Efficiency

[+cal25]

Several times after finding a cache, I will look to the next closest cache saved as a waypoint on my GPS. Often I find myself driveing down the same roads and occasionally right past another cache, only to retrace my steps to go back and find the ones I pass up.

I am not a premium member (yet) so I dont know what features I'm missing in that regard. I bought one of the $30 PDA's on ebay but havent done anything with it yet. I do have the roads and recreation CD but have not tried to integrate that in my planning.

What are some of you doing to improve efficiency when setting out for a day of cacheing?

[+wandererrob]

What are some of you doing to improve efficiency when setting out for a day of cacheing?

Since you say "yet" about being a PM, do it. Why? IMO the pocket queries alone are worth the $3/mo.

 

That right there is the biggest planning tool I could ask for. You pull down a list tailored to your wants/needs/etc and you can upload all the waypoints to your GPSr via a handy program like GSAK (my personal favorite). Upload your cache descriptions from said query into your new PDA (I use my iPod, but the same basic idea) and you have everything you need at a glance, making planning your trip for maximum caching, if that is your aim, much easier.

[+AtoZ]

Get MicroSoft Streets and Trips and then you can load you waypoints in to it and plan your caching day using it so you can go from point a to b to c etc... and do it most effiecntly. A friend does this when we go cache and is is important for him as to get 10 caches in a day we may have to drive 100 miles.

cheers

[ImpalaBob]

Having a mapping GPS makes it easy to see stored caches along the way as we drive. Your GPS should be finding the "closest" cache as the crow flies, but while driving you may be altering the parameters. We have mapping GPSs that show the caches on the map and often a diversion from the planned route is done for this very reason. We usually map out the caches on the computer before leaving and plan a fairly good loop route to follow. ImpalaBob

[+Isonzo Karst]

I'm guessing that you have only base maps on your GPS. If it has the memory to hold better maps, buy them. With or without premium membership PQs, GSAK and the rest, just seeing the caches on a true map will greatly improve your efficiency. I know they're overpriced, but with the cost of gas, you will get your $ back shortly.

[magellan315]

I only recently bought a mapping compass. What I have done is get a local road map and mark out the approximate locations of the caches in pencil. Helped me move from one cache to the next in a sequence without a lot of extra driving.

Edited November 23, 2005 by magellan315

[dawginit81]

every few days i load any new caches in my province of NB to my gps using easygps and then from my gps to my mapsourse program on my pc. I can then look at a detiale dmap of the area i want to visit and see exactly where the caches are located and then decide the best rout to get there. it sure does help being able to see everything on a map. I also mark each cache on mapsource that i found and did not find, and also mark cahces that have been archived.

[+StarBrand]

Get MicroSoft Streets and Trips and then you can load you waypoints in to it and plan your caching day using it so you can go from point a to b to c etc... and do it most effiecntly. A friend does this when we go cache and is is important for him as to get 10 caches in a day we may have to drive 100 miles.

cheers

I'll echo that - I get a PQ of the area I will be in and then use GSAK to id the caches I am interested in and then send a file to Streets and Trips - (or use Google Earth). I can then visually plan a route that gets me to as many caches as I can reasonably do.

[+cal25]

I will try useing the map method suggested. Sounds like it would work. Also, I went ahead and ponied up for a premium subscription as everyone suggests. Now I'm just waitinf for activation.

[+V-I-cacher]

these days I use Google Earth to see what caches are in the area I'm going to

cache in... I'll look for a whole cluster, then do them all at the same time...

[+sept1c_tank]

Typically, I will choose the area I wish to explore, then research the caches nearby and pick one or two caches (usually involving the longest hike(s) of the day) I’m interested in seeking. Since I like to take my time once I’m in the great outdoors, I usually plan to spend most of my time getting to and finding these focus caches.

 

Before I leave home, I print out the details of six or eight caches nearby the focus caches, then, depending on time, seek those too. I do use mapping software in my GPSr, but generally I just drive by (yes!) any caches on the way in and out of the focus region.

 

This is efficient for me because I would rather spend most of my time walking in the woods rather than driving from cache to cache as one would do following a route, or randomly stopping for every close one.

[bogleman]

I start from my home then find the first cache that I want to visit then search for all close caches. If I am going on a trip I will plan a circle route and vary about 1-2 miles from the planned route. There are easier and quicker ways but this is what I found works well for me. If I have "chores" to take care of I will look for any close caches that I have not visited yet. The best I have been able to find without trying very hard were 16 planned, 13 found in 3 hours on a circle tour. Punch the numbers in, plan a route in my mind and I am off. 99% of my caching efforts have been in my hometown.

