How to keep coordinates straight

[dlynch63]

My question is should I print out the cordinates pages for the cache or is better to just keep a notebook for the area I am going too?

 

I am not able to download the cordinates to my explorist 100 so that isn't a option.

[+SkellyCA]

Can you afford a cheap PDA like a Palm? I've heard some people here get them on ebay for little as $25.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

We (used to) print each page, placing same in order on a clipboard to carry with us to the cache. We would hit each cache in order, using each page as a "notepad" for that particular cache. After our notes, we would pull the page, flip it over and place it face down at the bottom of the pile.

 

We could have taken each cache as it appeared in order of listing, but preferred mostly to activate each in Google maps, in linear order then print after sizing with the "print preview" so as to print only the single page w/o logs. That way we had the cache description, etc. I suppose one can print simply the cache listing page, but that would not provide special info.

 

Liked doing it that way, and would still be doing it but with the great deals the last couple of weeks on a few really special GPSr units, just opted for the upgrade. Carrying the clipboard and GPSr can make one appear to be conducting "official" business in muggle-active areas, too!

 

Hope this helps.

 

EDIT: typo

Edited December 5, 2009 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+BlueDeuce]

My question is should I print out the cordinates pages for the cache or is better to just keep a notebook for the area I am going too?

 

I am not able to download the cordinates to my explorist 100 so that isn't a option.

 

Back when I had to print out cache details I would copy and paste just the pertinent information from caches to text document and print that out. cache name, coords, hunt details if necessary. Sure saved on paper.

 

Once you go paperless you'll never go back

[+TomToad]

My question is should I print out the cordinates pages for the cache or is better to just keep a notebook for the area I am going too?

 

I am not able to download the cordinates to my explorist 100 so that isn't a option.

Explorist 100 was my first GPS device. Used it until I cracked the screen. When I had mine, I just bought a small notebook and jotted down what I wanted to know in there. Then I dug up my old PDA and used cachemate on it for paperless geocaching.

 

BTW, if you didn't already figure it out, you can save the coordinates in the explorist 100 by creating a waypoint at your current location, then editing the waypoint with the coordinates your heading to.

[+briansnat]

In the days before I learned how to download caches directly I would simply print out all the cache pages in the area I was interested in. That was years ago and there weren't many around, maybe 10 or 12 so it was manageable.

 

I don't think it is a practical method today with potentially hundreds of caches within a few miles of any given spot.

 

I agree with the suggestion to pick up a used PDA. You can get an old Palm M500 for about $30 bucks on Ebay and load thousands of caches to it.

 

If you use Cachemate it has a nice feature where you can key in your current coordinates and it will sort caches by nearest to farthest from your location.

[NordicMan]

Jotting down cache coordinates from the website to a notepad works OK so long as you don't get any typos! You could also sit in front of your computer with GPSr in hand, and type/save multiple coordinates directly into the GPS! While still tedious, it would take care of that task while you're still at home, and has the benefit of "showing" you all the cache locations you've keyed in at the same time on the GPS screen.

 

Printing cache pages is a better option, that way you bring all the details with you as well as the coordinates. I suggest you press the hint "decrypt" button BEFORE pressing the "print" button

 

..but the problem with printing cache pages is the VOLUME of paper you have to shuffle, and also a printed cache page becomes "stale" as the days go by,, you don't see any of the most recent logs and/or the cache may even become archived.

 

.. if you like your Explorist 100 and don't really want to upgrade it then I HEARTILY recommend you consider grabbing a cheap Palm PDA from ebay or elsewhere and use it for carrying the details. If you also opt for Premium membership (just $30/yr, $ well spent!) you can carry THOUSANDS of cache "pages" in your pocket on the PDA! The beauty of this is, with that amount of volumne at hand it allows you to "random geocache" while your out caching. You can see info for all the caches near your current location, and it's EASY to keep all that cache data up-to-date

Edited December 5, 2009 by NordicMan

[Rocketsteve]

My question is should I print out the cordinates pages for the cache or is better to just keep a notebook for the area I am going too?

 

I am not able to download the cordinates to my explorist 100 so that isn't a option.

