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Essential extras that you just HAVE to have to geocache


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Whoa!! Great idea! We have a set of these but forget to use them. Last summer we did a cache at Stony Brook park in NY. Fearless trudged up the evers so muddy hill and the rest of the tribe went with me to the top of the hill. Kept yelling down to locate him. Eventually did but it was a little worrisome. I get lost 5-10 minutes from home. We're doing a multicache next weekend so the 2 ways are going with us!!

 

Thanks for the idea!!

 

DxChallenged

 

BTW we had a family reunion to go to right after the caching......we were just a bit muddy icon_wink.gif

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I guess I don't have any absolute necessities. I've even found a cache once when I forgot to bring my GPSr. I do like to have my logbook stamp and signature item, but sometimes I forget those too. Now that I can download coordinates to my GPSr, I don't even bother printing out the cache sheet or maps. Not that any of you should copy what I do. I have poison oak rashes all over my body right now for a reason.

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The list we have so far, not including sensible clothing and footwear:

 

1. GPSR (pending)

2. Compass (pending)

3. Wife (KittyCacher)

4. Max & Bobby (Dog-Cachers)

5. Maps (MapQuest!)

6. Beer icon_biggrin.gif

7. Diet Pepsi (for KittyCacher)

8. Digital Camera (Not going to leave it in the car next time!) icon_rolleyes.gif

9. Trinkets, etc.

 

That pretty much covers it. Oh, and of course #6 requires a cooler and ice. (FWIW, KittyCacher drives if the #6 overpowers the Penguin.)

 

=-=-=-=-=-=

Opus P

Crathvaf Ehyr

flyingopus.gif

Visit my Buddhist Reading Room.

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The list we have so far, not including sensible clothing and footwear:

 

1. GPSR (pending)

2. Compass (pending)

3. Wife (KittyCacher)

4. Max & Bobby (Dog-Cachers)

5. Maps (MapQuest!)

6. Beer icon_biggrin.gif

7. Diet Pepsi (for KittyCacher)

8. Digital Camera (Not going to leave it in the car next time!) icon_rolleyes.gif

9. Trinkets, etc.

 

That pretty much covers it. Oh, and of course #6 requires a cooler and ice. (FWIW, KittyCacher drives if the #6 overpowers the Penguin.)

 

=-=-=-=-=-=

Opus P

Crathvaf Ehyr

flyingopus.gif

Visit my Buddhist Reading Room.

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Yeah.....the digital camera. I mean to bring it. But in it's absence we missed......

 

An awesome view of an incredible land formation...Letchworth gorge in NY. We sat on the absolute edge. Just breath taking. I had been to the park many times but never to that area.

 

Then Friday while I was out with the kids we did a virtual cache at a cemetary. I had expected a tiny little place but to my astonishment it was mazzive. I asked a caretaker about parking and ended up getting a guided tour of the grounds by the man the caretaker called "the boss". He even unlocked the private chapel which took my breath away lovel red carpet with the most amazing stained glass window...a small version of some of the churches that I'de seen in England. Also found the tombstone of Harriet Tubman (10 year old daughter was way thrilled) and an interesting civil war section........Again no camera to record this.........So I'm locking it to the backpack!!

 

Dx

 

There in the sunshine are my highest aspirations...

I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them

and try to follow where they lead.

LMAlcott

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Ok so just one more thing....

A plastic bag or mini tarp to sit on.

this is for whoever logs the find. I do this part for the family. To date I have sat in grass that looked dry but wasn't, sat on downed logs and ended up with a mossy butt, stood to write and had my feet get stuck in the mud and crouched down on my ankels only to be stuck and need oil to get up. BTW that kids check me out on the way out of the cache site...shakew their heads and say "Well at least you'll dry"...guess black jeans are better for hiding trail imprints.

 

Lately I've been sitting on the flap of the back pack.

 

Dx

 

There in the sunshine are my highest aspirations...

I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them

and try to follow where they lead.

LMAlcott

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My Kelty Velocity Pack loaded with:

Spare gps (eTrex Yellow or Magellan Trailblazer XL)

A few spare batteries.

Spare compass (Suunto map compass)

Small flash light.

Gerber Multi pliers

Toshiba PDR-M21 digital camera.

Water (one bottle or a bladder depending on hike lenght)

A few trade items and any travelbugs in my possesion.

Cache pages and maps of the cache areas.

Cell phone (turned off so I can be alone but there just in case there is a emergency.)

A few web straps

Very small first aid kit

 

In my GPS outfitter GPS case on the sturnum stap on my pack:

THE MIGHTY GARMIN GPSMAP 76 icon_biggrin.gif

Suunto handbearing compass

More spare batteries

 

In my truck:

Delorme's Atlas Gazetteer.

