Geocaching without co-ordinates

[+Legochugglers]

We did our first 4 or 5 caches without any GPS, co-ords or anything, just going from google maps. Anybody out there still doing this. I recall a cacher getting up to 200 in our area purely through looking at google maps.

[+drsolly]

We did our first 4 or 5 caches without any GPS, co-ords or anything, just going from google maps. Anybody out there still doing this. I recall a cacher getting up to 200 in our area purely through looking at google maps.

 

There's a cacher in Essex has found 1000 without using a GPS.

 

Personally, I wouldn't be able to find my boots without help.

[The Hearse]

We have tried this ourselves as an experiment and it is not easy or, in our opinion, much fun. Deciding on a location to look is fairly straightforward but not knowing the size of cache or any information whatsoever other than there is only one in the immediate area, leads to a lot of fruitless hunting. Nevertheless, that could be us. Often we are surprised at where a setter has positioned a cache from the options available but if to others the locations are just where they would have set them, the problem would not arise.

[+nevryan]

I found my firdst 50 with OS map and compass plus cache description and clue, then a friend gave me a GPS. My sister Gillywig has found 2079 without a GPS and must be an expert at counting paces by now.

[+PeakFault]

I quite fancy giving this a go on a cache in an area that I'm not familiar with. Sounds extra challenging!

[elfre]

As of this afternoon, I've found 192 caches, including multis and puzzles, without a gps or smartphone or google maps. I've also found caches without much more info than the title. Of course, before a friend introduced me to geocaching I'd also found two caches by accident, hee!

[+chillypenguin]

I did three today this way. I justed used notes (including the hint and researching the log and gallery images) from here, and pre printed google maps.

[+Palujia]

Any one with an OS map, and a silva compass can find caches ! Remember orienteering ? We used to do this when young(er) and fitter - I've often thought that using a GPS would be cheating (but much easier) for it !!!

[+*mouse*]

I found my first cache this way and if I'm after a FTF and I don't have my gps with me I sometimes still go by map and clue alone.

Prefer to use my GPS though, as I personally feel that is what the game is supposed to be about. If I didn't want to use my GPS I'd take up letterboxing.....

[+mcwomble]

We did our first 4 or 5 caches without any GPS, co-ords or anything, just going from google maps. Anybody out there still doing this. I recall a cacher getting up to 200 in our area purely through looking at google maps.

 

There's a cacher in Essex has found 1000 without using a GPS.

 

Personally, I wouldn't be able to find my boots without help.

 

They're up to 2000+ now. They do it all by OS maps, dead reckoning and Grahame's outstanding mental maths translating 1000ths of minutes of longitude and latitude into paces.

[Blue Square Thing]

I very rarely use a GPS - good mapwork, street view if necessary, and following whatever trail of vegetation has been trampled usually gets me there more or less. I'm not planning on getting one, although might occasionally use a phone I can borrow as the kids quite like that.

[+Happy Humphrey]

They're up to 2000+ now. They do it all by OS maps, dead reckoning and Grahame's outstanding mental maths translating 1000ths of minutes of longitude and latitude into paces.

I wouldn't fancy trying, as it sounds a bit slow and tedious (and rather pointless if you already have a GPSr anyway); I get enough DNF's without making it more difficult.

But the method of pacing out lat and long is a bit puzzling. You must need to know a fixed point and its position to pace from; unless you start from a trig point, how do you know where to pace from? If you know the position of a fixed point, why don't you know the position of the cache?

[+nevryan]

I still hunt for a few of the more remote caches by map and compass. The basic method is mark on an OS map where the cache is then to get to a nearby identifiable point on map/ground (bend in path, stream crosses path, path enters woods Etc) and read off distance and bearing from that point to the cache. You then count paces or measure timings (Naismiths rule) to work out when you are there. I used this to find my first 50 caches quite successfully although did not find offsets and multi's so easy. I still practise the technique as it is useful to be able to navigate by map and compass when I go hiking in the mountains. For offsets, multi's Etc you need to convert from degrees of Lat/Lon into distance which can be approximated but a conversion factor will only work accurately over a small area if you moved miles away you would need a revised conversion factor (I think so anyway). Maybe Gillywig and Grahame will be along to explain it all better that I can?

[+Smart Mart +2]

We've done coming up to a hundred caches now just working on notes, reading the clues and the logs and occasionally looking at the gallery pics.

 

My phone isn't compatible with GPS (it's a Blackberry) and although a friend gave me a Garmin recently, I need someone to show me how to work it really before I'd trust myself to go out paperless.

