Caching while traveling

[+USMCGecko]

Next month the family and I will be traveling from TX, through LA, to AL then up through TN, KY, PA and into OH. I thought it would be fun to do some Geocaching along the way. What is the easiest way to get the Cache information along the way? I wish GPSrs had a cell connection sometimes so we can just ask for the closest geocache to our current location without having to load them.

 

Would it best to just load them by looking at the map and scrolling through the whole route on GC.com? Can you tell me how you would do it?

 

Thanks.

 

(if there is already a topic on this and you know where point me in the right direction, I tried looking but had a hard time finding anything related to this.)

[+DN_Chip]

If you're a premium member, you can do a query for caches along a route. You can fine tune the query to show how far from the route you're willing to travel. We've used it a few times ant it works great and makes trips a lot more fun. I believe it's limited to 500 miles so you might have to run several queries for your trip.

[+june17]

we also used that feature and it worked great.

what else is great is the app on the iphone. for on the run it is the best you can get :-)

[+USMCGecko]

Yeah I currently have the iPhone App, but it's lacking in some areas. Soon as I near a tree.. BOOM no more signal and I start wondering around like a drunk. If they just made the iPhone with a true to life GPS and tri-axial compass, I'd be a happy cacher.

[+PinkFox5]

I was just thinking about this myself. My son and husband are driving to Arizona from BC and he (the son) wants to GC on their way down.

[+jeffbouldin]

To expand on what was mentioned. If you signed up for a premium membership (you can sign up for 3 months for $10 to try it out) one of the features you get is called Pocket Queries. PQs (shortened because my typing is horrid) allow you to specify an area that you wish to cover and have GC.com generate a file with all of the coords, hints, 5 logs, description, etc. You can than use the software that came with your GPSr or another (such as GSAK or EasyGPS) to load this into your GPSr.These files can now contain 1000 caches. One feature of PQs is called Caches Along a Route. Using a special Google Map on the site you specify a route you want to take. You can then tell it to generate a file of up to 1000 caches within 6 miles of your route. The PQ feature by itself is worth every penny of the $30-$40 a year cost of a Premium Membership.

 

But, if you have an IPhone and don't plan on doing more than a cache every so often, just learn how to hand enter the coords into your GPSr.

[+KevinWinkler]

My wife has the Droid phone ... She just used the 3G to access GC.com and then I loaded the Lat/Lon to my GPSr for a couple that I did not have loaded. We'll be making a trip out to Washington this summer from Minnesota, and there is no way I am going to take the time to load a bunch in my GPSr that I might not ever get to. So the plan is to just drive until we need a break, or plan to stop anyway, then pick a few off the web site and be on our way. I used to drive OTR, so I know about where we'll start having problems with reception on the phone and will be sure to grab a couple coords before we get to those areas.

[+Chokecherry]

I use the Iphone app to find nearby caches (my way of doing paperless caching). Then I put the phone away and proceed to use a GPSr. Just because you pull up the information on your phone doesn't mean that you have to use the phone to find your cache.

[+KevinWinkler]

I use the Iphone app to find nearby caches (my way of doing paperless caching). Then I put the phone away and proceed to use a GPSr. Just because you pull up the information on your phone doesn't mean that you have to use the phone to find your cache.

 

That's what I was trying to get at. You said it much better. Our own little way of going green

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I use the Iphone app to find nearby caches (my way of doing paperless caching). Then I put the phone away and proceed to use a GPSr. Just because you pull up the information on your phone doesn't mean that you have to use the phone to find your cache.

 

One of the nicest features of the Groundspeak iPhone app is that you can download pocket queries and store them into the "Saved" section. When I was in Europe a week or so ago I had my handheld GPS and my iPhone but turned off data roaming to avoid the expensive data charges. Just prior to leaving I downloaded all the PQs I used for the areas I would be visiting into the "saved" area in the iPhone app. I could then see all the descriptions, hints, etc. for all of the caches in my handheld without incurring any data roaming charges and use my handheld to find the caches. The only problem was that most of the cache descriptions/hints were written in French or Catalan and I didn't have an offline translation app loaded.

