How do the really smart players do it?

July 25, 2003

I am currently in OKC on a caching vacation. I goy a PQ of caches in OKC and downloaded them into GPSr. I printed the caches tht interested me. After arriving I realized that I had no organized route to use searching for caches. Which finally brings me to the question. How do you determine your route from cache to cache. Is this the excuse I need to purchase mapping software? BTW GarminIII is GPSr. Now I'm NOT in I.T. so please make it simple for an old geeser to understand.

July 25, 2003

Time to clean the mouse contacts I think....

July 25, 2003

I am an IT person, but all I do is head to the nearest cache from where I'm at. Sometimes it's probably not too efficient, but so far it's worked pretty good. Sometimes it's difficult to find the right road to take to get to the area, sometimes I drive right to it.

"The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec."

-Marcus Dolengo

July 25, 2003

Oops, hit the button twice....

"The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec."

-Marcus Dolengo

38.2k · July 26, 2003

I'm not sure how the smart players do it, but here is another IT person who doesn't have a plan. If I travel to an area, I'll download all the nearby waypoints and print the cache page of a dozen or so that I think look particularly interesting. I'll usually target one of the ones on my print outs, but more often I'll just see one close by head there.

Last week, while visiting near Erie PA, is a good example. I had targeted a large cluster of caches in Presqe Island State Park, but never got there because we saw some closer caches that we decided to hit first. Before we knew it, we were driving in the opposite direction of our original destination.

This could be why I'll rarely find more than 2-3 a day, but driving around aimlessly is half the fun.

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

[This message was edited by BrianSnat on July 26, 2003 at 03:33 AM.]

1.6k · July 26, 2003

I have to agree with the above. Getting too organized can lead to more time preparing than actually caching.

We DO have a laptop with Microsoft Streets and Trips simply because we got it on the cheap. (Free because my Paw-in-Law upgraded!!! ) It helps tremendously, but we don't use any mapping features to organize a route from cache to cache, only finding our way to the next cache. When you're in an unfamiliar city, getting to the parks that are off the beaten path can be a challenge.

With PQs, we Spinnerize our file, download to GPS, PDA, and laptop, and just GO...

While the laptop is not necessary, I would recommend a lessor expensive PDA--we have the Palm m105. WE've found that once you get to a town plans change and when we were relying on printouts we were stuck with just those printouts. A PDa can hold better than a ream's worth of printouts! Once we got the PDA, things got easier both getting out and once we were there.

(Forgetting a printout on a 2+ mile hike for an offset we thought was a traditional kinda makes your mind up real quick about finding a better solution than a binder full of paper!)

My recommendation is not worry about the overall route and just GO...

CR

July 26, 2003

It depends on the number of caches I want to hit. If it's just a few, I'll grab a copy of the appropriate Buxley map and drive to the general area and use the nearest waypoint function.

If it's a more intensive trip, then loading the PQ to a mapping program like Streets and Trips makes more sense. I can then better plot caches and routes so I don't miss something or end up going the wrong direction constantly chasing the closest cache.

Now where did I park my car???????

38.2k · July 26, 2003

I'm gonna have to go the PDA route. It sounds like the way to go. I have a Palm M500 and have downloaded Plucker. Just have to figure out how to use it.

Could have saved me a trip on my Erie jaunt. I got to one cache site and didn't have a printout. It was a restored blockhouse in a field. No place obvious to hide a cache, so I assumed it was a virtual and wrote down all the information I could. Got back to the PC and found it was a micro, so I had to go back again the next day to find it.

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:
I'm gonna have to go the PDA route. It sounds like the way to go.

For those of you who don't have a PDA, try this. I didn't want to mess up my "good" work PDA in the field so I bought a Handspring Visor Deluxe on e-bay for $10. It has a scratch or two but it's perfect for caching. If I break it or lose it, I'll just buy another disposable unit. There are tons of good second hand PDA's out there that are quite reasonable.

Spinner and Plucker are the way to go. No more paper for me.

Now where did I park my car???????

July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Sissy-n-CR:
I have to agree with the above. Getting too organized can lead to more time preparing than actually caching.

I agree with that statement. I used to plan all my caches out using Streets and Trips, but I found that I was spending a lot of time planning. I would also get frustrated when things didn't go as planned. Once I stopped doing that and just threw some waypoints on the GPSr and went to find them, I discovered that I enjoyed it more. It didn't feel like I had a deadline, I guess, and I was able to enjoy being out and about, rather than worrying about getting to the next cache. What I usually do is look at the waypoints in Streets and Trips, and get a general idea of where they are, and then just go. If I have 5 planned and only get to 2-3 then that's fine, I didn't really have a plan so it doesn't matter anymore.

