Can't go paperless... try going with less paper...

[+mtbiker278]

I just started my geocaching efforts recently, and I'm already thinking of things to make the game a little easier. I didn't have the money to get a fancy new Garmin Colorado, but I did have enough to get the decent GPSMAP 60. However, it definitely lacking in the amount of information it can store in terms of clues and hints. I think the total characters it can save in the notes of a wayoint is about 30.

 

Anyway, I was thinking since I can store everything on my GPSr, I figured I could at least condense the amount of paper I would be using. I started making an excel spread sheet with the Cache numbers, coords, and clues. For those who don't have Excel on their home computer you can download the Open source suite that has every single computer office application needed for FREE! Look on C-Net.com and they should have a link. Fortunately I have excel on my work laptop, plus I can print double sided from the office as well. Depending on the font I'm sure I can fit >200 caches on a page.

 

The only other thing I can think of is having mapSoucre City Navigator loaded onto your unit so you wouldn't have to look up directions. My copy should be here Wed.

 

Anyone else using a similar method?

[+Peconic Bay Sailors]

I just started my geocaching efforts recently, and I'm already thinking of things to make the game a little easier. I didn't have the money to get a fancy new Garmin Colorado, but I did have enough to get the decent GPSMAP 60. However, it definitely lacking in the amount of information it can store in terms of clues and hints. I think the total characters it can save in the notes of a wayoint is about 30.

 

Anyway, I was thinking since I can store everything on my GPSr, I figured I could at least condense the amount of paper I would be using. I started making an excel spread sheet with the Cache numbers, coords, and clues. For those who don't have Excel on their home computer you can download the Open source suite that has every single computer office application needed for FREE! Look on C-Net.com and they should have a link. Fortunately I have excel on my work laptop, plus I can print double sided from the office as well. Depending on the font I'm sure I can fit >200 caches on a page.

 

The only other thing I can think of is having mapSoucre City Navigator loaded onto your unit so you wouldn't have to look up directions. My copy should be here Wed.

 

Anyone else using a similar method?

 

Use GSAK...

Click HERE

 

and if you print out caches from the Geocaching website, like we do, use the PDF format (we always print with the "last 5 logs") rather than the "printer friendly" format...

It saves a lot of paper and is formatted better...

Just remember to "decrypt" the hint before you click on the PDF print option...

or you will have to decrypt on the trails...

 

City Navigator is very helplful to plan your caching routes...

You cn plan your routes on your PC and then download them to your GPSr...

Too much work for us though... we usually just wing it...

Edited January 29, 2008 by Peconic Bay Sailors

[+mtbiker278]

Does GSAK let you export to Excel?

[+TeamGumbo]

I use a 3" X 5" spiral notebook.

 

I have *heard* of Excel, though...

[+Peconic Bay Sailors]

Does GSAK let you export to Excel?

Mmmm... good question...

I have never tried...

But GSAK dose include a local PC based database...

You really don't need excel...

It will display your downloaded waypoints in a spreadsheet format...

Edited January 29, 2008 by Peconic Bay Sailors

[+mtbiker278]

I'm currently using a legal pad with hand written coords, hints, etc. Quite tedious, but it works for the most part. I'm looking for a way to streamline the whole process by having only a couple pages that have all the information I need to find a cache. That way I can print about 2 pages and have all the cache information I need. Once I go through a majority of the list I could update the file with more caches, remove the found caches, and print again, plus I can toss the old pages into th recycle bin at work when I'm done! :-)

 

It looks liek it has a majority of the information, but no hints on the spreadsheet...

Edited January 29, 2008 by mtbiker278

[+Peconic Bay Sailors]

I'm currently using a legal pad with hand written coords, hints, etc. Quite tedious, but it works for the most part. I'm looking for a way to streamline the whole process by having only a couple pages that have all the information I need to find a cache. That way I can print about 2 pages and have all the cache information I need. Once I go through a majority of the list I could update the file with more caches, remove the found caches, and print again, plus I can toss the old pages into th recycle bin at work when I'm done! :-)

 

You can view an exmple by clicking HERE...

