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What equipment do you use?


mchaos

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I am fairly new at caching, but I love it so far and consider my self well versed with the sport already. As well my equipment is evolving as well.

 

I started out with my MIO Moov 200 hacked with Mio pocket. Since I have acquired simple explorist 200 which I like very much. Much nicer after getting a serial cable for it to upload files.

 

I am now going for paperless caching, as I have walked around with a clipboard with printouts, which is cumbersome. Now I am using my GF's Palm tx which she never uses. After fooling with some programs online for geocaching, I find the best way is too put adobe reader on it and download the pdf files from the cache pages for it. This way I do not have to bring my laptop with me, however, I do anyway. And lets not forget my trusty walking stick...

 

So I have a Mio Moov200 with Mio Pocket for driving to the cache. Also has program for paperless caching.

 

Explorist 200 for hiking to the cache GZ.

 

Palm TX for paperless, to look at clues ect at GZ.

 

Laptop in case its needed or if stop for break in WiFi area.

 

Walking stick for beating evil monsters that want to take my cookies ;) ........ FOR WALKING :blink:

 

I want to see what every one else uses and how it is beneficial to the hunt.

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I use a Garmin 60CSx and a Palm Tx with Cachemate. It's $8 and allows you to send PQs to your Palm and mark caches found, write quick notes and things like that. When you get home, you can generate a list of all your caching activity for the day.

 

If I'm caching in an area will cell service, I'll use a my BlackBerry with has Geocache Navigator on it.

 

In the car, I use a Nuvi that has the caches I plan to find sent to it so I can just tell it to route to the next cache.

 

If I want to travel light to the cache, I'll just bring the Garmin and a pen, leaving everything else in the car.

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I am fairly new at caching, but I love it so far and consider my self well versed with the sport already. As well my equipment is evolving as well.

 

I started out with my MIO Moov 200 hacked with Mio pocket. Since I have acquired simple explorist 200 which I like very much. Much nicer after getting a serial cable for it to upload files.

 

I am now going for paperless caching, as I have walked around with a clipboard with printouts, which is cumbersome. Now I am using my GF's Palm tx which she never uses. After fooling with some programs online for geocaching, I find the best way is too put adobe reader on it and download the pdf files from the cache pages for it. This way I do not have to bring my laptop with me, however, I do anyway. And lets not forget my trusty walking stick...

 

So I have a Mio Moov200 with Mio Pocket for driving to the cache. Also has program for paperless caching.

 

Explorist 200 for hiking to the cache GZ.

 

Palm TX for paperless, to look at clues ect at GZ.

 

Laptop in case its needed or if stop for break in WiFi area.

 

Walking stick for beating evil monsters that want to take my cookies ;) ........ FOR WALKING :blink:

 

I want to see what every one else uses and how it is beneficial to the hunt.

 

60csx

blackberry with cacheberry

backpack when needed.

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I have a Garmin 60CSx (seems to be a very popular unit) and I use the Geocache Navigator on my cell phone if I need to look up cache info. I rarely make trades so I just carry a pen. In the truck I have a backpack full of cache repair items, ready-to-go caches, power bars, bottled water, bug spray, and a little first aid kit. I clean it out and leave what I need depending on the situation - placing caches, fixing caches, or hiking.

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DeLorme PN-20/40 and an iPod using the GSAK iPodnotes macro for paperless. iPod will probably be retired when the new PN-xx firmware comes out that doesn't limit characters in the description. Might have to keep it to be able to read the last 5 logs though.

Edited by KJcachers
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I have evolved a bit over time.

 

2002 - 2003 - Used an eTrex Legend Original with printouts on paper for each cache I went to

2004 - 2005 - Used mostly a GPS Map 60C or Rino 120 and a custom Excel Spreadsheet of condensed cache info

early 2005 - 2007 - Used GPSMap 60C and Dell Axim with GPXSonar for paperless

2008 - Garmin Colordo or Garmin Oregon - although I still habitually load the axim up as a backup.

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I am fairly new at caching, but I love it so far and consider my self well versed with the sport already. As well my equipment is evolving as well.

 

I want to see what every one else uses and how it is beneficial to the hunt.

 

whats in your geocaching bag ?, i'm shocked at mine

 

th_Gear.jpg

 

Added to my kit but not pictured:

 

MSR Pocket Rocket Stove + Titanium Kettle

1 Mountain House dehydrated dinner

Katadyn Vario Water Filtration System

Bear Spray + homebrew holster

1 small roll of double sided velcro

1 5'x7' tarp

Carbon fiber trekking poles (retired the old ones)

3 pack of dry sacks (water proof storage bags)

20' 6mm rope

1 additional firestarting rod/magnesium stick.

