Iphone question re overseas and not racking up huge bills!

[robmc9]

I'm traveling to Iceland and looking to Geocache while I'm there but all I've ever used is my Iphone app, which it doesn't cost me anything as I'm always in my local call area. But now that I'm overseas (or even in the US as I do travel a lot to the US) is there any way to still use my Iphone without racking up the huge roaming/data charges?

Oh ya I'm not a techy guy so I'm hoping for quick and hopefully easy solutions.

[+JesandTodd]

You either need to:

1- become a premium member, run pocket queries, run you app offline (turn your data off) and then send your logs when on wifi.

 

Or 2- research which caches you will get, manually save the info into your saved lists for offline use. (make sure your data is tunred off). Log your finds as field notes and send them when on wifi.

 

Or 3- research which caches you will do, and print up all the info to bring with you. log your finds later on a computer.

 

Or 4-, a few weeks before you go, spend a few bucks and add an international plan to your phone.

 

Im sure some others will come up with some more "or's"...

Edited May 27, 2012 by JesandTodd

[+akkatracker]

You could also buy a local sim card if you're that desperate.

Otherwise you could stick to earthcaches and easy caches that don't require GPS

[robmc9]

You either need to:

1- become a premium member, run pocket queries, run you app offline (turn your data off) and then send your logs when on wifi.

 

Or 2- research which caches you will get, manually save the info into your saved lists for offline use. (make sure your data is tunred off). Log your finds as field notes and send them when on wifi.

 

Or 3- research which caches you will do, and print up all the info to bring with you. log your finds later on a computer.

 

Or 4-, a few weeks before you go, spend a few bucks and add an international plan to your phone.

 

Im sure some others will come up with some more "or's"...

 

thanks for the info. 2-4 would mean I'd need to know where I'll be which for most organized people would be fine but I'm a wing it kind of guy (which means my family knows I won't have a clue or a plan on where we will be that day let alone the rest of the trip) so #1 sounds like it'll work but will this give me everything I'm used to doing when I am online, i.e. hints and descriptions? Not too worried about logs just keeping it fun for the family which means pull up to where ever we are and pull out the phone and hit "find GC nearby"

[+JesandTodd]

Well...I'm a 'wing it' kind of girl too which is why the iphone rules. But...driving up and asking the app to search nearby caches is gonna use data.

 

If you become a PM, start running your PQs ahead of time. You have a limit of 5 per day, 1000 each. Using this, you can probably cover all of Iceland. Then, while running your PQ offline via your iPhone, you can ask the PQ to be sorted by distance.

 

It's probably the cheapest and easiest option.

Let me know if you have any problems...

[+Sol seaker]

I would suggest getting a GPS. They are much more accurate than I phones, especially for placing caches, waterproof, have changeable batteries so you don't run you phone down etc.

You do have to still load the caches in them, but the newer ones hold a lot. You may be able to load the whole country of Iceland.

[+The A-Team]

If you become a PM, start running your PQs ahead of time. You have a limit of 5 per day, 1000 each. Using this, you can probably cover all of Iceland.

I just checked, and Iceland has 314 caches. You can get the whole country in 1 PQ!

[+JesandTodd]

 

I would suggest getting a GPS. They are much more accurate than I phones, especially for placing caches, waterproof, have changeable batteries so you don't run you phone down etc.

You do have to still load the caches in them, but the newer ones hold a lot. You may be able to load the whole country of Iceland.

 

He already has an iPhone. It would cost $10 to become a short term PM, download the entire island, and have all the data for offine use, along with the ability to log trackables field notes, upload pics and more.

 

The purchase of a gps in this instance, is overkill.

[+JesandTodd]

If you become a PM, start running your PQs ahead of time. You have a limit of 5 per day, 1000 each. Using this, you can probably cover all of Iceland.

I just checked, and Iceland has 314 caches. You can get the whole country in 1 PQ!

 

Geez! That's it?! Id try to do a blackout!!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

 

I would suggest getting a GPS. They are much more accurate than I phones, especially for placing caches, waterproof, have changeable batteries so you don't run you phone down etc.

You do have to still load the caches in them, but the newer ones hold a lot. You may be able to load the whole country of Iceland.

 

He already has an iPhone. It would cost $10 to become a short term PM, download the entire island, and have all the data for offine use, along with the ability to log trackables field notes, upload pics and more.

 

The purchase of a gps in this instance, is overkill.

 

I would hardly call purchasing a dedicated GPS for the purpose of Geocaching overkill. Millions of geocachers were found using a handheld GPS before people started finding them using smart phones. I can understand that purchasing a dedicated GPS just for one trip abroad might be unnecessary but it can still be used after the trip. I've cached with my 4S a few times but still prefer to use my handheld and have no plans to use my phone for caching while in Zurich about a week and a half from now.

 

That said, the iPhone can be adequate for caching abroad once loaded with pocket queries. It sounds like the OP may already be in Iceland but if not, I'd suggest following the instructions above and trying to find a few caches locally with the data turned off rather than trying it for the first time while abroad and discovering that it's more difficult than it sounds.

 

I also wouldn't worry too much about logging caches as soon as they're found. Although I've found a few caches with my phone I don't like writing my online logs with it. I just wait until I get in front of a computer with an internet connection to post my logs.

[+JesandTodd]

I specifically said..."in this instance"

 

Yes, for a short trip, purchasing a gps specifically to avoid a data charge is overkill.

[+HoustonControl]

For a trip to Spain in 2010, I bought a 50mb one-month data plan for around $60 (AT&T). Yeah, them is some expensive data bits, but used just here and there, it lasted for the whole 3-week trip. FYI, viewing cache descriptions with lots of pictures chewed up data pretty fast.

 

Also, be careful if you go with the monthly data plan. I signed up before leaving, used all 50mb, then cancelled the plan when I got back from the trip. Unfortunately, a full 30 days had not passed when I cancelled, so they prorated my plan and hit me for the data "overage" at regular overseas data roaming rates. I called and complained and was able to get the charges reversed, but be sure to check with your carrier before signing up!