Getting Started WITHOUT a GPS

[Drizzt18]

Hello, I am a really excited about starting this new hobby of mine only I don't want to wait until Christmas and the hopes that Santa is going to bring me a GPS. So, can this be done the old fashioned way? With a map and compass? I would think so......

[+Stunod]

You can use the online maps and aerial photos to get started...Google Earth is great for that. You might want to stick to easy ones (with a low difficulty and terrain ratings) until you get a good idea how to find them.

 

Or you could just look in every hollow tree, stick pile and lamp post you pass...

 

Good luck!

[+briansnat]

It can be done. I've found a few sans GPS, but its a lot more difficult. If the cache is in an urban area or in a spot where there are plenty of terrain features that makes it a lot easier.

 

Perhaps you should check out letterboxing in the meantime. Its similar to geocaching, but they use clues to find the container, rather than a GPS.

[+Kabuthunk]

My first 14 or so caches were done entirely through a crappy printer and Google Maps (or Mapquest), so it's definitely possible :}

[+sbell111]

It can totally be done. Go after urban caches or learn to read the topographic maps and you should be able to find some.

[namiboy]

make sure you act like it is way way way hard to do it that way, or santa may think you dont NEED a gps...

[winston24]

We found our first 3 without our gps unit .

[gatorcj]

Motorola i760! hehe, it's gotten me one so far, look out for clouds and stuff though, cuz between clouds and just glancing at google earth to get a basic idea (rather than "ok, that clump of trees somewhere.") the last ones I've tried haven't been successful, but hey, it's all for the fun, right? One day I'll find another one. Good luck to you, and me, and everyone else!

[+nooks]

I'm STILL using google earth. There is a measuring tool that allows one to

measure out feet and miles. Using "pathways" enables you to actually

measure a routealong a road or trail. Use the point-to-point feature to measure from

known landmarks to the geocache location. This is how I'm still

finding caches that are not under tree cover, triangulation on the

ground, instead of sats. . The resolution

is actually pretty good, but in areas that we don't know,

we might have to go back twice. When we are working

in an area we know well, we've had great success.

 

Personally, I find using this method to

be very gratifying, rather than plugging in coordinates

and having the GPS tell me where to go.

 

Don't get me wrong. I have a cheap, yellow GPS

but I still use google earth most of the time.

[+pandaphil]

I've found about half my finds without a GPS. I just have to do a little detective work, reading the logs, the hints, and taking the title into account. Then I'll hit the Satellite view in Google Maps and draw myself a little map showing nearby landmarks, paths, etc. It also helps that I live in an area that has a ton of caches close together.

 

Most of the time it works.

 

And then I have days like today when I only found 1 out of 5.

[Stienthor]

just tried it for first tiome today. did some urban ones and found three of five with out a GPS. So at least in the city I know it can be done. just by the clues. In the wilderness though like were I will most likely enjoy it the most there I do not know not unless it has alot of natural land marks to work off of like said earlier. GPS can get you with in 10 to lets say 60 feet at the ablsolute out side. map and compass at the out side might be a mile.

Used to do this kind of game when I was in Army Cadets back home in Canada. but we would orienteer to a very noticable land mark and after getting in the area the land mark effectively told you where the cache was sitting. Figure the difference between this and that will be the large amount of more places you can send some one looking for a cache. cause what is this sport but really an excuse to get out and explore and have some fun. I know I blabber sorry got off topic a bit I think

Edited October 29, 2006 by Stienthor

[+lpyankeefan]

We found out about geocaching in Fall of 2003 through a local full page newspaper article. At the time we were still fixing up our house AND had a two year old daughter that wet through LOTS of diapers, formula, food, etc. etc. etc. No GPS

 

Fast forward to beginning of 2005. Still no GPSr (but I still had the kids!!!) LOL We decided to try it without a GPSr. With a little help from a friend hinting at us we wer able to find almost 50 caches between March and June of that year. Now it's just become an obssession. If it doesn't have a check mark next to it it eventually will. Good luck, have fun, and don't be afraid to ask for help.

 

LPYF

[+El Diablo]

Well if BlueNinja can do it so can you. He found his first 15 caches without a GPS. Then he got one for his...13th birthday!

 

El Diablo

[+George1]

Can it be done. SURE!! My first Cache was from my desk at my computer. I knew what this was and where it was. Emailed the owner and had several conversations with him about the virtual cache. Use your head and go find some easy ones.

[+parker313]

It can be done. I've found a few sans GPS, but its a lot more difficult. If the cache is in an urban area or in a spot where there are plenty of terrain features that makes it a lot easier.

 

Perhaps you should check out letterboxing in the meantime. Its similar to geocaching, but they use clues to find the container, rather than a GPS.

Not to mention, there are some that are letterbox/geocache hybrids, listed on both site. That way, you could do some letterboxing and get geocaching finds at the same time

[+geognerd]

You can also try searching for benchmarks, which are listed on geocaching.com as well. The description of a benchmark's location is good enough that you don't need a GPS receiver.