Paperless Caching

[+GoJoey&GoPollyanna]

Can anyone direct me to some chats and info on paperless caching. I own a Tungston E Palm. Thanks

[+robert]

Head here and look for threads about CacheMate.

[+Miragee]

If you do a search of the Forums for Paperless caching, you will find lots of information.

 

In the GPS Units and Software Forum there is a thread about GSAK, and about Cachemate, which you will want for your Palm. It is only $8.00 to register and is very, very useful.

 

Also, you might check out the links on this cache page.

[+SteveDex]

This is an interesting page I found last week. I have a T5 and was curious about using it instead of paper printouts.

 

Haven't done it with my PALM yet... paper seems a bit more convient for me since I use printouts mainly for benchmark hunting where the coordinates are not accurate and we must rely on 50-year-old log descriptions to lead us to the exact locations. I like being able to fold the sweaty, dirty paper, and shove it in my pocket before I climb around culverts and over fences

 

I don't print the whole page - I copy and paste the important parts and can get 3 or 4 targets on each side of a single sheet.

 

But when I get time, I still intend to see if the PALM makes sense in Geocaching.

[+Team Cotati]

I tried going paperless with an HP iPaq. It totally sucked. Let me know what you think about Cachemate since I have not used that app. perhps that app can somehow compensate better for the limited screen space on a PDA and it's navigational limitations. I found the process very clumsy to say the least. Carrying paper and loving it. The biggest draw back for me to paper is the print time. Other than that, paper kicks GPXSonar(HP App) out the door. IMO it is just not ready for prime time. Good luck.

Edited July 31, 2005 by Team Cotati

[+Miragee]

Cachemate works very, very well.

 

It has separate pages for the cache description, cache overview, the hint, past logs (these are very helpful), and a page for your own log and notes, including the time you start the hunt and end the hunt.

 

It is the best $8.00 I've ever spent on software!

[+Team Cotati]

Cachemate works very, very well.

 

It has separate pages for the cache description, cache overview, the hint, past logs (these are very helpful), and a page for your own log and notes, including the time you start the hunt and end the hunt.

 

It is the best $8.00 I've ever spent on software!

Well that's nice to hear. Unfortunately I was told the same thing wrt GPXSonar which I found to be inaccurate information. Perhaps it is because the software is free for download, who knows. One thing that I do know is that it totally sucked. I'd really love to see a demo of Cachemate though since you seem to be able to get adaquate Palms on Ebay all day long for about $29.95. Maybe someone will have one at an 'event' in my area some time. But for now, Team Cotati rates paperless as: Overrated.

Edited July 31, 2005 by Team Cotati

[+Miragee]

Oh . . . you don't know what you are missing. (Next to Opera, Cachemate is the best downloaded software I've purchased. )

 

I have more than 800 caches in my Palm, and 400 or so waypoints in my GPSr. Regardless of where I find myself in this cache-rich area, I can go caching on a whim, without planning, without printing anything out on paper, without wasting printer ink. I could never have found 459 caches in a little over six months if I wasn't caching "Paperless."

 

Cachemate is definitely worth the money . . . Check out the little demo in the upper right hand corner.

[+Kai Team]

The combination of Geocaching Swiss Army Knife (GSAK) and Cachemate is the only way to go! Paperless is so much less time consuming than printing out the cache pages, and, as Idiosyncratic pointed out, much less expensive once you made the initial investment ("give away the printers and sell the ink").

 

It's also much less obtrusive in those "stealth" caching situations, and more environmentally friendly!

[nickie218]

There is a great article written by Clan Barron, with step by step instructions on paperless caching on Florida Caching.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

All you need is a palm PDA and CacheMate. Nothing inaccurate about them. No more wasting those little trees out there and keeping HP rich with me buying their ink.

[+Ladycacher]

Palm Zire 72 here and love it!

[+Ed & Julie]

Cachemate works very, very well.

