Jump to content

How do the seasoned do it?


llco87

Recommended Posts

We are new to geocaching. Only a couple months into it but love it and we are hooked!!

 

My question is:

Just how do some of you do it when you are going out for a day or weekend geocache hunt?

This is currently how I go about getting ready to go caching:

1- look up the caches in the area of your travel - keep moving about on the map for your route.

2 - read to make sure they are active

3- jump back to the page and checkmark the box next to the GC

4- hook up the Garmin.

5 - upload them to your GPS

6- write or type out the hints and information

over an hour or more later..........

7- grab your 3 + pages and head out the door.

8- find it on the GPS and figure out which one it is on the papers

9- search out the cache ---- sign it, trade it...etc

10- log it in own personal little notebook so that it can be referred to later when logging on site.

 

see what I mean? is it this way for all of you?

 

but how are you all doing your hints, names etc so that you have them available and handy when you get to the area of your next cache?

 

I jotted down information but this is only feasable when there are only a couple of caches to run to.

We are planning a weekend jaunt this weekend (many geos on the way) and I am just trying to figure out an easier way to do this. The way that I currently do it can take me over an hour or more just to located them on the map, checkmark it, upload it and write out the info and/or hints.

 

There has to be an easier way and I just dont know it it.

 

So.... please teach me? :rolleyes:

 

One day to go and we are on our way to the caches!!

 

Hope to get lots of advice on this question.

Link to comment

I'm a premium member, so I:

 

Decide where I am going to be headed.

Find a cache near there and get it's ID number.

Run a PQ, specifying that it leave out caches I don't want to do that day (puzzles or terrain 5 for example) of about 100 caches near my destination.

Upload the PQ into GSAK.

Upload the caches into the GPS.

Run the export to send the cache page information and last five online logs to my PDA.

Pick up my geocaching bag and head out the door

 

(Usually within about 10-15 minutes of finding that first cache in the area I am headed toward. It would be quicker, but I usually have to find my keys and put on shoes, too).

 

Do a search for "paperless caching"

 

If I want to find "caches along a route" it usually takes me a bit longer. I'm not very quick at creating routes yet.

Edited by Neos2
Link to comment

GSAK is the Geocache Swiss Army Knife thats available elsewhere on the site for download. A useful utility for managing your hunts.

 

If you want to make your life easier, "paperless caching" is the way to go. This can be done a lot of ways, but most often its done with some combination of GSAK, a PDA or smartphone, and your GPSr.

 

Hope that helps a little.

 

I use my Blackberry and my GPSr. If I'm in an area with a signal (not so useful on my weekends in the mountains), I can use the phone's browser to look up the caches on the wap site. I use GSAK to help me manage my Pocket Queries, and if I ever get around to it, I'll get an old PDA off ebay to use GPXView for the cache pages.

Link to comment

If I'm caching in my home area:

 

1. Receive my weekly PQs for the nearest 990 caches.

2. Load to my GPS

3. Load to my PDA which is running Cachemate

4. Head out the door.

 

If I'm caching while traveling:

 

1. Run a PQ for the closest 500 caches to where I'm staying

2. If driving, run a PQ for caches within .5 mile of my route

3. Load to my GPS

4. Load to my PDA

5. Head out the door.

Link to comment

Like other responders I am a premium member and use pocket queries a paperless option for storing the listings on my Blackberry similar to the approach that Neos2 described. There are a couple of things that make the approach a little more complex and I'll offer an method which doesn't require premium membership (though I strongly advocated becoming one) or using GSAK (also recommended).

 

When creating PQs I filter out "unknown" caches and create a separate PQ which *only* has unknown/mystery caches. Since "unknown" caches essentially come in two varieties; puzzles that can be solved at home to determine final coordinates, and puzzles which require determining the coordinates in the field, I review the puzzles PQ listings and solve the puzzles that I can from home, then add those caches to my "regular" caches list. For those which require solving a puzzle in the field (i.e. count the number of rocks, read the number of letters in the third word on a sign, etc) I leave in the puzzles PQ and export them as POIs. That way the published coordinates still get to my GPS but will display a different icon.

 

If you are not a PM, you can still "bulk load" waypoints.

 

Get a copy of EasyGPS/ExpertGPS.

