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How Prepared Are You Before You Seek A Cache?


enfanta

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I think half the fun is planning your own route and trail in advance. I try to hit several caches per trip (due to distance) on the weekend, so to fill the time during the week I use the Gazetteer to find the shortest roads between caches and I use topo maps and aerial photos (available in WV on the DEP web site) to find my own best trail to the cache. Unless of course there is something scenic I'd be missing by going by the placers route.

 

Of course I once tried a route where the road WAS the creekbed, so I had to go around, but that was fun it itself.

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Always, sorta. We plan the area or direction that we want to go to. I download the maps (including the topo maps) for the area. I do not plan routes, but we do check out major highways. We average 5-6 caches per day.

 

Bear & Ting

 

I thought I was a little off, then I looked at my GPS and discovered I accurate to 12 ft.

 

Geocachers don't NEED to ask for directions!

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That is on my list of things to start doing a better job of -- preparation. Namely -- bug spray, marking the car in the parking lot, and of course reading the map and its suggested directions before the trip and not after.

 

I seem to wander a lot... maybe I should lead and make Millie follow me?

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Started out with caches in areas we were familiar with and just marked a waypoint and went. Moved on to areas of lesser familiarity and used the Mapquest map on the cache page. Just started checking out the satellite photos of the area prior to heading out. Learned today that topos are not a bad idea. Satellited photos don't show 50' drops straight down!

 

On one hand, I like the adventure of heading out with just a waypoint and a general idea of what direction to go but also enjoy doing the research and strategy stuff on days (or more usually nights) that I'm stuck at home. I was even looking at ordering a compass earlier. Guess I'm edging ever closer to the chronically over-prepared... icon_biggrin.gif

 

GeoMedic - team leader of GeoStars

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Started out with caches in areas we were familiar with and just marked a waypoint and went. Moved on to areas of lesser familiarity and used the Mapquest map on the cache page. Just started checking out the satellite photos of the area prior to heading out. Learned today that topos are not a bad idea. Satellited photos don't show 50' drops straight down!

 

On one hand, I like the adventure of heading out with just a waypoint and a general idea of what direction to go but also enjoy doing the research and strategy stuff on days (or more usually nights) that I'm stuck at home. I was even looking at ordering a compass earlier. Guess I'm edging ever closer to the chronically over-prepared... icon_biggrin.gif

 

GeoMedic - team leader of GeoStars

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We ususally print maps out of Street Atlas and attach them to the cache printouts when we go on a planned jaunt. But we also have all the state caches loaded into the GPSr under their waypoint name so when we drive somewhere and one pops up close by we'll go look for it. Sometimes we don't even know the name of it unless it's written on the container.

 

Rusty...

 

Rusty & Libby's Geocache Page

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I expect it would be directly proportional to.

 

1. Your familiarity with the location.

2. The difficulty of the hike / terrain.

3. The distance to be traveled.

4. Location of the cache.

 

Now depending on the combination of 1-4 above you may not need any type of map. I am planning to hide a cache on Mt Baker WA. and a good topo and compass will be with me (it will be a ** / ****+ rated cache), and I have been to the location several times. On another cache in the area you would need no maps because it is quite close to the main road and not far off the trail. So like most things in life, it just depends.

 

OzzieSan

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My prep work consists of making sure that the appropriate roads and rec mapsource maps are in my legend. Although I don't actually "review" them until I'm close to the cache.

 

_____________________________________________________

 

Support your local rescue team.... Get Lost!

_____________________________________________________

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I have a fairly elaborate mapping of all the caches I plan to attempt using the "pushpins" in Microsoft Streets and Trips.

 

But...

 

I never print out maps before I leave.

 

For me it's much more fun to try and locate the cache strictly with the GPS. I usually have my wife drive and I navigate, trying to guesstimate which street to take, where to turn, etc. Occasionally this can backfire with dead ends, etc., but that's very rare.

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We first prepare by deciding the night before which caches to attempt. We print out maps both topo and ariel using ExpertGPS and pinpoint locations and then mark the area on a gazetteer. We load the coords in three GPSr units. We always have our list of essentials in our backpacks and we go over the list the night before. We load our freshly printed maps and cache pages in our backpacks and we are out the door early in the morning with a priority list of where to start.

 

Sick ain't we. icon_biggrin.gif

 

ENJOY THE OUTDOORS

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We first prepare by deciding the night before which caches to attempt. We print out maps both topo and ariel using ExpertGPS and pinpoint locations and then mark the area on a gazetteer. We load the coords in three GPSr units. We always have our list of essentials in our backpacks and we go over the list the night before. We load our freshly printed maps and cache pages in our backpacks and we are out the door early in the morning with a priority list of where to start.

 

Sick ain't we. icon_biggrin.gif

 

ENJOY THE OUTDOORS

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