What do you take with you when you go out caching?

[+RDLSTVD]

I am just wondering what people take with them when they go out geo caching? Besides the obvious GPS....... Do you take new Zip Lock bags to replace torn ones at cache sites? Things like this are what I am curious about. Any other tools or off the wall things you take?

[+ditchmedic]

I am by no means and expert, only 30 finds under my belt. But I'll throw out what's in my cache bag. I've got a great big butt pack that I picked up from a medical supply company. It's got several pockets. In the pockets are: small first aid kit, emergency toilet paper, multi-tool with mini mag light, head light, swags, minibinoculars, several pens and paper, many AA batteries for GPSr. I think that's it.

[Not So Lost Puppies]

add in cellphone and compass... never know when the GPS may die or break out in the middle of the woods.

I often have my PDA (paperless caching) and a camera with us.

[+tarbal]

Do not forget bug repellant in the spring and summer. A necessity if you do not want to be chased out of the woods. I also usually carry a small towel. The compressed packaged ones. This way it is small and light but I have it if I get wet or dirty.

[+sbell111]

My minimum is GPSr and PDA, possibly my camera.

 

Most cache hunts don't require anything else.

[+emurock]

A backpack full of stuff and cool sunglass's.

[+NorthWes]

Since I geocache most often in the company of our dog Aero, there's always ziplock bags along (dooty calls...). I've usually got a replacement pencil in the cameral bag, as well as some simple trade items (pins etc). The cachemobile carries everything from decon containers to duct tape, spare batteries, wet wipes (for those really dirty spots), head nets & gloves, a minor first aid kit (plus bandaids etc in the camera bag), sunblock (yes - it's sunny in Alaska year-round), bug repellent (stick form - like antiperspirant - easy to control/apply and doesn't overspray onto plastics like glasess...), a pair of reflective-striped orange highway workers vests (great camo for hunting those urban micros or caches hidden near roads & bike trails), some 'official city cleanup' heavy-mil orange garbage bags (I put a liner in them for local CITO so I can use the bags for 'camo' - and the trash is in an inner bag so I don't mess up the 'official' cleanup kit), and lots of other odds & ends. Our local cachers appreciate it when fellow cachers do minor maintenance on an as-needed when-seen basis; what goes around comes around, we believe! We try to put a heavy emphasis on 'bragging' about cache-site CITO actions in our logs (complete with photos of the recovered trash) to encourage fellow cachers into thinking this is the norm.

[+ThePropers]

It seems I take everything but a pen/pencil, which I don't notice until I've walked a mile to the cache and there's none in there

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Folks who cache with me sometimes get a laugh out of what I carry to play this silly game!

 

I carry a go-kit, a box of 'geo-stuff' in the truck, and a waist-belt (fanny pack) bag of stuff.

 

The belt pack holds spare batteries (on long hikes by myself I take a spare GPS), cache swag (5 or 6 trade items, my personal geocoins, etc.) in case I want to swap something or in case the cache is depleted and needs restocking, a spare waterproof pencil and notepad (Write-Rite), a small digital voice recorder to record cache notes for later transcription, a digital camera, a multi-tool, replacement log sheets (micro and regular size), a film can and a magnetic keyholder with logsheet and shorty pencil to replace damaged or missing caches, a zip-lock bag with dry paper towels inside to dry wet caches, a small first-aid kit with prophylaxis, splinting and suturing supplies, a dry-box of matches, two rolled-up trash bags to keep things dry or to CITO, a cell phone and a head-mount flashlight (LED headlight). I sometimes carry a portable amateur (ham) radio and if I am with others I usually carry an FRS/GMRS radio.

 

That sounds like a lot, but it all fits comfortably in my fanny-pack or on the belt and weighs maybe four pounds.

 

I have two insulated pouches that attach to the belt for 1qt. water bottles. In the summer I freeze them and can have cold water as they melt for up to eight hours. In the winter I carry hot coffee in them.