 

Pick the area in which you are going caching.

 

Find a cache in that area then use those coordinates or waypoint on the "Hide and Seek. Do your search and you'll get a page of listings. First select the "Check All" button then filter out any caches that you want to exclude (i.e. puzzle caches, disabled caches, difficulty=5, etc). Select the Download Waypoints button and either save the .loc file to disk or send it directly to EasyGPS/ExpertGPS.

 

Repeat for the next 4-5 pages.

 

Open up EasyGPS, if it is not already open, and merge the waypoints using cut-n-paste, then save the waypoints to a named GPX file. Use the topo or aerial view and zoom in/out such that you can see a map with the cache icons on it and print out a a couple of maps. These will prove useful once you're out in the field to determine a cache route.

 

Review the listings for the caches that you selected and make any notes that'll help find the caches.

 

Go caching.

Link to comment

Since you are a premium member, set up your pocket query to bring in caches that you are interested in. In pocket queries you can filter in all kinds of ways to get the caches that you like doing. Things like cache types, cache sizes, difficulty levels, only caches you haven't found, only caches that are active, etc,,,

 

My opinion, and i would imagine that a good many people would agree, is to get and use GSAK. This program works good just using it's basic functions but if you wish, you can set up all kinds of things to make sorting and downloading to your GPSr eaiser. You can even get it to send helpful information straight to the GPSR (the amount depends on your model), such as cache and terrain difficulty levels, size of cache, and what type of cache it is. To go paperless, i also export the file from GSAK in an html format then load onto my internet tablet which is a great way to get cache pages and not have to print them all out.

 

My method:

1. Look up zipcode for the area that i'm interested in.

2. Build and run a pocket query using that zipcode

3, Recieve the pocket query in email and download it to my computer.

4. Open the file with GSAK (can drag it to gsak or can simply double click it to get it to load).

5. Set up GSAK to send the info i want to my GPSr (don't have to do this every time as it stays once i set it).

6. Send to my GPSr...

 

7. If using internet tablet, i export from GSAK into an html file.

8. Plug in my internet tablet then download this file into it.

Link to comment

I think you'll find that everyone has their own thing. Me, I load up the google earth KML (my favorite premium member feature), and decide on a target cache, one I'm particularily interested in. Then I find caches along the way and print out all the cache pages. Since the nearest 500 unfound caches are already in my GPS from a weekly pocket query, unless I'm going very far I'm good to go.

Link to comment
<snip>

 

but how are you all doing your hints, names etc so that you have them available and handy when you get to the area of your next cache?

 

<snip>

Each week, I get seven "Date Placed" PQs to give me an approximately 50-mile radius of caches in this cache rich area. I put those PQs in GSAK. I'll use one of the caches as the "centerpoint" of my search area for a "caching adventure."

 

I'll filter for Size, Type, and Distance to get about 800 caches in my list and load those into my Vista HCx. Then, I Export a .pdb file for my Palm m515.

 

This takes about five minutes . . . <_<

 

Because I have an 'x' GPS unit, I can also load every one of the caches in my GSAK database as Custom POI's using Garmin's free POI loader.

 

For regular waypoints I use this code, in the "Send to GPS" dialogue box in GSAK, to get a useful waypoint name on my GPS unit: %smart=9 %con1%typ1%dif1%ter1

 

This includes part of the Name, the Size of the container, the Type of cache (Traditional, Multi, Virtual, Puzzle), the Difficulty and Terrain (based on a 10-point scale). To get part of the hint, I use this code in the Waypoint Description blank: %Name=10 %hint

 

The Custom POIs can have more information, so for the .gpx Export for them, I use this code to get the cache owner's name, the hint, and the GC code, since some of the people I cache with use that for reference: %By %Hint %Code

 

You can mix and match these "smart name" codes any way you want to get the information that is important to you. :rolleyes:

Link to comment

My method:

 

 

1. Set up and obtain a PQ for the area I'm going to be caching.

 

2. Open the GPX file in google earth so I can see the layout of the caches and plot out a course. I usually cut/paste the top of each cache page on the planned run with the GC# and coordinates into a word document. This allows me to easily distribute the cache run and the bookmark list to those with whom I'm caching so they can make their preparations.

