Arndtwe

Personally, our family uses one account (this one). It makes it easier if you ever get a PM and wish to find PMO caches. It is cheaper to get a PM for one account than 3, obviously. I would stick with 1 family account, but that is just my opinion. Edit: I see you have a PM already. I would keep the one account and log everyone's finds as one "found" log to each cache under it. Edited again: Welcome to the hobby, the adventure, the addiction: Geocaching! I really should start being more friendly to new members. This shouldn't make a difference... non PM's can still log PMO caches online, they just can't view the description and read the logs like normal. The one PM account could get access to the caches you find as a family, and everyone can still log it as a 'find'. Edit for clarity.

I don't want to sound like one of the many upset people about the change (because I am not, I actually kinda like it...), but all of this was doable on Google maps too. Why is it that no one was really into doing this with Google? I have many times, and will continue to when I find problems.

In case anyone is interested, I made a quick tutorial on how to log a PMO as a basic member. I see a lot of people not understanding how this is done. There are many ways to accomplish this, but the easiest that I know of (that others have mentioned) is in the video.

Would you be able to provide a budget for us to work with? This will significantly affect what kind of responses you will get. Thanks

The temp caches do not need to be officially published/review. In fact, they require no prior approval to even be hidden for the event, only if they are temporary though. If you do plan to keep them long term, they should be properly published and approved, but I would wait to submit them until after the event, so the locations are not given away prior. As far as the coins go, you have a couple options. You could activate them and drop them in the inventory of the event page, which would give it a temporary home, and also would accurately depict the starting place for that coin, or you can just leave them un-activated and let the cacher do that. It's up to you.

Well, at some point, it's probably safe to say that the rails are no longer being used... But yeah, I know of several rail lines that might look unused to some people, but actually see regular use. There may be only 1 train a day, or even 1 train a week, but the rails are still in use. That's a really cool looking place... do you have a location for that pic? Would love to add it to a collection of places to visit...

Check this out: maccaching.com. Not free, but cheap (only $15) and you can try a fully functional trial before you buy. May not be your cup of tea, but looks like something that may interest you... EDIT: also look into iCaching. Same cost, but may be more appealing.

Treat it like a hard drive and explore it. What if they don't know what that means? Or they understand, but don't know how to do it? If you have a USB cable for the unit, try this: Turn on the GPS, plug cable into GPS, plug cable into computer. From there you should see a new device in "My Computer" or "Computer" depending on your operating system. Also depending on your operating system you may or may not get a window that pops up telling you a new removable device was found. From My Computer, you can right-click on the new drive and select properties and it will show you how much space is used. Please don't hesitate to ask for more details or any other questions! We are a friendly bunch

No need to enter coordinates into the app. I like the 'live' map, but you can also do a search. Either way, once you find one you want to look for, click on it and hit the menu button. There are a number of navigation options to get there. I prefer using the map to get close, then compass to get spot on. Seems to work very well. Best option is to just explore the app and learn it to it's full capacity. Then you will find the rhythm that works best for you. You can find all sorts of good information on their website. [url=http://www.cgeo.org/]http://www.cgeo.org/[/url

As far as apps for Andriod go, I much pprefer c:geo. I find it much better than the Groupndspeak app or even other alternatives. It is very featureful and seems to be the best option. Another good option, which actually utilizes the Geocachoing.com API is Neongeo. It is functional, and sure is better then the official app, but I still recommend c:geo.

Look into 'Fire tacks'. These are perfect for what you want. They are non-destructive and work very well. Many geocachers use these for night caches.

There is no requirement to register or evn own a GPS. The only thing you need to 'register' is yourself, by creating an account, which you have obviously already done :-P After you have an account, you can search for and download geocaches anywhere in the world. You do have the ability to list the GPS devices that you own, if you want. But this has no affect on playing the game.

You could use a PC software to download all the Geocaches from the GPS into one GPX file. Usually, these software programs will tell how many waypoints you have. This will also create a backup of all the points on the unit which is an important thing to do anyway... Good software options that come to mind are: GSAK and EasyGPS.

c:geo does do this, for free. I like the c:geo app very well, it has the ability to add as many waypoints as you want, with custom names, it can also do projections on the fly (watch your settings, make sure you know what units you are using). I have found this app to be one of the most functional setups out there, even among other paid apps. Give it a try, you don't like then uninstall it. It won't cost you anything but a little time.

