IGPoobah

I have an Etrex venture that I take jetski-ing with me all the time and no problems whatsoever. And it's a cheap model.

The Geocaching article appeared today in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Just a heads up.

OK, so my cache sucks. I will start over using some of the suggestions you all have presented and what I have dug up in the archives. I guess no matter what I put in there, someone's not going to like it, and someone else will. So I will just get what I can and be happy. Thanks for the input.

DUH! OK, the pez and candle are out. That will leave room for something else. Yes, the chapstick is sealed in the package.

OK, on the main geocaching.com page, you can move your mouse over the links to the left side and pictures come up as your mouse moves over them. The one with the little girl holding up the rubbermaid...that is the same one I have...

I am wanting some feedback on the contents of my first cache. I read all the people complaining about the geocrap they find and about how people's caches suck. I don't want to be that guy... In a regular sized Rubbermaid container, I have placed the following: Small stuffed animal( a beaver ), a NEW package of chapstick, a Garfield PEZ dispenser, and a miniature citronella candle. It's all I could fit with the letter, notebook and 2 mechanical pencils it is a tight fit.

bust off and find a sporting goods store and just ask. You don't get anyhting if you don't ask

I don't download anything either, I manually enter the coords into my GPS, and then use the GOTO function. It is very cool to watch the bearing pointer go right to it.

I have found that my GPS is right there with the speedo's in most cars. I'll trust the GPS. Hmmm, now I wonder, if your speedometer broke, and it was gonna cost more than $100 to fix it......Dash mount a GPS and be done with it

Well here I am, living in Cabot. Just got my GPS on Saturday, hooked like a brownie already. We have a cache ready to place, just trying to find an interesting spot to put it.

and I am sending it out tomorrow. I regret that I cannot make the meeting. I would have sent my letter out sooner, but I just got involved in the whole GPS thing on Saturday when my unit arrived, so I'm trying.

The time and date will not work into my work schedule. I have one of those jobs where I have to be there.

Alrighty then, that'll be that. OK, so I'm curious how you all find out who owns land, cause I'm beginning to get frustrated by all the places I CAN'T put a cache. I mean, ALL land is owned by SOMEbody, right? It's either private or gov't. Seems like I'm screwed either way. Maybe I should just make it in my front yard, that way I've got permission.

Also, would this be considered a location where I would have to ask permission from the parks people before placing the cache?

Not unless it was less than 2 days ago I just recieved my Etrex on Saturday. So yeah, I'm new. I thought maybe I had missed the part about a 'winner' or something. Started to get confused as to whether this was just fun or an actual GAME, where there is some sort of winner or prize or something. So I see that anyone who fakes finds must be some sort of world-class loser or is trying to bump numbers in order to compensate for a lack of something else. If you're gonna cheat, cheat at something that has some kind of use, like Poker or even bingo. And I though I had no life.

OK, I am possibly being overcautious here, but I don't want to break any rules. I know you cannot drop a cache on NATIONAL park service land. What about STATE park service land? I have found an ideal spot for my first cache, and it's on State park service land, according to my map. Can it go or no?

The whole reason I'm asking is because I have a map program (DeLorme Street Atlas 8.0) which interfaces with my eTrex Venture, and I'd like to be able to work backwards so to speak. I can download routes to my GPS, and even though the venture is not roadmap capable, I can still use the route DeLorme gives me and be pretty close. However, the only way I can insert GPS coordinates into DeLorme is simple lat/long like we all leaned in school. So, thanks, should be able to figure it out now...

What is the point of cheating if there is no prize to win???

OK, maybe I'm just ignorant, but I am curious how to take the coordinates I see on my etrex and make them simple lat/long numbers to plug into a mapping program. I haven't been able to find anything, was hoping someone could help me out...