Geocaching without gps

[TheCacheSeeker]

I saw a video about it on geocaching.com/videos. It looks very fun. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions? Thanks!

[+NeverSummer]

Suggestions? Be patient!

 

When I lived in Oregon there was a cacher (I can't recall the name) who found many, many caches without GPS. In fact, they never--as far as I know--found caches with a GPS. Pretty cool!

[+WRASTRO]

I have found many, many caches without using my GPS. I have not kept count but I would guess it is in the hundreds. It is a fun challenge from time to time.

[+edscott]

You are asking for tips or suggestions, so here is a short list to get you started.

 

Unless you are only going to attempt urban or city park type caches.... For roadside and parking lot caches I just look at the aerial photo.

 

You must be able to read a map and a satellite image.

You must be able to follow a bearing on a hand held compass for several hundred meters with under a degree of error. This will require either knowing how to add magnetic north lines to the map or adjusting for declination.

You need be able to pace or otherwise estimate distances in uneven terrain with a minimum or error.. 2% is usually acceptable.

 

It also helps to be able to recognize things in the woods that are not natural, like the rock covering that has been placed upside down (the lichens are on the bottom), the dead tree with the wrong species of dead bark near the base, etc.

 

Plan your route to each cache based on the map quality and the terrain. Work your way to the closest point on the map that you can identify, hopefully within a few hundred feet; take your bearing and measure the distance using the map scale. Pace in from there to ground zero and start your search.

 

There are several Orienteering clubs in your general area. If you want to hone your natural non-electronic navigational skills start spending time Orienteering on a regular basis. I've been doing it for over 35 years and still sometimes make errors that result in lost time or temporary confusion.

[TheCacheSeeker]

You are asking for tips or suggestions, so here is a short list to get you started.

 

Unless you are only going to attempt urban or city park type caches.... For roadside and parking lot caches I just look at the aerial photo.

 

You must be able to read a map and a satellite image.

You must be able to follow a bearing on a hand held compass for several hundred meters with under a degree of error. This will require either knowing how to add magnetic north lines to the map or adjusting for declination.

You need be able to pace or otherwise estimate distances in uneven terrain with a minimum or error.. 2% is usually acceptable.

 

It also helps to be able to recognize things in the woods that are not natural, like the rock covering that has been placed upside down (the lichens are on the bottom), the dead tree with the wrong species of dead bark near the base, etc.

 

Plan your route to each cache based on the map quality and the terrain. Work your way to the closest point on the map that you can identify, hopefully within a few hundred feet; take your bearing and measure the distance using the map scale. Pace in from there to ground zero and start your search.

 

There are several Orienteering clubs in your general area. If you want to hone your natural non-electronic navigational skills start spending time Orienteering on a regular basis. I've been doing it for over 35 years and still sometimes make errors that result in lost time or temporary confusion.

Thanks! Your video was really neat.