 

It has separate pages for the cache description, cache overview, the hint, past logs (these are very helpful), and a page for your own log and notes, including the time you start the hunt and end the hunt.

 

It is the best $8.00 I've ever spent on software!

Well that's nice to hear. Unfortunately I was told the same thing wrt GPXSonar which I found to be inaccurate information. Perhaps it is because the software is free for download, who knows. One thing that I do know is that it totally sucked. I'd really love to see a demo of Cachemate though since you seem to be able to get adaquate Palms on Ebay all day long for about $29.95. Maybe someone will have one at an 'event' in my area some time. But for now, Team Cotati rates paperless as: Overrated.

Gsak+CacheMate= awesome paperless caching.

 

WE rate paprless caching: 5-stars, and the only way we will cache!!

[nickie218]

Link to paperless caching info on Florida Caching

[+Old Bill]

Zire 21, GSAK, Cachemate, and a GC Premium membership. Just went paperless this past week, and am sold! No more flipping through the "candidates", printing up pages and pages, and filing them in a notebook for that special caching trip. Just get yer PQ once a week (or more often), send to the handheld, delete the old cache waypoints from the GPSr, and load in the new ones. I set up my first PQ's which generated about 189 caches, and it only took about 30 minutes the first time I did it. I could easily see it only taking me about 10~15 minutes each time now that it's all set up. It would take me that long to print up a dozen pages.....

 

Is it worth the initial investment in time and effort? Oh Yeah baby!

[+Team Cotati]

I agree, that's why I don't use an H-P printer. Beautiful.

[+Team Cotati]

Oh . . . you don't know what you are missing. (Next to Opera, Cachemate is the best downloaded software I've purchased. )

 

I have more than 800 caches in my Palm, and 400 or so waypoints in my GPSr. Regardless of where I find myself in this cache-rich area, I can go caching on a whim, without planning, without printing anything out on paper, without wasting printer ink. I could never have found 459 caches in a little over six months if I wasn't caching "Paperless."

 

Cachemate is definitely worth the money . . . Check out the little demo in the upper right hand corner.

I don't suppose that having full time employment would get in the way, do you?

[+robert]

Cachemate works very, very well.

 

It has separate pages for the cache description, cache overview, the hint, past logs (these are very helpful), and a page for your own log and notes, including the time you start the hunt and end the hunt.

 

It is the best $8.00 I've ever spent on software!

Well that's nice to hear. Unfortunately I was told the same thing wrt GPXSonar which I found to be inaccurate information. Perhaps it is because the software is free for download, who knows. One thing that I do know is that it totally sucked. I'd really love to see a demo of Cachemate though since you seem to be able to get adaquate Palms on Ebay all day long for about $29.95. Maybe someone will have one at an 'event' in my area some time. But for now, Team Cotati rates paperless as: Overrated.

GPXSonar does that all on one page, just like geocaching.com. It has all those features you mention, plus easy tracking of TBs in and out of the cache.

 

What was the problem you had with it?

[+ParrotRobAndCeCe]

If you're using a PocketPC device instead of a Palm, GPXView does a pretty good job of displaying cache pages from a GPX file generated by a pocket query. Not that I can cache all that much, but I never know when I will have a "good day" and when I do, I always have the 200 closest caches to me in my PocketPC. I also use the Pharos iGPS-CF card and Ostia navigation software in my PocketPC which allows me to carry just one device with the cache page, description, hints, etc and navigation all in one unit.

[+Marcie/Eric]

..about that paperless forum...

[+Team Cotati]

Paperless just flat out sucks. No matter what forum it takes.

[+GoJoey&GoPollyanna]

Thank you so much to all the wonderful cachers that responded. Im on my way to paperless caching. This weekend I will buy an expansion card for my palm and hope I dont have too much problem finishing my setup.