[+Chokecherry]

It's a very handy tool for paperless caching but I certainly would not make it my only caching tool. I have been in environments where the phone would easily get destroyed if dropped or set down. I personally would use a more rugged piece of equipment for the actual caching (accuracy aside).

[+Larene]

It's a very handy tool for paperless caching but I certainly would not make it my only caching tool. I have been in environments where the phone would easily get destroyed if dropped or set down. I personally would use a more rugged piece of equipment for the actual caching (accuracy aside).

 

Not to mention the battery drain the app seems to take on my phone!

[+bengt_a]

To expand on what was mentioned. If you signed up for a premium membership (you can sign up for 3 months for $10 to try it out) one of the features you get is called Pocket Queries. PQs (shortened because my typing is horrid) allow you to specify an area that you wish to cover and have GC.com generate a file with all of the coords, hints, 5 logs, description, etc. You can than use the software that came with your GPSr or another (such as GSAK or EasyGPS) to load this into your GPSr.These files can now contain 1000 caches. One feature of PQs is called Caches Along a Route. Using a special Google Map on the site you specify a route you want to take. You can then tell it to generate a file of up to 1000 caches within 6 miles of your route. The PQ feature by itself is worth every penny of the $30-$40 a year cost of a Premium Membership.

 

But, if you have an IPhone and don't plan on doing more than a cache every so often, just learn how to hand enter the coords into your GPSr.

 

I'm going to Estonia next week for a 4 day off-road driving adventure, and wanted to download all caches along the route since using 3G while roaming internationally is horrendously expensive. (Well, it is only 2010...)

 

I got a Premium membership to be able to download the caches easier, but I can't find any functionality to do so on the site. I still only get the .loc files when pressing Download. And the PQ's I can't find at all... :-(

[+Team Cotati]

To expand on what was mentioned. If you signed up for a premium membership (you can sign up for 3 months for $10 to try it out) one of the features you get is called Pocket Queries. PQs (shortened because my typing is horrid) allow you to specify an area that you wish to cover and have GC.com generate a file with all of the coords, hints, 5 logs, description, etc. You can than use the software that came with your GPSr or another (such as GSAK or EasyGPS) to load this into your GPSr.These files can now contain 1000 caches. One feature of PQs is called Caches Along a Route. Using a special Google Map on the site you specify a route you want to take. You can then tell it to generate a file of up to 1000 caches within 6 miles of your route. The PQ feature by itself is worth every penny of the $30-$40 a year cost of a Premium Membership.

 

But, if you have an IPhone and don't plan on doing more than a cache every so often, just learn how to hand enter the coords into your GPSr.

 

I'm going to Estonia next week for a 4 day off-road driving adventure, and wanted to download all caches along the route since using 3G while roaming internationally is horrendously expensive. (Well, it is only 2010...)

 

I got a Premium membership to be able to download the caches easier, but I can't find any functionality to do so on the site. I still only get the .loc files when pressing Download. And the PQ's I can't find at all... :-(

 

Unless that 'off road' road parallels a mapped road road, I don't think that caar is going to be of much use for you.

 

You might have better luck using Geocaching.com Google maps or focusing your PQ's around the towns through which you will pass when not off-road.

[+gr8toutdoors]

To expand on what was mentioned. If you signed up for a premium membership (you can sign up for 3 months for $10 to try it out) one of the features you get is called Pocket Queries. PQs (shortened because my typing is horrid) allow you to specify an area that you wish to cover and have GC.com generate a file with all of the coords, hints, 5 logs, description, etc. You can than use the software that came with your GPSr or another (such as GSAK or EasyGPS) to load this into your GPSr.These files can now contain 1000 caches. One feature of PQs is called Caches Along a Route. Using a special Google Map on the site you specify a route you want to take. You can then tell it to generate a file of up to 1000 caches within 6 miles of your route. The PQ feature by itself is worth every penny of the $30-$40 a year cost of a Premium Membership.

 

But, if you have an IPhone and don't plan on doing more than a cache every so often, just learn how to hand enter the coords into your GPSr.

 

I'm going to Estonia next week for a 4 day off-road driving adventure, and wanted to download all caches along the route since using 3G while roaming internationally is horrendously expensive. (Well, it is only 2010...)