 

I usually wear a fly-fishing vest with a lot of pockets and clips for dangly-things (nail clippers for line cutting, surgical haemostatic forceps for suturing a wound or to retrieve a micro log, etc.)

 

One reason that I carry so much gear, besides it regularly coming in handy, is that I am handicapped (lost a leg in '98 and broke my neck in '02) and cache on crutches; therefore I do the long hikes by myself so as not to make folks wait on me (crippled+fat=slow!), and am particularly susceptable to falls and injuries to my one good leg. I could be stuck without help even only a half-mile from the car if I broke my remaining leg, and twice I have had to make myself a crutch from tree limbs when I fell into unseen tree-stump holes and broke a crutch.

 

In my go-kit that stays in the car I keep more of all of the above plus a rainsuit, two changes of clothes, reflective and camo duct tape, a Hobo tool, charger cords for all electronics, a small roll of rope, a basic toolkit, spare headlamps, spare FRS/GMRS radios in case I am caching with others and such stuff.

 

I am retired and therefore flexible, so my caching schedule often changes on a whim and without notice. I keep a tent, basic cookware, a case of MREs, a propane lantern and stove, a sub-0° sleeping bag with built-in air mattress, a fly rod, a casting rod, and fishing tackle along with my caching gear in my 4WD Tahoe at all times.

 

During hunting season (that's 13 months a year in Alabama, isn't it?!) I often keep a shotgun in the truck as well (You never know when one'a them deers is gonna sneak up on you).

 

I am a Storm Spotter volunteer radio operator for the National Weather Service and a Disaster Relief first-responder for FEMA, the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross, so the travel gear serves a dual-purpose... I am ready to leave wherever I am at a moment's notice and be self-sufficient for days, be it for geocaching or radio emargency-communications operations.

 

More than once I have gone after a few local caches, met up with or gotten a phone call from friends and ended up caching for two or three days far from home, even out of state, completely unplanned!

 

Many times I have found a cache at a likely-looking stream, or seen an inviting place on a caching trip, and stopped to fish or hunt for a few hours.

 

As far as geo-toys I carry a Garmin GPSMap 60 CSx GPS and a Palm Tungsten T5 PDA with me, and have in the truck a Magellan Meridian Platinum GPS for a spare (to loan out or in case I break my 60CSx), a WiFi-enabled console-mounted laptop with an EarthMate GPS, a 2500w inverter to generate AC power, and a 9" flat-panel TV to see local weather radar (left, right or behind a tornado is ok - in front is a bad thing!). I have a cellular modem for the laptop so that I can connect anywhere that I have cell signal. I maintain a subscription service that allows high-speed access from most any truck stop. These have proven handy several times when caching and we decided to go somewhere unplanned - I can get a PQ as I drive to the area!

 

I carry and also have mounted in the truck a reliable compass, as none of the handheld GPS compasses I have ever seen (I've had 7 GPS) are worth blowing up.

 

Overkill for the average geocacher, I suppose, but I regularly use every bit of it; it is all required stuff if you want to be ready to go anywhere and geocache, play or help others at any time.

 

Ed

[DogFleazJR]

Impressive. I respect both your preparation and your enthusiasm. May there be many fine hunts ahead.

 

For most caches, it's just me, the GPS and a pen.

 

I also carry a fanny pack for all-day adventures with the following standard equipment:

 

bear whistle (just in case)

pen

4 new batteries in new packaging

'biner clip that acts as the safety clip for the GPS which I clip to the back of the pack

Multitool

An empty zip lock bag or two (came in handy once to stick my wallet in during a downpour and no rain gear)

Plastic shopping bag with several snacky snacks, doubles as trash bag, too

quart+ of water in a reusable bottle (I hate the trash of disposable water bottles)

 

I also usually have a cell phone with me, but it hardly ever gets a signal.

 

I never trade, so I don't need those items. I'm not a responsible person and don't carry maintenance stuff for caches, but have notified owners of problems so they can follow up.