 

No... no hints... I use the PDF print option off the Geocaching page if we want those...

another option for going paperless, is to use a PDA...

Instructions are on the Geocaching website...

You can then load the entire cache pages into the PDA...

Edited January 29, 2008 by Peconic Bay Sailors

[+mtbiker278]

I wonder if you could cut and past the spreadsheet matrix into an excel file...

hmm

[+Peconic Bay Sailors]

I wonder if you could cut and past the spreadsheet matrix into an excel file...

hmm

Nope... I just tried... copy is blocked in the GSAK application...

You could export to a text file and try to manipulate from there...

Way too much work for me...

Edited January 29, 2008 by Peconic Bay Sailors

[+Miragee]

Does GSAK let you export to Excel?

With GSAK, you shouldn't need Excel . . .

[+Peconic Bay Sailors]

Does GSAK let you export to Excel?

With GSAK, you shouldn't need Excel . . .

As you use GSAK, your comfort level will increase...

and dependancy on EXCEL will diminish...

I do understand... you are used to EXCEL...

Hard to break old habits...

Edited January 29, 2008 by Peconic Bay Sailors

[+mtbiker278]

well it's not so much that I'm use to using Excel, I can certainly learn another program without a problem. I just notice that there are limitations with what I have to work with at the time. Going completely paperless right now isn't really an option since I'm not going to buy another electronic gizmo to store all my cache info. If I am going to continue to use paper I'd rather use less of it and have more information on hand, hence the trying to fit everything into an excel sheet including hints which I can then print out and take with me.

 

Think of it as an alternative for those who are still using paper, but want to condense their information

Edited January 29, 2008 by mtbiker278

[+Peconic Bay Sailors]

well it's not so much that I'm use to using Excel, I can certainly learn another program without a problem. I just notice that there are limitations with what I have to work with at the time. Going completely paperless right now isn't really an option since I'm not going to buy another electronic gizmo to store all my cache info. If I am going to continue to use paper I'd rather use less of it and have more information on hand, hence the trying to fit everything into an excel sheet including hints which I can then print out and take with me.

Then I'd do as we do...

a combination of City Navigator...

GSAK...

and printing the caches using the PDF format from the cache pages...

(using that option will usually keep printouts to one page)....

Or we just load the coordinates to our GPSr's and call our son on our cell phone, to read us the cache description and hints as we are looking for them...

The phone-a-friend option...

Edited January 29, 2008 by Peconic Bay Sailors

[+mtbiker278]

hahaha, well hopefully I don't have a son I don't know about being that I'm only 24. I gues I'll just have to coerce some of my friends into my new hobby...

[+ReZappers]

I'm not crazy about the PDF version of the cache descriptions. You can't hide images (and they waste a lot of paper), the additional hints box is usually in a big empty box - huge gap in the page, which also wastes space, and it doesn't print the map, which the printer-friendly version does. If I'm coming from out of town, I like the map so I can have some indication of where it is so I know how to get there and where to park. I also can't read PDF on my smart phone email or web browser. (I have a Treo 650).

 

I would love a printer friendly version of the cache description with pictures, maps, hints, logs - and the option to hide them, and be in a format that can be easily emailed, saved in text or html format, or bookmarked and viewed. Then I could save them on my smart phone or any pda for reference and avoid all that paper.

[+Cedar Grove Seekers]

Does GSAK let you export to Excel?

With GSAK, you shouldn't need Excel . . .

So are you saying that using GSAK you can print out the details for several caches onto just one piece of paper? Maybe not 200 caches like the OP has done, but say at least 20?

 

I have gone paperless with an iPod, but some of my friends are still printing each cache page. Even with the "print friendly" option this is at best two caches per page. They won't take the time to enter information into Excel, Word, etc, but if they could easily print all the information from GSAK so that it fits many caches per page, then this would be their best option.

[+Cedar Grove Seekers]

Anyway, I was thinking since I can store everything on my GPSr, I figured I could at least condense the amount of paper I would be using. I started making an excel spread sheet with the Cache numbers, coords, and clues..... Depending on the font I'm sure I can fit >200 caches on a page.