 

I got a Premium membership to be able to download the caches easier, but I can't find any functionality to do so on the site. I still only get the .loc files when pressing Download. And the PQ's I can't find at all... :-(

 

I am having the same problems Need to get it figured out or I will have to cancel my PM, cache a route was my main reason for paying for one as we travel at least 8-10 times a year on +1500 km trips and +20 on smaller trips

[+jeffbouldin]

Click on your name at the top right corner. On Your Profile page look down the right side to Premium Features. In that box is Build Pocket Queries. Play around with it a bit before you need one.

[+Markwell]

I believe it's limited to 500 miles so you might have to run several queries for your trip.

1000

[+WhoDis]

To expand on what was mentioned. If you signed up for a premium membership (you can sign up for 3 months for $10 to try it out) one of the features you get is called Pocket Queries. PQs (shortened because my typing is horrid) allow you to specify an area that you wish to cover and have GC.com generate a file with all of the coords, hints, 5 logs, description, etc. You can than use the software that came with your GPSr or another (such as GSAK or EasyGPS) to load this into your GPSr.These files can now contain 1000 caches. One feature of PQs is called Caches Along a Route. Using a special Google Map on the site you specify a route you want to take. You can then tell it to generate a file of up to 1000 caches within 6 miles of your route. The PQ feature by itself is worth every penny of the $30-$40 a year cost of a Premium Membership.

 

But, if you have an IPhone and don't plan on doing more than a cache every so often, just learn how to hand enter the coords into your GPSr.

 

I'm going to Estonia next week for a 4 day off-road driving adventure, and wanted to download all caches along the route since using 3G while roaming internationally is horrendously expensive. (Well, it is only 2010...)

 

I got a Premium membership to be able to download the caches easier, but I can't find any functionality to do so on the site. I still only get the .loc files when pressing Download. And the PQ's I can't find at all... :-(

 

I am having the same problems Need to get it figured out or I will have to cancel my PM, cache a route was my main reason for paying for one as we travel at least 8-10 times a year on +1500 km trips and +20 on smaller trips

Here's the link to the PQ page.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/default.aspx

 

There is a link on that page for instructions on creating your first PQ. On the right hand side of the PQ page is the Find caches along a route button. You input your destination and it will create a route, if that's not the route you plan to take, you can click and drag the route it made, to the route you plan to take.

Once you make the PQ, if it's 500 or less caches, it will email it to you. If it's over 500, you will have to go to the PQ page and click the PQs ready to download tab and download it from there. Just click the one you want and a box will come up to save the file.

[+DN_Chip]

I believe it's limited to 500 miles so you might have to run several queries for your trip.

1000

 

I know queries have been expanded to 1000, but I still get a limit of 500 miles for a route query.

[+journey4truth]

Here's how I'm doing it, since this is becoming a standard routine for me while I travel.

 

When I first got started I used the Garmin nuvi 500, which can store pocket queries in GPX format, including those generated from the "caches along a route" option on your account page at Groundspeak.

 

I found it very useful on the Garmin, because it provided a visual indicator of when there was a cache nearby while driving towards my destination. I was able to stop and log about 12 caches from Connecticut to Rhode Island to Boston, Massachusetts this way. Great fun, but you have to limit yourself, or you'll never get to your destination.

 

Now I use a GPS powered iPod, so I've lost the convenience of seamlessly merging geocaching data with my road navigation (I use Navigon now). As an alternative though, I use Geosphere and download pocket queries for "caches along a route" I created into that instead. Once I do that, there's a map overview I can tap to that will show my current location while I'm driving, and all the caches nearby. If I find I'm familiar enough with an area that I don't need to use Navigon for road navigation, I can switch over to Geosphere and keep an eye out for any geocaches that start popping up on the radar based on the pocket queries I generated.

 

The easiest way I think though is to decide beforehand what caches you want to visit, then set waypoints for each of these caches when mapping your course in your GPS, that way it simplifies the work needed to track down nearby caches while you're traveling. Once you arrive at a waypoint you can just pull up the cache info on whatever device you're using to hunt for geocaches.

