Geocaching Kit

[CoreyW]

I would like to put a pack together for my Dad's birthday... he has just recently started to geocache, and it has become his new favorite activity. I was thinking it would be nice for him to have a backpack with some caching nessecities. I was thining I would put a book in, some travelbugs, a first aid kit, and some small trinkets in for trading.

 

But I was hoping that you all would have some suggestions for me.. in your experiences and geocaching searches, was there anything that would have been helpful to have, or you felt you needed.

 

Let me know of any ideas. Thank you.

[+headybrew]

I would like to put a pack together for my Dad's birthday... he has just recently started to geocache, and it has become his new favorite activity. I was thinking it would be nice for him to have a backpack with some caching nessecities. I was thining I would put a book in, some travelbugs, a first aid kit, and some small trinkets in for trading.

 

But I was hoping that you all would have some suggestions for me.. in your experiences and geocaching searches, was there anything that would have been helpful to have, or you felt you needed.

 

Let me know of any ideas. Thank you.

 

Rechargable NiMH bateries and a charger that can be plugged into a car's cigarrette lighter

A good flash light

A pen, a pencil and an eraser.

Some of his favorite bug repellent perhaps???

[+Big Sky Explorers]

A CAMELBACK is a nice small backpack. It has a 2liter reservoir for water and a drinking tube so the water is always available when you are on the trail or riding a bike. It even has areas to stick a snack and all you stuff into..... IMHO...better than a standard backpack!

[+Isonzo Karst]

My fanny pack for caching contains DEET, SPF lip stuff, stingezze, some sunscreen (transfered into smaller container) a PDA, batteries, some replacement micro logs, a dental mirror on an extender, a small strong magnet also on extender, a camera, some dark green nylon twine, some velcro, several sizes of small baggies & larger ziplocks, a spiral notebook that can become a replacement log, pens, pencil. In my pocket a multi tool.

GPSr on clip on the bag strap.

[+Team_Talisman]

Hey dont forget the TP or tissue, you never know

when and where the need....

Edited March 30, 2006 by Team_Talisman

[+headybrew]

Excellent replies all around!

 

You might also consider a collapsable walking stick. Even if he doesn't like it for hiking, he might want to use it to poke around possible cache locations to scare out rattle snakes or something...

 

Also a first aid kit might be nice. If he goes on long walks, consider one with an ace bandage and some "mole skin" which is a godsend if you start to get a blister on your foot.

 

If he caches with buddies you might add a couple of FRS/GMRS radios.

[+ranger-rob]

I totally agree with the Camelbak brand pack. If you can afford it (and he can handle it), I suggest the "Talon" for a large pack[1]. It'll hold 3L of water and a world of "stuff". On the smaller end of the scale, the "M.U.L.E." [2] holds 3L of water [3] and light essentials (swag, snacks, bug repellant wipes, small first aid kit, etc).

A major consideration if you want to give him a pack is fit, comfort, and capacity.

 

Ditto on the rechargeables (NiMH) with a car charger too. A GPSr will *eat* some batteries! Mine have paid for themselves a dozen times over.

 

A mirror on an expandable stick [4] is real handy for looking in, on, under, behind things

 

Perhaps you could raid a "Dollar Store" and load him down with swag.

 

And with gas as expensive as it is, buy him a tank (or 2).

 

[1] 1820 cu. in.

[2] 540 cu. in.

[3] That's about 7 lbs. (+/-) of water full. I usually only fill mine 1/3 or 1/2 full unless it's hot.

[4] Available at most auto parts stores

[+qlenfg]

Get one of those belt-pouch thingies (not a fanny pack) with a spot for a multi-tool, an AA Maglite and a small pen. www.rei.com -- item # 643154 is a good one.

 

In a cheap backpack, gather up a first aid kit, bug repellent, a loud whistle, waterproof matches, a larger flashlight, some TP, a few pencils, some cheapy pencil sharpeners, a few small spiral notebooks, a nice quart water bottle with a spout top, some gimmee stuff to leave in caches, some small and medium zip-lock bags, a decent compass and possibly a cheap plastic poncho. The walking stick, mirror and magnet pickup tool would be some good additions as well.