OP, good for you trying to reduce paper. Before I went paperless I used to do the same as you, but would usually only get 30-40 caches per page (poor eyesight).

[+Bad Duck]

If you have an I-pod use cacheMagnet (free) and download them to your ipod. I tried it on my kids and it worked great. I just need glasses to see the fine print.

[+ReZappers]

Unfortunately, that won't work for my iPod Touch. It doesn't allow you to use it as an external hard disk - so I can't save any descriptions on there. I thought I could email myself the cache descriptions, download them to my iPod Touch email application and refer to them later, but without an active internet connection, it appears it only saves the headers of the email.

[+Team Black-Cat]

Does GSAK let you export to Excel?

With GSAK, you shouldn't need Excel . . .

So are you saying that using GSAK you can print out the details for several caches onto just one piece of paper? Maybe not 200 caches like the OP has done, but say at least 20?

 

I have gone paperless with an iPod, but some of my friends are still printing each cache page. Even with the "print friendly" option this is at best two caches per page. They won't take the time to enter information into Excel, Word, etc, but if they could easily print all the information from GSAK so that it fits many caches per page, then this would be their best option.

 

You can do this. Set the GSAK filter to only have the caches you want visable. Click FILE and then PRINT. Select Condensed HTML and you'll get a single printout sans headers, footers, etc. The number of caches per page depends on the length of the description. If you don't want the description, set up the grid with the fields you want to print, and don't select the condensed HTML option. It will print a grid with 30 or 40 caches on a page.

[+Team Cotati]

Does GSAK let you export to Excel?

With GSAK, you shouldn't need Excel . . .

So are you saying that using GSAK you can print out the details for several caches onto just one piece of paper? Maybe not 200 caches like the OP has done, but say at least 20?

 

I have gone paperless with an iPod, but some of my friends are still printing each cache page. Even with the "print friendly" option this is at best two caches per page. They won't take the time to enter information into Excel, Word, etc, but if they could easily print all the information from GSAK so that it fits many caches per page, then this would be their best option.

 

You can do this. Set the GSAK filter to only have the caches you want visable. Click FILE and then PRINT. Select Condensed HTML and you'll get a single printout sans headers, footers, etc. The number of caches per page depends on the length of the description. If you don't want the description, set up the grid with the fields you want to print, and don't select the condensed HTML option. It will print a grid with 30 or 40 caches on a page.

 

Can you get the decoded 'hint' on that grid print?

[+ClydeE]

Can you get the decoded 'hint' on that grid print?

 

Yes. Just include it as a custom column:

 

[+Team Cotati]

Can you get the decoded 'hint' on that grid print?

 

Yes. Just include it as a custom column:

 

 

Thanks Clyde, that is great to learn.

[+uxorious]

I just open notepad, (comes with most windows). I can copy and paste whatever info I need, and only the info I need onto Notepad. I've found for me right now that is the quickest way to get a lot of caches on only a couple sheets of paper.

 

I bought a Palm m100 from a garage sale, but haven't figured out yet how to get caches into it. Heck I haven't had any luck downloading caches into my GPS and I've had that for two years. I'm still manually entering the coordinates.

[crawil]

I just checked and even though GSAK doesn't export directly to Excel, it does export to a "CSV or TXT" file. Open that file in Excel and use the "Text to Columns" feature. It will convert the comma delimited format into Excel fields. If you need help, feel free to PM me.

[+mtbiker278]

Thanks ClydE and Crawil! That's some useful information. I'll have to download GSAK when I get a chance and play with it. I'm sure I'll figure something out soon enough that doesn't have me maunally entering data.

 

Thanks again!

[+yanr]

To the OP, I see that you are not a Premium Member (neither am I), one thing that you have to keep in mind when you can't execute pocket queries is that you can only download .loc files. These files lack the detailed information (ie hints, difficulty, cache type, etc.) that are available when you have a .gpx file. So GSAK will beam all the info to your GPSr and give the waypoints more meaningful names (extremely useful), but I have yet to find a good way to go paperless with my standard membership.

