Logging On Vacation

[+Belfrypotters]

We just completed a caching/camping trip where we spent quite a bit of money in internet cafes, mostly on coffee and pastries (gained a few pounds ), but also for the computer access to keep our cache logs up-to-date and find new caches. Some motels will let you use a computer for free, even if you aren't a registered guest (Super 8), others have coin operated computers you may use. Libraries are free but have restricted hours. We found a laundromat with internet access which was a tenth the price of most internet cafes, and had fewer calories, but we wondered if there are other places out there with internet access. Any suggestions?

[+wandererrob]

We just completed a caching/camping trip where we spent quite a bit of money in internet cafes, mostly on coffee and pastries (gained a few pounds ), but also for the computer access to keep our cache logs up-to-date and find new caches. Some motels will let you use a computer for free, even if you aren't a registered guest (Super 8), others have coin operated computers you may use. Libraries are free but have restricted hours. We found a laundromat with internet access which was a tenth the price of most internet cafes, and had fewer calories, but we wondered if there are other places out there with internet access. Any suggestions?

 

I've been known to keep a small notebook going on trips and log them when I get home. A hotel I stayed at out near San Francisco had a couple fo computers available for use, so I logged some there.

 

Otherwise, if you have a laptop, try looking up wifi hotspots. A lot of places have them freely available. I believe (I can't beleive I'm saying this) there's even a waymark category for this very thing.

Edited June 28, 2006 by wandererrob

[+pigpen4x4]

I use my Treo 650 with internet service from Earthlink.

Works great. I have even logged while standing at a cache, just for

S & G's

PP

[+jon & miki]

Most libraries have free internet access. Some libraries require that you be a resident, but many do not (our county libraries do not).

[ju66l3r]

If you have a wireless-capable laptop computer, you can "wardrive" looking for open antennaes that you can use to access the internet. There are also websites that show coverage in some areas for free wireless access like that.

 

If you don't, then it sounds like you've come up with all of the possible places that I can think of. Personally, I have a web-enabled Treo 650, like pigpen4x4 above...so I can log my caches via my phone/PDA pretty easily in the field if need be.

 

Otherwise, I keep good notes in my caching notebook for which caches I accomplished and any story/comments I wanted to log and then complete them all when I get back home after my trip.

[+Mystery Ink]

Mcdonalds is where we go to log we take our laptop and most of them have wifi. If not Mcdonalds we have wifi finders that find Unsecure wifi signals and use those. If we can't find an unsecure one we use our cell phone.

[+Miragee]

I took my Palm M500 on a trip and kept track of all the caches in Cachemate.

 

I also had my laptop with me, so I downloaded my Tracks from my GPSr, with Geocaches Found, at the end of each day.

 

I found a free WiFi location, and took the laptop into a County Library to download some fresh PQs, but, because of the nature of my trip, I didn't have time to do any cache logging.

 

I couldn't log any of the caches until I got home, 11 days later. By using the notes in my Palm and by looking at the tracks on my Mapsource maps, I was able to log all the caches in the order I found them.

[+radioscout]

I wait until I am back home.

If a immediate log is necessary, I would use an internet cafe or phone someone at home and please him to write the log for me.

[+briansnat]

If its an extended vacation I'll try to find a library. Otherwise I wait until I get home.

[+BlueDeuce]

I'm on-call for work even when I'm on vacation, so the laptop is with me wherever I go.

 

I've seen refurbished laptops on Ebay going super cheap, I'm just not sure if it's all legit and honest.

[+cache_test_dummies]

BlueDeuce owns a number of very nice vacation homes in many beautiful locations across the United States, and a few in Europe. In addition to providing breathtaking views, each home is equipped with high speed Internet access (wireless). In the past, when I needed to log geocaches while traveling, I would simply visit the nearest of BlueDeuce's vacation homes.

 

Now, because of some silly restraining order, I have to use the library like everybody else.

[+BlueDeuce]

I'm not kidding, it's my job!

 

 

I've cut them down to Chicago, Olathe and the Keys (Florida that is)

[+Harry Dolphin]

If I go away for week, including geocaching, I log the caches when I get home. Unfortunately, I find that most of the travel bugs I've left have been grabbed before I get the chance to log them. So, if you can't log the same day, never leave travel bugs! Oh, wait, I had three bugs grabbed locally, and I tried to log them two hours after I left them...

[+Blaidd-Drwg]

Well, to combat what Harry Dolphin mentioned, I try to get into an internet cafe and log caches if I've dropped a TB. For most caches, I just record the logs on my PDA and put them on-line when I get home.