[+robert]

Thank you so much to all the wonderful cachers that responded. Im on my way to paperless caching. This weekend I will buy an expansion card for my palm and hope I dont have too much problem finishing my setup.

what Palm do you have? With CacheMate the files are quite small so you may not need it unless you only have a small amount of memory left.

[+CarlfromOH]

I gotta tell ya' - I really like using my Palm Pilot when caching! I have a TE with a 256 MB card. I use Cachemate, the author of which has been very good at responding to my questions. (I put my Cachemate files on the card because I have so much other stuff on the TE.) I use the pocket queries to locate caches at locations wherever I may be possibly searching - on vacation, on business, etc. All this is very simple and comprehensive.

 

Have fun!

[shootur]

Paperless, yes!!

I've got an old palm m100 and thought it was just to old to be any good. Then I met Mark.B from NY. He told me about cachemate. First I tried the free vision, and it worked. Then I went ahead and paid the 8 bucks, and it is great. I don't know what I'd do without it. Save on ink and paper, and it's a lot easier to use than looking thru all those pages of paper.

[+briansnat]

Carrying paper and loving it. tongue.gif The biggest draw back for me to paper is the print time. Other than that, paper kicks GPXSonar(HP App) out the door. IMO it is just not ready for prime time. Good luck. 

 

The drawback is not the print time, it getting all the pages, organizing them and keeping them up to date. Before I went paperless I had stacks of cache listings all over the place. In the back of my car, at my desk, in my backpack, in my luggage.

 

Now everything is in a handy, dandy PDA. I get the closest 500 caches to my home sent to me every week. I load them right into my GPS and into Cachemate so I have the waypoints on my GPS and the pages on my PDA.

 

When I went on vacation or traveled on business, I used to load the closest 100 waypoints onto my PDA, then print the 20 or so caches that I was most likely to go after. More often than not it was a waste of paper, or the cache that I decided to go after I never printed. Now, for every waypoint on my GPS, I have the corresponding cache page in my PDA.

 

Not sure what probs you had with GPXSonar, but Cachemate is pretty neat.

[+sbell111]

I use Plucker and Cache Log Book for free and easy paperless caching. It is great.

[+badlands]

GSAK and Cachemate

 

Once I figured out how to get the PDA to sort by and display the “Smart” name the same as the GPS it was even better.

Now I’m trying to figure out how to upload the logs from the PDA back to GSAK.

 

Next will be Google Earth. Looks like you can upload the waypoints and get a satellite map. (premium version)

[+Team Cotati]

Carrying paper and loving it. tongue.gif The biggest draw back for me to paper is the print time. Other than that, paper kicks GPXSonar(HP App) out the door. IMO it is just not ready for prime time. Good luck. 

 

The drawback is not the print time, it getting all the pages, organizing them and keeping them up to date. Before I went paperless I had stacks of cache listings all over the place. In the back of my car, at my desk, in my backpack, in my luggage.

 

Now everything is in a handy, dandy PDA. I get the closest 500 caches to my home sent to me every week. I load them right into my GPS and into Cachemate so I have the waypoints on my GPS and the pages on my PDA.

 

When I went on vacation or traveled on business, I used to load the closest 100 waypoints onto my PDA, then print the 20 or so caches that I was most likely to go after. More often than not it was a waste of paper, or the cache that I decided to go after I never printed. Now, for every waypoint on my GPS, I have the corresponding cache page in my PDA.

 

Not sure what probs you had with GPXSonar, but Cachemate is pretty neat.

No, the draw back is print time, just exactly like I said that it was. Some people are just naturally more organized than others I guess. Paperless sucks. One thing is fer dadgummedsure, if the hardware and software supported downloading 5,000 waypoints/week, there'd be a select few who would be hell bent on doing it.............just because they could.

Edited August 4, 2005 by Team Cotati

[+Mastifflover]

Paperless sucks only if you can't figure out how to do it. GSAK and Cachmate. Once I get my PQ I can have everything loaded on my pda and GPS in about 5 minutes. The only way to go if you do more than a couple of caches in an outing.