Large Flashlight.

CB radio.

Jumper Cables

 

On my person:

Geocaching Hat on head icon_smile.gif

Small Buck lock blade

SwissTech pliers and key tool on key ring.

Pen (kept warm in pocket for writting in those cold log books)

Wrist watch (extra backup for a compass in a pinch.)

 

Probably forgeting something

mcb

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My Kelty Velocity Pack loaded with:

Spare gps (eTrex Yellow or Magellan Trailblazer XL)

A few spare batteries.

Spare compass (Suunto map compass)

Small flash light.

Gerber Multi pliers

Toshiba PDR-M21 digital camera.

Water (one bottle or a bladder depending on hike lenght)

A few trade items and any travelbugs in my possesion.

Cache pages and maps of the cache areas.

Cell phone (turned off so I can be alone but there just in case there is a emergency.)

A few web straps

Very small first aid kit

 

In my GPS outfitter GPS case on the sturnum stap on my pack:

THE MIGHTY GARMIN GPSMAP 76 icon_biggrin.gif

Suunto handbearing compass

More spare batteries

 

In my truck:

Delorme's Atlas Gazetteer.

Large Flashlight.

CB radio.

Jumper Cables

 

On my person:

Geocaching Hat on head icon_smile.gif

Small Buck lock blade

SwissTech pliers and key tool on key ring.

Pen (kept warm in pocket for writting in those cold log books)

Wrist watch (extra backup for a compass in a pinch.)

 

Probably forgeting something

mcb

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Oh yeah...I forgot to add that I like to hike with a heavy pack...around 20 pounds or more. I keep the trading items stocked up nicely. That way if the cache is extra nice we put some of our best stuff in, or if the cache is a bit sparse we add extras and there's always the chance that we'll meet cachers on the trail. When this happens we open the bag and let them trade out whatever they want. You really get to talk to people then and it's great to meet the person wo has taken what you would have left. Met this family in PA once. The woman chose a James Golaway CD that she had wanted for years. In turn she talked all about the area we were in. she had grown up there.

 

Dx

 

There in the sunshine are my highest aspirations...

I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them

and try to follow where they lead.

LMAlcott

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quote:
Originally posted by DxChallenged:

So does it work great on steep hills?

 

Is it the air born variety.

 

Dx


Steep hills: depends on the smoothness of the trail, and whether we're going up or down.

 

Air born variety: Only on steep hills icon_biggrin.gif

 

quote:
Originally posted by Rich in NEPA:

Originally posted by Web-ling:

 

_A red Radio Flyer wagon._

 

http://goombah.home.att.net/pics/wagon1.jpg

 

_~Rich in NEPA~_

 

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/1132_1200.jpg

 

__=== A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===__


 

My daughter, Miss Pumpkin, wants to know where we can get one of those...

 

25021_1200.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by DxChallenged:

So does it work great on steep hills?

 

Is it the air born variety.

 

Dx


Steep hills: depends on the smoothness of the trail, and whether we're going up or down.

 

Air born variety: Only on steep hills icon_biggrin.gif

 

quote:
Originally posted by Rich in NEPA:

Originally posted by Web-ling:

 

_A red Radio Flyer wagon._

 

http://goombah.home.att.net/pics/wagon1.jpg

 

_~Rich in NEPA~_

 

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/1132_1200.jpg

 

__=== A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===__


 

My daughter, Miss Pumpkin, wants to know where we can get one of those...

 

25021_1200.gif

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When I'm out I usually take the obvious stuff, GPSr, trade items, printouts (so I can have the hints when I am totally perplexed), and my cell phone.The cell phone is great for calling the wife at work when I get off early, to see if there are any new caches posted that I can hit on my way home.

The ONE thing I have to have though is my Wallaby packs. They are better than a backpack and more convienient than a fanny pack.Check them out hereif you're looking for a pack.

 

I like the idea of the hiking stick, I think I'll have to locate my single ski pole, and start using that.

 

Lost? I'm not lost. I'm just using creative navagation.....yeah, that's it!

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The hiking stick came in way handy this weekend. I was able to go up and down hills in an upright position. Bonus! I've kinda gotten used to sliding down hills and crawling up then.....

 

As an aside....what exactly does the 5 star rating mean? Do you get somethin? Stickers?

 

Dx

 

There in the sunshine are my highest aspirations...

I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them

and try to follow where they lead.

LMAlcott

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Really, isn't the answer to this question very much dependent upon which cache we are talking about?

There isn't much reason to bring all the wildlife paraphernalia to find a micro-cache under a park bench on a university campus.

