Anti-Luddite Caches?

[+Gudlyf]

Has anyone thought of ideas for caches that actually require the use of a portable, electronic GPS? I was wondering if there really are any caches out there that cannot be done without one. A great deal, if not all of caches out here in MA can be done without a GPS -- people will use Topo maps or TopoZone online to track down the spots.

 

One idea I had for a GPS-only cache involved heading to the first of a multi-cache location, then once there, instructions would tell the person to fill-in-the-blanks of coords to the next cache by using the 'Fish & Hunt' feature found on some Garmin eTrex units. But I feel this would make it impossible for people without that feature on their GPS.

 

Has anyone come up with ideas on this subject?

[+WaldenRun]

At the given coordinates for the cache, have instructions on how to get to a nearby landmark. At that landmark, the cacher must read the coordinates off their GPSr and use those to calculate the position of the final cache. The tricky part is having the arithmetic factor out the least significant digit(s) so the calculations are not affected by accuracy. I would probably provide a list of coordinates and have the cacher use the set closet to the reading on their GPSr. This might not stop the Luddites, but is should slow them down.

 

"Why worry when you can obsess?"

[+Riblit]

Have a look at GC3F6F and GC51A7 for some ideas on multi waypoint caches. Most of our caches require a GPSr

[+GeoVamp]

That is a famous quote of a member of our caching cult in the North Dallas area and I think you know who you are !Web-head ,but really he only uses his GPS about 10% of the time.

 

I would follow my GPS to the gates of Hell if it pointed that way.

[DARC]

The strength of a GPS is to find a location in non-descript terrain with no nearby landmarks. If your goal is to make things harder for the orientering folks, then look for a site in flat woodlands several miles square with hundreds of similar hiding spots. Typical orientering response is to take a bearing toward the cache from a landmark visable on a topo or photo map and use their compass to walk the beam toward the cache keeping count of the distance traveled. The further the travel, the less accurate the beam. Also be sure that nearby mountains and landmarks are not visable through tree cover otherwise that they could triangluate their location.

 

By the same token, the orientering folks can place a cache in a deep ravine or valley with heavy tree cover that blocks sat reception. Without GPS readings, you are forced to resort to orientering techniques.

 

Do what you will, just make it interesting and fun.

[Technician]

Very seldom is the topo maps good enough to single out a tree. I enjoyed hunting the birdhouse in Central Oregon. It's semi desert full of sagebrush and twisted juniper trees. One of the trees has a birdhouse hung on it. Have you tried to check a bunch of trees for a birdhouse. With the GPS we walked right up to the right tree.

The desert has no refrence point for orienteering. The end of the road is about 3/4 miles away. Get out of the urban areas with lots of refrence points and you will quickly find a GPS is needed.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=11786

[+EraSeek]

I think my Map Datum Cache would qualify as how it is pretty hard to make datum conversions without a GPS.

 

[the lego guy]

the wrong spot from mapquest

the right spot

 

It took me less than 5 miniutes to do this. Anyway this is just a reminder that nothing is imposable. It's probably on or very close to the path, that i think is blacktoped, that goes north south between the 3 trees to the south and the single tree that is on the west side of the path.

 

ondrew

 

p.s. i dont want to start a flame war or anything i just wanted to prove a point.

 

Contrary to popular belief I am neither an idiot nor am I a child.=)

[+JDan150]

could always do a user grid at leest on a Garmin