That is pretty much my experience also. I no longer have GLONASS on since it seems to really fuzz up the results. There is still the sticky problem that Garmin denies exits. Hopefully the utube videos will help change their minds and get a fix out. Again, it comes down to a firmware issue. Everything I have been reading over in the GPS & Technology forum states that Garmin does admit it's a problem and that they are going to work hard to pump out some new firmware for the unit. Hang tight, keeps your eyes open for new firmware and upgrade when you can. Hopefully it won't be long before it is fixed.

When I'm hunting for a number of caches, I make a bookmark list, run a pocket query, load that into GSAK and then number them in the order I want to do them in. This method works for a small area or a long road trip. Right now I'm working on a road trip that would probably take about 10 hours and cover about 400 miles all for 47 caches (more than we'll actually do but we always have backups) that satisfy a couple of challenge caches. So look at them on a map and make a list of how you want to find them. This is great advice, and should definitely be remembered.... but, seeing as the OP is a basic member and new, they don't have that capability and may not want to pay for those features for something they don't know if they will even like. Like I said, great advice. Just might not be applicable for this individual at this time. EDIT: Also make sure to log any DNF's (did not find) logs that you may have, these are important to helping others, the owners of the geocache, and the game in general. And there is no shame in logging one of these either.

I would start with switching the app you are using... I would recommend trying something a little more functional called 'c:geo'. This app has a live map view that will show you all the geocaches around you, including their names, GC, ratings, description, etc... pretty much everything you need on the trail. I know this can be overwhelming to switch around and try to get organized, but you will find it to be more helpful. Keep in mind, you do not need to find all of them in one day. Make a couple days of it, especially if it is near you. My recommendation would be to find good parking, start there and move to the closest one, then move to the closest one from there, and so on and so forth. Don't expect to find them all, some may be missing, hard to find or you just might completely miss it. You're new to this, it's okay to not be successful, most people have a hard time getting started and will quit out of frustration. Don't let this happen. Be patient and have fun no matter what the outcome is!

Take a look over here.

I like these.

All good advice... but I would probably say at lest 50-100 finds before even thinking of hiding your own... That isn't a whole lot, and you really do need the experience before placing one.

Run your "My Finds" PQ and import the .GPX file.... just tried it and it works great!

Especially since it is not required! It amazes me that they can provide this whole game free of charge, and give you the option to pay to play. I pay them not for the features/PMO caches (though both are nice), but rather because it supports that site and helps keep this wonderful game alive!

The only requirement the CO can impose on a finder is that the log is signed. Someone else can do the climbing. Where are the guidelines for setting 'terrain'? I can't imagine that climbing a snow-covered tree is only a 3 but I'd like to see how they're defined before I ponder this any further. The "guidelines" can be found by looking at the "ClayJar" system for ratings. It is, unfortunately, often overlooked. Also, look to theHelp Center Knowledge Books. This is most excellent! Thank you for posting this!

The only requirement the CO can impose on a finder is that the log is signed. Someone else can do the climbing. Where are the guidelines for setting 'terrain'? I can't imagine that climbing a snow-covered tree is only a 3 but I'd like to see how they're defined before I ponder this any further. This is set by the CO using their own judgment. Surely the tree isn't covered in snow every single day. And besides, I can think of much worse terrain that would still only constitute a 3 or 4 terrain.

I agree with cache owner. The owner has the right to require that you sign the log in order log it online. This is the only thing that they can require from you. If the logbook inside the cache were to be full, almost all CO's will still allow you to log the cache, especially if you can provide some sort of "evidence" of your visit/successful retrieval of the cache. It is pretty rare that a logbook is actually full anyway... All that being said, don't get your undies in a bunch. Different people like different things. A good practice from now on would to be only log online "found it" logs if you actually signed the log, and if you can't then explain why. Also keep in mind that no one is requiring you to do anything outside your comfort zone. If you don't want to climb a tree, or wade through a creek to get a cache, then don't log it.