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Would an Etrex 10 work for my situation?


ferretlady

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Hi everyone,

 

I have just started geocaching, I don't yet have a GPS (nor do I have a smartphone) I did a few caches at one of my favorite nature trails, where they had given written instructions to the general location of the cache.

 

I realize that the general recommendation is to get the Etrex 20 instead of the 10 -- but I am wondering if the 10 will be fine for my specific use?

 

I suppose you could say that my way of getting out is a bit backwards from some. Instead of going out to find a cache, and discovering a pretty new trail in the process -- I plan to go out to state parks, nature preserves, etc just to get out in nature, and THEN, while I'm there, if there is a cache to be found at that location, that only adds to the enjoyment! We have so many beautiful state parks & nature areas here in FL, it will take me forever to visit all the places I want to see! Going to the park/trail/etc is my primary goal, whether for a day trip or for tent camping several days - with geocaching being a possible fun sideline activity I can enjoy while I'm already there at that park (trail/etc).

 

I have no interest at all in "city" or "street" caches, the tiny 'nano' caches, etc, or trying to log as many caches as possible as quickly as possible... don't get me wrong - there's no problem with that at all for those who like to do that, but it's not what *I* personally want to do. I really love the idea of the large caches (ammo cans or such), where I can leave behind some nice goodies for the next person! That's a big part of the appeal for me, too.

 

So - under these circumstances, would the Etrex 10 be sufficient for me? I'm on a very tight fixed income so I'm hesitant about spending $200 (or more) on a GPS that quite possibly has features I'd rarely or never use?

 

Thank you so much for any advice or insights you could give me!

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If you're spending the money on an Etrex, get the 20, for these 2 reasons

More memory to load topographical maps (it does not come with them, but can be found online) and

Color screen

The 10 can be found for about 80-100 bucks

The 20 for around 120-150 well worth the money.

 

But to answer your question

YES the Etrex 10 WILL work for hunting Geocaches

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Thank you very much for the reply, Coman!

 

Yes, I understand that the 20 has additional features - I'm just unsure whether I need those extras or not, or would end up using them?

 

I suppose the maps are the one thing I'm most unclear on. Exactly how do the topographical maps end up helping? Please pardon my extreme ignorance here...

 

For example - if I'm out at Lake Louisa State Park, for example - the GPS maps probably don't show the exact hiking trails out there? (And the parks generally have trail maps, if I *really* needed one?)

 

Again - please excuse me for being so ignorant here. I've tried to read up on many different units & compare them, and get some general information ... but the topographical mapping feature is one item that I still don't quite understand the true benefit of, at least for myself?

 

As far as memory/storage capacity - I'd likely only be loading a few caches at a time, for whatever park / nature preserve/ etc that I was going to spend the day at, so I don't *think* memory/storage would be an issue for me?

 

I'm just trying to decide what I personally would actually use, for the way that I would be using a GPS... the extra features in the "better" units do sound nice - but if I wouldn't actually be making use of them, then?? Or would the topographical maps really benefit me, the way I'll be doing things?

 

Thank you again for your help, and again, sorry to be dumb! I have looked at a lot of articles, but it's mostly the mapping feature that I'm still not clear about... that is, precisely how it would (or would not) be of use to me, or not...

 

If you're spending the money on an Etrex, get the 20, for these 2 reasons

More memory to load topographical maps (it does not come with them, but can be found online) and

Color screen

The 10 can be found for about 80-100 bucks

The 20 for around 120-150 well worth the money.

 

But to answer your question

YES the Etrex 10 WILL work for hunting Geocaches

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I found my first five hundred or so geocaches with a Gecko 100 which I believe was just about the barest bone gps at the time. I had no maps, no cache descriptions or hints and I think it only held 500 waypoints and I had to enter the waypoints by hand. I had fun with it. Were there times I ended up on the wrong side of a river? Yes but not often. I think the Etrex 10 will be fine for you. If you become more serious about geocaching you may want to upgrade but you may not. The 10 already has the 2 features that drove me to upgrade the ability to transfer waypoints and the fact that I could go paperless.