[+drdick&vick]

We've done coming up to a hundred caches now just working on notes, reading the clues and the logs and occasionally looking at the gallery pics.

 

My phone isn't compatible with GPS (it's a Blackberry) and although a friend gave me a Garmin recently, I need someone to show me how to work it really before I'd trust myself to go out paperless.

 

If your Blackberry phone has Bluetooth it should be able to work ok with ONE OF THESE any phone that has the ability to use any of the prgrams/apps for geocaching and has Bluetooth should be able to use one of these for Geocaching.

[SNAKEBITER]

I would think it all depends on how confident you are, where the cache is and how much time you have.

 

From my point of view I like to cache 'n' dash as time is always against me.

[+Smart Mart +2]

We've done coming up to a hundred caches now just working on notes, reading the clues and the logs and occasionally looking at the gallery pics.

 

My phone isn't compatible with GPS (it's a Blackberry) and although a friend gave me a Garmin recently, I need someone to show me how to work it really before I'd trust myself to go out paperless.

 

If your Blackberry phone has Bluetooth it should be able to work ok with ONE OF THESE any phone that has the ability to use any of the prgrams/apps for geocaching and has Bluetooth should be able to use one of these for Geocaching.

 

Really? Cheers for that, its much appreciated. I hadn't realised, and am very ignorant about what will and won't work, and being on a budget, have to be careful not to buy anything useless.

[+MartyBartfast]

My phone isn't compatible with GPS (it's a Blackberry) a

 

Forgive me if you already know this but most Blackeberry's have an inbuilt GPS, are you sure yours doesn't ?

[+Smart Mart +2]

My phone isn't compatible with GPS (it's a Blackberry) a

 

Forgive me if you already know this but most Blackeberry's have an inbuilt GPS, are you sure yours doesn't ?

 

Thanks for the message. It's an 8520 so definitely no GPS with it.

 

A friend gave me a Garmin Oregon 450 recently but no leads or anything with it so I really need to sort that out to be honest and get it working!! Any good basic guides about?

[+drdick&vick]

Look HERE for a manual and any USB to Mini USB lead will do the job.

[+Pharisee]

My phone isn't compatible with GPS (it's a Blackberry) a

 

Forgive me if you already know this but most Blackeberry's have an inbuilt GPS, are you sure yours doesn't ?

 

Thanks for the message. It's an 8520 so definitely no GPS with it.

 

A friend gave me a Garmin Oregon 450 recently but no leads or anything with it so I really need to sort that out to be honest and get it working!! Any good basic guides about?

 

How about HERE

[+*mouse*]

If you like pop along to the next event close to you and I'm sure someone will be able to talk you through how it works. Posting a note on the event cache page will make locals aware you need a hand.

 

I think you're in our area (judging from the phone box thread) and we're a friendly bunch round here (most of the time )

Edited September 28, 2011 by *mouse*

[+Smart Mart +2]

Thanks everyone, you're all stars!!

 

Obvious solution is to get a USB cable for the Garmin but would be good to meet with others. The boys and I haven't met any other cachers (not to our knowledge anyway)....

[+drdick&vick]

If you like pop along to the next event close to you and I'm sure someone will be able to talk you through how it works. Posting a note on the event cache page will make locals aware you need a hand.

 

I think you're in our area (judging from the phone box thread) and we're a friendly bunch round here (most of the time )

Providing they have been fed before you meet

[+ivanidea]

Obvious solution is to get a USB cable for the Garmin.

 

Check any cables you might have, since many cameras and phones use a mini usb cable (the BB's I have supported in the past have their own version which will not fit). I have even purchased memory card readers which come with a compatible mini usb cable.

[+The QCs]

I did my first 1000 caches without realising you could input co-ords into the GPS ! I had a basic e-trex and just thought you followed the numbers of the co-ords counting up and down! I got lost a fair bit and drive bys were non existent as I couldn't watch the numbers and drive...I didn't have maps either on the GPS! I became an expert in reading co-ords, even my 5 year old could naviage by knowing the numbers went up/down to get to caches.

Finally at cache #998, I got shown how to input co-ords and wow, lo and behold, an arrow to follow! Life was even better for 50 cahces and then the unit broke, so I upgraded and haven't looked back!

However, I have just discovered 'field notes' which have made life so much easier for logging...that took more than a 1000 finds to discover that little feature!

[+TurnerTribe]

I had my first experience of caching without a Gps on Thursday....I dropped and smashed the screen on my Oregon 450T half way round a series.

Luckily the LCD still worked and showed me the caches on the map, but without co-ords, clue or description....

