"pocket geocaching" I don't agree at all.

[+Rattlebars]

Once you get within 30' or so you need to put the GPS away and just look for where you might hide a cache.

 

You might need to approach the hiding place from a different direction if you don't spot the hiding place right away from one vantage point.

First, I'm going to state that I don't know where this quote came from but I've seen it in nearly 1/3 of the threads in "Getting Started" and elsewhere with much frequency. I don't agree at all. I keep my ol' Magellan Meridian Color in hand at all times. Most times on the screen with "rubber band" and sometimes, not often, on the compass screen when the map screen is insufficient (very rare, but I do use a "small" map).

 

Why would one want to put away the GPS when it still says 30' or so? Makes no sense unless the GPS is a bad one. I can't imagine my old Meridian Color being any better than any other unit and certainly not better than the newer units with SIRF. I can say that in 85% of my traditional cache finds, my GPS says 8' or less when I'm standing on the cache. Of course, when the placer's unit is off, like one of our locals who uses his phone and never averages, it will be off by more, but I can "circle" the cache to narrow it down and use that method when I know this fellow hid it.

 

The second part of the statement makes much sense, but with your GPS in your pocket, how would you know? I'm guessing that the poster implies "take out your GPS again to approach it from a different direction" and if that's so, why ever put it away?

 

I only put mine away when I need both hands to climb a tree or embankment.

 

NOTE: I'm using a "small" map. I normally load a very small map (say only a hundred miles square" of the location so that the "rubber band" screen updates quicker. If I do load a "large map" (a few hundred or nearly the 64meeg limit of the Meridian) rubber band is less effective but the compass still works so I never "put the GPS away."

 

Edited to add that I will sometimes in the dark woods, use one of these antennas. This will give some a laff, but I wear a jungle hat and have fashioned a small metal plate about the size of the antenna's magnetic base which has foam padding on one side. I put the plate under the hat and snap the magnetic base to the top. Works great!

 

Edited to fix "64K" to 64Meg".

Edited March 16, 2008 by Rattlebars

[+koneko]

Once you get within 30' or so you need to put the GPS away and just look for where you might hide a cache.

 

You might need to approach the hiding place from a different direction if you don't spot the hiding place right away from one vantage point.

First, I'm going to state that I don't know where this quote came from but I've seen it in nearly 1/3 of the threads in "Getting Started" and elsewhere with much frequency. I don't agree at all. I keep my ol' Magellan Meridian Color in hand at all times. Most times on the screen with "rubber band" and sometimes, not often, on the compass screen when the map screen is insufficient (very rare, but I do use a "small" map).

 

Why would one want to put away the GPS when it still says 30' or so? Makes no sense unless the GPS is a bad one. I can't imagine my old Meridian Color being any better than any other unit and certainly not better than the newer units with SIRF. I can say that in 85% of my traditional cache finds, my GPS says 8' or less when I'm standing on the cache. Of course, when the placer's unit is off, like one of our locals who uses his phone and never averages, it will be off by more, but I can "circle" the cache to narrow it down and use that method when I know this fellow hid it.

 

The second part of the statement makes much sense, but with your GPS in your pocket, how would you know? I'm guessing that the poster implies "take out your GPS again to approach it from a different direction" and if that's so, why ever put it away?

 

I only put mine away when I need both hands to climb a tree or embankment.

 

NOTE: I'm using a "small" map. I normally load a very small map (say only a hundred miles square" of the location so that the "rubber band" screen updates quicker. If I do load a "large map" (a few hundred or nearly the 64K limit of the Meridian) rubber band is less effective but the compass still works so I never "put the GPS away."

 

I think perhaps what that quote is suggesting, is that maybe you shouldn't JUST focus on your GPS. Don't forget to look where you're going!

[+gof1]

The quote is an acknowledgement that coords can be off a bit. Even if your GPS is accurate to five feet(purty darn good) and the hider was accurate to five feet you could still find yourself ten feet away. If you only go to the "zero" and look down you are not likely to find many caches. I think you also stand a good chance of missing a bit of the scenery along the way. Although that may be a good thing on some caches.

[+Rattlebars]

I think perhaps what that quote is suggesting, is that maybe you shouldn't JUST focus on your GPS. Don't forget to look where you're going!

Ouch! Probably right (but don't forget, I have a protective metal plate on my head soo...... ) However, it should say what you say it's suggesting rather than saying what it says.

The quote is an acknowledgement that coords can be off a bit. Even if your GPS is accurate to five feet(purty darn good) and the hider was accurate to five feet you could still find yourself ten feet away. If you only go to the "zero" and look down you are not likely to find many caches. I think you also stand a good chance of missing a bit of the scenery along the way. Although that may be a good thing on some caches.

