Your Caching Process

[+6NoisyHikers]

With all the talk about new vs old vs no maps, I thought it would interesting to find out some of the different ways that people cache, or more specifically prepare to go caching. There seems to be a huge variation to how people obtain and sort out the information they need. We're pretty simple:

 

1. Log in to gc.com, click our username, then scroll down and click the "map it" icon.

2. Zoom and steer around the map until we a) find the place we are headed to, or find a place that looks interesting.

3. Click on some of the caches in that area and read the information. Check the map for likely parking spots.

4. Download an updated PQ for that area if we feel it's necessary (we update our area about once a month).

5. If we are going on a road trip, we will create a route PQ and download that the night before we leave.

6. We use Vantage Point software to send our PQ info to our Magellan Explorist GC. After it syncs, I open the Explorist folder and delete all the pictures because they take up file space and you can't view them properly anyway.

 

That's it. Pretty simple. No extra software, no serious mapping, no notifications or apps. Website, GPS, go.

 

And we do it this way not really because it works best for us, but just that it works. We haven't really felt the need to do anything else. I suppose our process will change over time, as our caching experience changes, but so far this gives us what we need.

[+Sol seaker]

I cover a large area that I drive in over the course of a month.

 

I got a large chip in my GPS so now I can load thousands of caches in my unit at a time.

So at this point I try to keep large areas up to date with pocket queries. I always have Seattle/ Shoreline loaded, and my favorite hiking area. There are a few other local areas I keep loaded.

 

I find good places to cache off of the maps. I love maps.

I've always had a large map collection on paper.

Any electronic maps are better than paper. I'm not picky though, I love all maps.

 

Having my GPS always loaded and with me, it's easy to grab a few as I travel. I was early to an appointment recently, and walked a block in the opposite direction to grab a cache before going in for my appointment.

 

No sense in wasting time.

 

I run a pocket query every time I'm going someplace I don't normally go. Then I'll go early or stay late to grab some in the new area.

 

Going somewhere without caching there seems like a waste of gas at this point.

[+Lieblweb]

Our pocket queries show most all the 'local' (within 15 miles I think) and I will use the map and steer around for a daily trip. OR...sometimes I don't need the map, I'll just pick something in our 'Lists' of caches we want to do.

 

For trips......or other areas - haven't used the new maps yet for a trip.

Load up the map, type in Zip Code & browse the area.

Produce a PQ 'along a route' of the drive we will take. Look at favorite points and pinpoint caches we want to visit based on favorite points. Load up both the Oregon & the Nuvi with PQ's.

 

For hiding caches - I LOVED using the HYBRID maps to see the terrain, looking for open areas, parking spots, roads, parks, etc. This came in really handy (hybrid) when looking for potential cache spots.

 

For the most part, I just browse around on the map. I use the Zip code mostly. I LOVED the hybrid maps. I have a trip coming up in June which I'll be browsing a lot on these new maps. I will absolutely MISS the hybrid maps for sure!!! I hope they can eventually 'massage & update' these new maps to get all the functionality the old maps had. But I'm sure it'll take time.

[+DanOCan]

My caching process looks like this when in my local area:

 

- Launch GSAK and run my "Export" macro

- Using the API, I get the latest results from my three standard PQs

- GSAK filters out anything with three straight DNFs, anything that is disabled, any unsolved puzzles, etc.

- Anything left over with an old GPX date gets updated by the API

- Results are sent to my GPSr and to Mapsource

- I view the map offline on my computer to look for interesting targets

[+hukilaulau]

I actually read a lot of cache pages for an area I am going to. When I find ones I like I put them in a bookmark list. I PQ the list then put them on my old explorist 500 and Nuvi whatever via GSAK. That way I know whatever is loaded in the gps is something I'm going to like. I've loaded blind PQ's maybe 3 or 4 times total.

I've got the iphone app now, so sometimes I've been getting lazy and just load a couple of caches for reference and road routing and then see what's in the area with the iphone when I get there. That's working pretty well so I might be doing that more.

(Even though I still think the day the geocaching app was released was the day geocaching as we knew it died )

[+lamoracke]

am a relic I imagine. For the most part, I scroll through the maps looking for places to go and then maybe manually load them into my GPS. Also find puzzles that interest me that way and will work on them.