Mr. 0

"Remember that nature and the elements are neither your friend or your enemy - they are actually disinterested."

Department of the Army Field Manual FM 21-76 "Survival" Oct. 1970

2.8k · July 26, 2003

I usually pick a few (5) caches in the area that I want to at least attempt the first one at. I print out the first two pages for each of the caches and obviously download the waypoints. I also look to see if the caches give any other hints to spots such as parking, etc and add those waypoints. I look on the map (I use Garmin's Mapsource though I also have Delorme's Street Atlas 2003) and see where I might want to start "off road" to each cache and mark those points.

With all the info downloaded to my Garmin GPS V, I just hop in the car and have it route me to the 1st spot. After returning with a successful find I then ask the GPS V to show me the next closest waypoint (it does that automatically) and I head off to it.

I usually have my 7 and 9 yr olds with me, so 2 or 3 is enough at one time unless I notice the next one is a quickie.

The GPS V really makes it simple to get where you are going quickly and then determine where to go next. Geocaching for Dummies

July 26, 2003

I dump cache coordinates into my Streets and Trips program. I plot a course and print a few maps. My best effort was 11 caches in one day. In Arkansas that is a feat. Almost five percent of the State caches in one day.

(Arkansas cachers need to get busy placing caches}

9.5k · July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Sissy-n-CR:
(Forgetting a printout on a 2+ mile hike for an offset we thought was a traditional kinda makes your mind up real quick about finding a better solution than a binder full of paper!)

CR

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/72057_2000.gif

You don't have to say that twice. I logged a DNF because of that very reason until I can have the chance to get back at it again. Now the PDA goes with me everywhere and I print a couple of caches only if I don't have the time to set it up on the PDA.

Cheers!

TL

9.4k · July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:
(Arkansas cachers need to get busy placing caches}

Maybe you should have thought about that before you archived all of yours

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness

July 26, 2003

For what it's worth...

I frequently hit multiple caches in a row by having the GPSr and my PDA loaded with the waypoints generated with Pocket Queries. I never print maps because I have detailed TOPO info already in the GPSr. I also want to mention that my PDA is a Pocket PC for the sake of simplicity: I copy the Pocket Query xml file to it and I'm done. None of that 'converting file formats using 3 different proggies' non-sense...

3k · July 26, 2003

Print up a pile of pages. Keep them in your car. Where ever you are hit "nearest geocaches". If you don't have the page you get on IM and look for geocacherhelp or ClayJar Chat and ask for geocacherhelp, or have the cell number of a caching friend who's near a computer, whatever it takes. After you find the nearest geocache you mark it found, then search nearest geocaches again, and go there. Repeat.... Now this cache page in the car thing isn't always perfect. I went to VT last weekend, had a cache page in my car for Between A Rock and A Hard Place. It was a virtual, and I had the page in the car for a very long time. Hiked 2.3 miles up got all the answers, checked out the beautiful waterfall, and hiked 2.3 miles back. Got home and find out that many months ago they made it a traditional cache and I have to go back, oh darn! I have to see that great spot again, oh darn! Getting there is half the fun. Can you say Road Trip? Stop in chat sometime and ask us how geocacherhelp works.

Cache you later,

Planet

So many caches, so little time.

3.8k · July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Team GPSaxophone:
Originally posted by solohiker:
(Arkansas cachers need to get busy placing caches}

Maybe you should have thought about that before you archived all of yours

================================================

Just why were all those caches archived?

==============="If it feels good...do it"================

**(the other 9 out of 10 voices in my head say: "Don't do it.")**

.

2.3k · July 26, 2003

I use a Palm PDA, just copy, paste then edit the cache info and load it up. Less paper to carry around, altho I do print out a copy for those further from home just in case. My GPS unit is a Magellan Meridian Gold with a 64mb SD card in it...I have all of Illinois and most of the surrounding states on it...down to street level, I use Mapsend Streets only...nothing fancy, it's generally accurate and better than trying to carry a road atlas with you. I used this set up on a recent vacation (had to use a 128md card to cover all the areas we went to tho), went through 14 states, DC and even into Canada slightly (Niagra Falls) and had no problem. In between vacation stuff we managed to do 37 caches in 28 days or so, all those were virtual tho since we didn't have alot of time to search for normal ones. I am also not a hardcore tech head and no college degree. Don't consider myself one of the smart ones and am just really starting out also...I treat every cache as a learning experience and hopefully I'll get the hang of it someday. I actually consider my 2 most important pieces of equipment my 2 sons who cache with me....