But if you are going to find one far away in a desert or so, bringing lot's of water and other stuff makes much more sense.

The need for a flashlight is minimal in the middle of the day, but could be quite useful in the evening.

 

And so on.

 

Anders

24148_200.jpg

 

[This message was edited by Anders on March 13, 2002 at 01:51 AM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by worldtraveler:Has anyone considered training a dog to home in on the scent of ammo cans and tupperware? icon_biggrin.gif

Just think of it! Those last 200 ft. that can be so difficult would become a piece of cake (except for hydrocaches, of course.)

Worldtraveler


 

Actually, that's **exactly** why I brought Carmen the wonderlab the second time I went Blazens cache in Lapeer. She found much more interesting smells, however. icon_rolleyes.gif

I know she would absolutely love a hydro-cache!

I wonder if there is one near me??

 

_ __ ____________________________________________________________ __ _

On my first day of school, my parents dropped me off at the wrong nursery -- there I was, surrounded by trees and shrubs.....

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quote:
Originally posted by worldtraveler:Has anyone considered training a dog to home in on the scent of ammo cans and tupperware? icon_biggrin.gif

Just think of it! Those last 200 ft. that can be so difficult would become a piece of cake (except for hydrocaches, of course.)

Worldtraveler


 

Actually, that's **exactly** why I brought Carmen the wonderlab the second time I went Blazens cache in Lapeer. She found much more interesting smells, however. icon_rolleyes.gif

I know she would absolutely love a hydro-cache!

I wonder if there is one near me??

 

_ __ ____________________________________________________________ __ _

On my first day of school, my parents dropped me off at the wrong nursery -- there I was, surrounded by trees and shrubs.....

Link to comment

New Extra...I just ordered my own GPS.

 

We've been using my husband's Garmin III+ and it ocurred to me that I wouldn't be directionally challenged anymore if I had my own GPS and kept it in the van. I decided to go for a Garmin V

 

My rational to husband went like this...

 

1.It's got way cool features

2. You won't have to share

3. I'll share

4. I won't get lost

 

but the clincher was

5. It will be a buisness expense

 

I just hit the buy it now and overnight ship buttons......Think I'll leave work early and sit by the front door icon_biggrin.gif

 

There in the sunshine are my highest aspirations...

I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them

and try to follow where they lead.

LMAlcott

Link to comment

New Extra...I just ordered my own GPS.

 

We've been using my husband's Garmin III+ and it ocurred to me that I wouldn't be directionally challenged anymore if I had my own GPS and kept it in the van. I decided to go for a Garmin V

 

My rational to husband went like this...

 

1.It's got way cool features

2. You won't have to share

3. I'll share

4. I won't get lost

 

but the clincher was

5. It will be a buisness expense

 

I just hit the buy it now and overnight ship buttons......Think I'll leave work early and sit by the front door icon_biggrin.gif

 

There in the sunshine are my highest aspirations...

I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them

and try to follow where they lead.

LMAlcott

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Anders:

The need for a flashlight is minimal in the middle of the day, but could be quite useful in the evening.


 

I've found that a flashlight is required equipment. It's amazing the deep, dark recesses folks discover and cram caches into, even in the middle of urban areas. "I'm not sticking my hand in there!"

 

BassoonPilot

Hladno mi je, a zalutao, mokar i gledan sam

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quote:
Originally posted by worldtraveler:

 

Has anyone considered training a dog to home in on the scent of ammo cans and tupperware? icon_biggrin.gif

Just think of it! Those last 200 ft. that can be so difficult would become a piece of cake (except for hydrocaches, of course.) No more "drunken bee dance" frustrations, no more concerns about signal drop due to tree cover, no more challenge... no more fun? icon_confused.gif

 

Ah, never mind. icon_frown.gif

 

Worldtraveler


 

Actually, I've been working on this for the past week or so. Kodak can now pretty reliably find Rubbermaid tubs no matter where I hide them. I'm guessing he does it by scent, although I don't really care if it's scent or dog ESP. Now we'll move on to ammo cans...

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by worldtraveler:

 

Has anyone considered training a dog to home in on the scent of ammo cans and tupperware? icon_biggrin.gif

Just think of it! Those last 200 ft. that can be so difficult would become a piece of cake (except for hydrocaches, of course.) No more "drunken bee dance" frustrations, no more concerns about signal drop due to tree cover, no more challenge... no more fun? icon_confused.gif

 

Ah, never mind. icon_frown.gif

 

Worldtraveler


 

Actually, I've been working on this for the past week or so. Kodak can now pretty reliably find Rubbermaid tubs no matter where I hide them. I'm guessing he does it by scent, although I don't really care if it's scent or dog ESP. Now we'll move on to ammo cans...

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