 

If its a larger planned trip, then I will create a bookmark list as I scroll through the maps, make a PQ out of it and then import it into GSAK. When ready to go, will import them into my GPS.

 

Most folks I know just make massive PQs and dump them into GSAK. Most of my caching is planned so I do not do that. Also I do not like to load the entire world because I usually plan on x # of caches and this allows me to focus on just those. Allows me to read the cache pages before I go tackle them so I know what I am getting into. Disadvantage is I do not cache on the fly, but that is okay, that would rarely happen anyway.

 

Local caches I just upload them as they get published and delete them as I find them.

 

So, effectively, all my caches are pretty much find, minus close to home ones scrolling through the maps.

Edited February 18, 2012 by lamoracke

[+The A-Team]

My caching process looks like this when in my local area:

 

- Launch GSAK and run my "Export" macro

- Using the API, I get the latest results from my three standard PQs

- GSAK filters out anything with three straight DNFs, anything that is disabled, any unsolved puzzles, etc.

- Anything left over with an old GPX date gets updated by the API

- Results are sent to my GPSr and to Mapsource

- I view the map offline on my computer to look for interesting targets

This is almost exactly how I do it, right down to the 3 PQs and which caches to filter out! The only difference would be that I use the GSAK Google Maps macro to view the caches, rather than Mapsource. When I use this macro to view all the caches, I normally use the OSM map, because it shows a lot of the local trails. We have an inordinately high number of puzzles around here (15-20%), and I keep track of the final coordinates in GSAK. Since the Geocaching.com maps still don't show caches in their corrected spots, using those to plan my day wouldn't show me an accurate representation of where the caches actually are.

[+6NoisyHikers]

We have ten PQs that cover most of the area that we might decide to traverse on an average day. We don't update them regularly - only if we know we're heading out that way. And every once in a while (3 months or so) we'll be bored and just update everything.

[+Totem Clan]

GC to GSAK

 

Filter, sort and study to my hearts content.

 

GSAK to the GPS

 

into the feild.

[+The_Incredibles_]

I don't usually find too many at once so I'll check through the relevant cache pages before I go out, that's about it.

 

I do pocket queries and update my GPS about once/month.

[+Chokecherry]

I figure out geographically where I want to go and scroll through the maps hand picking caches along the way. I look at the caches pages and logs and pictures to see if it's some place I want to stop or not. Then I send each cache to my unit individually after making a book mark list of them. I print the book mark list so I have the GC numbers and jot any specific notes down that I need. I then cut and paste cache pages to send to my mom to look at when I go with her.

 

I generally did the same thing when I did a long trip but did the caches a long a route thing. I hand picked each cache for that trip as well.

 

If I go out with my friend sometimes we go with a goal cache in mind and sometimes we just go to the next nearest cache based on our phones.

 

Either way no PQ's and no printing for me other than the bookmark page and I don't stumble across caches I don't like very often.

[+niraD]

Most of my geocaching is opportunistic, so I just look at the nearest caches in Neongeo and pick one to search for. I download mystery/puzzle caches only from my "solved unfound puzzles" PQ. I download other cache types live from the server.

 

When I'm traveling (either a geocaching trip, or a regular trip where I plan to include a little geocaching), then I run a PQ for wherever I'm traveling. If I have time, then I try to solve a few of the puzzles in the area (which are then included in my "solved unfound puzzles" PQ).

[AZcachemeister]

Daily process:

Download today's PQ results (date-based PQs, one of which is the most recent caches in AZ. The others are staggered since I need 18 to cover the caches in AZ that I haven't found).

Update GSAK with today's PQs, and the .gpx files (downloaded individually) from yesterday's finds (if any).

Move found caches to the GSAK database that includes all of my finds, and all caches that ever existed in AZ.

(Using GSAK 8.0) Check the database of caches I haven't found for archived caches (status check).

Move archived caches to the statewide database.

Purge all logs (except my own) from statewide database to reduce the size of the database.