 

I almost forgot the most important item. I always try and remember to wear a smile. Sometimes I forget, but I always regret its absence later.

[+nekom]

I cache very light, usually just a gps, pen, usually the camera since most caches I've found have never failed to show me something weird that needs photographed. I think some people tend to overprovision, but hey some probably enjoy the organization of it all. Me, I just grab my GPS, a pen, maybe some swag, and I can walk a few miles in the woods with no special gear or even water. I guess I'm a haphazard kinda cacher.

[kimnbair]

I take a backpack and in it I have my digital camera, a pack of pens in case a pen is missing or doesn't work, I have extra plastic bags of various sizes from small for microcaches to regular sandwich bags for bigger caches, geo-swag which for me right now are carabinger key chains with a small compass on them, I have a small first aid kit, trash bags for cito, hand wipes, and I have a clipboard where i put my printouts of the caches and google maps.

[+Ron M]

Impressive. I respect both your preparation and your enthusiasm. May there be many fine hunts ahead.

 

For most caches, it's just me, the GPS and a pen.

 

I also carry a fanny pack for all-day adventures with the following standard equipment:

 

bear whistle (just in case)

pen

4 new batteries in new packaging

'biner clip that acts as the safety clip for the GPS which I clip to the back of the pack

Multitool

An empty zip lock bag or two (came in handy once to stick my wallet in during a downpour and no rain gear)

Plastic shopping bag with several snacky snacks, doubles as trash bag, too

quart+ of water in a reusable bottle (I hate the trash of disposable water bottles)

 

I also usually have a cell phone with me, but it hardly ever gets a signal.

 

I never trade, so I don't need those items. I'm not a responsible person and don't carry maintenance stuff for caches, but have notified owners of problems so they can follow up.

 

I almost forgot the most important item. I always try and remember to wear a smile. Sometimes I forget, but I always regret its absence later.

[+SniperChicken]

We pack like we are going on a camping trip!! LOL ..No,seriously though we will pack a small cooler with ice in it and some soft drinks,nutrition bars,snacks...a couple of ballpoint pens, a notebook to keep a log of cache activity and to jot down info that may be helpful later,several AA batteries( rechargeable and alkaline),a sylva compass with bearings on a rotating bezel,Sting-Eze (wife is allergic to bee stings),hiking sticks (or SSOs as they call them around here) ,2 small maglights,1 3D cell maglight,2 small LED type lights,headlamp,sunglasses, a pair of FRS radios,if we need more range we can use the heavier commercial grade 5 watt High band radios or 2 meter/440 band handy talkie we are licensed for,i have communications covered! In our geocaching "box" we have plastic baggies and replacement logs in case we run into a cache that needs a new one. A magnetic pick-up tool (useful for detecting the new wave of "bolt" or similiar caches)

Digital camera with an extra battery. For navigation we use a laptop with Streets and Trips with GPS locator as well as Mapsource (sometimes one has a sideroad or lane that the other program isn't showing especially so in the park areas).Handheld GPS is a Garmin Legend.

SniperChicken

[+sunrise searcher]

I usually have my camera bag (a camera is great cover when muggles show up), my GPS, my paper version of geocache materials (which I glance at and leave in the car), campers TP, my cell phone (in case of injury or getting lost), a cheap compass in case the one on the GPS quits, swag bag, extra batteries, extra pencils, a pencil sharpener, and baggies. I have a mini-survival kit I carry in my purse, and should carry in the camera bag -- since I usually have the camera bag with me, not the purse. Oh yes, I also usually have my 3-year-old daughter with me too (except when hunting for micros -- she's not much into those). I wear a coat if there is any chance of it getting cold too -- never know when the weather will change while you are out in the woods a ways!