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Well, the Etrex10 is a perfectly serviceable unit for Geocaching, and economical if the bells and whistles and such aren't something you feel you need. However, one thing you said gave me pause....

 

suppose you could say that my way of getting out is a bit backwards from some. Instead of going out to find a cache, and discovering a pretty new trail in the process -- I plan to go out to state parks, nature preserves, etc just to get out in nature, and THEN, while I'm there, if there is a cache to be found at that location, that only adds to the enjoyment!

 

I totally understand your sentiment, but one thing you must realize is that you won't be able to look up caches on the fly....so no, "Nice park, let's see if there are any caches here". You will have to do some planning up front, either by loading waypoints in the GPS beforehand or at the very least printing out the cache listing page or otherwise bringing the coordinates and cache info with you. A GPS has no cellular service so you can't look up caches live in the field like you can with a smart phone.

 

Not that it should stop you from buying one. From the early days of Geocaching, before the days of smart phones and "paperless" GPS units, that's how it was done...you printed out the necessary cache info and entered the coordinates by hand in the field. It worked for many people for years and some folks still do it this way. Just be sure you understand this limitation before you spend your money.

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Thanks so much for all the help, everyone!! It's much appreciated!

 

Chief301, yes, I understand that I will need to load the data on the GPS before I go out - but thank you for pointing that out! I usually have some preparation anyway - whether it's simply packing a lunch & plenty of water for spending the day, or tossing my tent & other gear in the car to spend a few nights camping. So, taking a few moments to get the information about any caches located at my destination prior to leaving home won't be a problem!

 

I'm thinking that the Etrex10 would likely suit my personal needs OK for a good while. Right now, I have such a long list of state parks that I want to visit and/or camp at -- I think that will keep me busy for a long time, and the basic GPS will work fine for those circumstances, I think. Ha - I'm sort of a "basic & simple, no-frills" gal, so I guess a basic simple GPS will do for now! :)

 

**Thank you** again, all of you, for your help!!

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You're welcome. I just wanted to make sure you understood that. It's not unheard off for newbies here on the Forum to come in complaining about feeling ripped off because they turned on their brand new, "all the bells and whistles, great for Geocaching" $600 GPS and it doesn't show any caches. So I try not to assume that folks know anything at all about how a GPS works :)

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Thanks so much for all the help, everyone!! It's much appreciated!

 

Chief301, yes, I understand that I will need to load the data on the GPS before I go out - but thank you for pointing that out! I usually have some preparation anyway - whether it's simply packing a lunch & plenty of water for spending the day, or tossing my tent & other gear in the car to spend a few nights camping. So, taking a few moments to get the information about any caches located at my destination prior to leaving home won't be a problem!

 

I'm thinking that the Etrex10 would likely suit my personal needs OK for a good while. Right now, I have such a long list of state parks that I want to visit and/or camp at -- I think that will keep me busy for a long time, and the basic GPS will work fine for those circumstances, I think. Ha - I'm sort of a "basic & simple, no-frills" gal, so I guess a basic simple GPS will do for now! :)

 

**Thank you** again, all of you, for your help!!

 

You may find that a premium membership will be very helpful for the way you like to cache. Since you don't know in advance when you may be close to a cache, you will need to load all the caches in the park you will be visiting. This is perfect time to use the Pocket Query tool available to premium members. When you get you eTrex, you can get a free month trial membership. Click hear for details.

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Thank you again for your help, and again, sorry to be dumb! I have looked at a lot of articles, but it's mostly the mapping feature that I'm still not clear about... that is, precisely how it would (or would not) be of use to me, or not...

ferretlady, your caching style and preference is comparable to mine. I find the map display invaluable while hiking through preserves. In many cases, I don't need to reference a paper trail map. But even when I do, the GPS map display will give me a really accurate way to place where I am on the big map. You will need the eTrex 20 or 30 to use mapping. There are very good free maps available to download; topo maps from GPSFileDepot.com and maps from garmin.openstreetmap.nl. I have found that the openstreetmap maps have more preserve trails than the topo maps most of the time. I will often switch back and forth between the two displays periodically. One shows more of the trails and amenities like parking and shelters, while the topo view shows more terrain features; creeks, ravines and marshes.

