Back To The Simpler Times....

[+planetrobert]

I used to cache a ton... I got more equipment... and then some more... then a little bit more... then some more software... then a bunch more equipment. I had nearly achieved the point of being able to sign a logbook while siting on the couch.

 

Things got wild... I could find any cache anywhere in a matter of minutes no matter the hide it seemed. Being familiar with all the local's hiding styles helped too. I had a palm with a gps attachment AND cables to plug it into my other gps'. I had software to do anything. Tell me where the cache is, who, what, when, where, why, and how... about the hide. Several pieces of mapping software on the palm as well as on my gps.

 

I got burnt out on it. I had to manage all the data before I went out. That took up to 10-15 minutes just for a simple outing. I had to keep all my files straight and make sure I had current data. The hunts were getting simpler... partly due to the types of hides, partly all my toys. I will not go into the urban-micro debate here that is not the point. Technology was my enemy, I love technology but it was not making things simpler for me, if anything it was harder.

 

Now I went out today for my first hunt in months? year+? I got one for three today with only my palm gps running cachemate with cachenav and a mapping app to get me close. It was cool. I think I will just take a standalone gps in the future to simplify it more. On trips out of town the mapping laptop will come with me and I will run that as my co-pilot in the car. I might take my palm with me, I might not.

 

I thing that at a certain point TECH needs to go away and simplicity rules...

 

I'm BACK

[+mudsneaker]

welcome back!

I can see your point. I certainly havent gotten all the toys, but the work put into just what I have is enough to show me where your coming from. All I need is a GPS and a pen/paper. Although I can see how a PDA is going to help alot when I travel.

Stay into the hunt...not into the gizmos. Look and listen to the woods, not the buttons and beeps.

[+Freth]

I use an HP HX4705 PDA/Delorme BlueLogger GPS receiver combo via BlueTooth. I would like to think it's a nice compromise between being over technical and too simplistic. I have everything I need at my fingertips if I want to use it. If I just want to use it as a GPS unit I can do that too. Stuff the Bluelogger in my shirt pocket or on my belt and all I need is my trusty PDA.

[+New England n00b]

Me? I use a Garmin blue Legend and an old Palm III with Cachemate. It's a good fit. I like it. I use Mapsource for planting caches as well... Any more complicated than that and it would be un-fun for me as well.

 

Gratz on the self-realization, and enjoy the great wild outdoors!

[+clearpath]

I agree ... too much is too much. Ease back on the gas pedal just a bit and see what you are missing.

[+Airmapper]

I got the Premium membership a while back, and it made things a lot easier for planning. I just get a PQ, into GSAK, out to the GPS, and I'm good to go. I do want a PDA for the Puzzles and Multis, as I hate printing them out, plus I have to plan ahead for them. (And every once in a while I need the hint.)

 

Before that, it was really complicated, merging and accumulating the .loc files, looking through the cache pages to see what I was hunting. At one point I just loaded the coords and no more, and then went caching. (DNF's went up) Now, with the PQ's, my GPS itself displays all the pertinent info, and I can do less planning.

[+Belfrypotters]

welcome back!

I can see your point. I certainly havent gotten all the toys, but the work put into just what I have is enough to show me where your coming from. All I need is a GPS and a pen/paper. Although I can see how a PDA is going to help alot when I travel.

Stay into the hunt...not into the gizmos. Look and listen to the woods, not the buttons and beeps.

Yes! We went on a road trip last week with nothing but the GPSr and a list of coordinates - no indication of sizes, no hints, no logs, no confidence that I'd even written the numbers down correctly. It was very exciting to find the caches. Of course it was also very disappointing to not find one of the caches, which we would have found had we had the hint.

[bogleman]

KISS

 

Keep

 

It

 

Simple

 

Stupid

 

Work has been generous to provide me with a Treo 650, I've got the GPS & streets software to get me to the parking spot, after that it's all me baby.

 

Technology is a wonderful thing, it's there to make things easy, or is it??????

[+lightnsound]

I put PQ into GSAK on laptop, and upload waypoints to GPS units. Then I keep the laptop running in the truck with Streets & Trips to see where the caches are, and to figure out a route to drive. I keep GSAK up so I can read the offline cache page and read the last 4 logs just before searching for the cache. I like this setup because I can cache with at a moments notice- If I find that I have some time, I just power up and go to the nearest cache. In the past I would print out _lots_ of caches pages and keep a folder in the truck - it was too time consuming and akward finding the right printout.

 

This system works for me. Some folks seem to love the "geek factor" and the gadgets. I've read about some who just use a map and compass, without GPS. They love the hardcore outdoorsman thing. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. We each play our own way, and that's one of my favorite things about this game.

 

Most importantly, welcome back!

[+nfa]

I use GSAK to arrange and upload PQs to my GPSr...that's all...I agree that there would seem to be a diminishing return on further investment in, or addition of, technology to the hunt...at least for me.

 

I used my palm pilot for a couple of expeditions, but found that I was expending more time and energy working with the palm than it was worth (again...for me).

 

Jamie - NFA

[+Team Cotati]

Goody.

[+sbell111]

I think that there is room for middle ground. I have a PQ run once a week that filters out the kinds of caches that I don't like. Once a week, I take my PQ file and dump it into my GPSrs and the Plucker app in my pda. This takes like ten or fifteen minutes. During the week, if I feel like caching, I hit GOTO nearest on my Quest and geko. I look up the cache page in Plucker and off I go. Once I find the cache (or not) I document the search in Cache Log Book so I can log online at my leisure.

 

Unless I'm going on a road trip, I don't do much preplanning. I simply cache where and when I want to.

[+Olar]

Ralann I know exactly where you are coming from. Thank you for reminding me of the "good old days" and what the true source of enjoyment is with this sport. I'm glad you were able to chase away the demons and get "back".

 

Cheers, Olar

[+sbell111]

I'm of the opinion that new tech, such as paperless caching, has simplified the preparation process, but otherwise has made no change in the game.

[+planetrobert]

I'm of the opinion that new tech, such as paperless caching, has simplified the preparation process, but otherwise has made no change in the game.

I rather liked the pre-pda days where you would print off 20+ pages and then sort then out based on best route. That of course was AFTER you had researched your intended route for the day. I did that today for my cache spree and it was perfect... well i didn't print, but I had it all on my pda and a printed map with a route drawn on it.

 

back to the good old routine