Typical Items to bring when going Geocaching

[+Dr. Dragon]

I know a few of them, but are there any more?

The ones that I know typically are:

 

Pen or Pencil

GPS

Trackables

Tradeables

Flashlight

Batteries

Magnetic Rod

 

Ben

[+akkatracker]

Mirrors help.

 

I bring (assuming that the description suggests nothing else)

 

GPS

2 phones (HTC Sensation)

Samsung Galaxy Tab (occasionally)

Pen

Trackables

Clipboard (sometimes)

Paper

Batteries.

Multitool (most times but not all)

 

Some bring disguises such as fluro vests

[+lisadwb&agronomy1]

I would add some Bug Spray, a bottle of water and a pair of tweezers for removing the logs from micros and nanos.

[+Dr. Dragon]

I would add some Bug Spray, a bottle of water and a pair of tweezers for removing the logs from micros and nanos.

 

Found out that a notebook would be good to have. Thanks for the responses.

 

DD

[+Harlangroom]

I think it's nice to bring some new blank logs of various sizes in the event the log is full. Helps out the CO and the next finder.

[+The_Incredibles_]

GPS, at least 2 sets of extra batteries, swag.

 

Water, snacks, compass in case you lose your GPS, water purification tablets, emergency whistle, bear spray, pocket knife, tweezers for ticks and nanos, AfterBite, handsanitizer.

 

I also have a section in my backpack for cache maintenance. This includes wet wipes and facecloth for wiping caches down, spare baggies, micro logs.

 

I also have 1st aid stuff which I will bring on longer trips. Bandaids, triangular bandage, dressings etc, moleskin and more, little roll of duct tape.

Edited September 2, 2012 by The_Incredibles_

[+popokiiti]

Love the hiking pole for balance and poking around to feel for a cache. Gloves - mine are the gardening type. Mirror on an extending handle - reminds me...mine needs fixing/replacing!

[Chino1130]

I bring the following on a normal caching day (I often go alone):

 

Backpack

Multiple pens

Swag

Knife

Pellet pistol

Lots of water

Whistle

Camera

Extra socks

Gauze/tape

[+niraD]

The following has some useful lists:

http://www.cacheopedia.com/wiki/Things_to_bring_in_the_woods

[+popokiiti]

If we are going out for an extended period of time, especially on the back roads, we always take water and snacks. Favourite snack has to be "Snackers" - packs with meat (we like ham, but have Kielbassa to try), cheese and crackers and a Kit-Kat for dessert. These can be pricey, but I have picked them up at Wal-Mart for $1.88.

[+knowltonGeo]

If we are going out for an extended period of time, especially on the back roads, we always take water and snacks. Favourite snack has to be "Snackers" - packs with meat (we like ham, but have Kielbassa to try), cheese and crackers and a Kit-Kat for dessert. These can be pricey, but I have picked them up at Wal-Mart for $1.88.

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

I just want to second the several recommendations to take WATER with you. My 12 yr old son and I have been caught outside in pretty hot weather, far from our car with nothing to drink a few times. Not lost, not in any real danger, but ... miserable. : (

 

So if you anticipate being further from your car than a few hundred feet, take some water with you, especially in hot weather.

 

[EDIT: Also surprising was how quickly water becomes warm and even hot when left in a car or even a backpack for a while. So, unless you enjoy drinking lukewarm / very warm water, you will need some way to keep it cool as well.]

 

Is there a substantial difference to the body, as far as hydration, drinking very cold vs very warm water? Does anyone know? Just curious.

Edited September 4, 2012 by knowltonGeo

[+saralp]

We are getting more serious with caching and I was just wondering what would be good things to pack in a bag and leave in the Jeep in case we decide to stop so this is helpful. I would like to add as a female who has been off roading with mostly males that toilet paper is always a good thing to have! Sometimes you just have to go especially if you are keeping yourself really hydrated! I was wondering what type of mirror people are talking about, a small compact type mirror or a larger hand mirror?

[+stijnhommes]

If (usually male) cachers talk about a mirror, it tends to be one of the smaller variety, sometimes on a telescopic stick, to search in hard to reach places (and to look in places before you stick your hands in if you happen to cache in dangerous creepy crawly territory).

