Without cell service

[+tdelisle]

How do you find the caches where there is no cell service.  Does one still have to fire up the PC (which I don’t own any more) plug it in to a GPS unit and download to it?

[+on4bam]

I've never needed cell service to go caching.

Use a decent app, download caches, maps.... Although I use a GPS exclusively, I have GDAK (Android) on my tablet that holds all Belgian caches (30000+) as backup or to load my GPS in case of emergency (happened yesterday). GDAK is designed to work offline but works equally well on a dataconnection.

[anpefi]

36 minutes ago, tdelisle said:

How do you find the caches where there is no cell service.  Does one still have to fire up the PC (which I don’t own any more) plug it in to a GPS unit and download to it?

Given that you are a Premium member, you can use Lists in the Geocaching® app for offline searching  Other common apps have the capability to download lists, pocket queries or individual caches (look for options like "save" or "offline").  You don't need a PC or a GPSr unit to find caches without cell/internet service. Just make sure in advance that you have download the caches to your geocaching app for offline use before you go to the field.

[+niraD]

My handheld GPS receiver doesn't need cell service. I create a pocket query, run the pocket query, and then download the GPX file and copy it to the device.

The Android app that I use can also save cache and map data, so I can go geocaching later when I'm out of cell range. See the Help Center article Authorized Developers.

[+kunarion]

12 hours ago, tdelisle said:

How do you find the caches where there is no cell service.  Does one still have to fire up the PC (which I don’t own any more) plug it in to a GPS unit and download to it?

 

I have an iPhone (also an Android tablet) with the Official Geocaching App installed on it, and no phone data subscription.  Wifi only.  I download sets of caches using "Lists", "Download For Offline Use".  Also, Pocket Queries, which have recently been run, show up in the App available for download.  I use the iPhone as a database in case of something that I forgot to load into the GPSr.  The Garmin Oregon is preferable to an "App", but I have found caches using the App, no data connection.  Plus, the Official App is the only "Geocaching App" that doesn't throw up all over me, when I run it in the boondocks.

If you know you're going to lose the phone data connection, yet while you still have a strong signal, you can add selected caches to a "List", or add a screenful "Add All To List" from within the App.  And don't overlook the ability to access the whole web site to work on cache Lists and PQs from a browser on the phone.

I found a couple of caches by starting navigation to a cache, leaving the App open (and not allowing the phone to sleep), and driving across town to find that one cache.  So there's that.

Edited November 2, 2017 by kunarion

[+Harry Dolphin]

32 minutes ago, niraD said:

My handheld GPS receiver doesn't need cell service. I create a pocket query, run the pocket query, and then download the GPX file and copy it to the device.

The Android app that I use can also save cache and map data, so I can go geocaching later when I'm out of cell range. See the Help Center article Authorized Developers.

Yup.  Don't have a cell phone.  I use a GPSr.  How strange of me.

[+Manville Possum]

I use an Android app that stores cache and map data. What device does the OP use?

[+CAVinoGal]

On 11/2/2017 at 2:42 AM, tdelisle said:

How do you find the caches where there is no cell service.

It takes planning, if you know you will be in an area of low/no cell service.  We recently (like yesterday!) did some hiking in Yosemite; cell service is spotty.  I did some research before we went, and had a bunch of EarthCaches and Virtuals downloaded to my phone app (the official one), and it worked wonderfully.  Phone was in airplane mode to conserve battery, and the GPS worked well to get us to GZ for the caches.  

I did use the computer and the Geocaching.com site to FIND the caches we would potentially encounter, prior to leaving.  Made a list which I then downoaded for offline use in the app, printed out the descriptions and logging requirements from the website, and we were good to go.

If you find yourself, unexpectedly, with no cell service and your phone is the only way you use find caches, you may be out of luck.  We use only our phones, so some outings take some pre-planning.

[Slayer40008]

CAVinoGal is right. My GF and I Geocache in a lot of state parks and we always download the entire park map in advance and then use our phones in Airplane Mode. It about doubles your battery life and the GPS works the same.You just have to log your finds "Off Line" and when you get home Post Them.

[+igator210]

On 11/2/2017 at 6:01 PM, niraD said:

My handheld GPS receiver doesn't need cell service. I create a pocket query, run the pocket query, and then download the GPX file and copy it to the device.

The Android app that I use can also save cache and map data, so I can go geocaching later when I'm out of cell range. See the Help Center article Authorized Developers.

But you need a PC, which the OP stated they didn't have.

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, igator210 said:

On 11/2/2017 at 3:01 PM, niraD said:

My handheld GPS receiver doesn't need cell service. I create a pocket query, run the pocket query, and then download the GPX file and copy it to the device.

The Android app that I use can also save cache and map data, so I can go geocaching later when I'm out of cell range. See the Help Center article Authorized Developers.

But you need a PC, which the OP stated they didn't have.

For the handheld GPS receiver, sure. I don't think any of them can connect through a phone or tablet, so you'll need at least a cheap laptop to load data to it.

But the Android app works just fine without a PC. As long as my Android phone has a connection (WiFi, mobile data, whatever) when I'm preparing, I can download data for later, and then go geocaching when I don't have a connection of any kind.