Create a .gpx file of the 2500 active caches nearest my home location. (that I haven't found)

Run the .gpx file through the .cwf converter.

The resulting .cwf file is uploaded to my ANDROID phone.

The .cwf file is imported into CacheMate.

 

If a trip (away from home base) is planned:

Select an appropriate cache as the centerpoint of the area planned to be visited.

Create a .gpx file of the 2500 caches nearest to that chosen location...etc. (as above)

 

For field trips, we will (almost) always bring the netbook computer running DeLorme maps (both topo and street) with all un-found caches and Benchmarks loaded and ready. We track our location using a Bluetooth GPS, so we always know where we are, and what is nearby.

[+terrkan78]

1. Find cool-sounding cache on map.

2. Drive there. Park. Then realize I haven't saved the caches to my phone, loaded them up in my GPS, or printed out anything.

3. Drive at least 10 mi. back to cell service.

4. While on the backtracking trip, realize I also forgot water and food, so stop at store.

5. Food on seat next to me is very enticing. Eat most of it before getting back to trailhead.

6. Finally fire up GPS and start hiking.

7. Hunt for six caches but only find four. My log will be the first DNF for at least a year. Everyone else's log says "thanks for the easy cache.

8. Run out of water on the trail back to car. Get hungry, too.

9. Get soaked to the skin, realize rain parka is in trunk of car (it wasn't raining when I headed out).

10. Have a blast and do it all again in a couple weeks.

[+OZ2CPU]

I make 3-4 PQ of the most possible locations I go to most often,

they are made/updated every 1-2 weeks.

they overlap so I use GSAK to load them and it filter out doublet,

and transfer one set of caches with discriptions and hints and logs to my GPS MAP 62

so there are always about 1500 caches ready to find in my GPS,

I filter out multi and unknown types and all caches with need maintenence !

so less trouble and less wasted time out there.

when I do solve puzzles, I just bring a few papers and input the final cords while out on location

no big deal really.

 

on the trips we usually spend more time on:

food, drinks, parking, finding restrooms, getting all ready,

searching for lost or too well hidden caches,

and to remove dogpop from our shooes before we enter the car again.

 

the things we spend less time on: going to a new cool location,

to see all the cool things CO's actually ment us to see.

 

If we for some reason go to a new area out of the PQ info,

we always check for caches via smartphones, but that is slow, and fustrating,

since it needs a good and fast net connection to work decent, this is in many areas a pain,

some times I give up, and just call it off,

and think about how to be better prepared for this area before I leave.

 

I must point out : WE LOVE TO GO CACHING ! and do it every day at the moment.

[+Academy61]

For our day trips:

 

We have a "focus" cache and run a PQ for a radius of 7 miles.

Download these to GPS and sort alphabetically.

Whichever one of us (five kids, wife, me) finds the first (focus) cache picks a number between 1 and number of caches in the PQ.

That becomes our next cache.

If the chosen cache is in a park or general area with others, we will likely do all of them.

Repeat.

When we run out of time, the last cache picked becomes the focus for our next trip.

Any caches we couldn't do (darkness, park closed, needed to solve a puzzle or find more info or think about it some more) get incorporated into our next trip.

 

For example, we have a trip planned for Saturday. The first 13 caches are already chosen:

 

- a DNF that has received maintenance

- one that we ignored due to 3 previous DNFs that now has two new Finds

- one that was in a park that closed at dark

- one that we couldn't find in the dark, but think we can get in daylight

- another that we didn't search for due to darkness

- another in a park that closed at dark, and 6 more in the same park

- then on to our focus cache for the trip

[+GeoStar Husband]

1. Find cool-sounding cache on map.

2. Drive there. Park. Then realize I haven't saved the caches to my phone, loaded them up in my GPS, or printed out anything.

3. Drive at least 10 mi. back to cell service.

4. While on the backtracking trip, realize I also forgot water and food, so stop at store.

5. Food on seat next to me is very enticing. Eat most of it before getting back to trailhead.

6. Finally fire up GPS and start hiking.

7. Hunt for six caches but only find four. My log will be the first DNF for at least a year. Everyone else's log says "thanks for the easy cache.