[+stijnhommes]

Is there a substantial difference to the body, as far as hydration, drinking very cold vs very warm water? Does anyone know? Just curious.

If there is an effect, it will be negligible. By the time it comes to the small intestine where most of it is adsorbed, the water's temperature will have adjusted to your body somewhat and temperature is primarily important for adsorption of salt and other solubles. Water will move no matter what.

[+knowltonGeo]

Is there a substantial difference to the body, as far as hydration, drinking very cold vs very warm water? Does anyone know? Just curious.

If there is an effect, it will be negligible. By the time it comes to the small intestine where most of it is adsorbed, the water's temperature will have adjusted to your body somewhat and temperature is primarily important for adsorption of salt and other solubles. Water will move no matter what.

 

Hmmm...interesting.

 

So...cold water seems more refreshing and thirst quenching (I think most would agree) - but the body does not care?

 

I guess once it is drunk...it begins to warm up anyway, since the body is around 98.6, right?

[+VegasScotty]

What a great thread. I had some surprises reading this....

 

1) It was the 4th post before someone said tweezers. Oh my goodness, the FIRST thing I grab.

2) And it was the same 4th poster that said bring water.

 

What I really like is often the answer tells you where we live. Bug spray? never. Bear Spray? (really? bear spray??) never. Water? ALWAYS. Tweezers? ALWAYS.

 

I'm in Vegas. 81 days over 100 so far in 2012.

Tweezers

WATER

Pen

Notebook

Spare GPS batteries

Spare Phone battery

Sun screen

Hat

 

Most of that can go in my pockets, so depending upon how much water, I don't normally carry a bag or pack.

My bigger backpack (for hiking) includes more of the same plus:

extra WATER (usually 1 gallon min if I'm leaving the car and am out in the desert. ice chest w/ more water stays in the truck)

Binoculars

Camera (better than cell phone one)

Food

Appropriate spare clothing (socks or shirt or jacket as dictated by weather which around here is generally sunny)

GPS external antenna

Swag

Pocket Knife

Spare cache container (vegas... this means pill bottle or 35mm)

Spare Log Sheets

First Aide Kit

Scissors

Mirror (yes, I'm a guy so it's a mechanic one on a stick)

[+*bandit*]

For me it depends if I am out for a several hours or not but lets assume I am headed out for a while

 

Batteries I bring more than I ever expect to need

Fully charged phone

First Aid Kit (small) with duct tape, super glue, whistle, and small antibiotic spray amongst other items

Water On the longer hikes I will bring a purifier. I have run short before and its a scary feeling

Cliff Bars

Good Pen I use the Fisher Trekker as my main

Pocket knife

Tweezers

Mirror

Multi tool

Pepper spray

Cache repair stuff. Nothing bulky

Gloves

 

 

There is stuff I have not listed so this is my bare bones list. Whenever I head out my thought is that in the event I get hurt and need to set up for a while I am able to make myself fairly comfortable without over doing it.I typically hike alone.

Edited September 9, 2012 by *bandit*

[+Goose84]

Normally I'll have;

 

GPSR

Phone

Fisher pen

Note book

Torch

Swaps

My geo-patch

 

If I take my motorbike caching, I'll have my bike kit = leather jacket, kavlar jeans & leather/kavlar gloves, all of which I've found great when having to wade through nettles and other stinging plants

 

If I'm planing a day out, I'll have water and food too

[+bestwood]

G'day. Thanks for all the good suggestions. My backpack is now ready.

I'am as new a newby as there is, but have decided to take along a few of those dreaded grocery store plastic bags to haul out any found litter.

When empty they take up almost no room at all and weigh nothing to boot.

[+AKStafford]

Our back pack has:

Sun screen

Lots of bug dope

Flashlight

Batteries

Some local trail maps

gloves

baby wipes

water

snack bar

writing implement

multi tool

duct tape

 

On the car key chain is a small swiss army knife that has little tweezers and a small ink pen

 

And strapped to my chest is a hand gun. We cache where there's a surplus of bear and moose. I don't ever plan on using it, but it makes the wife feel better.