[+Team Cotati]

Paperless sucks only if you can't figure out how to do it. GSAK and Cachmate.  Once I get my PQ I can have everything loaded on my pda and GPS in about 5 minutes. The only way to go if you do more than a couple of caches in an outing.

I "figured out how to use it" in about 5 minutes, strangely that was exactly when I figured out exactly how overrated and sucky it really was. What a useless, cumbersome, poorly designed un-userfriendly piece of carp. Totally over-blown ill suited implementation of technology... just because they could. No wonder so few people use it. As much as some seem to wish it, this stuff is by no means rocket science. Now if only someone could fix the WAAS system so that it actually improved GPS system precision, now that would really be a feat of rocket science.

Edited August 4, 2005 by Team Cotati

[+caderoux]

I cache only with my iPaq (and pen, Camelbak, hiking pole, Leatherman, ...). I have a BlueTooth GPSr, which communicates to Mapopolis. I use GSAK and GPXtoMaplet to make the maplets for all the caches I'm going to hunt.

 

As far as GPXSonar, I actually prefer GPXView, BUT GPXView doesn't let you make notes. But I've found GPXSonar to be real flaky. There was the promising CacheDragon, but this software appears to have been abandoned - this had GPS controller and cache database all in one application.

 

As far as paper-based, I've never _really_ cached that way. Even at the beginning, I would copy and paste from the built-in notes on the iPaq to get the coordinates into Pocket CoPilot. But I've never had a traditional GPSr either.

 

As far as an interface, Mapopolis has a fabulous interface and with a huge color screen on a Pocket PC - it's a great alternative to the relatively limited interfaces of most traditional GPSrs. And it gives me driving directions and everything.

 

I think the main problem is battery life, even with a separate battery in the BT GPSr, the backlight on the iPaq drains the iPaq battery.

[+Shrink]

Cachemate on my palm m515 and GSAK work well together. only I can't figure how to get a good satellite image of the cache are without paper. Otherwise paperless is the way to go.

[+Bear Paughs]

I only just downloaded GSAK 2 days ago (and the newly released v6.0 today), but I can tell you, I AM IN LOVE! This has to be one of the greatest tools ever. I have a bunch of puzzle/multis that I've partially completed, and my favorite thing is adding updated coordinates and locking the data. I've been playing with it nonstop. My PDA is supposed to be delivered sometime on Monday, and I can't even wait to get started with cachemate. What a difference just GSAK has already made! Paperless definitely is the way to go!

[+wornout]

I only just downloaded GSAK 2 days ago (and the newly released v6.0 today), but I can tell you, I AM IN LOVE! This has to be one of the greatest tools ever. I have a bunch of puzzle/multis that I've partially completed, and my favorite thing is adding updated coordinates and locking the data. I've been playing with it nonstop. My PDA is supposed to be delivered sometime on Monday, and I can't even wait to get started with cachemate. What a difference just GSAK has already made! Paperless definitely is the way to go!

I got hooked when I came upon another cacher with a PDA and a GPSr walking to the same cache I was, only, I was holding my GPSr and fumbling with a hand full of paper. I asked what he had and the rest is history. I see this same scene at geocaching events when someone brings out a PDA and a paper cacher looks on. The rest is history.

[+wornout]

GSAK and Cachemate

 

Once I figured out how to get the PDA to sort by and display the “Smart” name the same as the GPS it was even better.

Now I’m trying to figure out how to upload the logs from the PDA back to GSAK.

 

Next will be Google Earth. Looks like you can upload the waypoints and get a satellite map. (premium version)

You might like what I do. I log the cache 'found' on cachemate when I find a cache. I fill out the Took/Left/TB lines. At the end of the cache day, I bring up the 'found' tab on cachemate and select the 'export' tab under 'Cachemate', near the bottom of the list. This sets up an export of that date to the Palm Desktop Memos. I hot sync, at home, and all the log entries are uploaded to the Palm Desktop Memos. I bring up the Palm Desktop program and geocaching.com and copy/paste the info. I know one can upload all the data to geocaching.com but I sometimes want to expand the log description once I am back home.

