[My First Great Adventure]

Hi - Callie here.

 

I am sure glad that I am not the only physically challenged geocacher out there. Wigi and I started this hobby earlier this year. He has been wanting to do it for awhile. Our hopes are that by the time we run out of all the one and two difficulty levels I will be up to doing a three

 

The best thing about gecocaching is that is gives me some incentive to get out and push myself. The biggest challenge so far is steep slopes. Me and inclines don't go well together. Thank You so much for sharing your unique perspective.

[Tbs And Airline Security]

I have no idea if anyone has ever addressed this issue, but I would be curious to know...

 

Has anyone considered that technically a travel bug is an item given to us by someone we don't know? That might make taking them on an airplane a problem...

 

I work in the travel industry, and I travel a fair amount, and the VAST majority of travel bugs are not only innocuous, but really tamper-proof and innocent by design. However, it seems to me that someone that had mischief in their hearts could create (or modify) a travel bug that would cause a problem on an airplane.

 

I am really not trying to rain on anyone's parade...

[Equipment Shopping]

I've spent enough time as a by-stander and am ready to start caching. After shopping for a hand held GPS unit I'm finding I have a hang-up with equipment. I can see myself getting out of the car thinking ' remember the cell phone, the PDA, and the GPS... don't forget the water, the leashes, and this and that the bug spray, OH and the binocs!!!"

 

So I thought I'd be able to simplify. Has anyone ever used a Palm Treo 700 with the SD expansion GPS for caching?? I'd like one gadget that does it all, but I want to be sure that the gadget I get does all the jobs I hire it for. Any suggestions as to service plans and equipment are more than welcome.

 

Thanks in advance!

2tents

 

I am using a Palm Tungsten T5 and a bluetooth GPSr and GeoNiche software. I am pretty happy with it... though I am aware of the criticism about the durability of the equipment. I am torn between the convenience of the totally paperless caching and the durability of the equipment. For the moment, I am using it, and it works dandy. There are definitely some things that could be better about it, but for features and functions, I am very happy with it.

 

Wigi

[Pda For Caching]

Would like to purchase a PDA so I can become one of the "paperless cachers". I would like a decent PDA that lets me store a lot of cache descriptions & logs. However, I don't want to spend a ton of money because I won't use the PDA for anything other than caching. Anyone out there using their PDA for paperless caching? Could use some guidance...Thanks!!

 

I am relatively new to Geocaching (known about it for a while, but just recently started seeking and hiding)... and I already had a PDA. I own a tour company and decided I wanted to test drive a GPS map package that I could rent to clients, so I got the Tom Tom package that Palm is selling (don't get this for geocaching -- it is fine for driving directions, but useless - with an exception or two, see below - for geocaching). It comes with a bluetooth GPSR.

 

There are a number of software packages out there for GPS and palm, and I tried a few... I am currently using GeoNiche, which is optimized for geocaching. It basically puts a front end on the bluetooth GPS. You can download .loc files (they need to be converted into palm files, but it comes with a java applet that does that for you) and getting them into the palm is as easy as syncing the palm. It does not have a map display, but it is very easy to use and consistently and easily gets me right to a cache. It also loads the descriptions of the caches, which are one button away on the display, and it will decode the hints for you.

 

As I said, the Tom Tom software is almost useless for geocaching, except for two things. Once, we were geocaching and my girlfriend started to feel ill after a bit of a hike. We found a road, and I loaded the Tom Tom software and bookmarked her position, walked back to the car, and then had it plot a route back to where she was... which was useful because I wasn't familiar with the neighborhood. The other thing that is useful about the package is that it comes with a cigarette lighter cord for both the palm and the receiver, as well as a car mount for the palm.

 

There may well be better packages/combinations out there, I don't know... my research is limited. But I am really happy with mine... it would work with any bluetooth-enabled palm. Mine is a T-5, but I think the TX might be a better deal these days.

[Geocache Alaska]

Good to see you chiming in here, Wigi&Callie! AeroAK & I visited your caches 'Castor Canadensis' & 'A Few of our Favorite Things' earlier this week, late late at night... 'Things' was creepy after dark! This wasn't yourfavorite couch out there, was it? My my - what a nice green chenille upholstery...

 

 

Seriously - looking forward to meeting you soon - perhaps on the trail, or at one of our events. In any case, I'll be watching for more cache placements - we enjoyed finding these two, although I did need AeroAK's help at 'Things'...

 

I didn't see that couch out there. I should have looked more closely!

When we placed that cache, it was getting late, and we just stumbled upon the spot.

 

See y'all soon!

[Geocache Alaska]

Just wanted to introduce myself...

 

I am Wigi, of Wigi&Callie... we're relatively new to Geocaching, though we've known about it for quite a while and have been interested in doing it. Some of you have visited our two caches, and we really appreciate the comments.

 

We've had great fun placing our caches, and we have a few more caches planned. We're debating a caching expedition for the weekend.

 

Anyway, it's great to see how active everyone is here in Alaska.

 

Catch y'all on the trail...