[+Greenseeker]

I have found that logging from my BlackBerry 8700 works well via the WAP site: http://wap.geocaching.com

[+Mule Ears]

Given the recent turn of logging practices, I don't see why you wouldn't log the caches before you leave home.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Well, to combat what Harry Dolphin mentioned, I try to get into an internet cafe and log caches if I've dropped a TB. For most caches, I just record the logs on my PDA and put them on-line when I get home.

 

Combative?!? I guess I'm too curmudgeonly to be trusted with Travel Bugs. Or technophobic? Internet Cafe? Think I saw that in Star Wars? After a day of travelling and geocaching, I'm far too tired to search out an inernet cafe (what ever that is). And don't forget that four of the bugs were 'grabbed' from me within two hours of my dropping them. I had thought that there was some common courtesy allowing cachers to log their bug droppings before grabbing them. Perhaps something should be put in the guidelines to the effect that "If you cannot log it within an hour, TBSS". Or "Only move travel bugs if you have WIFI." Otherwise you may be SOL. A very sad commentary on modern geocaching.

[+IV_Warrior]

When I'm going on vacation, I try and make sure I book a hotel with internet access.

 

For another spot to check for WiFi, the one local convenience store chain around here (Sheetz, they're spreading around much of PA) has access in one of their stores that I know of, and I'd bet they'll be expanding it to more of their stores. It wouldn't suprise me to see many places offering free WiFi in the coming years.

[+cache_test_dummies]

There's a Waymarking category for Wi-Fi hotspots.

[+Glenn]

There's a Waymarking category for Wi-Fi hotspots.

The cow beat me to it. That Waymarking catagory is great for finding wifi hotspots and more that people like you and me add the better it will be.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I bring my laptop with me. When I find an open access point, I'll log all of the caches I've found up to that point of my trip (depending on how much time I have). Next stop, I look for open access again, rinse, repeat

[+brodiebunch]

Unless you have the blackberry or the palm, you have found all the ways to log in your finds while on holiday.

 

As someone mentioned, make a log of your finds, what you traded and the date so you can post once you are home.

 

The only irritation that may occur is when you drop off a TB, then the next person may "grab it from somewhere else" (you) and pick up it, so that bypasses you completely.

[+Team Cotati]

I believe that you need internet access to use Waymarking.com.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I believe that you need internet access to use Waymarking.com.

Is that anything like needing to download software from the Internet in order to access the Internet?

[+Groovy Cachin' Dude!]

Try this site to find access on your trip.

[+Team Neos]

I've noticed several truck stops and rest areas with WiFi lately.

[+Boot Group]

I often just wait until I get home. I don't drop any travel bugs if I know I can't log the caches because I don't think it's fair to the TB owner to delay the drop for a week.

 

Otherwise, I found a cyber cafe when I was in New Orleans. I paid the money, and spent a half hour on the computer to log the caches and check my e-mail.

 

Luckily, I now have a laptop with WIFI. I've stayed in several hotels this year where I was able to connect to the internet.

 

When I go camping, though, only a select few campgrounds have WIFI, so I'm generally out of luck.

[+koikeeper]

We were in Cape Cod the beginning of May and there were alot of unadvertised WIFI location. I had checked before I left on vacation so I knew there would be a couple places quite close. So I was surprised when we found alot more. We had a Palm and would check first if there was a wireless connection and if so, then would bring in the laptop. We had a Holiday Inn close by that we ate dinner but it needed a password to access. So we just asked at the front desk and they gave it to us no questions asked. We found a great place for a cheap, hearty breakfast and I would log all my finds while eating.

[+sbell111]

If the hotel room doesn't have internet access, we stay someplace else. The exception to this is the Disney hotels, but they are fixing that problem.

Edited June 29, 2006 by sbell111

[+webscouter.]

I just open my laptop and look for open WiFi. One of the most surprising places I found access was in the middle of a farmers field in the middle of Kansas 100 miles from the nearest town of any size. The farmer had WiFi on his sprinkler to send information back to him. My laptop connected and surprised the heck out of me.

[+sbell111]

Does anyone else have a problem with people jumping onto private networks to access the internet. It is one thing to use free wifi offered by a business and another to use Aunt Milly's unsecured network.

[+Night Stalker]

Everyone should have security setup on their networks if they are going to use WIFI. If they don't not only can someone use it to get to the internet, but they can get into you computer and steal personal information.

[+sbell111]

Everyone should have security setup on their networks if they are going to use WIFI. If they don't not only can someone use it to get to the internet, but they can get into you computer and steal personal information.

Sure the network owners should secure it, but that doesn't excuse the felony charge (in many states) that could be levelled for accessing these unsecure networks.