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Whew.... ok, I'm back to undecided again...

 

Let me see if I have any understanding about how the maps would aid me...

 

OK - with the most basic GPS (the 10), after putting in the coordinates for the cache, it would basically set a direct-straight-line to those coordinates. I'd know which general direction to go in, but wouldn't have any visual aid to help me find the most appropriate way of getting to the destination coordinates? I'd have to decide which trail to go on, to try to get to that location. *IF* there were several trails or paths going in that general direction, I *might* possibly end up having to backtrack & take a different trail to end up in the right spot? Or - I could possibly end up hitting a 'dead end' by a river or marsh or something, and again, having to go back & take a different trail? Am I at all correct, in understanding what the limitations/"problems" that I might encounter, if I did NOT have maps?

 

Whereas, if I DID have maps (bought the 20), they would possibly show the correct trail to take (if there were detailed maps of that particular park/preserve), the map would help me avoid any "obstacles" along the way, etc? I'd have the correct route laid out for me & could follow the map, rather than possibly having to just guess which trail/path to take?

 

Is that more or less the benefits of having maps over not having them? Please pardon my ignorance, if I'm way off-base here... Thank you again for helping a newbie get a good grasp on this. Sorry to be asking so many questions!

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Whew.... ok, I'm back to undecided again...

 

Let me see if I have any understanding about how the maps would aid me...

 

OK - with the most basic GPS (the 10), after putting in the coordinates for the cache, it would basically set a direct-straight-line to those coordinates. I'd know which general direction to go in, but wouldn't have any visual aid to help me find the most appropriate way of getting to the destination coordinates? I'd have to decide which trail to go on, to try to get to that location. *IF* there were several trails or paths going in that general direction, I *might* possibly end up having to backtrack & take a different trail to end up in the right spot? Or - I could possibly end up hitting a 'dead end' by a river or marsh or something, and again, having to go back & take a different trail? Am I at all correct, in understanding what the limitations/"problems" that I might encounter, if I did NOT have maps?

 

Whereas, if I DID have maps (bought the 20), they would possibly show the correct trail to take (if there were detailed maps of that particular park/preserve), the map would help me avoid any "obstacles" along the way, etc? I'd have the correct route laid out for me & could follow the map, rather than possibly having to just guess which trail/path to take?

 

Is that more or less the benefits of having maps over not having them? Please pardon my ignorance, if I'm way off-base here... Thank you again for helping a newbie get a good grasp on this. Sorry to be asking so many questions!

 

You are understanding correctly for the most part. Most every handheld GPS comes with is known as a "base map" already installed on the device. The base map only includes the most basic of features..major highways, bodies of water, but that's about it. No minor roads, no trails, no topography. So it wouldn't be very helpful for the situations you have described.

 

If you're going to be using the device as you describe, i.e., locating trails, etc., you're going to want something a little better, which means a device that accepts maps, which again brings us to the Etrex 20.

 

With Garmins (and some other brands I'm sure.... I'm mostly familiar with Garmin) you do have the option to purchase a unit with topographic maps already installed. Those models with a "T" in the model name have topo maps preinstalled for your part of the world. They cost a little more but less work for you.

 

If you choose a model without the topo maps installed, you can also buy the maps from Garmin. I think they come on a SD card so you just have to pop it in the device (which is why you'd want a model with a memory card slot, like the Etrex 20). Again, a little extra expense but less work.

 

Finally, you can save some money by downloading free topo maps from the Internet and installing them yourself. Sites like GPSfiledepot.com in North America and TalkyToaster in the UK have hundreds of local, regional, and specialized maps (like trail maps) available for free. They require a little more work and tech savvy on your part but they're free.

 

Yet another type of map is the routable map, which can give you turn by turn driving directions to the cache location. This is very handy if you do a lot of car caching.