[+Miragee]

I left my Palm at home yesterday

 

I was happy to have found the caches I did, but DNF'd some I could have found if I had had the hint, or some of the Past Logs.

 

At least with the "Smart Name" feature of GSAK, I knew the size of the container and type of cache from the name on the GPSr.

 

Paperless caching is the only way to go . . . but don't forget your PDA.

[+Team Cotati]

Other than the print time involved, paper is far superior to paperless, no doubt about that. Nothing but that little 1/4 folded paper in your hip pocket or fanny pack and no clumsy piece of poorly designed electronics to worry about dropping or battery failure or getting wet in the sudden summer time rain shower or god forbid that should you slip and fall in a creek or the thing slips off a boulder that you foolishly laid it on "for just a second". Nothing but pure caching enjoyment. Just don't leave your clip board/binder at home. Oh yeah, don't leave your GPSr at home either. Yeppers, paper is the only way to go. Don't leave your spare batteries at home either.

Edited August 9, 2005 by Team Cotati

[+Thrak]

I tried the method listed at Geocacher University: http://www.geocacher-u.com/resources/paperless.html and it worked extremely easily and well. I've now downloaded GSAK: http://www.gsak.net/ and it seems that I will likely be using that from now on.

 

GSAK provides more versatility but the method from Geocacher University works quite well.

 

I have an old Palm Vx with a hard shell case for it. You don't need much of a unit at all. Geo U says to just buy an old Palm III or something on eBay so you can see that a pretty basic unit will handle what is needed.

[+sbell111]

Naked guy, it is obvious from your ranting that you wish someone would engage you about paperless caching, so here goes. By your posts, you haven't tried paperless using a palm. I can tell you that I really am happy with my paperless solution.

 

I use GSAK to build a file of all the caches that I am interested in. I then use Spinner and Sunrise Desktop to prepare the data for syncing. A quick sync sends all of the data to my pda's Plucker app. I also use Cache Log Book to keep a database of all the important info about the hunt, so I'll be able to tell the story in my logs.

 

Its a great system.

 

Many people use Cachemate instead of Plucker and really like it.

 

Please tell us, specifically what it is that bunches your undies (if you were wearing them) about paperless caching?

[+robert]

there's no way paper is better. if you're just doing a couple caches and know exactly where you're going, then maybe.

 

but if you cache like we do, just going "okay what's next closest?" then paperless is great. find a couple in this park, a couple in that park, that kind of thing.

 

CacheMate and GPXSonar are both easy to use and I don't know what I'd do without them.

 

[+Team Cotati]

there's no way paper is better.  if you're just doing a couple caches and know exactly where you're going, then maybe.

 

but if you cache like we do, just going "okay what's next closest?" then paperless is great.  find a couple in this park, a couple in that park, that kind of thing.

 

CacheMate and GPXSonar are both easy to use and I don't know what I'd do without them.

 

And that is exactly what The Team does with paper. It really isn't all that much of a challenge, trust me. And it is one hellofalot less frustrating than screwing with a stinking PDA and that is for sure certain positive. Like I said afore, paperless just flat out sucks...........big time. Paper caching is 10 times better, easily.

 

And oh BTW, for some unexplained reason, my GPSr seems to do a quite satisfactory job of showing the "next closest" cache. I don't know how it does it...it just does.

Edited August 9, 2005 by Team Cotati

[+badlands]

GSAK and Cachemate

 

Once I figured out how to get the PDA to sort by and display the “Smart” name the same as the GPS it was even better. 

Now I’m trying to figure out how to upload the logs from the PDA back to GSAK.

