congerseeker Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I am extremely intrigued by the idea of geo-caching. Sounds like a good way to make a good hike more interesting. However, I cannot afford to buy a GPS (at the moment) and was wondering if anyone ever embarks to locate a cache using only a map, compass and well honed navigational skills? There are a few in my area and I am going to try to find them the old fashioned way. wish me luck. happy hunting! Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 There are several. One forum regular has found over 1000 and has never owned a GPS. It defenitley can be done. Just keep in mind that GPS coordinates were used in the hide not map coordinates. So depends on accuracy of maps and will always be some degree of difference. Quote Link to comment
+Team Cotati Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I am extremely intrigued by the idea of geo-caching. Sounds like a good way to make a good hike more interesting. However, I cannot afford to buy a GPS (at the moment) and was wondering if anyone ever embarks to locate a cache using only a map, compass and well honed navigational skills? There are a few in my area and I am going to try to find them the old fashioned way. wish me luck. happy hunting! Good luck. Where'd you hone your navigatipnal skills? Quote Link to comment
+HopsMaltYeast Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I am just starting also. First find was mid-December. Found 36 total to date. At least 2 of those finds were when I forgot to write the GPS coordinates down on my paper before I left. I just remembered the description, clues and google map image. Granted, these were urban or suburban settings, not way out in the woods locations. My daughter loves the GeoCaching idea - showed it to her when she came home for Christmas. We showed her the GeoCache map centered on her home with nearby caches showing. She went home to Atlanta and found one immediately without a GPS. In my humble opinion, I am pretty good with map and compass. I was a navigator in the US Navy and hiked a lot in North Georgia and Western N.C. with only compass and topo maps before GPS days. But I would say many of these caches out in the hinterlands would be almost impossible to find using just the old fashioned ways unless they were very close to a very prominent landmark. There is a similar game to GeoCaching called "Letter Boxing" or "Letterboxing" that does not require a GPS. A few caches on this site are Letter Box.. Do a Google search on Letter Box to find sites. There are only a tiny fraction of Letter Box hides compared to GPS hides. So, yes, I think you can have a lot of fun and good success with GeoCaching without a GPS if you select the right caches to look for. Good luck and happy hunting. Please report back on your efforts. Quote Link to comment
+theosus Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 My daughter loves the GeoCaching idea - showed it to her when she came home for Christmas. We showed her the GeoCache map centered on her home with nearby caches showing. She went home to Atlanta and found one immediately without a GPS. The new "google maps" page has definitely made GPS-less Geocaching easier. The old map (orange-y background with those blue or black squares) was horrible. With the Google map - you can almost see the ammo can in the woods. I cant say I've found one excluseively without using the GPS, but I've driven up to a place before, looked at the clue, and the area, and said "oh I know where it is", using the GPS sort of as a checksum to find the thing. I can see how it could be done. Quote Link to comment
+Annie & PB Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Our first few were found without a GPS - just using local knowledge, info from the descriptions, hints and logs, and a good bit of common sense If you've got good enough map/compass navigation skills to get you to the vicinity, I'd say its quite possible to do! Have fun! (and start saving for a GPS for the tricky ones!) Quote Link to comment
+joranda Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I've heard of people doing it but I haven't tried it. Maybe if it was a park and grab in a parking lot I could find it without the GPS. Quote Link to comment
+x_Marks_the_spot Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 It's up to you how you play the game. If you think you can find them without a GPS, then go for it. Just don't get to thinking that you have to drop $300 to get a GPS that's suitable for geocaching. I personally have used a Magellan MAP 330, which I know you can buy on eBay all day long for under $50. I found mine at a thrift store for $12. Garmin V and III units are available on eBay as well for a good bit less than a brand new unit, and they'll do the job just fine. Quote Link to comment
+Pirates of Tuskegee Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 There is a cacher here in Atlanta that does this regularly. He is Map Reader (can't remember if there is a space or not). Quote Link to comment
+JegMag Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I am sure Ed Scott will post here soon -- he "don't need no GPS". I think that is his quote! LOL He is my hero! How he can find them is beyond me, but he sure is good. Quote Link to comment
Tahosa and Sons Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I own several caches that one will really find the usage of maps and compasses very helpful to find a cache. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I've found a few without a GPS. Urban caches are pretty easy that way. In the woods they aren't too hard as long as they are near some significant feature - perhaps a bend in a stream, a cove of a lake or next to a cliff. In featureless woods, or in flat areas it can be pretty tough though. Quote Link to comment
+ventura_kids Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I can't even find them with a GPS. Bring friends and spread out! Quote Link to comment