 

Based on my experiences, I would say you could reasonably do about 10+ low difficulty/low terrain caches within a 250 mile journey, while still getting to your destination in a reasonable amount of time. Make sure the caches are close enough to the road you're traveling on though. Even a half a mile was too much of a detour for me, and it was much easier for me to simply pull off the side of the road and spend a few minutes stretching my legs, then cache hunt to log another find. So when you generate a pocket query, I'd recommend keeping the search parameters as close to the actual route you'll be driving on as possible. Once a PQ is generated, you may decide to simply handpick a few caches from that query and save them individually. Experiment and see what works best for you.

 

You would think caches along major highways would be boring, but last time I did this I found a cache at a museum, an old cemetery, by a nearby creek, under a massive boulder near a watch tower, and of course, at a Dunkin' Donuts. Fun times. I can't wait to do it again this Friday! (Will be traveling to upstate NY then).

 

Hope this helps!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

It's a very handy tool for paperless caching but I certainly would not make it my only caching tool. I have been in environments where the phone would easily get destroyed if dropped or set down. I personally would use a more rugged piece of equipment for the actual caching (accuracy aside).

 

I couldn't tell if you were responding to my message specifically (it was the one immediately preceeding this one) but I wrote "I had my handheld GPS and my iPhone".

 

I am very cognizant of the potential damage my phone might suffer when in a harsh environment but I"m not going to leave it home or in my vehicle unless things get pretty bad. When actively caching I'm either carrying my handheld GPS in my hand or on a lanyard that is around my neck. My iPhone stays stowed away inside a pocket and I'll only bring it out if I'm stopped someplace and in a spot where it's not subjected to the environment. I'm not going to be hopping rocks across a stream with my iPhone in my hand but would be fine doing it while carrying my handheld. The model that I have is not only quite water resistant but it all alledgedly floats.

[+hukilaulau]

1) geomate jr.

2) laptop computer. Many interstate rest areas have wifi now. You can search for caches up the road for the next several hours. I know I'm old-fashioned, but I still like to read cache pages and pick out only ones I think I might like. I've got over 2300 finds in around 26 states, almost all by driving, and I've NEVER done a blind PQ.

All my PQ's are from bookmark lists with hand-picked caches. I did recently get a geomate jr. though. I use it mostly for random rest stop caches. It works great for that!

[+humboldt flier]

All good responses, I carry a Geomate Jr. and it is stellar when outside PQ ranges and or outside of cell service. In addition a carry dedicated GPS'r units. Very tough to beat the triple combination. P.Q.'s, iPhone with the Groundspeak App and the ever trustworthy Geomate Jr. Laptop and a WiFi connection makes for happy times as a road warrior.

[+WhoDis]

It's a very handy tool for paperless caching but I certainly would not make it my only caching tool. I have been in environments where the phone would easily get destroyed if dropped or set down. I personally would use a more rugged piece of equipment for the actual caching (accuracy aside).

 

I couldn't tell if you were responding to my message specifically (it was the one immediately preceeding this one) but I wrote "I had my handheld GPS and my iPhone".

 

I am very cognizant of the potential damage my phone might suffer when in a harsh environment but I"m not going to leave it home or in my vehicle unless things get pretty bad. When actively caching I'm either carrying my handheld GPS in my hand or on a lanyard that is around my neck. My iPhone stays stowed away inside a pocket and I'll only bring it out if I'm stopped someplace and in a spot where it's not subjected to the environment. I'm not going to be hopping rocks across a stream with my iPhone in my hand but would be fine doing it while carrying my handheld. The model that I have is not only quite water resistant but it all alledgedly floats.

Have you seen the Otterbox Defender cases? They are the best! I have one and dropped my phone off the top off a 8 foot ladder at work onto the concrete floor. I thought for sure it was done, but it didn't hurt it at all. Another guy and works drops his on the floor all the time to show people how good it is, I'm not that brave though. It's definitely a must have if your going to be using it in this hobby. It's cheaper to get them off ebay than through the store.

[+scrapes]

The Route PQs are great I'm building my base from NJ to Ark, KY, Mo and back home. I limit the caches to traditional, 2 miles off the route, and I save it to its own data base in GSAK.

 

Its cool to export it to Mapsource to see all the little treasure chests along my intended route.

 

I recently did this for a trip to Md and it worked great.

