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setting up my garmin etrex for geocaching


nathan mader

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There are 2 or 3 eTrex models that are yellow. But from what you say, it looks like you have the basic eTrex H? Mine is the brighter yellow too, but on the screen itself it has the model Venture HC printed on it. There is also the Summit HC model that is a duller tone of yellow. The H is a gray scale screen, while the Venture and Summit are both Color screens.

 

Anyhow, I'm still new with mine too, so the Datum WGS 84 setting is something that I will look into on mine. I believe it's set at that as standard though, cause I never changed anything like that when I started using it for geocaching.

 

As far as what to bring along on a hunt? This will become a personal list of basically what you feel is best, and that will just come with experience. I started out by bringing along a printout of each cache listing that I was going after that day. (now I jot down pertinent notes only and bring along the least amount pf paper as possible.) I try to remember my caching sack of stuff with trade items when going after the larger caches. If I forget to bring that along, I just don't do any trading. I'll sign the log book and carry on to the next cache. If I'm only going after Micros that day, there's no need at all to bring along any trading items. All you can do is enjoy those hunts and sign the log sheet when you find it.

 

Something I've started to learn to do though, is a little bit of Recon work prior to setting out on the trail. (or shall I say, the possible LACK of any trails!) What I mean is, take some time to get to know the area where you're about to go hiking after any listed cache. I can't tell you how many times I've bushwhacked through some really thick stuff, only to notice a nice hiking path just a couple hundred feet from my bushwhacking trek. OOPS! Of well, live and learn, right? A hiking trail may take you up to a half mile out of a direct path, but that half mile on a trail is certainly better than an eighth of a mile through thick brush. I can also tell you that the Satellite Views on the map alone (at the geocache site) won't always make those trails well known. Tree cover can easily hide a trail from the air.

 

Back to what to bring along on the hike. A bottle of water is good to have and also a cell phone in case of an emergency. A Real Compass is handy too, as the electronic ones in the GPSr devices don't normally function when standing still. (Unless you have a higher end model, and it sounds like you do not. (Neither do I, BTW) A Flashlight is good to have if you accidentally find yourself on the trail a bit longer than you thought you would be. I've done that a few times myself.

 

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I've a good idea that I didn't help you much on setting up your GPSr, but these are just a few of the things that I've picked up on with a little bit of geocaching experience. Hopefully, some of this will be useful to you as well.

 

Good Luck, and Happy Geocaching!!! :blink::D

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Hi, I think I have the same model. Once you master the buttons and how to input co-ords it'll serve you proud! Put me 'on top' of over thirty caches in a couple of weeks so far! Just be mindful, mine was an ex mod one and had obviously been used else where in the country for a long time. When I first got it, it was putting me off the cache by about 100m, finally figured out (VIA GOOGLE) how to do a soft master reset and hey presto, it's working!

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