 

3. Take all of the caches in my plotted course and add them to a bookmark list.

 

4. Run another PQ on the bookmark list.

 

5. Upload the bookmark list PQ to my GPS, TomTom, and PDA.

 

6. Go get 'em!!

Link to comment

I keep an updated PQ of the nearest 400 unfound caches loaded at all times. It would be more but I'm stuck with the stupid 1,000 cache limit and, when I travel, that can cause issues. When I travel to a single destination I do a PQ for that area - usually the closest 100 excluding puzzles, multi-caches, and anything with a terrain or difficulty over 2.5 (I'm traveling for work and don't have time for hard caches and also end up caching in my work clothes at times).

 

As for trips, I'm "old school" about it. I tried the caches-along-a-route feature when it first came out and didn't like it at all. It's probably better now but I don't know. I do PQs on various zip codes along the route and put all of them into a single GSAK database. Then I make my route in mapsourse and use that route with a GSAK filter to select only caches from the large database within .25 miles of my route. I may have 950 caches in the large database and end up with maybe 40 or so along the route. I do this when I'm traveling for reasons other than caching and it makes a nice break to stop once in a while and grab a cache or two. I may even stop in an area and cache for an hour or more before continuing on my route.

 

I have a cheap Palm that I use for paperless caching. I like the cheap ones because, so far, I've broken two in the field. (If you put it in your back pocket and then sit down on a lumpy rock to sign a log the thing makes a really horrible crunching noise :rolleyes: ) I'd LOVE to get a Colorado and do away with the Palm but it's not going to happen any time soon. Especially since I'd have to buy new maps and I just got through doing that for my current unit.

Link to comment

Ok. My method is a mixture of paperless and paper caching. It's what works for me. I am mainly dealing with urban and suburban caches (generally 'park and grab', or atleast park, looking and find, and leave for the next cache) and caches in city/county parks (find park, park as close as possible to cache, find, and leave for next cache).

 

I have, in general, 3-4 general areas I keep an eye out for caches.

 

I use GSAK. ALL caches I am interested in I download into GSAK. I get the weekly updates from Groundspeak about new caches, and I check to see if any are in my area, and then download them. All get uploaded to my GPSr.

 

I also print out the page for each cache. I make sure that the map that prints out in usually at city level, so I knew where to find the cache in terms of driving. I put these pages into one of several folders based on which area they are in.

 

When I decide I'm going to spend the weekend caching, I usually decide which area I will hit, and pull out the appropriate folder. I'll use the 'map it' feature to get an overview of the general area. This way I can see if there are any new caches I didn't know about, and weed out any caches that have now been archived (permanent archived, I throw out the page I had, temporary are set aside).

 

I pull together all the pages of the caches I plan to hit. I use the maps on the sheets (remember I said I printed them out at city level), I then organize them into the order of the general route I will drive to get to the caches. As I go along my right, I will mark on the sheet stuff like that I found it (and what order), dnf, any trackables I found/pickedup/dropped off, etc.

 

Afterwards, I will then log F/DNF/trackables on geocaching.com, mark found in GSAK, and add finds to my logbook.

 

Hope this helps.

Link to comment

Oh, a couple of other things.

 

On the sheets I print out, I always decode the hint first. Previously you had the option to get the last 5 logs (which are usually useful). The new version only does this if your get the PDF, which I don't bother.

Link to comment

When I 1st started I had a older e trex vista serial port and no ppc ended up printing everything off and hauling all that paper with me.

Now that I have the pn-20 I download the loc files and upload to the unit. Then I am off and running my PPC is internet capable and usually I can connect to the wap.geocaching.com site and pull up additional info quickly.

Sure is nicer going paperless.

Link to comment

Well, I do want to thank all that have offered advice.

I have tried that PQ and all it tells me is there is nothing.

 

I also tried the GSAK and the other one too and they will not upload anything to my gps. I have a Garmin NUVI 200. Each time I tried to upload, I get an error.

 

So, I am stuck with going back and forth checking and reading and uploading each one individually.

 

It takes so long to get them it is a little frusterating.

 

Good thing I really like geocaching!

 

I just wish it were easier to prepare for a trip out. Or even to find out what I am doing wrong.

 

When I 1st started I had a older e trex vista serial port and no ppc ended up printing everything off and hauling all that paper with me.