 

Next will be Google Earth.  Looks like you can upload the waypoints and get a satellite map. (premium version)

You might like what I do. I log the cache 'found' on cachemate when I find a cache. I fill out the Took/Left/TB lines. At the end of the cache day, I bring up the 'found' tab on cachemate and select the 'export' tab under 'Cachemate', near the bottom of the list. This sets up an export of that date to the Palm Desktop Memos. I hot sync, at home, and all the log entries are uploaded to the Palm Desktop Memos. I bring up the Palm Desktop program and geocaching.com and copy/paste the info. I know one can upload all the data to geocaching.com but I sometimes want to expand the log description once I am back home.

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[+Contryguy]

there's no way paper is better.  if you're just doing a couple caches and know exactly where you're going, then maybe.

 

but if you cache like we do, just going "okay what's next closest?" then paperless is great.  find a couple in this park, a couple in that park, that kind of thing.

 

CacheMate and GPXSonar are both easy to use and I don't know what I'd do without them.

 

What he said

 

I would never go back to paper I can be ready to go caching and fully updated on the caches in a fraction of the time by going paperless. I used paper for the first year or so and this is so much easier. However sometimes I do print out a multi if I have one that has several steps that take figuring otherwise I try and save trees and do it the far better way.

[+Thrak]

I looked at Cachemate but without purchasing it I was limited to only 10 or so entries. I tried Plucker and love it. My old Palm Vx has the full web page for each cache I look for. I can jump to the logs, or decrypt the hint. I can tap the thing and the page slowly auto scrolls down for easy reading and reference.

 

I bought the Palm a few years ago used on eBay for pretty cheap. I got the hard clamshell case with it. I can stick the thing in my back pocket and carry it without worrying about messing it up. I am by no means a small guy but I don't hesitate to sit down on the ground or a stump or in my truck with the Palm still stuck in my back pocket since the hard case protects it nicely.

[+Mastifflover]

Well, it looks like so far that we have had 25 separate people including myself tell the OP that paperless caching is the way to go. We have a couple of people not sure about it yet and 1 person that the best argument that they can come up with against paperless caching is that your pda might get rained on. Oh by the way have you ever tried to read a cache page that was printed by a jet printer and got a little wet? Now that sucks!

Edited August 11, 2005 by Mastifflover

[+briansnat]

Naked guy, it is obvious from your ranting that you wish someone would engage you about paperless caching, so here goes.  By your posts, you haven't tried paperless using a palm.  I can tell you that I really am happy with my paperless solution.

 

I use GSAK to build a file of all the caches that I am interested in.  I then use Spinner and Sunrise Desktop to prepare the data for syncing.  A quick sync sends all of the data to my pda's Plucker app.  I also use Cache Log Book to keep a database of all the important info about the hunt, so I'll be able to tell the story in my logs.

 

Its a great system.

 

Many people use Cachemate instead of Plucker and really like it.

 

Please tell us, specifically what it is that bunches your undies (if you were wearing them) about paperless caching?

Lets not feed the trolls now. It only encourages them.

Edited August 11, 2005 by briansnat

[+PetsAllOver]

Dell Axim (PocketPC), using either GPXView when I'm carring the Garmin, or CacheDragon when using the CFCard to cache with the Axim itself.

 

Finds, notes about caches, etc, go in the Notes app in the handheld.

 

The only thing I'd really like is a binder that would hold the Axim, my stylus/pen combitool that's about 1/4 of an inch too big to fit easily into my handheld case, and let me clip the Garmin into it

 

--Mark

Mr PetsAllOver

[+beopots]

Palm Zire 72 here and love it!

hey ladycacher, what do use with your ZIRE? I just inherited a zire 71, until now I was using an old Vx with only cachemate, no GSAK tho. (is this the reccomended setup?)

[+sbell111]

Lets not feed the trolls now. It only encourages them.

It's a compulsion. I've tried to stop, really. They should make a patch for that.