[+FerrisFamilyof5]

We pack like we are going on a camping trip!! LOL ..No,seriously though we will pack a small cooler with ice in it and some soft drinks,nutrition bars,snacks...a couple of ballpoint pens, a notebook to keep a log of cache activity and to jot down info that may be helpful later,several AA batteries( rechargeable and alkaline),a sylva compass with bearings on a rotating bezel,Sting-Eze (wife is allergic to bee stings),hiking sticks (or SSOs as they call them around here) ,2 small maglights,1 3D cell maglight,2 small LED type lights,headlamp,sunglasses, a pair of FRS radios,if we need more range we can use the heavier commercial grade 5 watt High band radios or 2 meter/440 band handy talkie we are licensed for,i have communications covered! In our geocaching "box" we have plastic baggies and replacement logs in case we run into a cache that needs a new one. A magnetic pick-up tool (useful for detecting the new wave of "bolt" or similiar caches)

Digital camera with an extra battery. For navigation we use a laptop with Streets and Trips with GPS locator as well as Mapsource (sometimes one has a sideroad or lane that the other program isn't showing especially so in the park areas).Handheld GPS is a Garmin Legend.

SniperChicken

 

weare actually just going out later today on our first cache. i have about 6 or 7 easy ones my 6 yr old and i are going to do. i notice you use the streets & trips...what version? we have 2003 and i can't get the coordinates to match what i find on the websites. is there something i'm doing wrong? any info would be great!

 

scott

[Mustcache]

I'm now carrying my cache bag which contains my wooden nickels, light, pen, leatherman, stamp (for the log), PDA, phone and any TBs.

Along with that, I wear a Tamrac Velocity 7 camera bag for my SLR and lenses. Both bags wear comfortably. I carry a walking stick as well.

I try to get some good photos while out in the woods. Finding the cache is the bonus of the trek.

[+briansnat]

Here are the contents of my pack. In the winter I remove the insect repellent, headnet, light fleece vest and Unbottle (the hose freezes) add a down vest, extra gloves, hat, heavy fleece pullover and water bottles.

 

Edited November 4, 2006 by briansnat

[+Outspoken1]

A couple of small items I carry are tweezers (needed sometime to get the micros out of their hiding place or get the log out of the micro) and a couple pair of nitrile gloves. Some places are awfully nasty (you know what I mean!) when picking up trash and I just don't want to touch the stuff. I also bought a small telescoping inspection mirror at Auto Zone that I have used a couple of times to peer into or around obscure places.

 

I have learned to always have my camera (hence, extra extra batteries!) because caches sometimes require a picture to score the log or some caches are so cool that you have to memorialize them! The final item is to tell someone or leave a note if you are going to be caching in an out-of-the-way area (this could be rural, mountain or urban). Vehicles break down, people twist ankles, etc. Safety is always good policy.

 

Have fun,

Outspoken1

[+Manimal N Button]

Briansnat has got it right. We go over prepared. One of our must haves that hasnt been mentioned is protective hand coverings We both have cut/punture resistant gloves that we use. They are great for preventing cuts from things like rocks or other objects used to conceal a cache. I also always cover my long hair with a bandana. If i dont my pony tail is almost guarenteed to get snaged on a branch and it hurts!

Edited November 10, 2006 by Manimal N Button

[+Arrow One]

I always carry way to much stuff. But it's the time I don't have something, that I need it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I guess it's like your attitude toward insurance - those who have never experienced a disaster tend to be underinsured, those who have are now insured to the hilt!

 

If you've never had a broken leg on a trail by yourself you likely don't carry much - if you have you carry everything needed for an extended stay and that will help you get yourself out of trouble.

 

The 'It can't happen to me' attitude and actual experience can be expensive lessons!

 

Besides, better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

 

Ed

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

I don't carry as much as some, but carry only a few things beyond what I've seen listed. These are hand sanatizer, latex gloves (also cotton work gloves), telescoping magnetic pickup tool, telescoping mirror tool, tape measure, clipboard and orange work vest (these make me invisible to muggles). I also have a pre-printed decoding card for deciding hints.