8. Run out of water on the trail back to car. Get hungry, too.

9. Get soaked to the skin, realize rain parka is in trunk of car (it wasn't raining when I headed out).

10. Have a blast and do it all again in a couple weeks.

 

Yup. Sounds just about right. I like to add the step between 2 and 3: realize phone is dying and I have no charger with and after 6, between 7: realize batteries in GPS are dying and spares are in the cache bag, which I forgot in the car

[+Ambient_Skater]

For general caching I use the map to find caches near the area I want to cache in. I read the descriptions, individually save the caches I want as a GPX file, and use EasyGPS to send it to my device.

 

When we go on vacation I try to set PQs like everyone else. Once we get there, I'll usually get frustrated with managing all the caches, delete them all, and end up choosing them individually. And if I don't, I usually find out my dad gave me the wrong information on where we were going or changed it after the fact (which I'm pretty sure he does on purpose) and the PQs are in the wrong place, causing me to have to choose them individually anyways.

[+Dgwphotos]

1. Find cool-sounding cache on map.

2. Drive there. Park. Then realize I haven't saved the caches to my phone, loaded them up in my GPS, or printed out anything.

3. Drive at least 10 mi. back to cell service.

4. While on the backtracking trip, realize I also forgot water and food, so stop at store.

5. Food on seat next to me is very enticing. Eat most of it before getting back to trailhead.

6. Finally fire up GPS and start hiking.

7. Hunt for six caches but only find four. My log will be the first DNF for at least a year. Everyone else's log says "thanks for the easy cache.

8. Run out of water on the trail back to car. Get hungry, too.

9. Get soaked to the skin, realize rain parka is in trunk of car (it wasn't raining when I headed out).

10. Have a blast and do it all again in a couple weeks.

 

Yup. Sounds just about right. I like to add the step between 2 and 3: realize phone is dying and I have no charger with and after 6, between 7: realize batteries in GPS are dying and spares are in the cache bag, which I forgot in the car

[+Dgwphotos]

I download and update pocket queries in GSAK every day of the week except for Saturday, and use the HTML export to update my PDA on Thursdays, although I've recently started doing it on Sunday as well, using a preset filter to cut out caches that I haven't found, and archived caches, plus caches that are outside of my normal area so that the PDA (A Dell Pocket PC) is not swamped and slows to a crawl when loading the index. I typically pick and choose what I will load into the GPS, based on what areas I'm interested in doing. The PDA is set up as largely a catch-all, so that I can be sure the information on caches that I choose is available.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Dgwphotos

[+terrkan78]

1. Find cool-sounding cache on map.

2. Drive there. Park. Then realize I haven't saved the caches to my phone, loaded them up in my GPS, or printed out anything.

3. Drive at least 10 mi. back to cell service.

4. While on the backtracking trip, realize I also forgot water and food, so stop at store.

5. Food on seat next to me is very enticing. Eat most of it before getting back to trailhead.

6. Finally fire up GPS and start hiking.

7. Hunt for six caches but only find four. My log will be the first DNF for at least a year. Everyone else's log says "thanks for the easy cache.

8. Run out of water on the trail back to car. Get hungry, too.

9. Get soaked to the skin, realize rain parka is in trunk of car (it wasn't raining when I headed out).

10. Have a blast and do it all again in a couple weeks.

 

Yup. Sounds just about right. I like to add the step between 2 and 3: realize phone is dying and I have no charger with and after 6, between 7: realize batteries in GPS are dying and spares are in the cache bag, which I forgot in the car

Oh yeah! I totally forgot those! And if I happen to still be hiking at dusk, my flashlight will inevitably be forgotten in the car as well. Although for most daytime trips, it's there in my pack weighing me down.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

1. Find cool-sounding cache on map.

2. Drive there. Park. Then realize I haven't saved the caches to my phone, loaded them up in my GPS, or printed out anything.

3. Drive at least 10 mi. back to cell service.

4. While on the backtracking trip, realize I also forgot water and food, so stop at store.

5. Food on seat next to me is very enticing. Eat most of it before getting back to trailhead.

6. Finally fire up GPS and start hiking.

7. Hunt for six caches but only find four. My log will be the first DNF for at least a year. Everyone else's log says "thanks for the easy cache.