 

Oh, and we have collapsible walking sticks. And the iPhone with the geocaching app. And of course our eTrex Legend HcX.

[+Heli Leo]

1. Maxpedition Sitka gear slinger

2. two pairs of gloves and hand sanitizer in the top pocket

3. Long sleeved shirts in the main pocket for the nettles or other stickers.

4. 2 flashlights, spare batteries, spare logs, tweezers, note book with gpsr instructions and six pens and pencils in bottom pocket.

5. Swag and trackables in rear pocket.

6. Pen on shoulder strap.

7. 32 oz water bottle in water bottle pocket

8. Garmin Nuvi 500, Gramin Rino 530gcx and I phone.

9. Walking stick.

I geo-cache with either my wife or a friend so I carry doubles of most of the gear.

[+ayrbrain]

In my geo bagi have

 

Batteries

First aid kit

Disposable gloves

Tissues

Pens

Spare logs all sizes

Poly bag (s)

Hand sanitiser

Torch

Compass

Tweezers (some logs just do not want to come out of the container!)

 

Last but not least........my GPS

[+JohnCNA]

Is there a substantial difference to the body, as far as hydration, drinking very cold vs very warm water? Does anyone know? Just curious.

If there is an effect, it will be negligible. By the time it comes to the small intestine where most of it is adsorbed, the water's temperature will have adjusted to your body somewhat and temperature is primarily important for adsorption of salt and other solubles. Water will move no matter what.

 

Hmmm...interesting.

 

So...cold water seems more refreshing and thirst quenching (I think most would agree) - but the body does not care?

 

I guess once it is drunk...it begins to warm up anyway, since the body is around 98.6, right?

 

For hydration purposes, water is water, regardless of the temperature. Cool water helps cool your body down, so there is a beneficial effect of helping to lower your body temp a small amount by drinking cold water vs warm water. Compared to your total body mass, the amount of cold water you drink is small and the effect is probably more emotional than physical. But it is certainly more "refreshing" to drink cold water!

[+dprovan]

The suggestions seem to match what the OP wants, but things like water and first aide kits are just general suggestions for any hike, not specific to geocaching. Here's what I always carry for geocaching:

 

GPSr, of course.

Cell phone, mainly for taking pictures

Multiple pens. Best if they're expendable, as I lose them all the time.

8" long tweezers. Used often.

A hook that expands to 3' in length.

 

I used to always carry a flashlight, and I found that often useful, but every flashlight I've tried tends to turn itself on in my pocket, and I got sick of replacing the batteries, so I stopped carrying one.

 

Naturally I always bring any trackables I'm moving along. That goes without saying.

 

From time to time, I bring things to trade, but normally I no longer bother.

 

I have a handheld mirror, an inspection mirror, a magnet on a stick that expands to a 3', and a UV light, but I only bring them if I have some reason to think they'll be useful.

[JoJo626]

If we are going out for an extended period of time, especially on the back roads, we always take water and snacks. Favourite snack has to be "Snackers" - packs with meat (we like ham, but have Kielbassa to try), cheese and crackers and a Kit-Kat for dessert. These can be pricey, but I have picked them up at Wal-Mart for $1.88.

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

I just want to second the several recommendations to take WATER with you. My 12 yr old son and I have been caught outside in pretty hot weather, far from our car with nothing to drink a few times. Not lost, not in any real danger, but ... miserable. : (

 

So if you anticipate being further from your car than a few hundred feet, take some water with you, especially in hot weather.

 

[EDIT: Also surprising was how quickly water becomes warm and even hot when left in a car or even a backpack for a while. So, unless you enjoy drinking lukewarm / very warm water, you will need some way to keep it cool as well.]

 

Is there a substantial difference to the body, as far as hydration, drinking very cold vs very warm water? Does anyone know? Just curious.

 

Freeze your water bottles @ home. You can drink the water as it melts. Just be aware that condensation will form on the outside of the bottle.

[TyneGeocacher]

You can't beat a pack of Jaffa cakes... just to you know keep you going!