 

************

 

I've got a shoulder bag deal I got at a gun show that I keep a survival kit in. It contains most of the above non-caching items as well as an emergency foil blanket, pepper spray (for bears, dogs, etc...) 25 feet of nylon parachute cord, some stainless steel wire, a knife and fork, signal mirror, survival guide and one of those magnesium fire starter deals. I usually take it, plus water and some caching items in a small bag.

[+sbell111]

There have been a few threads about this. Here's a classic:

 

What's in your ruck?

[+starcr250]

There have been some great suggestions here.

I would add a normal magnetic compass

and definitely a pair a leather gloves...come in handy when searching around for a cache or moving stones/wood.

[+agilefox]

A pouch for your cell phone would come in handy if you didn't have the printout or needed to "phone-a-friend" - come on, don't pretend you've never done it!

[+sbell111]

I can honestly say that I have never used a phone-a-friend.

[+Maingray]

Forceps.

[+headybrew]

Forceps.

 

snake bite kit?

[+Maingray]

Forceps.

 

snake bite kit?

 

That as well! ... but I was thinking more to retrieve the logsheets from the teeny micros .

[+JohnTee]

 

snake bite kit?

 

Traditional snake bite kits seem to be going by the wayside in current treatment of snakebits. Here's a bit from the FDA's website on the subject:

 

"First Aid for Snakebites

 

Over the years, snakebite victims have been exposed to all kinds of slicing, freezing and squeezing as stopgap measures before receiving medical care. Some of these approaches, like cutting into a bite and attempting to suck out the venom, have largely fallen out of favor.

 

"In the past five or 10 years, there's been a backing off in first aid from really invasive things like making incisions," says Arizona physician David Hardy, M.D., who studies snakebite epidemiology. "This is because we now know these things can do harm and we don't know if they really change the outcome."

 

Many health-care professionals embrace just a few basic first-aid techniques. According to the American Red Cross, these steps should be taken:

 

* Wash the bite with soap and water.

* Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart.

* Get medical help.

 

"The main thing is to get to a hospital and don't delay," says Hardy. "Most bites don't occur in real isolated situations, so it is feasible to get prompt [medical care]." He describes cases in Arizona where people have caught rattlesnakes for sport and gotten bitten. "They waited until they couldn't stand the pain anymore and finally went to the hospital after the venom had been in there a few hours. But by then, they'd lost an opportunity for [effective treatment]," which increased the odds of long-term complications. Some medical professionals, along with the American Red Cross, cautiously recommend two other measures:

 

* If a victim is unable to reach medical care within 30 minutes, a bandage, wrapped two to four inches above the bite, may help slow venom. The bandage should not cut off blood flow from a vein or artery. A good rule of thumb is to make the band loose enough that a finger can slip under it.

* A suction device may be placed over the bite to help draw venom out of the wound without making cuts. Suction instruments often are included in commercial snakebite kits."

 

Snakebite kit and suction cup is still there, but low in the hierarchy of things.

 

JohnTee

 

I'm not a medical professional, but I DID stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night . . .

Oh, WAIT! I AM a medical professional!

[+headybrew]

 

snake bite kit?

 

... snipped for brevity ...

 

Traditional snake bite kits seem to be going by the wayside in current treatment of snakebits. Here's a bit from the FDA's website on the subject:

 

Excellent. Thanks for that info.

[+qlenfg]

There have been a few threads about this. Here's a classic:

 

What's in your ruck?

 

OK, but what is snow?

 

Didn't think about gloves, but do have several pair in the van at all times. In some places, a machete would be good to have, or at least some small pruning shears to get out of the briars.

[magellan315]

How about a gift card to a gas station so he can buy some gas when he goes Geoaching.

[+qattales]

tweezers..for urban caches with vicious nanos.

[+Wojo1024]

Items in our pack:

 

Flashlight

Wet Wipes

Bags for CITO

Pencils

Camera

Spare Batteries

Exchange Items

Found Travel Bugs

Cammo Duct Tape (Used for touching up our cache, and to repair other folk's caches where their container was cracked and open to the elements.)