8. Run out of water on the trail back to car. Get hungry, too.

9. Get soaked to the skin, realize rain parka is in trunk of car (it wasn't raining when I headed out).

10. Have a blast and do it all again in a couple weeks.

 

Yup. Sounds just about right. I like to add the step between 2 and 3: realize phone is dying and I have no charger with and after 6, between 7: realize batteries in GPS are dying and spares are in the cache bag, which I forgot in the car

Oh yeah! I totally forgot those! And if I happen to still be hiking at dusk, my flashlight will inevitably be forgotten in the car as well. Although for most daytime trips, it's there in my pack weighing me down.

 

You also forgot another step after 6. Find the first cache and discover that the only pen that you brought doesn't work and there isn't a writing instrument in the cache.

[+Planet]

Start the car. Drive somewhere. Check for cell reception. Search geocaching.com, or open the geocaching app. Enter coords into GPS.

 

Or, start car, go somewhere, pull over before driving into no cell zone, download a bunch with the app, store offline to enter into GPS.

 

Or, pick a spot, see if there are caches, choose some, enter coords into GPS, go.

 

Don't sit at the computer. Get out.

[+Ambient_Skater]

Don't sit at the computer. Get out.

My computer is a lot more comfortable to pick caches on than my smartphone.

[+Turtle_Sask]

Start the car. Drive somewhere. Check for cell reception. Search geocaching.com, or open the geocaching app. Enter coords into GPS.

 

Or, start car, go somewhere, pull over before driving into no cell zone, download a bunch with the app, store offline to enter into GPS.

 

Or, pick a spot, see if there are caches, choose some, enter coords into GPS, go.

 

Don't sit at the computer. Get out.

 

I use my computer the night before I go out to load the caches in the area that im going into my GPS. So I spend less time on my cellphone and electronics While im outside.

[+Turtle_Sask]

Don't sit at the computer. Get out.

My computer is a lot more comfortable to pick caches on than my smartphone.

 

Exactly, way quicker to upload/download caches onto your GPS using your computer rather then you cell phone!

[+jellis]

For numbers:

I first pick an area that has enough caches to make it worth while.

Download a PQ of the area. In GSAK I check first if there any caches that have too many DNFs or disabled and remove them.

Then check out the virtuals, Webcams,Earthcaches and easy to solve puzzles, multis and Wherigos.

Make maps of the area with the caches and make a plan on how to hit as many as possible.

 

For non numbers:

I choose hikes in nice areas that have great views, waterfalls or intersting history. Make sure I have trail maps to get me around and overlay it with the caches on those trails.

[+The_Incredibles_]

1. Find cool-sounding cache on map.

2. Drive there. Park. Then realize I haven't saved the caches to my phone, loaded them up in my GPS, or printed out anything.

3. Drive at least 10 mi. back to cell service.

4. While on the backtracking trip, realize I also forgot water and food, so stop at store.

5. Food on seat next to me is very enticing. Eat most of it before getting back to trailhead.

6. Finally fire up GPS and start hiking.

7. Hunt for six caches but only find four. My log will be the first DNF for at least a year. Everyone else's log says "thanks for the easy cache.

8. Run out of water on the trail back to car. Get hungry, too.

9. Get soaked to the skin, realize rain parka is in trunk of car (it wasn't raining when I headed out).

10. Have a blast and do it all again in a couple weeks.

 

Yep, sounds about right. Number 7 hit home. Love it when the last person who found a cache I didn't find was someone with 10 finds and they wrote 'QEF, TFTC'.

[+JL_HSTRE]

My system is probably a bit elaborate, but I'm an organized person with particular tastes and I would rather spend time filtering out the caches I don't want than spending the same number of hours finding them.

 

1) I have a GSAK database with currently about 4,600 caches in my state (Florida, which has about of 35,000+ active caches). These are all the caches I feel I might want to find. I built this over several months last year after GSAK v8 came out, from various PQs and bookmark lists I'd compiled for popular caches, historical caches, solved puzzles, every Earthcache and Virtual in the state, parks/forests/preserves that looked like a nice place to hike & cache, etc.

