victorymike

Since 2.4 came out I have been leaving my 76C at home more and more often and the last 4 times I went out I have left it home. Looks like it might be time to sell. I can live without the averaging, knowing that I might have to mark the coordinate a few times to be sure its right...but it is still the last feature I really want. I am looking forward to trying out this new update tho...Thanks Garmin!

I truly enjoy a good backpack and always seem to be looking...even tho I have plenty. Among them are a Camelback Classic and a Camelback Mule. When I took my mom on my annual U.P. cache-a-thon (and camping trip) I gave her the Classic for drinking and I used the Mule to carry the stuff. That system worked really well. I generally only use the Mule when I will be on multi day, multi mile backwoods type caching/hiking...not urban stuff. The Classic is awesome for caching day to day. And it REALLY shines when I assist the local parks with controlled burns...where it is important to stay hydrated. Funny that you mention Jansport: I have a very old Jansport backpack that I have stitched back together a few times because I love it so much. I used to use it as a bookbag and now I use it as a work bag. And I use it as a weekend bag when I head up to my folks' places.

37 and I started caching Apr 13, 2001.

I've had several weeks to play with the SkyScout and it's pretty awesome. It weighs in at almost a pound and is sure to be awesome at night on the trail.

I've used staves before and eventually bough an official geocaching.com hiking staff from El-Diablo. I have since converted the base to a spike with a rubber tip that screws over the top. Used the spike for ice walks. Then I started hiking in earnest and I switched to trekking poles. When backpacking with a heavy load I use my pair of Leki Makalu poles and I was amazed at the difference they made. For non-pack hiking I use just one trekking pole. The hiking staff has been relegated to a position of honor across the front of my entertainment center. I bring it to an event for show every now and then. But it is hard to tote around, as it is long and solid. The trekking poles are collapsable. I bought the rubber feet for the trekking poles (for use on cement or asphault)...but have never used them. Oh...I also converted my hiking staff. I put a 1/8" steel plate on top of it and mounted my external GPS antenna to it. That way I can use it as an aerial...should I ever use it in the woods again (I hope to but it's hard to set it aside with the ease of transport of my trekking poles).

The Garmin Colorado series or the Garmin iQues (which are GPS equipped PDAs).

I've bought several electronics devices lately and have been pleasantly surprised that all of them are usb driven and have the same tophat looking end connection as my GPSs. External hard drive, card reader, my Garmin Zumo, Garmin GPSMAP76C, and Colorado 400t all use the same usb cable...so I have 5 data cables. One I have at work, one at home, one in my laptop bag and spares. Wow!

According to Garmin it is +/- 0.1 knot...translated that is +/- 0.1852 km/hr or +/- 0.1151 mph

From the Field notes page under your account: To upload your Garmin Colorado's Field Notes: Plug your Garmin Colorado into your computer with a USB cable. Click "Browse" on this web page and go to the Garmin directory on your Colorado's drive. Select the file named "geocache_visits.txt" and click "Upload" on this page to upload your Field Notes. We recommend that you delete the "geocache_visits.txt" file on the Colorado once your Field Notes are uploaded. Once the Field Notes are uploaded you can return to the Field Notes list page to start logging your finds. This is how you reset your "found caches" for field notes but I do not know if it also deletes the caches from your list. I just delete the .gpx file and install a new one after I log my caches vie field notes.

My snorkel and airbox are waterproof. And I sealed my distributor and fuse box too. You also have to have really good grounds. The battery will do fine underwater. If bought, the snorkels come as a one piece plastic kit and are waterproof. You have a flex tube from the snorkel to the airbox, which you have to modify. If modified correctly it is watertight. If duct taped in place...well...hahaha. So the comment about "most snorkels not being waterproof" is incorrect...if they are installed right. Another note: It really helps to get rid of the mechanical fan and install electrical ones for deep water. That way you can disable the fan when it gets deep. I still have my mechanical fan tho.

The last firmware update crushed many of the complaints. And people are getting more familiar with how it works. I own a 400t and am awaiting an averaging feature, hopefully, in the next update. But honestly that is all I can think of on my wish list...this unit is awesome! I finally sat my 76C on the counter...and it has been there for the last month or so.