1 set of boot gaiters.

1 medium weight set of thermal long underwear

1 watchcap

1 set of Superfeet Green insoles.

 

Badlands 2200 Backpack

 

8f4673ab-271b-4e7e-a2ac-4da6ddb14ad4.jpg

Edited by Kit Fox
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I am fairly new at caching, but I love it so far and consider my self well versed with the sport already. As well my equipment is evolving as well.

 

I want to see what every one else uses and how it is beneficial to the hunt.

 

whats in your geocaching bag ?, i'm shocked at mine

 

th_Gear.jpg

 

Added to my kit but not pictured:

 

MSR Pocket Rocket Stove + Titanium Kettle

1 Mountain House dehydrated dinner

Katadyn Vario Water Filtration System

Bear Spray + homebrew holster

1 small roll of double sided velcro

1 5'x7' tarp

Carbon fiber trekking poles (retired the old ones)

3 pack of dry sacks (water proof storage bags)

20' 6mm rope

1 additional firestarting rod/magnesium stick.

1 set of boot gaiters.

1 medium weight set of thermal long underwear

1 watchcap

1 set of Superfeet Green insoles.

 

Badlands 2200 Backpack

 

8f4673ab-271b-4e7e-a2ac-4da6ddb14ad4.jpg

 

WOW! That's a lot to carry for a LPC! ;)

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Just getting into it and am using a Garmin Nuvi 650. Have been using it to find my way around the countryside rving. Found out about geocaching and downloaded all the stuff to make the 650 into a Geocaching monster. It works fine has put me on to most of my finds within 2 to 3 feet away.

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Kit Fox, how far do you travel (walk) once you park to find the caches that you find? Do you cache alone a lot?

 

Depends on the cache. Nearly all of the caches I like to find require me to leave pavement. Some are within .1 to .5 from my vehicle, in flat desert terrain. Others require 3 to 14 mile round trip hikes. Most of my long hikes are done alone. I leave maps, and instructions of my planned hike with my wife, and my parents.

 

The reason for having the capacity to carry so much water is due to hiking in dry terrain. This hike was my longest, and I saw water once. I don't want to be a SAR statisic. :)

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I don't want to be a SAR statisic. :)

I can totally understand that. I figured you hiked alone. If I'm caching with friends, I tend to be carefree, but if it's just me and my son (he's 8) and we're doing a real hike (not a mile walk through a local park), we always throw extra stuff into our packs. I don't want to be out in the woods and have a problem because I wasn't prepared.

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Kit Fox, how far do you travel (walk) once you park to find the caches that you find? Do you cache alone a lot?

 

About 30 feet, before he keels over from all of that weight! :)

 

Headlamps are awesome when caching at night/dusk/dawn.

Magnet epoxied on the end of an old collapsable radio antenna (from a broken boom box)

GPS and PALM

Sanford PhD three way pen/pencil/stylus

Swiss Army knife with tweezers

some extra logs and 6 mil resealable plastic bags to repair caches with.

Edited by kraushad
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I use a TomTom loaded with cache POI via GSAK of my whole state in my car for driving to cache sites.

 

At the site I currently use:

 

Garmin GPS V (but am getting a Delorme PN-20 for Christmas)

iPod Nano (but only holds 1000 waypoints so it has my home caches) loaded via GSAK

Palm IIIxe (got on ebay for $0.99) loaded with another 2000 or so caches (but is maxed out on memory :) ) loaded via GSAK running Cachemate

 

My caching backpack stays in the car, it has in it:

-Several homemade caches (camo'd plastic tubes, pill fobs, etc.) in case I see a killer location

-Roll of camo duct tape

-Swag toys in case my kids are with me and want to trade

-Personal Log Book in case I find a letterbox

-Personal stamp in case I find a letterbox

-Inkpad in case I find a letterbox

-Compass for finding letterboxes since my GPS doesn't have one internally

-Pocket on backpack dedicated to geocoins/tb's

-tweezers for hard to get out logs

-Flashlight for looking back under rock cliffs and dark openings

-small surgical scissors, small tube of superglue, couple of extra logbooks and printed log sheets for cache repair

-Pens (I leave them in caches all the time by accident) and Sharpies

-Muggle Cards

-Laminated signature cards

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We use the colorado 400t with city navigator micro sd card. It gives us turn by turn on the road and then lets us compass to the cache site and has full cache description including the clue and the last page of logs. All that in one package, doesnt get any cleaner than that. And since I only have to use one hand for the GPSr I us a walking stick in the other. ;)

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Depends whether I'm hiding or finding.

