocket knife of any kind. Yep, I guess I'm one of those guys who asks, "Anyone got a knife?" Now, this is only because I am in a profession where I don't need a knife. When I am hiking, YES, I carry a knife. Mainly for protection though. The one I carry can also do many other things suited for my personal hikes. But, if I need to stick it in someone, or something it won't disappoint. It depends on what you want to do with a knife which will determine what kind you buy/carry. I honestly don't think there is one knife for every task. Each has it's own purpose. A simple multi-tool pocket knife I think is a personal preference which I never got into. If I feel the need to turn a screw, open a bottle or anything else I would already have a tool that is meant for that job close at hand. If not, life goes on. In all my 43 years it really hasn't been an issue. I don't wear jewlery or even a watch! I don't like anything on me, or in my pockets. I feel it's simply not necessary. Again, when I hike or I'm on a mission I then gear up but in the modern world I live in everything else is close at hand when I need it. I know, I'm weird. But unique.... BTW, when I hike my knife is attached to my belt for quick access.

I thought I'd post a topic to have a little fun here. Ok, there are many people around this country who are into "bigfoot". There is actually a company called, "Bigfoot Research Organization" (BFRO). Look it up. Anyway, I thought I'd pose the question to the many hikers out there asking this question: Have you ever seen or heard anything that can't be explained out in the woods? You know, nothing that would resemble a bear or other animal. The Bigfoot "experts" claim they can throw big rocks and hit wood against trees, etc. They also claim Bigfoot can make howls, screems and growls. Do I believe in Bigfoot? Well, I don't know! I'm serious. When you watch the TV show they have and go to their website and read all the reports it really does make you wonder. I personally have never seen or heard anything that would make me a believer but I do have an open mind and think it could be possible we share this earth with an elusive creature called Bigfoot.

Hate reading stories like this. First you become angry, than sympathetic, then sad. Seems like from the photos the man was seasoned as an outdoorsman but looks can be deceiving. Just because you "wear" the gear doesn't always mean you really know what you are doing, or are prepared enough. Without knowing his/her experience it's difficult to say. Bottom line is, BE PREPARED! If you live in bear country you should always be aware of your surrounding and know how to protect you and your family from potential dangers. I know, sometimes even the best at this are surprised and maybe that's what happened in this case. The story really never said much about that, at all. It's also sad they had to kill the bear. It's not the bear's fault, she was trying to protect her cubs. It's a sad situation and a lose/lose senerio. Humans and wild animals don't mix so either learn how to live with them or stay away from them. There is no easy answer. Sometimes you just have to say, "Wow." Thanks for sharing.

It's nice to know where everyone is from but I need advice on WHERE to hike. Living in Cincinnati doesn't give me many options. When I say hike I obviously mean hike/geocaching just to keep the wolves at bay for not mentioning the terms. But sometimes it's nice just to "hike" and not really look for stuff all the time. Yes, I know it's a "geocaching" forum but I figured since geocachers have a lot of experience getting out and about why not ask here right? I actually posted a new topic in the Midwest forum asking this very question. Any advice would be appreciated!

www.cheaperthandirt.com I saw camo tape in one of their magazines last night in fact. It's not really a tape, but a tacky material that wraps nice but can be removed without ruining stuff.

Baby trails are what I call them. Where can I hike that isn't around a suburb or someone's personal property where I can stretch out, use my GPS and make a day out of it? I live in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and there aren't many options I'm finding. All there are is parks with mulched trails with little kids and families. lol I need to move to Alaska I guess. Ahhhhhhh.....

UPDATE: I purchased the eTrex Venture HC off eBay for around $130. Appears to be a solid little entry level unit and will certainly do everything I need for now. I like the fact that it's a color screen and there are plenty of mod cases available for it to strap on a backpack. After reviewing all the features this unit has it was an easy decision for value. Thanks everyone for your advice and thoughts. It really helped me decide on a unit. If anyone owns this model feel free to leave your comments or suggestions to make my experience using it more enjoyable or helpful. Thanks!

Yep, have to be careful with eBay and know how to search. I didn't spend a lot of time with that particular one but yes, if it's higher on eBay I won't buy things there but it's a good place to see what things are going for in general. I like eBay because I can use my PayPal funds which are kinda like my "play" money. I build it up over time selling odds and ends. Beats putting it on my credit card. lol

No doubt, looks like a nice little unit and very pretty but after reading tons of reviews about Magellan units I am leery about them. I think I will stick with Garmin. I have a Garmin for my vehicle (meant for streets) and it's flawless after about 2 years of using it and very easy to use/update. If I lost it or it broke or someone stole it I would buy one immediately the same day. That's how pleased I am with it. So, I think I answered my own questions.