[+Team Cotati]

Does anyone else have a problem with people jumping onto private networks to access the internet. It is one thing to use free wifi offered by a business and another to use Aunt Milly's unsecured network.

 

Well for me it is not so much the act of doing it as it is the attitude. It's as if it is some sort of god given right and a sporting diversion for the immature. The same type of thinking that makes it ok to steal cable tv transmissions. I wonder if they ever consider the example that it sets for others?

[+C&C+COMPANY]

I usually write them down in a notebook and wait till I get back.

[+Belfrypotters]

Thanks for all the information, the web links, and a few laughs to start my morning . I'll bookmark the links for when we get a laptop, because that sounds like the easiest way to do it. I don't want to have to log three week's worth of caching when I get back to work after holidays (no internet at home) and we like to move a few TBs when we travel, because that's the whole point of TBs, so now we have a good excuse to get a laptop. Got some retro pay coming next month, so...

[+Glenn]

I believe that you need internet access to use Waymarking.com.

I don't get it. You also need to have internet access to use geocaching.com. How would someone have access to geocaching.com and not Waymarking.com?

[+sbell111]

I believe that you need internet access to use Waymarking.com.

I don't get it. You also need to have internet access to use geocaching.com. How would someone have access to geocaching.com and not Waymarking.com?

WAP!

[+wandererrob]

If we can't find an unsecure one we use our cell phone.

 

I forgot about that. I've made some temporary logs via cell phone and gone back when I got home and editted the logs to fill it in. I've even looked up/logged a couple of TBs I found in a cache while at the cache site. Partly b/c I wanted to, partly so somebody wouldn't come looking for it during the 4 days I'd be away from my computer.

[+Jhwk]

Just wait till you get home. The site has a pull down calendar, and as far as I know, there isn't a "best if logged by" date.

[+Webfoot]

Well, to combat what Harry Dolphin mentioned, I try to get into an internet cafe and log caches if I've dropped a TB. For most caches, I just record the logs on my PDA and put them on-line when I get home.

When we go camping/caching, I always wait until I get home to log our cache finds. In the past, I've attached a small paper note to travel bugs that we've left. The note says in essense to please wait until such and such a date to log the travel bug so that it can be properly logged into the cache that we put it in. In only one instance has that note been disregarded and it was because the finder was going to an event cache with it and the event was going to happen before we got back. The finder grabbed it from us, logged it into the cache that we'd placed it in, then retrieved it to take it to the event. So, the notes have worked.

[+krisandmel]

If you only need a PC for a few minutes, to check email, or log on to log a find - there are a few places I've found to snag some cybertime.

 

Two of my three local Office Max's have PC's around for customers to use to view Office Max's website, but they're not blocked so you can go to any site you want.

 

It may be a little sneaky, but at a Best Buy I asked to be allowed onto the internet on a particular PC so I could go to one of my favorite forums to check a thread.

I told the employee I wanted to see how that site looked on that particular computer I was 'considering'.

I had no intention of buying a computer that day, I just needed a few seconds to check a topic I was following closely.

But to even out the karma, I have bought a computer at that Best Buy since then.

 

Libraries have PC's available too.

 

I was at a Barnes & Noble once and I needed to find a number on Dexonline and they were pretty empty so I asked one of the helper people if I could use the internet for two minutes.

They watched over my shoulder, but they let me do it.

 

Most stores these days have a computer/internet and if you ask nicely, many will let you log on for a couple minutes if you tell them why.

 

(Might even have better luck at outdoorsy stores like biking, camping, hunting outfitters.)

 

Smaller stores are usually better about this than Big Box stores where the employee might get freaked out that it's "not in the policy".

 

-Kris

[+terri and billy]

We go on long trips as often as possible and smaller trips even more often....at least before the post office changed my days off to Sun and Wed!

 

Internet while away:

 

Most of the KOAs have had free internet access. This was very helpful on our way to NM from MD.

 

Phone a friend. Okay, for the most part it's phone our oldest son. This worked well for we need a cache in IL and Help, we have a travel bug that needs to stay on Rt 66 and we're running out of Rt66!

 

Use the library. We have used libraries all over. The best one is in Amarillo, TX as there are 3 caches within .15 miles of it. We went caching at 9pm after the library closed. No muggles and no problems!

 

Visit those friends and relatives that you haven't seen in a while. Hey, introduce them to geocaching.

 

Stop at the rest areas on the interstate. I know OH and MI has free Interent access in theirs.

 

We've never paid to use the Internet. There are way too many free places to use them out there. Of course, you need a laptop or lots of friends and family.

 

Terri

[+Lighteye]

I simply mark the caches as found in my GPS, then when I get home, dump my GPS info into GSAK, then log them all.