[+evelbug]

Most of my caches are short hikes (.5 mi one way). I've just recently started carrying a small cache bag on these. This has just the essensials that used to just be thrown into various pockets. The bag is a Crown Royal bag that I tie around my belt. It has a pen, my signature poker chips, my Found by EVEL Bug lables, spare batteries, and if I have a small TB or geocoin I need to place, it goes in there to.

 

If I'm going on a longer hike, I'll usually pring a backpack with more stuff.

[rocketmann]

I tend to travel light whle geocaching. maybe it is just ignorance. Normally I only bring a cell phone, a compass, sometimes a pencil, and water if it is hot out.

[+aviatrix22]

I often run out the door with nothing more than my GPS and at least 5 pens...and a list of caches. I can't wait and I can't waste time.....but I have to admit that I would like to cache with the Alabama Rambler....I would not need anything! One of these days I will learn how to paperless cache and that would be nice!

[Gatorman1]

I have only 15 finds so far and most of them been walking distance like .5 or so from truck. But I also metal detect the parks after I find the cache.

[+Clothahump]

Backpack with swag bag, extra batteries, flashlight, DEET, more DEET, ziplock bags, compass, small first aid kit, extra pens and notepads, minor cache repair stuff, digital camera and at least one liter of water.

 

Depending on the cache(s) I'm going after, I'll either take a 28 inch long piece of 1/2 inch pipe (my +5 Wand of Poking) or a 6 foot bo staff from my Taekwondo school (my +10 Staff of Poking).

[+4 Paws And Then Some]

ON ME: cellphone, 2 pocket knives, multitool, swiss army knife, flashlights, whistle, tape measure, pens, pencil and felt marker, etc.

 

IN MY BACKPACK: 4 sizes of ziploc bags, 1 bag of smaller trade items, 1 bag of larger trade items, 1 bag of travel bug's and geocoins, 1 bag of trade items to take home, 1 pre-made small geocache, extra geocache stickers and info papers, my caching logbook and spare logbooks, my GPS's charging cables, a headlamp, sometimes binoculars, always a camera, mirrored compass, toilet paper, water and doggy treats. Sometimes extra clothing, gloves, or a stick to poke with.

 

Don't even get me started on what the truck has, including medical supplies, tow ropes, fire extinguisher, pump, shovel, more flashlights....

 

(Some say I over do it).

Edited November 13, 2006 by 4 Paws And Then Some

[Trinity's Crew]

I always try to take friends and family. It make the whole experience a lot more fun. At least for me, anyway. My friends and family may feel differently.

[+jcrosser]

I often run out the door with nothing more than my GPS and at least 5 pens...and a list of caches.

me too

 

after "rediscovering" caching (and this board) a few weeks ago; I thought traveling very light would suffice. That didn't last very long. So I've been putting a list of "needed" caching items; here are some oddities on my list:

 

zip-ties stolen from the garage

wet wipes from the bbq joint

 

 

I want a maxpedition fatboy, but will probably settle for a MOLLE hydration pack from cheaperthandirt.

Edited November 13, 2006 by jcrosser

[gulfscuba]

In a small six pack cooler I carry:

GPS unit and spare batteries

12 volt 700 mah rechargable battery with power cable to GPS

Hemostats and a metal probe

Small hand mirror

Spare logs and plastic bags

Spare cache containers of various sizes

Note book and several pens/pencils

Various small items to trade

Sometimes a camera

Lastly what I call a Place marker. An orange fishing float with a hoop of string. When I find a cache that hangs I will put the float in its place while I sign the log. I once spent a great deal of time looking for the top of one of those bison tubes that was hard wired to a branch.

 

Of course I carry my cell and a pocket knife on me.

Edited November 14, 2006 by gulfscuba

[GermanSailor]

Hi,

 

the rules seem to be:

 

- Forget to bring a pen: The pen in the cache is missing

- Forget to bring spare batteries: GPS dies 100 feet from the cache

- Forget to bring rainproof clothing: It will start to rain. (Even works in the desert, I'm sure!)