As far as the best of both worlds (hiking and automotive autorouting) go you can't go wrong with Garmins 60 or 76 series: 60C, 60Cx, 60CS, 60CSx, 76C, 76Cx, 76CS, 76CSx. The CS models come with barometric altimeter and compass, cost a little more and have slightly less battery life than the C models. The "x" models have the capability of expandable SD cards for loading more maps. The 76 models are stated to be marine units and are rated to float. I have a 76C and I love it. You can find one pretty inexpensively nowadays. You will need that extra cash to buy the street level mapping. For a first time map buyer I always recommend the City Navigator maps, as they include addresses, gas stations, hotels, restaurants, repair shops, etc, etc, etc, etc. You will get much more everyday use out of them. If you want to buy a second set of maps then go with Topos, which show better terrain, more lakes, streams, rivers...but no addresses or anything else.

Very nice kit and picture, EScout! And nice additions to a repair kit (and moop too). When I find mangled containers I generally add my Ziploc bags for paper items and especially the logbook...as opposed to repairing the container. If there is a mangled container in Michigan it is generally one of those cheap one-use sandwich things and isn't even worth trying to repair. But every now and then...duct tape...hmmm...

Ziploc bag, logbook, pencil, and laminated cache site card made up ahead of time. And I carry extra Ziplocs and pencils too. That way I can add all or just some to set up the cache for many finds to come. My cache site cards are my own version of the the cache site sheets on the "Hide and Seek a cache" page of gc.com. But I make them up business card size, double sided, and laminate them like cache cards.

Mark a waypoint and then change the icon to the skull and crossbones (or whatever). That icon menu.

Snorkel: Besides the obvious reason of preventing water from choking the air going into the airbox and stalling the engine, thus affording a greater water fording depth (if you waterproof your other electronics, like I also have), many people don't realize that the ARB Snorkels were designed in Australia for the outback. The reason they are so high is because of the hundreds of thousands of miles of dirt roads there. The snorkel is just high enough to get above the dust and dirt of the roads. It keeps the air filters from clogging up after a single day of driving. While I have to admit that it just looks cool, it does help on my annual dirt road cache-a-thon to Michigan's Upper Peninnsula.

Repeatable error on mine: If you are in the icon menu and scroll to the left...and then off the screen to the left the screen fades away and it turns off. But it turns back on again.

Here: http://www.michmarkers.com/default.htm Now you can log 90% of all the old virtual caches in Michigan. I am sure that other states have a similar website. I vote no on virtuals for the above reason. I am really glad that Earthcaches are back.

For the caches you pick be sure to read the cache pages. If it is a micro cache and is in a parking lot you can autoroute right to it. Lift the parking lot light pole skirt (the trim ring that covers the bolts that mount the light pole to the concrete base). For a multicache be prepared to hunt for a micro for the first stage. If it is a 4 or 5 difficulty or terrain be prepared for a tough no-find or ugly hill climb or something. For caches your GPS will autoroute you as close to the cache as a road will allow so you will have to know where to park. Some of the caches give coordinates for parking on the cache page or will tell you the name of the park. If you see that park on your map but autorouting takes you into a subdivision...well...you get the point. Don't get discouraged. But remember...getting to the parking spot for the cache is only half the battle.

I hiked 4 miles thru Brighton State Recreation Area in search of 4 different caches last week. My personal experience mirrors that of Wandering Waypoint (I upgraded from a GPSMAP76C). This thing REALLY shines in the woods.

Yep...by Newberry. Great to see another gl4x4 member here.

Look anything like this? He sure liked the licking the sweat from around my ears. What a lucky sighting. I've been hoping to see a bear in the wild while geocaching and have cached deep in bear territory many, many, times...but no luck yet.

Mother Nature doesn't see what the land manager sees. And if he sees a mess created by geocaching he'll start petitioning that caches be banned in his area. It has happened in the past.

U.S. Navy 1989-1995. Honorable discharge. Navy Achievement Medal et. al. Nuclear qualified Machinist's Mate 2nd class...was up for 1st when I got out. U.S.S. Billfish SSN 676 1991-1995. Sturgeon Class. Has since been mothballed/ Operation Desert Storm It is great to hear from all you veteran geocachers.

I have to agree with this. Very well phrased. From my personal experiences: Hiding a micro cache in a rock in a rock pile..well...expect that entire rock pile to move. I know of cache owners who can't even find their own cache again because of similar circumstances.