chewndi Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I'd agree with "X"'s comment earlier about the cost of a GPS. I got mine for Christmas - my husband gave me a glorified pedometer, Garmin Forerunner 101. He had no idea what I'd do with it, he just got me a fun gadget to use walking. Well, he created a monster! They cost $80-100, depending. If I keep this up, I'll probably outgrow it, but it works great for now, straps on my wrist and is only about twice the size of a wristwatch. Subtle, accurate and waterproof. And while I'm a map queen, I can't imagine doing this without a gps. But that's just me. Quote Link to comment
+edscott Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 It's certainly possible to cache without a GPS. Map quality varies a lot. Right now I'm in New Zealand and using Google Maps. It's not as easy as when I am home with accurate satellite images but still have managed to find all I've have had time to attempt. Not sure what quality aerials are available in the UK, but if there is public access to the photos used to produce your government topographical sheets at a scale of 1:10000 or better you will be OK. If you must use Google satellite images you will have problems with some while others may be OK. Quote Link to comment
+Zolgar Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Okay.. this has been bugging me since I first saw the title.. "Old Fashioned Way" is .. not accurate here. GeoCaching was created for GPSrs. It was taken from the idea of Letterboxing, and 'modernized'. so while it's possible to GeoCache without a GPSr, and there's nothing wrong with it, it's actually a 'new' variant on the game. Quote Link to comment
+DonB Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I am extremely intrigued by the idea of geo-caching. Sounds like a good way to make a good hike more interesting. However, I cannot afford to buy a GPS (at the moment) and was wondering if anyone ever embarks to locate a cache using only a map, compass and well honed navigational skills? There are a few in my area and I am going to try to find them the old fashioned way. wish me luck. happy hunting! I have used www.flashearth.com a few times and didn't even have to turn my GPS on. On the left I use the Microsoft VE (labels) Quote Link to comment
+joranda Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I'll have to check out that site. Quote Link to comment
+x_Marks_the_spot Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Okay.. this has been bugging me since I first saw the title.. "Old Fashioned Way" is .. not accurate here. GeoCaching was created for GPSrs. It was taken from the idea of Letterboxing, and 'modernized'. so while it's possible to GeoCache without a GPSr, and there's nothing wrong with it, it's actually a 'new' variant on the game. Here Here! Quote Link to comment
+DanOCan Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Okay.. this has been bugging me since I first saw the title.. "Old Fashioned Way" is .. not accurate here. Hehe...I'll admit when I saw "the old fashioned way" I assumed it was a thread about someone entering coordinates by hand. Quote Link to comment
+Jennifer146 Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I don't own a GPS, and I enjoy the hobby quite well without any frustration. Google Maps helps a lot. In fact, Google Maps has even let me hide my own cache without a GPS. The coordinates "were right on" according to the first to find that cache. So you can definitely experience the geocaching hobby in its entirety without a GPS if you so wish. Quote Link to comment
+edscott Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 . ...... In my humble opinion, I am pretty good with map and compass. I was a navigator in the US Navy and hiked a lot in North Georgia and Western N.C. with only compass and topo maps before GPS days. But I would say many of these caches out in the hinterlands would be almost impossible to find using just the old fashioned ways unless they were very close to a very prominent landmark. ........... yes... but unlike on the sea you are always near a landmark if you can read your map or satellite image. When I have problems the logs usually also mention questionable coordinates, long search times etc from the GPS users. Quote Link to comment
+edscott Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I don't own a GPS, and I enjoy the hobby quite well without any frustration. Google Maps helps a lot. In fact, Google Maps has even let me hide my own cache without a GPS. The coordinates "were right on" according to the first to find that cache. So you can definitely experience the geocaching hobby in its entirety without a GPS if you so wish. Finding and hiding are a bit different. The rules for hiding do specify using a GPS to get coordinates. I think the idea is to build in some degree of inaccuracy to make the search a bit more challenging. :yikes: Quote Link to comment
Trailhead Tessie Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 However, I cannot afford to buy a GPS (at the moment) and was wondering if anyone ever embarks to locate a cache using only a map, compass and well honed navigational skills? happy hunting! Letterboxing is definitely what you want. The sport goes back to 1854 and most clues do not require a gps receiver. (I say MOST, because a few actually do. There is nothing in the definition of letterboxing that says you can't used gps coordinates for your clues. I suspect a growing number of letterboxes will use coordinates. The primary difference between letterboxing and geocaching is not the gps receiver. It's actually that letterboxes have rubber stamps, usually hand-carved. There is a whole big art thing there, with people learning to carve their own stamps if they really get serious about the hobby. There is no trading of items, just trading of stamp images. That's why letterboxers will sometimes drop a stamp in a cache. ) Some letterboxers also do geocaching (self included) and I've even heard of some letterboxers who look for geocaches without gps receivers, just to see if they can. I recently found a stage 2 cache when stage one was missing by carefully reading the comments previous finders had left. It's an added challenge to find the caches without the electronics. The downside to letterboxing in many areas is that there are not as many letterboxes hidden as geocaches. It depends on where you live. Letterboxes are listed on two websites, www.letterboxing.org and also www.atlasquest.com. Some are listed on one but not the other. Quote Link to comment