 

Back when I had to print out cache details I would copy and paste just the pertinent information from caches to text document and print that out. cache name, coords, hunt details if necessary. Sure saved on paper.

 

Once you go paperless you'll never go back

 

I still "copy and paste" to a text document and it works great! If I use a 12 text font, I can usually put more than 40 caches on a page.

Edited December 5, 2009 by rocketsteve

[+edscott]

I'm not really into doing huge numbers of caches in a day so maybe this isn't helpful, but I download a google map of an area and mark the precise location of all the caches I want to do that day. ... Figure out the logical sequence and number them in that order.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I'm not really into doing huge numbers of caches in a day so maybe this isn't helpful, but I download a google map of an area and mark the precise location of all the caches I want to do that day. ... Figure out the logical sequence and number them in that order.

 

That works, too!

[+BCandMsKitty]

If you use Cachemate it has a nice feature where you can key in your current coordinates and it will sort caches by nearest to farthest from your location.

 

It does?

 

Tell me!

[+Chrysalides]

If you use Cachemate it has a nice feature where you can key in your current coordinates and it will sort caches by nearest to farthest from your location.

 

It does?

 

Tell me!

http://www.smittyware.com/palm/cachemate/doc.php#search

[+redjada]

Can you afford a cheap PDA like a Palm? I've heard some people here get them on ebay for little as $25.

 

You can also use an ipod if you have one. I use mine and its great.

[+Team Cotati]

My question is should I print out the cordinates pages for the cache or is better to just keep a notebook for the area I am going too?

 

I am not able to download the cordinates to my explorist 100 so that isn't a option.

 

I'm curious. After you park your vehicle, how many caches do you typically search for before you return to your vehicle?

[dlynch63]

My question is should I print out the cordinates pages for the cache or is better to just keep a notebook for the area I am going too?

 

I am not able to download the cordinates to my explorist 100 so that isn't a option.

 

I'm curious. After you park your vehicle, how many caches do you typically search for before you return to your vehicle?

 

I usually only go to one unless there are multiples in the area

[dlynch63]

Can you afford a cheap PDA like a Palm? I've heard some people here get them on ebay for little as $25.

 

You can also use an ipod if you have one. I use mine and its great.

 

I never thought of the Ipod I may have to try that. Thanks

[+Team Cotati]

My question is should I print out the cordinates pages for the cache or is better to just keep a notebook for the area I am going too?

 

I am not able to download the cordinates to my explorist 100 so that isn't a option.

 

I'm curious. After you park your vehicle, how many caches do you typically search for before you return to your vehicle?

 

I usually only go to one unless there are multiples in the area

 

This might sound too simple but for the first two or three years, The Team printed the cache pages for the days hunt and clipped them together. We'd then pull out the next 3-4 pages between cache parking spots, fold them in quarters and put them in my back pocket. No big deal. That worked great up until we started going on cache runs where we'd download 40-50 caches for the day. It was about then that we started using a PDA.

 

BTW, they are usually referred to cache description pages.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

We (used to) print each page, placing same in order on a clipboard to carry with us to the cache. We would hit each cache in order, using each page as a "notepad" for that particular cache. After our notes, we would pull the page, flip it over and place it face down at the bottom of the pile.

 

We could have taken each cache as it appeared in order of listing, but preferred mostly to activate each in Google maps, in linear order then print after sizing with the "print preview" so as to print only the single page w/o logs. That way we had the cache description, etc. I suppose one can print simply the cache listing page, but that would not provide special info.

 

Liked doing it that way, and would still be doing it but with the great deals the last couple of weeks on a few really special GPSr units, just opted for the upgrade. Carrying the clipboard and GPSr can make one appear to be conducting "official" business in muggle-active areas, too!

 

Hope this helps.

 

EDIT: typo

I used a similar method, keeping a stack of caches printed, on my work clipboard, and splicing them between my orders when I had time to stop for a few. When I traveled, I actually bound them into little books by region. Now, without a printer, I use a notebook to write down the important stuff. It all depends on what works for you. Another option if just to keep your GPS with you at the computer, and enter the info as you look it up. You should be able to run the unit with the GPS function disabled, and save battery life.