I agree, but that original particular oft quoted passage says nothing of the good advice you have stated. And I have just visited two dumpster caches that for your reason in bold disappointed me because the hider is usually better at it.

[+briansnat]

I've used that statement before.

 

Because caches can be as many as 50 or 60 feet from where your GPS is telling you ground zero is, your unit serves little purpose once you're within 30 feet or so. You're better off looking for a potential hiding spot when you're within 30 feet or so, than you are staring at your GPS trying to get it to count down to 0 feet.

[+LECTRAGLIDE]

I've used that statement before.

 

Because caches can be as many as 50 or 60 feet from where your GPS is telling you ground zero is, your unit serves little purpose once you're within 30 feet or so. You're better off looking for a potential hiding spot when you're within 30 feet or so, than you are staring at your GPS trying to get it to count down to 0 feet.

 

I use 2 and have used 3 dif gpsr's and all have been different . .My pocket pc has a gpsr on it and is sometimes more acurate than my map 60. I dont put it down till I am as close as possible .

I need all the help I can get. Alot of tree cover in my area . And yes I have almost walked into things

looking at gpsr instead of where I'm going .

[+KG1960]

I usually go to zero or the minimum reading and start searching from there. At least half of my finds have been within 10 feet of that. Of course, a few have been 30 to 40 feet.

 

Rattlebars: Good idea on the antenna! I have one of those that I have used on my car, hadn't thought about putting it on my head, but I'll try it next time I'm out.

Edited March 16, 2008 by KG1960

[+Snake & Rooster]

Not many people will agree with me, but I don't being to really look until I am within 10-12 feet of zeroing. I too find that most caches are within 10 feet of zero, or less. An exception might be older caches, but even these are usually within 20 feet of zero. Maybe I'm just lucky. Or maybe the terrain around here helps with getting accurate readings. Whatever it is, I don't remember ever finding a cache 50 or 60 feet off.

[+victorymike]

When you get close (to around 30 feet, which is an arbitray number btw) you should start avidly looking around...but by no means put your GPS away. If it isn't in the obvious places then check your GPS again. Use the tracks that appear on the screen in conjunction with the treasure chest icon. Be sure to make tracks all around it, looking in spots along the way. A lot of times I find that my tracks seem to focus on one side or the other of the cache...and once I get to the other side I find it immediately. But to simply put the GPS away when you get within 30 feet is bad advice. Maybe the wording is what is wrong. Maybe it should be "When you get within 30 feet of the cache you should change your focus from the GPS to your surrounding area".

Edited March 16, 2008 by victorymike

[+TrailGators]

Not many people will agree with me, but I don't being to really look until I am within 10-12 feet of zeroing. I too find that most caches are within 10 feet of zero, or less. An exception might be older caches, but even these are usually within 20 feet of zero. Maybe I'm just lucky. Or maybe the terrain around here helps with getting accurate readings. Whatever it is, I don't remember ever finding a cache 50 or 60 feet off.

I agree with you. I always try to spend a minute or so trying to get as close as possible and to let me GPS settle. Then I do put the GPS in my pocket and look. I think that quote was specifically targeted to newbies who tend to follow the arrow too much instead of using their own powers of observation when they get close. Edited March 16, 2008 by TrailGators

[+anakerose]

For us, we usually try to zero out and then we clip the GPS to our packs and start looking around if the hiding place is not obvious. If we can't find it, we back out 20m or so and come back in to see if the GPS points us in another direction. I don't know, it works for us.

[+mdplayers]

since i cache with my hubby and we both have GPSr's I usually get on one side of GZ and he on the other. Then we tell our son that the search zone is between us. Then we all three search that zone. It works for us.

BTW: I bear a mark just above my eye from a tree branch that was in my way Saturday. I was looking down at the PDA, not ahead of me while walking away from a cache we had just found. I wanted to see what the structure we were near was called. I knew it was mentioned in the cache description.

 

edit to correct typo

Edited March 17, 2008 by mdplayers

[+BlueDeuce]

Once you get within 30'

 

They meant to say once you reach relative ground zero you are likely within 30 feet of the cache.

Edited March 17, 2008 by BlueDeuce

[+Renegade Knight]

Once you get within 30' or so you need to put the GPS away and just look for where you might hide a cache.

 

You might need to approach the hiding place from a different direction if you don't spot the hiding place right away from one vantage point.

First, I'm going to state that I don't know where this quote came from but I've seen it in nearly 1/3 of the threads in "Getting Started" and elsewhere with much frequency. I don't agree at all. ...

 

You don't need to agree, but here is another quote for you.

There are two kinds of cachers. The one who's holding the GPS and the one who finds the cache.