[vagabond]

Get MicroSoft Streets and Trips and then you can load you waypoints in to it and plan your caching day using it so you can go from point a to b to c etc... and do it most effiecntly.  A friend does this when we go cache and is is important for him as to get 10 caches in a day we may have to drive 100 miles.

cheers

I'll echo that - I get a PQ of the area I will be in and then use GSAK to id the caches I am interested in and then send a file to Streets and Trips - (or use Google Earth). I can then visually plan a route that gets me to as many caches as I can reasonably do.

Yep and if you have a laptop you can plug your gps into it and streets and trips will show you how to get to the caches you have mapped out, it makes it a lot easier when your doing a large amount of caches.

Although if you doing caches that require any hiking another program like usaphotomaps works very well, it will show the best places to enter a trail and park usually.

Edited November 24, 2005 by vagabond

[NatureFish]

As soon as your PM is activated navigate to "My Account" and build a Pocket Query on your area of interest - say your home coords or zip code.

 

Based on the parameters you select when building your PQ this will result in a list of caches surrounding you.

 

The PQ will be emailed to you.

 

Spend a few more bucks and buy a program called Geocaching Survival Army Knife (GSAK) from www.gsak.com

 

Open the PQ file emailed to you with the GSAK program.

 

Select a cache that you want to visit.

 

Right-click on that cache and select Set As Center Point.

 

This will sort all of the caches in the PQ by distance and compass direction from the cache you are going to visit.

 

You can get quite elaborite with this by using the filtering built into GSAK.

 

If you know that you are going to try for that one cache and then be traveling north you can set it as center and then filter out all caches except those north of it!

 

Have fun,

Ed

[+edscott]

Typically, I will choose the area I wish to explore, then research the caches nearby and pick one or two caches (usually involving the longest hike(s) of the day) I’m interested in seeking.  Since I like to take my time once I’m in the great outdoors, I usually plan to spend most of my time getting to and finding these focus caches.

 

Before I leave home, I print out the details of six or eight caches nearby the focus caches, then, depending on time, seek those too.  I do use mapping software in my GPSr, but generally I just drive by (yes!) any caches on the way in and out of the focus region.

 

This is efficient for me because I would rather spend most of my time walking in the woods rather than driving from cache to cache as one would do following a route, or randomly stopping for every close one.   

Wonder if the folks that like to drive to 25 "5 minute" caches in a day have a secret desire to be UPS drivers?

[+Klatch]

every few days i load any new caches in my province of NB to my gps using easygps and then from my gps to my mapsourse program on my pc.

If you download the latest version of MapSource you can download the .gpx files directly to MapSource and skip Easygps. One less step in the process.

[+cal25]

Thanks everyone for your reponces. I will try many of the sugestions mentioned. I think using a map from mapsource or streets and trips would be useful in planning an outing.

[+WalruZ]

fwiw, I have been having good luck with a more expensive palm (tungsten) and Mapopolis. I move my PQ through GSAK into Cachemate on the palm and then export it into the palm address book where Mapopolis can pick it up and display it. It's most of the functionality of a mapping GPS without alot of the cost and with (imo) a better user interface.

[+oldnavy59]

What are some of you doing to improve efficiency when setting out for a day of cacheing?

Since you say "yet" about being a PM, do it. Why? IMO the pocket queries alone are worth the $3/mo.

 

That right there is the biggest planning tool I could ask for. You pull down a list tailored to your wants/needs/etc and you can upload all the waypoints to your GPSr via a handy program like GSAK (my personal favorite). Upload your cache descriptions from said query into your new PDA (I use my iPod, but the same basic idea) and you have everything you need at a glance, making planning your trip for maximum caching, if that is your aim, much easier.

 

you can use your i-pod?

[+Thrak]

I just do a Pocket Query and drop that onto GSAK. Then in GSAK I click on File, Export, Mapsource File (or you can use Ctrl U if you like shortcuts). I save that file on my desktop and then drop it on top of the Mapsource icon. Mapsource opens up with the map displayed and all the caches marked on it. It even uses the same icon as the caches so I get the closed (or open if already found) treasure chest on the map. Easy.

[+BigWhiteTruck]

fwiw, I have been having good luck with a more expensive palm (tungsten) and Mapopolis. I move my PQ through GSAK into Cachemate on the palm and then export it into the palm address book where Mapopolis can pick it up and display it. It's most of the functionality of a mapping GPS without alot of the cost and with (imo) a better user interface.

I do the exact same thing.

Another great thing about this is depending on how close to the road a cache is, this also allows you to select a cache and have mapopolis guide you there by saying things like "Left Turn, 200 Feet"

 

Gotta love it