Thinking about becoming Premium

[+TheAube]

Hey guys,

 

I was thinking about becoming a premium member. I am having trouble finding serious benefits other than a few extra geocaches. Everything I find turns into a discussion of people being snobby or whatever. Other than being able to find more cache's...Whats the benefit?

[+ADKer]

Hey guys,

 

I was thinking about becoming a premium member. I am having trouble finding serious benefits other than a few extra geocaches. Everything I find turns into a discussion of people being snobby or whatever. Other than being able to find more cache's...Whats the benefit?

 

I'd say this sums it up pretty well.

 

For $30 a year, it is worth it!

[+redwoodkestrel]

I'd say the #1 best thing about premium membership is Pocket Queries. Being able to download up to 1000 caches at once is a HUGE time-saver, plus pocket queries are customizable so you can narrow it down to just the caches that you'd like to find, or caches along a road trip you're going to take. Plus the ability to make a bookmark list of caches and then turn that into a pocket query!

 

I'd also guess that most premium members will agree with me that pocket queries are one of the best things about premium membership.

[+hss29]

I became a premium member before a long road trip this summer so I coulduse the Plan Along a Route feature. To me it was worth the cost.

[+softballmom19]

Depending on what type of gps you have you can have extra help on gps with premium membership. Such as the full description, hints, and previous logs. Having this has helped me many times in coming up with a smile then a dnf.

[+Dogmeat*]

Best thing for me is it will email me whenever a new cache is placed within 50km from my home. That way, I race the others for FTF. Besides that, you can filter your searches which is great. I love premium. It has too many benefits.

[+niraD]

For me, access to PMO caches just means I no longer need to worry about whether a cache is PMO or not. I don't really value the "extra geocaches" part. And still, it's a minor benefit.

 

The benefits I care more about are pocket queries, bookmark lists, favorites, full access to the API, and the extra statistics.

 

But see also:

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=175

http://www.geocaching.com/premium/

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

GPX files -- contain all the cache info, including the hint and a few logs -- which often contain a clue or two;

Pocket Queries -- (mentioned) load up to 1,000 caches in each 5 times per day;

Route Queries -- (mentioned) great for planning a route (long or short) and caching enroute to/from;

Notifications -- receiving an email for each new cache published in your area;

Favorite Votes -- the ability to assign a FV to a cache that you are/were particularly fond of

 

There is no snobbery connected with it. There is a perceived snobbery by Non-PM members regarding PMO caches, but there are reasons to use PMO at times. Non-PM members are not blocked from logging PMO caches, they simply haven't researched (or bothered to ask how to). So... you see, it depends on what shoe you are wearing.

 

This perceived snobbery may be that Non-PM members feel entitled to something which they aren't willing to (or can't) pay for, but most always we all start the same, then advance ourselves. Some start as PM, but that is relatively rare.

 

If you think it is snobbish... then ask (here in the forums) if somebody would grant you a PM. You just may be surprised. After that, tell me how snobbish a PM is..........

[+TheAube]

I'm not saying that anyone is snobby. I'm saying the discussions about premium vs basic seems to turn into that. Thank you for the responses. Very helpful.

[+NanCycle]

I'd say the #1 best thing about premium membership is Pocket Queries. Being able to download up to 1000 caches at once is a HUGE time-saver, plus pocket queries are customizable so you can narrow it down to just the caches that you'd like to find, or caches along a road trip you're going to take. Plus the ability to make a bookmark list of caches and then turn that into a pocket query!

 

I'd also guess that most premium members will agree with me that pocket queries are one of the best things about premium membership.

Agree 100%!! POCKET QUERIES ROCK!!

[+Chief301]

For me, access to PMO caches just means I no longer need to worry about whether a cache is PMO or not. I don't really value the "extra geocaches" part. And still, it's a minor benefit.

 

The benefits I care more about are pocket queries, bookmark lists, favorites, full access to the API, and the extra statistics.

 

But see also:

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=175

http://www.geocaching.com/premium/

 

^^^This

 

Access to PMO caches aren't nearly the best reason for Premium membership. Pocket Queries, Pocket Queries, Pocket Queries! That alone is worth the cost. I honestly don't know how folks plan for a day of caching without PQ's. Unless they are strictly smart phone cachers doing live access, but even then they're missing some important planning capabilities.

 

Apart from PQ's, I also like Favorite points and bookmark lists. Both very useful features.

 

Plus, the lackeys at Groundspeak do make a living doing this....someone has to pay the light bill. I consider $30 a year a small price to pay for the fun I've had. 😜 I can spend more than that on gas for a single day caching💰💰💰💰

[team tisri]

Hey guys,

 

I was thinking about becoming a premium member. I am having trouble finding serious benefits other than a few extra geocaches. Everything I find turns into a discussion of people being snobby or whatever. Other than being able to find more cache's...Whats the benefit?

 

A few extra geocaches. In some areas quite a good portion are premium member only.

 

Pocket queries and notifications are really useful.

 

Personally I'm heartily sick of Groundspeak treating customers like little more than walking wallets whose job is to pay up and shut up, but for as long as I get any pleasure out of geocaching the pocket queries are a very useful thing to have. Personally when I get to the point that I no longer bother downloading my pocket queries that will be my sign to let the premium membership lapse.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Pocket queries! Combined with GSAK. Paperless, with thousands of caches on the GPSr and nüvi.

[+SwineFlew]

Pocket Queries and API.

[+Manville Possum]

Pocket Queries and Waymarking benefits.