Since I posted my original topic my eBay funds are down to about $150. lol I'd like a nice Garmin GPS that has a color screen if possible. I'd like to purchase one here in the next month or so from eBay. Based on your wisdom what would you choose as a good unit? (Links appreciated) Thanks for your help. And yes, I am going to choose Garmin over the other brands.

It's interesting when you read the reviews on Magellan products there is a lot of negativity regarding the maps and ease of use trying to download stuff and making it work. I'm a pretty savvy guy and know my way around computers and gadgets but taking it all in as a whole I am skeptical now about buying a Magellan even though they look nice and there are some well within my price range. Does anyone own a Magellan, specifically the 300/400/500 series? I'd love to know what you think.

$550? Ouch! lol http://cgi.ebay.com/Fast-Find-Plus-McMurdo-Emergency-Location-Beacon-/150574304796?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230eed8e1c Since I'm just starting out I doubt that's going to be in my budget anytime soon. Maybe one day!

If you are looking for affordable gear as far as knives and other military style equipment visit: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ There are lots of other sites like Blackhawk etc. but they are expensive and I'm not convinced the quality is that much better over things at Cheaper Than Dirt.

A lot of women get paranoid when their husbands want some "alone" time although they think nothing of it when they go "shopping" for 8 hours. Every human being needs alone time no matter who you are. It's all based on trust in a relationship and both people having the confidence to live in harmony.

Wow, that's some serious gear. It's funny because the hikes that I will be going on, at least as I'm starting out probably won't require anything but a GPS unit. We have a lot of parks around my area where you can park your car near the path and venture into the woods a bit. Nothing like open wilderness where you hike for miles upon miles. Eventually I'd like to do something like that and maybe even spend the night out there but I need to make sure I'm prepared and a lot more experienced. But for now my hikes won't be any more than a mile or two away from my vehicle. But don't get me wrong, this is still great information I need because one day I will break away from the baby trails and head out into the unknown. At least in my part of the country I don't have to worry about poisonous snakes, bobcats, mountain lions or bears! You're pretty safe in Ohio.

That's an older one and is discontinuted but while browsing Garmin's website I found this: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=87771 I will have to compare the two I've been looking at and see which may work best for me. I have a Garmin GPS for my vehicle and love it. You can't go wrong with the Garmin brand. Thanks for the info! One interesting note is Garmin pushes OpenCaching.com as their preferred website for this hobby. I checked out the site and it didn't have nearly the caches that this site does. Maybe because it's newer, not sure but I didn't care for it and how people were setting up their caches. Sorry, got off topic some.

I can hear my wife now as I put all this gear into my pack... "So...where you walking to, Alaska?" I'm making a big list so when I do purchase a nice pack I can start adding things slowly over time. So far I appreciate all the advice and if you think of anything else let me know!

Yep, one of my personal goals is to get more exercise in ways that are more fun than the boring gym routine. This would make an excellent hobby for that. The whisle is a brillant idea and I've thought about this already. I also have one of those very loud sirens you pull the pin on which can clip to a belt or pack. It would scare Bigfoot away trust me.

Tweezers? Interesting... If I feel the need to pluck my eyebrows I guess it would be safer in the woods where nobody could see me. I'm joking.... So...what would the functionality of that tool be for? Perhaps a splinter?

Like I said, new here so forgive me. I will make sure I search around more but I appreciate the info! Lots of good stuff I would have never thought of. Thanks for taking the time to list them!

Hello! I'm new to this site and to geocaching so I thought this might be a good topic for my own knowledge and for others as well. I have so many questions about getting into hiking I'd like to know from experienced people what gear you have discovered you really need out there and why. A GPS device is an obvious, I'm talking about gear people may not think of until it's too late. I'm sure everyone has gone deep into the woods and thought, "Darn! It would have been nice to have..."

Hey thanks! That looks like a really cool unit and I will check it out more on eBay.

For about $200 (my current PayPal funds) and using eBay what would you choose? I would like a map feature and maybe something that has geocaching ability but it's not so important for me to download content for new caches. I can enter that info before my adventure. I want to get more into hiking so I want a GPS that can allow me to not get lost (waypoints) but at the same time explore more area and also use it for geocaching. Basically, an all-around gps for the outdoors. Thanks for any help!