[+lake_wannabees]

I use a 3" X 5" spiral notebook.

 

I have *heard* of Excel, though...

 

If you use the instructions in post 20 you'll get a nice web looking printout. I go in and select all and paste into Excel. You'll have to do some cleanup of TB's and symbols, but you'll have the ability to sort on multiple columns that Excel provides the capability to do. You can then change the font size of some cells if you need readers like me.

[+mtbiker278]

True that I am not a premium memberat the moment, maybe at a later date. Currently I'm not really concerned with difficulty, or cahce type. Right now I stick to more Traditional caches.

 

Lately I'l been cut and pasting Data into an Excel File that I can print out and take with me. I have a column for the Cache ID, Coords, and the hint. Not much else too it really. It takes some time to do, but not much more than looking at the cache online individually.

 

Once I download the Cache to my GPS I copy all the info I want which I can cross reference when I'm actually at the cache. Just trying to save some time, trees, and effort.

[+theosus]

True that I am not a premium memberat the moment, maybe at a later date. Currently I'm not really concerned with difficulty, or cahce type. Right now I stick to more Traditional caches.

 

Lately I'l been cut and pasting Data into an Excel File that I can print out and take with me. I have a column for the Cache ID, Coords, and the hint. Not much else too it really. It takes some time to do, but not much more than looking at the cache online individually.

 

Once I download the Cache to my GPS I copy all the info I want which I can cross reference when I'm actually at the cache. Just trying to save some time, trees, and effort.

 

I know a guy who just uses Word. He copies the coordinates and some of the description text and the decoded hint, in like size 9 font. He can fit about twenty caches on a page. When he logs one, he replaces it with a new entry. Less paper is better than printing the full page. I used to have a three ring binder with a page for each cache. But that was back when there were like ten caches within thirty miles of the house. No there are over a hundred.

[+Peconic Bay Sailors]

I used to have a three ring binder with a page for each cache. But that was back when there were like ten caches within thirty miles of the house. No there are over a hundred.

WOW... we have over a hundred within a 3-4 mile radius...

You must really live in the boonies!!!

Edited January 31, 2008 by Peconic Bay Sailors

[+Team Black-Cat]

Can you get the decoded 'hint' on that grid print?

 

Yes. Just include it as a custom column:

 

 

Ah ha! I missed that. This program never stops amazing me.

Thanks!

[+Peconic Bay Sailors]

Can you get the decoded 'hint' on that grid print?

 

Yes. Just include it as a custom column:

 

 

Hey ClydeE...

MOST EXCELLENT TIP!!!

Thanks for posting...

 

BTW... it only works for .GPX files... NOT .LOC files,

so you have to create a pocket query...

Edited January 31, 2008 by Peconic Bay Sailors

[+mtbiker278]

Well I finally signed up for the premium membership and downloaded GSAK. I'm still trying to figure the program out, but I can definitely vouche for the print feautre. However, I will add that the format is a little weird in the print out. The hint is kind of squished, but I think I could fix it.

 

If I took the HTML preview and imported that saved file into an excel spread sheet you should be able to adjust the format. Granted this is probably above what most people would do, but what else am I going to do with my time at work :-)

[+ClydeE]

The hint is kind of squished, but I think I could fix it.

 

In the print dialog (see screen shot above) just increase the value in the "Length" box to "unsquish" as required

[+Team Black-Cat]

Well I finally signed up for the premium membership and downloaded GSAK. I'm still trying to figure the program out, but I can definitely vouche for the print feautre. However, I will add that the format is a little weird in the print out. The hint is kind of squished, but I think I could fix it.

 

If I took the HTML preview and imported that saved file into an excel spread sheet you should be able to adjust the format. Granted this is probably above what most people would do, but what else am I going to do with my time at work :-)

 

If you're going to use Excel anyway, then it would probably be easier to use the CSV export as pointed out above. The CSV can be opened directly with Excel. With very little work, you could create a macro that does the export and then opens the file in Excel. If you create a tool button, you could do this all with a single click.