Caching Supplies

[+Woodduckdawg]

I still consider myself new to the game, and I'm sure this topic has been asked before. But what other supplies or items do you normally take on a cache run? With micros and nanos, I've learned that having tweezers would certainly help . . .and a pen of course. But what else do experts carry when geocaching?

[+mpilchfamily]

Here is what i generally carry. Most of this stuff you don't need for city caches. But i like to do most of my caches along Nature trails. I like to hike a couple of miles when caching.

 

Leather gloves- Many caches are in or under hollow logs. You never know what might be in there with the cache.

 

Flashlight- to see into those dark holes

 

2 30 gal trash bags- For CITO opportunities, they also double as emergency rain cover

 

4 freezer bags- In case a cache is in need of a new bag

 

note pad- Helpful with doing Multis or if a cache log is full and there is room in the container for an added sheet to the log.

 

Bottle of water- no explanation there

 

50+ft paracord- Never know when you may need a bit of rope

 

Pen- another no brainer

 

hand sanitizer pen- Works as a great disinfectant for any cuts and scrapes you may get

 

Swag items (small toys)- duh

 

4+ cereal bars- A good hike needs some good trail food

 

3 or 4 film cans- Replacement containers if a cache is in bad shape. Not the best but will work till a CO can get out and do some maintenance.

 

Folding saw- Been several occasions on the trail i find trees and limbs over the path. Just doing my part to help maintain the path. It also came in handy once retreving a cache that fell into an 8 foot tall hollow stump.

 

large camping knife- Never know when a good knife can come in handy

 

3 sets of spare batteries- Batteries are always going dead on a GPSr

 

Compass- My GPSr don't have electronic compass' so a magnetic compass comes in handy at times.

 

First Aid Kit- for obvious reasons.

Edited August 17, 2011 by mpilchfamily

[+Team Empty Planet]

- Water

- Note Pad

- Pens

- First Aid Kit + EpiPen (I'm allergic to bees)

- Extra batteries for GPSr

- Bags for CITO

- Gloves (Nitrile for CITO and a leather pair for rooting around for caches)

- Swag items

- Bug spray & sunblock

- Flashlight

 

I still need to get a folding saw and a new camp knife. Right now all I have is a Leatherman tool.

[niraD]

The only things I always have with me when I'm geocaching are my Android phone (with Groundspeak's Geocaching app), pens (Sharpie ultra-fine marker and Fisher Space Pen), my personal signature tokens, and a few small things to trade for others' personal sig items. Everything else depends on where I'm going.

 

This may help:

http://cacheopedia.com/wiki/Things_to_bring_in_the_woods

[+Woodduckdawg]

For time reasons, most of my finds would be considered urban in nature. Would have to plan a day to hit the nature caches. I've noticed that hand sanitizer would be great to have regardless the location of the cache.

[+33Forward]

I do a combo of "urban" (when you are considering upstate NY, urban as a term is used loosely) and hikes.

 

3-4 Pens. I have a sharpie, 2 gels, and a BP.

Swag items (kids toys mostly)

Geocaching cards, just in case I find someone interested in the idea.

Benedryl spray. (never know what you might encounter)

Bug spray. Especially this time of year!

Cap mounted 40 lumens light

Waterproof rugged flashlight. Small, but puts out 220 lumens high, 50 low, blinks an SOS signal, and will strobe. Coolest flashlight Ive ever seen. Got at a hunting/sporting goods store. Also magnetized on the bottom to stick to things. Adjustable from flood to spot.

Folding multi-tool.

Bottle with some hydration in it, has a spring lock clip to hang off the belt. Same with car keys. (Don't want those falling off!) For longer days, a cooler with more drinks.

 

If I need it, I also pack items for harder hikes, climbing, longer trails, etc.

Have a full trekking pack, 2 clamp-lock trek poles, backpack with water bladder and several compartments. Bug spray (ie, Raid, for bees/wasps/etc I might stumble on the hard way). First aid kit, and several other cache replacement items (log sheets, bags) as well as garbage bags.

 

I base everything out of my main pack. Then decide how much of it I need, so I have spring lock clips on a lot of things to just grab.

 

My main trekking pole goes everywhere. Useful to poke in possible hiding spots too, to make sure there isn't anything living there, testing ground ahead of me, bending small branches out of the way, among other things. Plus I have a sciatic nerve problem in my left leg, so I almost always take it, just in case the nerve pinches and I need something to lean on. Has 3 different tips, including a carbide tip to grab rocks and dig into some surfaces. Its exact counterpart tethers to the trekking pack if I need it.

Basically, everything is stored in my car, either in the trunk or in the hiking pack. They always stay there. I take what I need out, depending on where I am and what I expect from the current goal.