 

2) I get the Groundspeak Weekly Newsletter which includes all new caches published within 100 miles of my home coords. I check those caches and add them to my GSAK database if I am interested.

 

I add Puzzles as a I solve them and Challenge Caches once I qualify for them. I keep bookmark lists of Challenge Caches I might qualify for and Puzzles I think I can solve and consult them on an irregular basis.

 

If for any other reason I come across a cache not on my list that interests me, I add it to my list and check the surrounding area for possibly other caches I might want.

 

3) Every so often I use the GSAK feature that updates all caches in my database so I can remove archived caches and my finds, and keep my logs and cache statuses fairly up to date.

 

4) Every 1-4 weeks depending on how much caching I've done, where I'm expecting to cache, how many caches I've added to my database recently, I will export a file from GSAK to my Droid smartphone and to my Garmin Etrex 30. This file will have all the caches in my county and nearby counties plus any other counties I might be planning to travel to.

 

I navigate between areas using the Droid and sometimes use it for quick grabs. But hikes are 99% the Etrex, or if I just can't get good GPS signal on the Droid some days/areas.

 

My Droid also has GPX files for Waymarks I want to visit, Benchmarks I want to find, and caches from other sites (TC mostly).

 

5) Each weekend, I consider what non-geocaching stuff needs accomplished, what non-caching plans I have, and how the weather forecast looks. I have a general idea of areas where I want to cache so I pick one that fits the time/weather and go for it.

 

6) Depending on where I make my cache run, I sometimes can remember the caches found entirely in my head. Often I will bring paper to write down the caches found (or DNF'd) along with notes such as "NM" or observations I want to make in my log.

 

7) After many hours of caching - usually most or all day; sometimes a weekend - I return home and usually log my Finds the same day I get back. I often spend several hours writing logs because I usually write more than "TFTC".

Edited February 23, 2012 by Joshism

[+Great Scott!]

am a relic I imagine. For the most part, I scroll through the maps looking for places to go and then maybe manually load them into my GPS. Also find puzzles that interest me that way and will work on them.

 

If its a larger planned trip, then I will create a bookmark list as I scroll through the maps, make a PQ out of it and then import it into GSAK. When ready to go, will import them into my GPS.

 

Most folks I know just make massive PQs and dump them into GSAK. Most of my caching is planned so I do not do that. Also I do not like to load the entire world because I usually plan on x # of caches and this allows me to focus on just those. Allows me to read the cache pages before I go tackle them so I know what I am getting into. Disadvantage is I do not cache on the fly, but that is okay, that would rarely happen anyway.

 

Local caches I just upload them as they get published and delete them as I find them.

 

So, effectively, all my caches are pretty much find, minus close to home ones scrolling through the maps.

 

Another relic, here. I pretty much do the same as lamoracke.

Trips are always planned which caches I want to try. Never caching on the fly. GPS only. (no fancy internet phone)

[+hzoi]

I use the maps, heavily.

 

For local caching, I'll just browse for an area we haven't hit heavily, load up the cache pages, and send them to my GPSr.

 

When we travel out of the area, I'll start well in advance, using the maps and the search page, and start bookmark lists. As we get closer to the trip, I do a PQ, then use the API feature on GSAK to get more logs (PQs only give you the last five). I weed out the ones that are unavailable or archive or have a string of DNFs, and then I send the caches to the GPSr right before we go.

[+Big Ghoti]

Normal day - I'm a field technician

 

sign into GC.com

Click my profile name

Click random cache somewhere on the page

Scroll down to map and click view on map

Find that days job site and pick a few caches within walking distance of work site. (I usually do this for all the sites for at least a few days or a week.)

Push them to GPSr from GC.com

GPSr back into cache bag, cache bag in vehicle.

 

If I'm traveling somewhere away from home for one night or more, I use the same process except rather than search from the map I'll run a pocket query centered on my hotel for a radius of about 25 miles. Sort by favorite points. Research the from the top of the list down until I have all the caches I want for that trip.

[+KyleYankan]

I've only just ordered a GPS, but usually it involves me sitting down looking at maps of an area, finding a few good looking caches then saving them on my Android phone.