Now that I have the pn-20 I download the loc files and upload to the unit. Then I am off and running my PPC is internet capable and usually I can connect to the wap.geocaching.com site and pull up additional info quickly.

Sure is nicer going paperless.

Link to comment
Well, I do want to thank all that have offered advice.

I have tried that PQ and all it tells me is there is nothing.

 

I also tried the GSAK and the other one too and they will not upload anything to my gps. I have a Garmin NUVI 200. Each time I tried to upload, I get an error.

 

So, I am stuck with going back and forth checking and reading and uploading each one individually.

 

It takes so long to get them it is a little frusterating.

 

Good thing I really like geocaching!

 

I just wish it were easier to prepare for a trip out. Or even to find out what I am doing wrong.

 

When I 1st started I had a older e trex vista serial port and no ppc ended up printing everything off and hauling all that paper with me.

Now that I have the pn-20 I download the loc files and upload to the unit. Then I am off and running my PPC is internet capable and usually I can connect to the wap.geocaching.com site and pull up additional info quickly.

Sure is nicer going paperless.

 

Almost always, when a PQ returns a null set, it means that you have chosen conflicting parameters. For instance, you can't get a PQ containing caches you have found and caches you haven't found. They are mutually exclusive.

Link to comment

I am not big on numbers so doing GeoCaching by paper is not huge burden for me.

 

Before migrating to paperless – and I still like paper sometimes – I would:

 

Arbitrarily find any cache near where I want to hunt and open its page.

 

Scroll down and click on the link under the “FIND” heading for “all nearby caches”

 

Print 1 or two pages – 20 or 40 caches total.

 

Then I would individually have to add the coordinates, comments, and hints (if I wanted them) to each cache on the printout – a few minutes.

 

Then I would click on the “map it” link in the upper right corner and select “Show numbers on map” – so I can connect the name of the cache to it’s location on the map and then also go to my list of caches with the Lat./Long. Coords written in.

 

This procedure is time consuming. You have click on each cache link on the list to get the coords and hints, but you have to do something while drinking your morning coffee and this seems more useful than reading the political and crime crap in the morning fish wrapper er ah newspaper.

 

And I never put the coordinates into the GPSr. It seems easier and more straight forward to just look at my current location coordinates on the GPSr and mentally calculate how far off I am from the cache coordinates – like “I need to be 100 yards north and 30 yards west from here to be on top of the cache”. I have a good feel for how many paces it takes me to move my N/S coordinates from say N 30° 06.900 to N 30° 06.800.

 

For me, that is easier and more fun than walking around with my head down looking at an arrow on a screen. But, that is just I.

 

But, paperless is definitely the way to go.

 

There are some very smart folks here that can put you on the right path to make it work if you are patient enough to ask the right questions and give them the information they need.

 

If they put me on the right path I have no doubt that they can help you solve your problems. Usually it is just something simple and asking the right question in the right way is all it takes to make it all come together.

Link to comment

I use GSAK to review and order my caches while routing them on Mapsource or Google Maps, then print an ordered list with hints from GSAK. A list of 50 caches takes me about 2hrs to prepare. I upload the cache info with D/T ratings and hints to my GPS directly from GSAK and then upload the .gpx file to my PDA for in-the-file cache page reviewing.

 

People constantly ask how to I generate lists like this:

http://www.showstop.org/geocaching/list/yv-dh-sunday.html

 

The hint column is an optional print field in GSAK. Use the custom column and the short code for hint is %hint.

Details here: http://www.gsak.net/help/hs22000.htm

 

User Sort column:

http://gsak.net/help/hs32550.htm

Usort - (User Sort) Many users like to sort the GSAK data in their own "special" way. Some also like to set a sequence to print the grid format just before they go caching. "User Sort" will address these issues and make allocating a special sequence to your data quite easy. The "User Sort" column has some "special" properties to make allocation of a sequence number a snap.

 

Firstly, if you double click on a cache in this column it will automatically update with your next sorted value (a number that is incremented by your pre set value). You can see/set this number via Tools=>Options=>General "user sort" box. This should make it very easy to allocate your own sequence to a set of waypoints - just double mouse click on the waypoints in this column in the order you would like them sorted.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...