[+USMCGecko]

Thank you, I recently updated my membership and am going to begin planning my route now.

[+Grem110]

Okay...Apparently the PQs work well for everyone but not for me. My family is also going on a road trip and doing some caching along the way. I really just want caches that are just a pull off on the highway. So do I make the radius of my search tiny or what? Thanks, Grem110.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Okay...Apparently the PQs work well for everyone but not for me. My family is also going on a road trip and doing some caching along the way. I really just want caches that are just a pull off on the highway. So do I make the radius of my search tiny or what? Thanks, Grem110.

Yes, you can cut the "side" distance I think to .1 mile, best though IMO to set it at .2+ miles.

 

EDIT: Just checked, it seems to be .06 mile.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+Bitka]

I'm brand new. I haven't bought a GPS yet. I saw geocaching on a TV show and thought it looked cool. I would like to share this with my daughter at home and in travels. We are going to Spain, France and Italy in two weeks and am hoping for advise on a GPS to buy (w/o breaking the bank) any advice. Thanks!

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I'm brand new. I haven't bought a GPS yet. I saw geocaching on a TV show and thought it looked cool. I would like to share this with my daughter at home and in travels. We are going to Spain, France and Italy in two weeks and am hoping for advise on a GPS to buy (w/o breaking the bank) any advice. Thanks!

Whose bank? They run the gamut from about $100 (less used) to about $450+.

 

Check this link, pay attention to Garmin, Delorme, Magellan mostly: GPS REVIEWS

 

Some are plain (will get you there) others have lots of bells & whistles.

 

You'll get good answers here, just need to be a little more specific.

[+Bitka]

I'm brand new. I haven't bought a GPS yet. I saw geocaching on a TV show and thought it looked cool. I would like to share this with my daughter at home and in travels. We are going to Spain, France and Italy in two weeks and am hoping for advise on a GPS to buy (w/o breaking the bank) any advice. Thanks!

Whose bank? They run the gamut from about $100 (less used) to about $450+.

 

Check this link, pay attention to Garmin, Delorme, Magellan mostly: GPS REVIEWS

 

Some are plain (will get you there) others have lots of bells & whistles.

 

You'll get good answers here, just need to be a little more specific.

 

I was looking at the reviews - $150 is comfortable. Can I use any system in Europe? I see that they come with base maps for US. I don't really need maps of Europe if I can just enter location. I am traveling by Train so I don't need Europe maps - it would just be for fun geocaching by foot/bike in major cities. I'm also considering going with a basic model if I can use it globally and then buy a nicer model after the trip.

 

For example, if I get the Garmin eTrex Venture HC (~$135) can I use long/lat to Geocache in Europe?

I'm sorry if my questions are too basic. I'm going to actually learn a lot. Thanks for any help!

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

The Venture HC sounds like a very good choice for your budget. It is a well-liked unit through the geocaching community with a higher sensitivity antenna.

 

It will work fine in Europe (it is available there, too), it will work anywhere in the world. You can hand-enter coordinates into it and (I believe) it is directly down-loadable from the website.

 

Your questions are just fine. The coords used by geocaching.com are usable world-wide also, though other countries may use different formats, those on geocaching.com are the ones you want to use anyway.

 

Enjoy!

[+Bitka]

The Venture HC sounds like a very good choice for your budget. It is a well-liked unit through the geocaching community with a higher sensitivity antenna.

 

It will work fine in Europe (it is available there, too), it will work anywhere in the world. You can hand-enter coordinates into it and (I believe) it is directly down-loadable from the website.

 

Your questions are just fine. The coords used by geocaching.com are usable world-wide also, though other countries may use different formats, those on geocaching.com are the ones you want to use anyway.

 

Enjoy!

 

Thanks for your help. I'm kind of excited about a new hobby that incorporates adventure, outdoors and learning new skills.

[+DragonflyTotem]

It's a very handy tool for paperless caching but I certainly would not make it my only caching tool. I have been in environments where the phone would easily get destroyed if dropped or set down. I personally would use a more rugged piece of equipment for the actual caching (accuracy aside).

 

I always have my iPhone to use as others above have described, and then my 60CSx. But I keep my iPhone in a Speck hard/candy shell and have a screen protector to keep it from getting banged up.