Remember, wherever you go- there you are!

July 26, 2003

I'm certainly not one of the "smart" people you refer too...but here is an idea I've been tinkering with. Load a bunch of caches from an area into your GPS....then add them to a route. Once in a route, you should be able to look at the screen and see the route...and manipulate it anyway you want. It should work...but I haven't tried it yet. I also don't have any mapping software yet.

If God is your co-pilot, it's time to change seats!!!

http://www.mi-geocaching.org/

July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Team GPSaxophone:

quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:
(Arkansas cachers need to get busy placing caches}

Maybe you should have thought about that before you archived all of yours

Maybe. Why don't you place a few more?

July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by sept1c_tank:

Just _why_ were all those caches archived?

Why haven't you placee more caches?

July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:

quote:
Originally posted by sept1c_tank:

Just _why_ were all those caches archived?

Why haven't you placed more caches?

July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by sept1c_tank:

Just _why_ were all those caches archived?

Why haven't you placed more caches?

July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:
Originally posted by sept1c_tank:

Just _why_ were all those caches archived?

Why haven't you placed more caches?[/quote

July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by sept1c_tank:

Just _why_ were all those caches archived?

Why haven't you placed more caches?

9.4k · July 26, 2003

quote:
Why haven't you placed more caches?

1. I have more active caches than you.

2. I don't expect other cachers in the area to supply me with an endless stream of caches and not hide any for them to find.

3. By removing your caches from the site, you reduce the chance that new people will get into Geocaching in your area which means that the rate of new cache placements will slow down. Rather than whine and ask for others to place caches, you should set the example.

4. Just because you had a bad experience with communicating to the admins doesn't mean the whole game has to suck for you. From what I read on the other thread, you didn't identify the cache(s) involved until way late in the discussion. Had you given the admins that information in the first place then you wouldn't have this sour taste in your mouth.

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness

4.4k · July 26, 2003

A little researh,Always take my Delorme Atlas w/GPS grids.Get the coordinates and go. but I ain't found that many.........30 sumpin and 220 sumpin B.M.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS *GEOTRYAGAIN*

**1803-2003** "LOUSIANA PURCHASE"

http://www.lapurchase.org

"LEWIS AND CLARK EXPADITION"

http://lewisclark.geog.missouri.edu/

Initial Points Page

http://www.True-Meridiansubscribe@yahoogroups.com

July 26, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Team GPSaxophone:
1. I have more active caches than you.

You got me there, good one!

2.3k · July 26, 2003

During a trip out of my area I did this:

1. Generate a PQ in a radius around my hotel. 2. Apply Spinner to the .gpx file, with the coords of the hotel as base.

3. Apply Plucker to the Index_by_bearing_hotel.htm file and load into PDA.

4. Use GPSBabel to convert .gpx file to Streets and Trips format, and print various zoom level maps. The pins will have the cache names.

You can then visually see caches on the maps, and your PDA will have the caches grouped by compass direction from your base (hotel)...in 16 compass point directions.

I also used GPSBabel to convert the .gpx to a Magellan waypoint format file which I loaded onto the SD card and then put back into the Meridian. Before leaving on the trip, save all of your local waypoints to a file on the SD card, clear memory, then load the waypoint file you created for the trip. On the Meridian, the comment section of each waypoint will have the cache name.

July 26, 2003

I take the PQ's and load them into Watcher to break them up into found/notfound or other segements, then pass them through Spinner and use Plucker to stick the pages on the palm.

Spinner also has the added benefit of (optionally) changing the symbol to indicate the type of cache (which is very handy).

I also use Garmin Mapsource on my laptop, and if I'm heading into an area I'm not familiar with, I can use "autorouting" between the caches to find a decent driving path (although since you have to guess on the best place to park it's not a perfect system). I don't print out the routes, just take a quick look at them before leaving the house, but it helps get me in the vicinity of the caches with a minumum of backtracking and driving around lost.

As other have already said though - getting lost and finding new (unexpected) places is part of the fun! I'd recommend the PDA route - and check out the software tools - you don't need an IT background, they're pretty easy to setup.

Good luck!

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Take everything you like seriously, except yourselves. - Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)

July 26, 2003

Wow! what a great bunch of answers. Thanks to all. My problem is that the geopartner has difficulty reading stuff on her and my PDAs. Since she is our O-fficial navagator that present a problem. Unless The older PDAs had larger displays.

I had wondered if some mapping software on home ps would accept waypoints to allow some minor strategy to attack 10-30 metro caches.

