Keeping track of potential caches?

[+CHDdad]

Hello, I am pretty new to this sport (only 21 found to date) and am trying to figure out how to keep a log of the caches that are in my area or of ones that I want to find eventually. I have a Garmin eTrex H GPS without a download cable so I manually input the coord into the GPS then I am logging the GC codes, coords, hints, cache size and additional info on an excel sheet so I can have know what I am looking for and where I am going (that is more for my wife, she wants to know the hints and size of containers so the kids can trade items). I feel that I am doing WAY TO MUCH to keep track of these. I don't have an iphone or anything fancy like that.

 

Any advice on how I can log caches that I am will eventually be looking for would be great.

 

Right now, I use the "nearest" function on my GPS then cross that with what is on my paper or spreadsheet to get the info.

[+BrrrMo]

Hello, I am pretty new to this sport (only 21 found to date) and am trying to figure out how to keep a log of the caches that are in my area or of ones that I want to find eventually. I have a Garmin eTrex H GPS without a download cable so I manually input the coord into the GPS then I am logging the GC codes, coords, hints, cache size and additional info on an excel sheet so I can have know what I am looking for and where I am going (that is more for my wife, she wants to know the hints and size of containers so the kids can trade items). I feel that I am doing WAY TO MUCH to keep track of these. I don't have an iphone or anything fancy like that.

 

Any advice on how I can log caches that I am will eventually be looking for would be great.

 

Right now, I use the "nearest" function on my GPS then cross that with what is on my paper or spreadsheet to get the info.

 

I just use Groundspeak. I enter my zip code and it then shows me which ones I have found and the ones I have yet to find.

 

May be a simplistic answer but that's how I do it.

 

EDITED: to add that I just write the info on sticky notes that your wife wants.

Edited February 4, 2010 by BrrrMo

[+Ambrosia]

Become a Premium Member and use Bookmark Lists and Pocket Queries.

[+thedeadpirate]

Hello, I am pretty new to this sport (only 21 found to date) and am trying to figure out how to keep a log of the caches that are in my area or of ones that I want to find eventually. I have a Garmin eTrex H GPS without a download cable so I manually input the coord into the GPS then I am logging the GC codes, coords, hints, cache size and additional info on an excel sheet so I can have know what I am looking for and where I am going (that is more for my wife, she wants to know the hints and size of containers so the kids can trade items). I feel that I am doing WAY TO MUCH to keep track of these. I don't have an iphone or anything fancy like that.

 

Any advice on how I can log caches that I am will eventually be looking for would be great.

 

Right now, I use the "nearest" function on my GPS then cross that with what is on my paper or spreadsheet to get the info.

 

If you need to keep it free, then either printing off copies of the listings or continuing to log them in manually are about your only choice.

 

However, you could give a premium account a try. It's $30 a year, but you can try it for $3 a month.

 

With a premium account you get Pocket Queries and Bookmarks.

 

PQs allow you to download all the information about the cache, not just the coordinates. You could then import this into a program called GSAK which would allow you to further work with the data to your liking.

 

With bookmarks you can place the caches you are really interesting into a bookmark and then create a PQ that will download the latest data for those caches.

[Clan Riffster]

My advice? Stick to the current system till you know that you are addicted to this game. If the thought of not caching makes your skin crawl, your eyes itch and your hair hurt, then you are where most of us are. At that point, it would be worth your while to purchase a premium membership. One of the perks of a premium membership is pocket queries, where you define a set of parameters such as container size, cache type, location, etc, and Groundspeak e-mails you a file containing up to 500 caches. Download a free program called GSAK. You can import your Groundspeak e-mails to GSAK, and store them there.

 

Beg, borrow or steal a cable for your Garmin.

 

Welcome to the madness!

 

-Sean

[+GeoGeeBee]

Hello, I am pretty new to this sport (only 21 found to date) and am trying to figure out how to keep a log of the caches that are in my area or of ones that I want to find eventually. I have a Garmin eTrex H GPS without a download cable so I manually input the coord into the GPS then I am logging the GC codes, coords, hints, cache size and additional info on an excel sheet so I can have know what I am looking for and where I am going (that is more for my wife, she wants to know the hints and size of containers so the kids can trade items). I feel that I am doing WAY TO MUCH to keep track of these. I don't have an iphone or anything fancy like that.

 

Any advice on how I can log caches that I am will eventually be looking for would be great.

 

Right now, I use the "nearest" function on my GPS then cross that with what is on my paper or spreadsheet to get the info.

 

You really, really need to get a cable. The eTrex connector is a very common USB connector... I use the same cable for my eTrex, my Blackberry, and my digital camera. If you don't have a USB cable that will work, you can get one of THESE on eBay for $3, with free shipping.

 

I use GSAK, but if you don't want to spend money on software and premium membership, there's nothing wrong with just printing out the caches and bringing the pages with you.

[+BlueDeuce]

Stick to the current system till you know that you are addicted to this game...

 

If they are posting here I think they have been completely infected by now.

[+Mom-n-Andy]

On the off chance that you are a Mac user, there is a nifty shareware program called MacCaching that helps to organize caches.

 

If you happen to have a PDA there is a program called Cachemate that is also shareware. You download the cache records you are interested in and take the PDA to the field instead of carrying paper records. I know from experience that it will run on an ancient Palm IIIxe as well as newer Palm handhelds.

 

You might also look at the Bookmark function on geocaching.com. You can keep lists of caches based on any criteria you want. I think you need to be a premium member to use this function.

[+thedeadpirate]

Stick to the current system till you know that you are addicted to this game...

 

If they are posting here I think they have been completely infected by now.

 

If they're inputting manually they're infected. LOL

 

BTW, CF is right, the cable is a must. It's not expensive and beats the heck out of manually entering coords into the gps.

[+StarBrand]

... The eTrex connector is a very common USB connector...

 

no its not - it is a serial connector.

 

[+Markwell]

Sounds like what the Bookmarks are meant to do. Premium members can add caches to a bookmark list (up to 500 per list). The list might be "my favorites" or "ones I want to do". If you're a premium member for the Bookmark list, you can also use that list to create a pocket query, which sends a data file of those caches directly to your computer. With the data cable and the right software, you can upload the caches from that list directly to your GPS.

 

Once you find caches from your Bookmark list, you can delete them from the list. If you find a new one through investigation of caches, you can add it to the Bookmark list.

 

When you're ready to go out again, delete all the caches from the GPS, request the file from the pocket query, upload all of the fresh ones. You've then got a fresh list of caches that you want to find that can be referenced by your spreadsheet or whatever.

 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

[+GeoGeeBee]

... The eTrex connector is a very common USB connector...

 

no its not - it is a serial connector.

 

 

Oh, sorry. I mistakenly assumed that my Garmin eTrex Venture would use the same cable as his Garmin eTrex H. I didn't know anyone still used those old RS-232 connectors.

[+mtn-man]

I've merged the two topics and deleted a couple of posts for ease of reading.

[4x4van]

A cable is definitely something you need to put on your "get" list for downloading caches into your GPS (it will become a "must have" the first time you spend 2 hours looking for a cache in the wrong location because you transposed a couple of numbers when you manually inputted the coordinates! )

 

In the meantime though, you could simply download a bunch of caches, and open the .loc file with EasyGPS and print one page with all of the caches and their coordinates listed on one page.

 

I do have a cable, and use EasyGPS to transfer caches to my GPS, but first I edit the file to add a few details (truncated hint, terrain & difficulty). When I print the page, every cache that I'm seeking that day is on one sheet, and I can also use that sheet to pencil in notes during the day, like what I took/left, any pertinant info for the online log later, etc.