+team lagonda Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 sounds like fun to know how to do both. Quote Link to comment
+edscott Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 However, I cannot afford to buy a GPS (at the moment) and was wondering if anyone ever embarks to locate a cache using only a map, compass and well honed navigational skills? happy hunting! Letterboxing is definitely what you want. ...... Perhaps I am missing something but I thought letterboxes were usually found by following written clues rather than by using a map and navigational skills. Quote Link to comment
+x_Marks_the_spot Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 (edited) However, I cannot afford to buy a GPS (at the moment) and was wondering if anyone ever embarks to locate a cache using only a map, compass and well honed navigational skills? happy hunting! Letterboxing is definitely what you want. ...... Perhaps I am missing something but I thought letterboxes were usually found by following written clues rather than by using a map and navigational skills. From the Letterboxing North America homepage (emphasis added): LETTERBOXING is an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming "treasure hunt" style outdoor quest. A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages and experience levels. Click on the desktop items above to explore this fast-growing hobby. From the Wikipedia article on Letterboxing (emphasis added): Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art and puzzle solving. Perhaps this is what you were missing. Edited January 28, 2008 by x_Marks_the_spot Quote Link to comment
+edscott Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 However, I cannot afford to buy a GPS (at the moment) and was wondering if anyone ever embarks to locate a cache using only a map, compass and well honed navigational skills? happy hunting! Letterboxing is definitely what you want. ...... Perhaps I am missing something but I thought letterboxes were usually found by following written clues rather than by using a map and navigational skills. From the Letterboxing North America homepage (emphasis added): LETTERBOXING is an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming "treasure hunt" style outdoor quest. A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages and experience levels. Click on the desktop items above to explore this fast-growing hobby. From the Wikipedia article on Letterboxing (emphasis added): Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art and puzzle solving. Perhaps this is what you were missing. OK.. what I do may be a hybrid of the two activities. I do just as your name says... put an "x" on a spot on a map or satellite image, go there, and sign the log. Quote Link to comment
+ncfinn Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Can't you just look at a map, see in what direction/heading you need to go and how far? You mark that spot on a map on a "real" map and off you go. Of course in real life you won't be able to walk in a straight line, but that is how orienteering with a compass (and a map) is done. Quote Link to comment
+MarshMonsters Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 If you decide you want to use a GPS I found mine for $76.00 online at WalMart. I got the Garmin Yellow Etrex H. My parents are looking on Ebay and found some older Garmins for around $30. You probably don't need one with all the bells and whistles since you have the map and compass skills. I am going to buy a compass since my GPS will only take me within 12 feet of a cache site in the winter. So I will still need a compass to triangulate. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment
congerseeker Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 I am extremely intrigued by the idea of geo-caching. Sounds like a good way to make a good hike more interesting. However, I cannot afford to buy a GPS (at the moment) and was wondering if anyone ever embarks to locate a cache using only a map, compass and well honed navigational skills? There are a few in my area and I am going to try to find them the old fashioned way. wish me luck. happy hunting! Good luck. Where'd you hone your navigatipnal skills? Just out walking with a map, compass and a book on navigation... Quote Link to comment
congerseeker Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 Okay.. this has been bugging me since I first saw the title.. "Old Fashioned Way" is .. not accurate here. GeoCaching was created for GPSrs. It was taken from the idea of Letterboxing, and 'modernized'. so while it's possible to GeoCache without a GPSr, and there's nothing wrong with it, it's actually a 'new' variant on the game. Here Here! Hey guys I did not say, or even infer that there was anything wrong with using a gps. Just as I did not have one at the time I likened a map to an old fashioned kind of gps. No offence was intended. Just a bad choice of phrase. I now use the Geo cache app on my phone. Works a beauty. Quote Link to comment
+edscott Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 However, I cannot afford to buy a GPS (at the moment) and was wondering if anyone ever embarks to locate a cache using only a map, compass and well honed navigational skills? happy hunting! Letterboxing is definitely what you want. ...... Perhaps I am missing something but I thought letterboxes were usually found by following written clues rather than by using a map and navigational skills. From the Letterboxing North America homepage (emphasis added): LETTERBOXING is an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming "treasure hunt" style outdoor quest. A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages and experience levels. Click on the desktop items above to explore this fast-growing hobby. From the Wikipedia article on Letterboxing (emphasis added): Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art and puzzle solving. Perhaps this is what you were missing. Nope I didn't miss anything.. I don't do art and do very few puzzles.. It is all done with smoke, mirrors, and maps. Quote Link to comment
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