 

I've seen this happen a lot since I'm often the one trying to find ground zero while everone is looking starting from 20' away...

Edited March 17, 2008 by Renegade Knight

[+NYPaddleCacher]

since i cache with my hubby and we both have GPSr's I usually get on one side of GZ and he on the other. Then we tell our son that the search zone is between us. Then we all three search that zone. It works for us.

BTW: I bear a mark just above my eye from a tree branch that was in my way Saturday. I was looking down at the PDA, not ahead of me while walking away from a cache we had just found. I wanted to see what the structure we were near was called. I knew it was mentioned in the cache description.

 

edit to correct typo

 

Last summer I a couple of other geocachers and I went out for a few hours to grab several caches in the woods. The listing on one of them indicated that it was "just off the trail". We followed a hiking trail for about 1 1/2 a mile then got to a spot where I went off to the left of the trail, another went off the trail at about the same point, and a third person continued down the trail another 30' and started searching.

 

As I wrote in another another post, you're not looking for a location identified by a set of coordinates, you're looking for a geocache. As I approach a cache location I'll start looking around in the direction that my GPS appears to be leading me when I get within 30-50'. If I see something that looks obvious (i.e. a large fallen tree) I'll head straight towards it and search for places where the cache might be hidden. The alternative is to follow the GPS until it indicates that that I am 20' from the location, then 15', then 10', and if you're lucky even closer. At that point you might look around and see that large fallen tree on the ground 25' away. You can start searching where you're standing or you can go over and look in a spot where the cache is more likely hidden.

[+StarBrand]

since i cache with my hubby and we both have GPSr's I usually get on one side of GZ and he on the other. Then we tell our son that the search zone is between us. Then we all three search that zone. It works for us.

BTW: I bear a mark just above my eye from a tree branch that was in my way Saturday. I was looking down at the PDA, not ahead of me while walking away from a cache we had just found. I wanted to see what the structure we were near was called. I knew it was mentioned in the cache description.

 

edit to correct typo

 

Last summer I a couple of other geocachers and I went out for a few hours to grab several caches in the woods. The listing on one of them indicated that it was "just off the trail". We followed a hiking trail for about 1 1/2 a mile then got to a spot where I went off to the left of the trail, another went off the trail at about the same point, and a third person continued down the trail another 30' and started searching.

 

As I wrote in another another post, you're not looking for a location identified by a set of coordinates, you're looking for a geocache. As I approach a cache location I'll start looking around in the direction that my GPS appears to be leading me when I get within 30-50'. If I see something that looks obvious (i.e. a large fallen tree) I'll head straight towards it and search for places where the cache might be hidden. The alternative is to follow the GPS until it indicates that that I am 20' from the location, then 15', then 10', and if you're lucky even closer. At that point you might look around and see that large fallen tree on the ground 25' away. You can start searching where you're standing or you can go over and look in a spot where the cache is more likely hidden.

Well put - and it sums up my feelings as well. I learned years ago to start looking for the hiding place when the GPS says 20 foot or so. I occasionally get it back out to make sure I am not way off if I am not having any luck but I rarely look for GZ to get started.

[+TrailGators]

Once you get within 30'

 

They meant to say once you reach relative ground zero you are likely within 30 feet of the cache.

Exactly! You can check your GPS accuracy at that point to see how big an area that you will need to search (+/- 15 feet is very common). Depending on where you are and the difficulty rating you may be able to spot likely locations once you get in the general area. Edited March 17, 2008 by TrailGators

[+emb021]

Once you get within 30' or so you need to put the GPS away and just look for where you might hide a cache.

 

You might need to approach the hiding place from a different direction if you don't spot the hiding place right away from one vantage point.

 

As noted, the first note has to do with the accuracy between the placers GPSr and yours. To be honest, I will use my GPS right up until I am about 2-3 feet from the local, per my GPSr, then take it from there in terms of searching.

 

The second point has little to do with using your GPSr, and a LOT to do with your visual vantage point at finding/seeing the cache. There have been MANY caches that I have been able to find because I came at their hiding place from a different direction, such as they were quite visible to me.

[+Pegasi]

When the GPSr hits 100' my daughter takes off like a rabbit toward the GZ and often ends up with Cache in hand before I catch up to her.

[+Thrak]

It really depends on the GPS and the person who hid the cache. There are folks in my area who place caches that I can follow the arrow right to them. When I get to where the unit says the cache is that is generally where the thing is hidden. There are other folks in my area who are noted for having horrid coordinates. If you follow the area you can end up on the wrong side of the street or even on the wrong side of a block. I've found caches this person placed that were 30', 60', and even 110' off from the listed coordinates.