[+jopasm]

Once again, I'm new to geocaching, but I do archaeological survey work (which involves much tromping through the woods).

 

A machete is probably a no-no in a park, although it might be acceptable on private property. I carry a folding knife (swiss army trekker, in particular) with a relatively long, locking blade and a saw blade. It's been useful when I didn't have a machete and needed to clip a vine that was tangling around me or my gear. I sometimes carry a leatherman as well, it depends on what I'm doing. The knife is easier to get to (I can open it one handed) so it's always with me.

 

I generally carry a bandanna - a nice, large, red one. It's useful for everything to wiping sweat, to a makeshift bandage, to a flag to make yourself a little more visible if you're injured and prone.

 

A blaze orange safety vest. It packs into a bag small enough to fit in my back pocket. If you live in an area with lots of hunters I wouldn't venture into the woods without one of these. You can get them at large retailers like Wal-Mart or most hunting/fishing supply stores. If it's deer season a blaze orange hat wouldn't be a bad idea either.

 

rite-in-the-rain notebooks/journals are very useful if you keep paper notes. They're not the cheapest, but they won't dissolve into mush if they get wet. Actually, I generally use a inexpensive pocket composition book but I'm going to switch to rite-in-the-rain soon. In addition they make copy/laser paper - might be a good thing for those "almost but not quite moisture proof" mini and micro caches.

 

A sharpie - writes on anything, almost.

 

I generally try to carry a "just in case" kit that has a lighter and/or matches, some dryer lint (tinder), and other small survival-type items. I was a boy scout, yeah.

[+Team JSAM]

Forceps.

 

snake bite kit?

 

That as well! ... but I was thinking more to retrieve the logsheets from the teeny micros .

 

Thanks for the great info alot I did not know.....but should have

[+The Herd]

After our experience today...we will be adding a "tick removal tool" to our pack!

[+High IQ]

I'd add a few energy bars to the list.

 

And wrap it in a Jeep!

[+goaliegrl]

Tweezers are good for getting log sheets out of nanos and splinters, etc. out of hands. If you live in an area that gets cold weather, I find that gel pens always work regardless of the temp. Plus they will write on damp logs. I also take plastic store bags balled up and held tight with a rubber band so I can CITO. A little automotive telescoping mirror and a magnet have been my most recent additions to my pack. Good luck, and happy caching!

[+JohnTee]

After our experience today...we will be adding a "tick removal tool" to our pack!

 

Gotta jump in on this one too!

 

Here's info on safe tick removal from the CDC . . .

 

"To remove attached ticks, use the following procedure:

 

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers or shield your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or rubber gloves.

 

2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. (If this happens, remove mouthparts with tweezers. Consult your healthcare provider if infection occurs.)

 

Picture-tick attached to skin

Picture- removal of tick from skin with tweezers

 

3. Do not squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids (saliva, hemolymph, gut contents) may contain infectious organisms.

 

4. Do not handle the tick with bare hands because infectious agents may enter through mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. This precaution is particularly directed to individuals who remove ticks from domestic animals with unprotected fingers. Children, elderly persons, and immunocompromised persons may be at greater risk of infection and should avoid this procedure.

 

5. After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water.

 

6. You may wish to save the tick for identification in case you become ill within 2 to 3 weeks. Your doctor can use the information to assist in making an accurate diagnosis. Place the tick in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer. Write the date of the bite on a piece of paper with a pencil and place it in the bag.

 

Note: Folklore remedies such as petroleum jelly or hot matches do little to encourage a tick to detach from skin. In fact, they may make matters worse by irritating the tick and stimulating it to release additional saliva, increasing the chances of transmitting the pathogen. These methods of tick removal should be avoided. In addition, a number of tick removal devices have been marketed, but none are better than a plain set of fine tipped tweezers. "

[CoreyW]

Wow, I am overwelmed with suggestions, Thank you all for everything that you have contributed. I will take your ideas with me to the store... Thank you again, I did not even think I would get this much response... y'all kick butt.

 

Thanks,

 

CoreyW