[+Inmountains]

Wow, I grab my iPad and head out the door. Once a month or sometimes even two, I will empty my GPS and reload GSAK into it. Just today, I forgot my Garmin and found 3 with just my iPad. While I also have an iPhone, the iPad is a much bigger screen, easier for us old guys to see. The Geocaching app is all I need and I have found caches in Canada, Alaska, Oregon and even on a trip down to Calipatria, California while doing some volunteer work on a Wildlife Refuge.

 

Talk about old school, back in the day, we had to PRINT OUT the entire cache, maybe 20 or 30 of them, hand load them into the Garmin eTrex and hope to God we did it right. Ahhh, the good ole days!!!

[+Inmountains]

Oh yea, forgot, a ream of paper a week!

Edited March 31, 2012 by Inmountains

[+unabowler]

I like puzzle and multi-caches best, so I go to the maps and find some in an area where I want to go. Many of them have nice descriptions which don't have that much to do with the cache but I read them and almost always enjoy them. I solve the puzzle if there is one, type solution and/or coordinates into a notepad document. I have solutions for lots of puzzle caches which I know I'll go find sooner or later.

 

When I'm ready to go out I'm usually after 10 or fewer caches so loading manually only takes a minute or two. If I have coords I enter into Google maps to figure out as much as I can about where it is. I enter puzzle solutions as waypoints. I take a pen and little notebook to scrawl final coords of multis and for puzzle solutions along the way. If I'm lucky I find the cache (seems to happen 60% of the time) and note it in my GPSr. I log them and delete them when I get back and purge once in a while so that I keep very few caches in my GPSr at a time.

[+ohmelli]

Drive to wherever I happen to be going. Upon completing whatever I went there for, I tap "apps", "geo", wait for it to load, and then tap "find nearby caches"... chose one and click "navigate to cache". Done!

 

I'm not big into prep!

[+jellis]

GSAK

Go to Geocaching.com access

Get Caches

pick a location

distance

check/filter caches on GSAK

load in GPS

go find caches.

[+DragonsWest]

Process (with today as example)

 

Look at map, guess where I might go.

Refresh PQs for the general area.

Pack sandwich, pear, banana, drinks.

Load PQs onto GPSr.

Arrange stuff in front of door.

Look out window. Get rain jacket.

Go.

 

After about 8 hours mucking about in the rain and wind, come home and log about 25 finds.

[6treasurefinders]

Wow, I grab my iPad and head out the door. Once a month or sometimes even two, I will empty my GPS and reload GSAK into it. Just today, I forgot my Garmin and found 3 with just my iPad. While I also have an iPhone, the iPad is a much bigger screen, easier for us old guys to see. The Geocaching app is all I need and I have found caches in Canada, Alaska, Oregon and even on a trip down to Calipatria, California while doing some volunteer work on a Wildlife Refuge.

 

Talk about old school, back in the day, we had to PRINT OUT the entire cache, maybe 20 or 30 of them, hand load them into the Garmin eTrex and hope to God we did it right. Ahhh, the good ole days!!!

 

So are you using topographical maps or have you found a way to cache satellite data? I haven't been sucessful finding a single cache with my iPad/iPhone since they removed google maps fom offline use. So frustrating!

[+popokiiti]

Choose an area, and manually load the caches.....x 2! Works for us.

[+humboldt flier]

1. Find cool-sounding cache on map.

2. Drive there. Park. Then realize I haven't saved the caches to my phone, loaded them up in my GPS, or printed out anything.

3. Drive at least 10 mi. back to cell service.

4. While on the backtracking trip, realize I also forgot water and food, so stop at store.

5. Food on seat next to me is very enticing. Eat most of it before getting back to trailhead.

6. Finally fire up GPS and start hiking.

7. Hunt for six caches but only find four. My log will be the first DNF for at least a year. Everyone else's log says "thanks for the easy cache.

