The best way for me?

[+whobdah]

I've been reevaluating the way I do things in my life. The way I do things at work (teach art). The way I do things at home. (chores). I'm looking for better ways to do things. The only way to find out if I'm geocaching "the right way" or "the best way" is to ask other cachers. One would argue, "there is no right way" or "if it's not broke,then don't fix it". I don't want to fix it, I just want to do it better. I have a Garmin Nuvi 260w and an etrex venture HC. I don't want to buy any new equipment. I want to be paperless. Here is what I do, take and look and see if I could do it "better".

 

I make a pocket query of about 490 caches in about a 200 mile radius. I'm never sure what direction I'm going so I like the options, even though I usually only get one or two caches at a time. I download the query to my computer and use GSAK. First I delete all the waypoints in GSAK and then open the new query to make sure I get the latest logs and info. I then use POILoader to delete all my POIs, then use the new info from GSAK to transfer it to the nuvi.

 

I then delete all the waypoints/caches on the Venture. I use GSAK to load all those new waypoints, the same as the nuvi, to the venture. The venture is an OK GPS, but it's not very accurate especially in tree cover. I rely heavily on hints and previous logs.

 

What do you think?

 

Thanks,

Rick

[+jon.hemlock.Chantal]

I would not know about doing it the "right way" or the "wrong way", but you certainly doing it the serious way

 

We just like to have fun with it.

[+simpjkee]

I got the same GPS and do everything exactly how you do it except instead of the Nuvi, I use an iPod Classic. There's a GSAK macro that will load all the descriptions on to the iPod under the notes section.

 

I always run my queries for like 490 caches too even though I know I'm only gonna get like .02% of that total before I'm gunna run a new query. 490 always seems way excessive, but you never know where you'll end up amirite.

[+ace862]

Are you having fun? If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong.

[jholly]

The only issue I see is your not accumulating logs in GSAK. This may or may not be important to you. Of course if you don't delete all the waypoints in GSAK then your going to need to deal with archived caches.

[jholly]

The only issue I see is your not accumulating logs in GSAK. This may or may not be important to you. Of course if you don't delete all the waypoints in GSAK then your going to need to deal with archived caches.

[+BCandMsKitty]

I do it just like you, but I use an old Palm Pilot and cachemate via gsak, rather than my nuvi. I have done it once in a while with the nuvi exactly like you are, but the Palm is easier to use in the field (to me), and a lot cheaper if I drop it.... I use a Garmin 60 csx. I also load the same PQ into my wife's Magellan Explorist 500.

 

essentially we do it exactly like you are, and it seems to me the best way if you don't have one of the newer units that will hold the cache page data.

 

The difference is I very seldom do a large PQ like you do, and just set up the area we are going to be caching in. Consequently, I'll open a new database in gsak for the days caches and name it something relevant. Of course, this means I have to remove useless databases from time to time.

Edited January 17, 2011 by BC & MsKitty

[+CrazySanMan]

Are you having fun? If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong.

 

Perfect advice...

[+ventura_kids]

You are wasting lots of time.

 

Stop RE-downloading everything, and just use the first download.

Searching for archived caches help to build character.

[+briansnat]

Your Venture HC should be very accurate and should not be affected much by tree cover since it has the high sensitivity receiver. Maybe you should contact Garmin, especially if it is still under warranty.