Anybody NOT use hand-held GPS?

[+Greyroamer]

Hi, I'm new to geocaching, but as a Grey Nomad, wandering all over Australia, I thought it may fit in well with my chosen lifestyle.

 

Until I have tried it for a while, I am loathe to spend money on a hand-held GPS, so at the moment I am locating the hides on Google Maps, writing down the description and clues and taking a screenshot of the Google Maps location. So far it seems to be working and I have found 5 caches in the last week.

 

Does anybody else do such bare-bones navigation???

 

Regards

Mike

[+T.D.M.22]

I think there's a forum regular who has several thousand without any form of GPS. It's certainly do-able, although a bit hard.

 

If you have a smartphone you could always use an app. I dont think I've used my GPS in the last year and a half to look for caches, except for the annual big event.

 

And what's a grey nomad?

[+SageTracey]

Grey nomad is an Australian-term for an older, typically retired person (hence the grey for hair colour), who spends a lot of their time travelling.

 

To the OP - you will find it much easier with a smartphone than your current approach. As a premium member, you can download a pocket query to your smartphone and save it to use for caching when you have no phone coverage.

 

On the other hand, an entry-level GPSr costs around $100 in Australia, so if you don't have a smartphone, you will be able to get a GPSr quite inexpensively.

 

Good luck and enjoy.

[+colleda]

Your vehicle GPS can be used if you have one. We used a Garmin Nuvi for 6 months before buying a hand held Etrex 10. I think they all have a facility where you can input coordinates manually.

Edited December 5, 2014 by colleda

[+chillypenguin]

I have found a small number of caches this way. It does give a great sense of achievement. But with it a higher risk of failure.

 

Good on you.

[+Greyroamer]

Thanks for the replies.

 

It's now two months later and I have invested in the entry-level Etrex 10 for about $100 Aussie. To tell the truth, several of the finds I have made in the last couple of weeks, I would never have found without the GPS (I don't have a smart phone). I have now found 110+ caches in a little under ten weeks and am really enjoying the experience.

 

Just a note to people placing caches, remember that some of us are not as young as we once were and crawling through the undergrowth on hands and knees loses its charm after a while.

 

Mike

[+colleda]

Thanks for the replies.

 

It's now two months later and I have invested in the entry-level Etrex 10 for about $100 Aussie. To tell the truth, several of the finds I have made in the last couple of weeks, I would never have found without the GPS (I don't have a smart phone). I have now found 110+ caches in a little under ten weeks and am really enjoying the experience.

 

Just a note to people placing caches, remember that some of us are not as young as we once were and crawling through the undergrowth on hands and knees loses its charm after a while.

 

Mike

Don't have any problem at all crawling on hands and knees. Getting back up is another thing.