 

Is there a Murphy's Law of Geocaching?

 

GermanSailor

[+Wayfinders]

Hmmm……let’s see…..

(Begin Benny Hill music here)

 

On me: Led flashlight, penknife, 2AA’s that occasionally short out and burn my leg, lighter, Fisher Space Pen, Vista Cx, my trusty hiking staff and the cell phone…..

 

In the pack: Water (2 re-usable containers), first aid kit, snake bite kit, emergency ponchos, LED headlamp, hand mirror, telescoping mirror, buttons, trade items, extra clothing (vest), orange hat, GLOVES, zip lock baggies, paper towels (folded in zip locks), whistle, compasses, carabineers, repellant, multi-tool, knife, binoculars, yellow Etrex, pens and pencils, extra log books, digital camera, emergency blanket, jerky (that new honey ham jerky is wicked awesome), twizzlers (sugar for energy), and enough AA’s to jumpstart a 56 dodge.

 

In the car: Waders, 100’ of sturdy rope, more AA’s, dry socks and a pair of sneakers.

 

Yeah, the pack is a little heavy but that’s the way I want it. Makes for better exercise, and I always try to be prepared for anything. I’ve left many boot prints and 40 some pounds on the trial since I started geocaching. Not uncommon to hike 8 or 10 miles in a day. I do, however, look like a total idiot while searching lamp skirt micro’s……although I’m never bothered.

[me_chris]

I have only recently discovered geocaching, but I have been what I guess many would call an "outdoor enthusiast" for some years, so what I carry with me depends on where the cache is...

 

If I am hunting caches in a suburban neighborhood, then I would just carry a pen, some extra logs, my GPSr and my cellphone.

 

But, for a more forest-y or urban cache, I would carry my normal outdoor gear which consists of a Naneu-Pro Military Ops Alpha Backpack with my camera equipment (Nikon D50, lenses, tripod, flash, filters) and some survival gear (compass, rope, swiss army knife, rain poncho, emergency blanket, lighter, fire starter, some snacks, basic first aid kit, windbreaker, FRS radio, backup GPS, batteries, and various other odds and ends) and of course my CamelBak (except when it is cold out, because as mentioned earlier by another poster, the hose freezes).

[+zeb00]

This is my kit for day trips.

 

GPSr

EPIRB

Head torch

First aid kit

Leatherman

Binoculars

Compass

 

and not pictured water and mobile phone.

[+mgbmusic]

I swear I've read this before....eh well...Here's my updated list -

 

On my belt - the sad part is, this is every day not just caching -

 

- Palm Treo 650 - In geocaching terms, that's a cell phone, PDA for paperless, web (in case you just NEED that hint) clock, and the thing's so bright, emergency flashlight! You can also connect a bluetooth GPSr, but I haven't used that much. It also plays movies, but that's not really relevant here...ANYWAY!

- Bluetooth earpiece for caching ont he go!

- Flashlight (AA Maglight)

- Multi tool (gerber)

- Pen

- Pen-like probe thing with a scalpel attachemnt, plus other goodies.

- Spare keys to both cars

 

For specifically geocaching - I've got my "cache bag" and old WWII Gas mask pouch I bought a the coolest store in the world - American Science Surplus.

 

In there I keep -

 

- Rino 110 GPS

- Compass

- SWAG

- Extra notebooks (logs)

- Ziploc bags

- Extra pencils

- Bottle of H2O

 

Other than that, nothing much

 

--MGB

[GrahamCrackerJamboree]

We just go out on short cashes--newbies. So I just pack water, treats and blinkers in case it gets dark.