BTW Solohiker I miss your caches. Mt.Nebo was my first DNF and I will never forget the lessons learned.

July 26, 2003

quote:
I had wondered if some mapping software on home ps would accept waypoints to allow some minor strategy to attack 10-30 metro caches.

It sure does. National Geographic Topo, Garmin Mapsource and DeLorme will all do this.

July 26, 2003

Half the time, I cache with somebody smarter than me... that raises me from smart to really smart.

I'm just a paper pusher. I believe in the as much map work as possible. We'll create route maps with waypoint push pins. We'll also dump the mapquest for urbans and the topozone for the hills, and we'll look for the secret back entrance that puts us minutes away. I'll look for trail map pdf's on line from parks or bike groups or whatever.

Sometimes we'll take the bike for speed. Maybe I should take one of those Spinner classes, since everyone here talks about it.

July 26, 2003

I use a Garmin etrex, when I go to "waypoints" it will ask for nearest. I enter yes and there you go your on the way to the closest cache. I dont have mapping and its a cheap gpsr. Dont most handhelds have this function? I dont know since this is the only one I've ever owned.

"WITHOUT GEOGRAPHY YOU'RE NOWHERE....Jimmy Buffett

July 26, 2003

I agree with printing out a group of caches that you think you may run across. But remember to reprint or at least check online to make sure that they haven't changed much since you printed them out. Then I use ExpertGPS for mapping and pulling the wapyoints to my Garmin eTrex Legend. Then I use Yahoo maps to confirm what the Topo and Satallite maps show. Pretty much like BullDogBob says, when you get done with your first, do a closest for the next. But sometimes this isn't logical when a road will clearly get you to what appears to be a farther away cache. Sometimes a cache that is .5 mile away may actually be 3 miles away when you drive from your current location. Most of it comes down to logical thought and switching a lot between your map and compass modes.

---------------------------------------------------------

Pardon me Sir, but there is a Wild GeoCache in this area.

www.neurocache.com - NeuroNomad & Sublonde's Page

3.8k · July 26, 2003

DELETED

[This message was edited by sept1c_tank on July 26, 2003 at 11:20 PM.]

July 27, 2003

Taking the original request into account, I came to the following conclusions:

- using the GPS "nearest" function requires no brain-work at all but has some downsides

- using PDA's, multiple software, all that setup is beyond the initial request and too involving

- the mapping solution fits well but not currently owned

Here's my hybrid 'perfect' solution... Use the GPS "nearest" function but apply intelligence to it!

- use GPS "nearest", discarding illogical results

IE, let's say the road goes north/south, and there's a reservoir/canyon/whatever with a cache on it's edge closest to the east.

Since you know (or see on your paper map) that roads don't go there, when the GPS says the nearest waypoint is 0.15 miles to the East, DON'T GO THERE! The next one down is 0.8 miles to the North--voila!

(I, on the other hand, use mapping software and my own PDA solution...)

I'm a big believer in combining tools with intelligence, instead of the all or nothing approach!

Enjoy,

Randy

July 27, 2003

I got all the waypoints in my area (78 overall) in a 20 mile radius put into my GPS. I then started up Excel and entered all the waypoints, long/lat and names into it. Then uploaded it to My Toshiba Pocket PC. I then copy pasted all the print friendly pages into Microsoft Word. Created a Table of Contents and saved it as a webpage, which also got uploaded to my Pocket PC.

Now when I am out, I just look at the GPS for where I am and what waypoints are near me. I then see if I can do the cache just off the Waypoints. If I run into problems I lookup the name in excel, hit the Uploaded webpages and read the description of the cache. If I still need help I then decifer the hint. So far havent had to do that. And only occassionally do I read the description of the cache. Only after do I read it to see how I may have been able to do it faster. I am also not a smart player. I just like challenges, and usually enjoy making things more complicated than they need to be.

I bought a GPS. Now I get lost with style.

1.3k · July 28, 2003

How does one 'dump' waypoints in to MS Streets & Trips? I have that program but never opened it until I saw this thread. The only helpfile on GPS I see is how to 'install' one on your computer.

southdeltan

"Man can counterfeit everything except silence". - William Faulkner

5.3k · July 28, 2003

By following the instructions given on the GPSBabel web page. There are even pictures and screen shots showing how to do it

http://gpsbabel.sourceforge.net

1.3k · July 29, 2003

Thanks, I'll check that program out. BTW - I already found a way to do this using GeoBuddy. So that makes 2 programs that will convert .loc to a usuable format for MS Streets and Trips.

southdeltan

"Man can counterfeit everything except silence". - William Faulkner

How do the really smart players do it?

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