 

My hide and maintenance bag has the following inside:

 

2 - Regular sized caches.

3 - Small sized caches.

10 - Micro caches [More for maintenance and stages of multis, than hiding]

10 - Cache labels.

39 - Stamps for Letterbox Hybrids.

1 - Roll of Duct tape.

1 - Roll of fishing wire.

1 - Box of hooks.

1 - Bag of magnets.

5 - camo bags.

A lot of pencils.

Edited by headshot119
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It depends. Around the neighborhood I only bring a Garmin 60CSx and a pencil/pen. If I were to go out and find some while hiking, I would bring water, food, knife, extra clothes, etc. Pretty much what's on the BSA 10 essentials list.

 

I never take anything, so I never bring anything to leave.

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Signed up 2 days ago to Geocache.com after finding out what geocaching was all about and went on my first hunt to day.

 

Because the caches I went on the hunt for where in my area I only took my Nokia N95 with Geocache Navigator, a pen and an item to put in the first cache i found

 

Also use my g1 android cellphone for google maps in sat mode to get a lay of the land

 

Concidering only started today im hooked, and in the new year shall be on the hunt for more caches and taking more equipment with me such as caches and the like to place my own.

Edited by Beakie
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As yesterday was our first day at geocaching, we took our GPS, signature swag and a pen, which I had to send my hubby back to the car to get since we forget to put in in our pocket...Oh! and our camera. Could have used the first aid kit...my face ran into some branches while trying to reach for the find. Guess we better put a kit together so we can go on longer trecks

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I use a Garmin CSX and a DELL AXIM for paperless. I have a backpack with all the stuff i may need if I get lost. First aid, flashlight, snacks, parka, emerg balnket, leatehrman...batteries...etc. Nothing new, I am sure. I hike with my son who is near 5. So I need to be sure we are safe, and I know he is watching, so I want him to learn. :ninja:

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Beginning geocacher here. My kit is still a bit anemic, and it will never rival some that I've see in this thread. Right now just:

a couple of water bottles

flashlight

knife

a cool tool I found at Wally World... combo compass, whistle, thermometer and magnifying glass

bandaids and moleskin

some swag to leave if a cache seems a bit depleted (don't really plan to take anything but travelers)

spare batteries

tweezers

spare log sheets

pen and pencil

ziplock bags

 

and my eTrex Summit HC

 

Some things will be changed or added depending on season, hunt location, and weather.

 

In the car is my Nuvi 260 to get me as far as the road will take me, loaded with all of the cache info downladed and filtered in GSAK with the Nuvi macro.

Edited by rapriebe
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I want to see what every one else uses and how it is beneficial to the hunt.

 

at home..

GSAK

ExpertGPS

Google Earth

Garmin Mapsource

 

On my laptop

GSAK

ExpertGPS

Google Earth

Garmin Mapsource

Garmin nRoute

 

In the field

Garmin GPSMap 76Cx

Blackberry Pearl (does not have a built in GPS)

running MobiPocket Reader with complete listings of every waypoint in my GPS

Swagbag with lots of stuff

Portable wildlife/catch Ambrosia peeing in the wood webcam

 

Coming in about a week (replacing the Blackberry)

an iPhone with the Groundspeak geocaching app

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My Wife and I have been Geocaching almost one year now and have put together a very good geocaching toolkit.

Our GPSr is the Garmin 60gpx cr.

In our bag we carry the following.

Surplus Army web Belt and Suspenders with two First Aid Dressings. Canteen, KBAR Knife, Four pieces of 550 para cord.

Walking sticks

Flashlights

Miscellanous first aid supplies, Band Aids, Neosporin Gauze, Dressing, Elastic Dressing, Splints and Triangular Bandages.

Small Extendable Mirror

Small Extendable Magnet

Push button extraction tool

Needlenose pliers

Extra Cache Containers

Extra Log sheets

Swag

Gloves

Cell Phone and Ipod Touch

Our tool Kit has evolved over the past year and as we cache more Items are added

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Old thread but still relevant and seems fun.

 

I take:

- Dakota 20 GPS

- Pocket Knife

- Small flashlight (single AA battery)

- Dedicated hiking shoes

- I'd say cargo pants but I've started wearing them all the time lately

 

What do I intentionally leave behind or in the car:

- My cell phone. I don't want to be bugged and don't want to rely on it.

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I'm all about bringing my cell phone. I cache alone (or with the dog) and you never know when something might happen that you could need a little help with... and *surprise* you might actually be in coverage range. Not to mention, if I really need help, the dog isn't going to do much. She's "all thumbs" at that survival sort of stuff.

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