8. Run out of water on the trail back to car. Get hungry, too.

9. Get soaked to the skin, realize rain parka is in trunk of car (it wasn't raining when I headed out).

10. Have a blast and do it all again in a couple weeks.

 

Yup. Sounds just about right. I like to add the step between 2 and 3: realize phone is dying and I have no charger with and after 6, between 7: realize batteries in GPS are dying and spares are in the cache bag, which I forgot in the car

Oh yeah! I totally forgot those! And if I happen to still be hiking at dusk, my flashlight will inevitably be forgotten in the car as well. Although for most daytime trips, it's there in my pack weighing me down.

 

You also forgot another step after 6. Find the first cache and discover that the only pen that you brought doesn't work and there isn't a writing instrument in the cache.

 

SNICKER, SNORT AND AMEN Been there and have done it all

[+6NoisyHikers]

Just wanted to say that our caching process hasn't changed much since I first posted back in February except that I've worked out a collection of PQs that cover the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley in case we take a day trip. And the latest software update for Vantage Point lets us choose to not download pics so that saves a step.

 

Now that we've picked up most of the caches in the areas we run regular errands in, we are doing more "location" caching - choosing places to go based on interesting caches in the area. And trail marks. That's what I love about OSM, seeing all those dotted trail lines. I'm discovering trails I never knew existed!

[+magicalhelmet]

At first, what I did was I'd create a reference sheet with the cache description, hints and a satellite image of the cache area. I'd print that out and take it with me. But now I'm relying on the PQs I upload to my GPS. Other than that, I try to plan which caches I want to try for. I look at the map and try to figure out how I will get to each location, where I will park and, if possible, how the cache is probably hidden. It's like studying for an exam. XD

[+geocat_]

My weekend or days off routine:

 

1. Look for caches of interest. I might be trying to get a certain D/T or Fizzy. Or I might be after some in a certain area or other criteria. So I either browse the map on gc.com or do a PQ for my specifics and browse the results.
2. Either DL the individual caches on my GPSr by clicking on the map along a route that I think is best OR DL the PQ in its entirety.
3. IF there is a certain order I feel would be best for driving to various caches, I write them down for easier navigation
4. Head out!

If I am driving on a trip:

 

1. I do a PQ and look for interesting caches, easy or difficult ones depending on how much time I have, which are along my route.
2. DL caches one at a time to ensure they are accessible from my route (to avoid having caches that look like they are close to the highway when in fact they take miles of country roads to get to)
3. Head out!

If I will be staying in an area for a few days:

 

1. Make a PQ of the area
2. DL it
3. Head out!

 

[+Chief301]

The area I live in is pretty cache-poor so I've already got almost all the caches within about a 15-20 mile radius of my home location, and everything on my route to and from work. Therefore a recurring PQ of one area doesn't work for me. When I go caching it's always to a destination, whether I'm going there to cache or going for some other reason and want to grab some caches while I'm there.

 

So my process is thus:

 

1. Use the map to search for an area I'm planning to go.

2. Zoom in on the area and get it nicely framed in the Map View.

3. Generate a PQ of that view. I'll generally not filter out anything at this point, just a simple raw PQ. I might filter out my finds if I've been in the area before I set the PQ to run only once I whatever day today is.

4. I'll usually preview the PQ and sort by Favorite points, do if there are any particularly cool caches in the area I can incorporate them into my itinerary.

5.. Open my e-mail and aave the GPX file I just received to a special Geocaching folder I keep on my desktop.

6. Plug in my Garmin Oregon and delete any current GPX file I have on there (since its likely from a different area and outdated anyway)

7. Open GSAK and delete all old waypoints in the database.

8. Import the new GPX to GSAK and send all waypoints to the Garmin...I generally don't do any filtering, just send everything to the GPS.

 

I'll usually spend some time previewing the PQ and planning a general route I'm going to take through the area, usually trying to include at least a couple of well Favorited caches if I can.

 

I really don't filter out anything....I'll go for any size, difficulty, or terrain....I usually will just ignore Puzzles unless I've already worked out the final coordinates before going out, because I don't want to spend a lot of caching time figuring out Puzzles

[+BlueDeuce]

3. Click on some of the caches in that area and read the information. Check the map for likely parking spots.

 

Considering how many people say "If you don't like it, don't search for it", understand that it takes a bit of reading to get there. Nothing like a 4.5 difficulty level LPC.