 

All these maps, when installed, are basically overlaid on the existing base map on your device. They run together....in other words, if you're using a routable map for driving directions, once you park the car you just switch over to off-road mode and you're navigating on the topo map.

 

It's a little overwhelming at first, but once you master it it becomes easy.

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Wow - Chief - thank you for all the details! That is a big help!!! I saw the "MyTrails" map out there - that one looks like it would be really nice!

 

But, durn it -- my car battery went dead, so that's kinda forced the decision for me. (I guess I can't complain too much, as the old battery was over 7 years old...) But still... bad timing!!! Buying a new battery kinda puts a crimp in the budget!

 

I had a $60 GC for Cabela's that was about to expire - I dug up some coupon codes, and they had the 10 on sale -- so I ended up ordering the Etrex 10 & a new double-height airbed for camping, for about $40 total out of pocket, free shipping. I guess I can live with that for now :) My old airbed had bit the dust on my last camping trip, and this old gal can't quite sleep on the hard ground in a sleeping bag any longer LOL! I love tent camping & keeping things basic & simple - but I do need to sleep well at night! LOL!

 

After reading more about the maps, I'd have probably gone with the 20 -- but with the car problem, I just didn't have the extra money right now - and I didn't want to lose the gift certificate amount. I've seen used 10's go for around $50 on Ebay, so further down the road, when I'm ready to upgrade, I can hopefully get some $$ back on the 10.

 

But I think I will still have fun with the 10 for the time being, even without the maps. I love wandering around in the woods, so if I have to hike further, backtrack a bit, etc - that wouldn't really bother me. It's the journey, not the destination! :) (That "MyTrails" map set does look like it would be really fantastic though!) But at least, I'll have something to play with for now, that didn't put me in a $$ bind, until I can save up for the 20.

 

After I've used it a while, I'll report back & let you know what I think!

 

**THANK YOU SO MUCH** for all the help! Even if I couldn't get the 20 right now, it IS now most definitely on my "wish list" for the future!!!

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Hi again,

 

I just wanted to post a follow-up, after trying my new eTrex 10 out a few times! When it first arrived, I walked around my neighborhood a little bit, trying to get a feel for how it worked. It was still a bit confusing at that point, and I was worried that I'd possible made a mistake. But after a bit of trial & error, I got things figured out (at least a most basic level...)

 

I was camping at a local state park this past week with a friend, and there were a few caches out there. It was a *blast* using the GPS to find them!! No, I didn't have a nice tidy map, telling me a precise trail to follow, but I think that actually made it a little bit more fun! (OK, call me weird, if you wish...)

 

For example, we'd been hiking one afternoon off-trail in a more remote area of the park, then decided to look for one of the caches that was supposed to be about half a mile away in that overall section of the park. We set off in the direction the GPS told us to go. Several times, our path was blocked (lengthy palmetto thickets, a pond, etc), and we had to work our way around the obstacles, then find our way to get back on track towards the cache. We weren't 'bushwhacking' or anything at all destructive, just wandering through the woods off of the "regular trails". We got a laugh out of it, when we finally *did* find that cache, we saw that it was not far off of a firebreak that we could have possibly followed from our original starting point, although that would have actually taken us longer, as it looped out further along the way. I had marked waypoints at various "obvious" landmarks in the park, so we could get a fairly good idea of what trails the other few caches were close to.

 

My camping buddy is wanting to start geocaching now! He really enjoyed our hikes to the locations, and looking for the caches once we were close. We found all but one, which appears that it may have gotten disrupted or buried by a lot of recent wild hog digs right where it was supposed to be. We returned to that place & tried to find it several times during our camping trip, but no luck.

 

Anyway - I just wanted to thank you all again - and let you know how things have turned out so far. Perhaps I'll upgrade someday, but I am having a great time with my 10 right now! I honestly don't think I would have enjoyed it *quite* as much, if a map had told me exactly where to go, what to avoid, etc! I guess I'm one of those who really enjoys the "journey" even more than reaching the destination! :) Anyway, we had SO MUCH FUN!!!! :D :D :D:) :) :) :)

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