To top it off, there was no phone signal, so the normally brilliant HTC Incredible S...wasn't

Fortunately we were already in the mindset of the setter and managed to find all the rest to the finish, but it made me really admire those who do cache without a gps!

Edited October 1, 2011 by TurnerTribe

[+MCG1975]

I've managed to find at least two caches without GPS (usually as my little GPS bluetooth widget wouldn't get a signal and I noticed the cache before it did)! Mostly it's been a result of using the maps, images, clues and a bit of luck.

 

Mind you, I've managed NOT to find several caches WITH my GPS working, so I guess some you win, some you just can't dadgum well find!!!

Edited October 26, 2011 by MCG1975

[+jcoquillon]

I have been reliant on Google Maps/Satellite views on my phone as the GPS has never worked on it at all. I just use it as a map, work out where I am based on local features to orientate myself and pace out distances if there aren't clear landmarks.

 

Only just picked up a Garmin GPS yesterday and got my first cache with a GPS device to guide me (about to hit 100).

[+squirtchy]

Litrally just done a church micro with nothing more than a glimpse on google maps, the hint, and some caching knowlage, brings a whole new challenge to the game!

[+currykev]

I find caching in the big city of Londinium without a gps, but just the hint and a look at the map, to be an extra challenge. Although an easy one mostly.

Dread the thought of doing such where no streets are located. Big respect to those that can and do.

[+moose07]

My phone isn't compatible with GPS (it's a Blackberry) a

 

Forgive me if you already know this but most Blackeberry's have an inbuilt GPS, are you sure yours doesn't ?

 

Thanks for the message. It's an 8520 so definitely no GPS with it.

 

A friend gave me a Garmin Oregon 450 recently but no leads or anything with it so I really need to sort that out to be honest and get it working!! Any good basic guides about?

 

Hello there.

A Tom Tom charger from Halfords will run it in the car.

Any mini usb lead will couple it to a pc.

The GPX files go in the Garmin/Gpx folder.

Set the Setup/sysyem/Interface to Garmin Spanner!

 

Thats how I run my 400. Have fun.

 

Regards moose07.

[+pixeltash]

Our first experiance of geocaching, was a puzzle cache with the co-ords given for the starting point and then written clues to find the box, so no need for a GPS. That was years ago and we didn't log it here or anything, then I got a satnav that could handle co-ords, all beit in a much altered form than the standard, so lots of watching the numbers change as we moved in different directions to try and find a cache - we didnt have a good hit rate with that, as it was designed to pinpoint roads and buildings and not trees etc. Then last April we got an old yellow etrex, suddenly we had an arrow to follow, small cacher could be in charge of the gps, we could do multi caches and the game got a lot more fun.

 

As to caching without a GPS, we had gone out for a days caching, only to discover I had left the GPS behind (turned out I had actually left it at a previous days cache and it had been picked up by a muggle, who responded to my lost notices and it was returned to me - phew!) Luckily I wasn't doing paperless caching and had with me a note book with cache descriptions and likely parking etc written in it, with that we were able to find a nano in a gateway, a micro in the COs driveway and a previous DNF under some trees. The next day I went back to the park and searched for the GPS, no luck finding it, but the need to cache was strong, so we went on to find a micro under a bridge, a micro on a crash barrier, a small behind a wall and a nano we had previously DNFed, all with my notes and looking at google maps. OK so most of these caches were of the urban, or semi rural variety, so not too hard to place from google maps and the clues. But more recently we were out caching and we had decided to walk to the end of a section of a series and cache on the way back, but small cacher (aged 6) spotted and found 2 caches as we walked down before I had even turned the GPS on - thus fullfilling the 'challenge' laid down by the ukgeocaching podcast to cache without using a GPS in October :-)

Edited October 29, 2011 by pixeltash

[+Dr Evil.]

My first 20 cache's were without a GPS, they were good fun but im happy my GPS is now here.

[+mellers]

I did my first dozen or so without a GPSr then was given a lovely Garmin Oregon 450! When it broke, I was without one for about a fortnight but in that time, went for ones with recognizable landmarks and used google earth pictures, which I would commit to memory! Bizarrely in thta period I got my very first FTF!

 

You CAN geocache without a GPS, but mainly only in urban areas, with recognisable landmarks visible from google earth.

[+Mark+Karen]

I've found a few, including my first one, and all those were from Google satellite images. In general I rely too much on the GPS. I'm like "Well it says 0m, so where's the cache!!"

[+rickardclan]

Yep a few, used compass application only when the GPSr went walkies, didn't enjoy the lack of tech, but enjoyed the lack of certainty of the hunt, also used googlemaps to study terrain beforehand