Printing Maps

[+DaxVolks]

Is anyone having trouble with the second map on the cache page becoming huge when printing the cache page? Have not changed anything with my browser, OS, printer. That second map will print in normal size on the second page, then print again in a huge format on the third page, blocking out the first one or two log entries.

[mtbikernate]

people still print cache pages? Do yourself a favor...save your ink and paper by not printing the maps.

 

I thought you were going to have a question about printing USGS quads or something similar.

[+sshipway]

Not everyone has an iphone or similar. I too have to print the pages, though normally I cut-and-paste the relevant text out into a separate file so I can fit several onto a single page, and print the map once. It never comes out quite how I want but its better than nothing!

[GOF and Bacall]

Get a cheap PDA off ebay. You'll pay for it in saved ink. Trust me, once you do you'll wonder why the heck you waited so long.

[+edscott]

I typically take a screen shot of the part of the map I need to find the cache, paste it into a word document and resize it to the scale I want.. usually 1:5000. (50 meters/centimeter) I can then put 8 caches to a page.

[+Chokecherry]

Usually I print just the cache page information (when I'm out with others). For caching in a city I'm not familiar with I then print a few maps of the city and put little numbers where the caches I want to find are generally located. For rural caching I don't do maps at all. If I'm not doing many caches I'll just hand write directions on a sticky note if it's not too complicated.

 

I have an Iphone but once out in the woods the reception is hit and miss. Rather rely on the old fashioned way.

[+CaveMountainBrewers]

Don't know if this helps, but from the cache map I get to the proper zoom level, hit "print screen" on the keyboard (which copies the whole screen to the clipboard), paste it in MS Paint program (free with windows), trim it to how I want it, save it as a JPEG, and print the JPEG. It takes only a minute or so. I cache with my motorcycle and attach a map to my gas tank, it's otherwise tough to stop on the bike every few miles to look at the GPS.

[+Mockingbird559]

Having the same problem.

 

Paperless is great for me as a cacher but...

 

I periodically print cache pages and logs to give to non-cachers, and especially friends who have graciously given permission to do a hide on their property. They like reading the logs, and usually hang the printout in their break room so the staff can know about it. Plus it keeps the cache somewhere the front of their minds so they don't forget about it.

[+CaveMountainBrewers]

Since I don't yet have a rechargable battery system for my GPSr, printing a map saves my battery life and even gas in my vehicle since I do less stopping to read the GPSr when in an unfamiliar area. Paper caching can still be helpful in some ways.

[+Chief301]

 

I have an Iphone but once out in the woods the reception is hit and miss. Rather rely on the old fashioned way.

 

Are you using the Groundspeak Geocaching app on the iPhone? If so you can "Save to Favorites" the caches you plan to hunt while you're in an area that has service. Then even if you have no service in the field you still have access to the info (since you're working off printouts I assume you have a separate handheld GPSr)

[mtbikernate]

Get a cheap PDA off ebay. You'll pay for it in saved ink. Trust me, once you do you'll wonder why the heck you waited so long.

 

This was how I first went paperless a few years ago. $20 PDA really was priceless.

 

For maps, you'd often do better plotting them on a paper map of the particular place, like, for example, a Delorme atlas or USGS topo (look up the USTopo program on the nationalmap.gov website) than printing maps from the cache page if you really must have a hard copy.

[+Chokecherry]

 

I have an Iphone but once out in the woods the reception is hit and miss. Rather rely on the old fashioned way.

 

Are you using the Groundspeak Geocaching app on the iPhone? If so you can "Save to Favorites" the caches you plan to hunt while you're in an area that has service. Then even if you have no service in the field you still have access to the info (since you're working off printouts I assume you have a separate handheld GPSr)

 

I've tried that method but driving and manipulating the GPS and the Iphone becomes extremely problematic for me. I can eyeball a map and visualize what I'm about to do better. It's just how I prefer to go with this. Also the app sucks the life out of an iphone battery for a whole day of caching this just doesn't work at all for me.

[+DaxVolks]

Thanks, everyone for your suggestions. Just to clarify...we've been caching paperless since 2004, compliments of the Garmin iQue. We do print just the map if we feel the need to take that along on the hunt. But, as someone else said above, it's nice to just print a complete cache page now and again...for whatever reason. Several of my local friends are having the same issue of the second map overwriting the first several lines of the logs. It seems like a website issue rather than a local printer/browser issue. Thanks again for all your feedback.