[+dguyellison]

In my US Army issue canvas mapcase, I have:

 

USGS Topo maps of prospective cache hunting areas

County map from County Engineer's Office

Highway map from local rest area

Trail maps from the park District for parks with caches

Square protractor/UTM grid reading device for plotting locations on my topomaps

Silva map compass (sometimes I bring my old Army lensatic compass)

USGS 1:24,000 ruler

Mechanical pencil

Ink pen

Sharpie marker

Set of four long handled hook/probe/etcher/scrapper (like dentist tools)

Pen-type extendable magnetic pick up device

Small handled mirror

strong horseshoe magnet

10 feet nylon parachute (550) cord

small spiral notebook

coathanger (bended up)

blaze orange fleece cap (to prevent deer hunters from shooting me)

leather work gloves (for bushwacking)

pace counter

Victorinox SwissTool RS (Swiss Army's version of the Leatherman)

Printouts for caches I'm hunting (sometimes with hi res Google Earth photos too)

 

I don't do much deep wilderness caching, so no survival items or weapons are carried. Cell phone is NEVER in a bag or kit, always in the inside pocket of my coat and secured with a lanyard to a zipper pull.

 

For urban caching, I keep my eXplorist 500 GPSr in a small digital camera case with a minimaglite, a miniSharpie, a miniture pen, and a carabiner attached to a belt loop. I keep the GPSr on an 18 inch lanyard secured at all times to a carabiner on my sleeve zipper pull. I don't want to drop my GPSr in a creek or on the concrete.

[+Bamboogirl]

Love the telescoping mirror idea that has been mentioned on several replies! I must go get one before the weekends' hunting.

 

Also looking for some sort of long BBQ type tong as we've found a few great hides under various rock piles or bridge abuttments that make dandy snake habitat. One find in Oregon had a 4' snake hanging around and he got our attention quickly, until we realized he was a Gopher snake.

 

We have a lot of rattlesnakes in the hills near home and some of the caches have been wonderfully hidden in the exact spot a rattler would find very comfy. Guess a snake-bite kit may be in order as well, (and an insurance card). lol

[+dguyellison]

Sears sells a magnet pick-up pen that comes with a mirror attachment for around 7 dollars. The magnet is about a dime-sized diameter, the mirror maybe 1.75 inches in diameter. I didn't get it as I thought it may be too big, but if you're looking for that type of tool, check out Sears.

 

BBQ tongs would be helpful, it they are narrow enough. I tracked a cache concealed in a hole bored out of fallen tree. I rigged together a tong-like device with my scrapers, and I remember thinking the whole time "If I just had a hemostat..."

 

Here in central IL in the late fall, animals are not a problem. This summer I'll have to get some more gear to handle snakes, poisonous weeds, insects, etc. My fear this time of year is being mistaken for a deer and shot to death; hence the orange hat. I'm considering a wearable strobe light for foggy mornings and nightcaching. I prefer to start caching at dawn; don't want to waste valuable daylight by sleeping through it!

[me_chris]

Definitely had my first experience with "@#$&%! I wish I brought that with me!"...

 

Was out caching today in a forest preserve... not a very big forest (busse woods, il), so I thought "meh, I'll just bring the camera and the GPSr"... man was I wrong...

 

First, forgot to waypoint the car... again, didnt think it was a big issue since if you walk in any direction for no more than a mile and a half, you hit a paved walking trail... Again, I was wrong to think this...

 

To make a long story short, there I was in the middle of the woods (all trees look the same by the way, it is NOT hard to get lost in even a small wooded area apparently) with no car waypoint marked, and the sun going down fast (Sundown was 4:26pm and I thought I had plenty of time but it took longer than I thought to find the cache and I lost track of time)...

 

Since I like to think of myself as an experienced outdoorsman, I was very mad at myself for not coming prepared.... of course the one time I don't, I need to be...

 

So, here I am, stuck in the forest, in the dark, with only a general idea of which direction my car is from where I am now... I can't backtrack on my GPS because I did not turn it on by the car, so the track wont lead me back to my car... plus, I can't see a thing...

 

So, by the slight light remaining as the sun was setting, and my Treo 650 Emergency Flashlight I managed to find a deer trail that ended up at a paved walking trail which LUCKILY was not very far from where I was...

 

Next time, I'm bringing a flashlight, and waypointing the car...