New Geocacher with GPS (and a stealth) questions

[cyyz]

I am a new geocacher and am wondering what handheld GPS unit to buy . I am on a very low budget and a barebone design works for me. What GPS should I get. Also how stealthy should I be when finding or planting a geocache? t=Thanks!

[+NatureGuy360]

Welcome to geocaching!

 

You may find some helpful information on choosing a GPS unit here.

Edited June 7, 2010 by heyjonathan101

[+AuntieWeasel]

As for stealth...you need to be as stealthy as you need to be.

 

If you're way out in the woods and there's not another soul around for a mile, you don't need to be the slightest bit stealthy.

 

If you're at the intersection of Main and Elm at rush hour feeling up a wrought-iron fence for a film can...pretty stealthy.

 

Being Last To Find is a pretty wretched feeling.

[BCProspectors]

Be careful with the stealth though. Sometimes trying to be stealthy will actually attract more unwanted attention.

[+The Blorenges]

Having a small child and/or a dog with you can help. You can get away with doing all sorts of odd things if you have either/both.

 

MrsB

[+d+n.s]

Yep. Last night I was searching low in a public place by sitting down with my wife and dog to give hime water while I dug around with the other hand.

[+StarBrand]

For a GPS - I would not buy less than the Garmin Venture HC. Color screen, some map memory, geocaching mode, long battery life, high sensitivity, rugged and USB transfers. Most lesser units require an older style serial port or an adapter. About $120 online.

 

As for stealth - forget abut it. Be bold. Act as if it is your job to go caching. A job you are proud to do. Act as if you are doing nothing at all wrong (mostly because you aren't). Be proud and boldly walk up to the cache area and find it. Sign the log and put it back before moving on. Be filled with confidence. Such people tend to blend in - although a clipboard and hard hat help the effect.

[cyyz]

Having a small child and/or a dog with you can help. You can get away with doing all sorts of odd things if you have either/both.

 

MrsB

 

Great idea!! Thanks! But any GPS tips?

[+The Blorenges]

Having a small child and/or a dog with you can help. You can get away with doing all sorts of odd things if you have either/both.

 

MrsB

 

Great idea!! Thanks! But any GPS tips?

 

Oh heck... you're asking me to be technical... *shuffles feet a bit*... MrB usually answers all the techy stuff...

but I know a lot of cachers start of with a "little yellow Garmin"... but Starbrand will know better than me... see what some others say, OK?

 

MrsB

[+WhoDis]

Garmin Venture HC is a great low budget starter unit. I started with it and it was great. Don't have any of the bells and whistles, but still a good unit.

[+Stripes]

I use the Garmin Venture HC and like it.

 

As far as stealth, I am a lot like StarBrand though many times I do have my camera handy. Geocaching can take you to some great places. Taking pictures of those places as well as placement of the cache helps me to remember where I have been and how some caches are hidden.

[+Bear and Ragged]

The yellow Garmin is a nice unit... I found my first 300 caches with one.

 

BUT.

It's a serial connection. If your computer doesn't have that style connector, you have to spend more £/$ (Around £20 or more in the UK) on getting the adaptor.

 

I'd go with the suggestion of the Venture.

[+Stripes]

The Venture HC is a mini usb to regular usb cable. This unit is also a yellow one.

[+Twitch Hugs Trees]

Buying an older used GPS might be a good way to start out. My GPS that I use is an old Magellan Explorist 200 (got it for free from an engineer at work who didn't want it). I have to enter everything manually, it doesn't have "maps" or a "geocaching mode" or even colour--- besides the orange backlight-- but it's usually accurate within 15 feet and it is super easy to use.

 

Although, I do think that the GPS you should use should be relative to the environment in which you cache. I cache in a large suburban city, so no woods to get lost in, etc. Perhaps if you're out in the country, or traveling, a more sophisticated unit would be more beneficial.

 

A nice feature of the Groundspeak website is the GPS review section, conveniently located Here. There's also several threads within the GPS and Technology section that may be more helpful.

 

As far as stealth goes, it is relative to the situation. If you are all alone but want to pretend you're a spy, then by all means act stealthy. If you're in public and only a few people are around, just go about your business and people will generally ignore you. Honesty is usually the best policy, and is the ONLY policy if you're stopped by a LEO. People may not understand what geocaching is, but if you tell them its a game kind of like a scavenger hunt, they tend to get bored and move on. Conversely, some may be more interested: you've just introduced another geocacher to the sport!

 

Happy hunting and welcome to the sport!

[+GeePa]

There are often people selling used units on Craigs List. Might be able to get a good deal on a unit that way.

[FaithCacher]

I bought the Garmin eTrex H, and I have to admit that my 13-year old son can operate it better than I can. LOL It's okay if you're just starting out and don't have alot of money to spend, but I'll probably buy something else soon, and let my son have this one.

[+JL_HSTRE]

Do plenty of finding and make sure you're going to stick with the hobby for awhile before you place any caches of your own.

 

Be stealthy in urban areas, but try to be discreetly stealthy. It's good if someone can't tell what you're doing but if you seem suspicious it causes other problems. When in doubt, come back to the cache another time when there aren't so many people around.