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Caching Tools Of The Trade


Halden

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It really depends on where we're heading as to what I'll actually take with me out of the truck.

 

Right now, in my bag I've got

 

PDA

Batteries (for the following which are also in my bag:)

GPS V (with 450+ waypoints)

Flashlight (Innova X5)

Headlamp (Petzl Myo 3)

Two pair of waterproof gloves

Glove liners

Fleece gloves (the waterproof gloves aren't that warm)

A knit winter hat

At least a couple FRS/GMRS radios

My cell phone

About 15 $2 gift certificates for Krispy Kreme (mmmmm, donuts!)

Diary pills (don't leave home without them!)

Cash

Receipts out the wazoo after last weekend's cach-o-rama

Pen

My 'nickname' stamp

A log book I pulled out of one of TravisL's caches when I replaced it for him (with the intent to give it to him in January at the Olympia Cache Machine)

A puzzle we picked up at a cache yesterday

Lots of receipts. (Did I mention that?)

 

I usually have an extra bag with a complete change of dry clothing in the truck as well. That's come in pretty darn handy as we dip into the winter rainy-er season.

 

So, depending on where we're going things will usually get added: rain gear - a couple extra coats - battery powered socks - 'warm hands'.

 

We haven't done any long hiking trips, or cached in the summer yet so I imagine we'll have a whole 'nuter bag o tricks by that time. Right now it's focused on keeping warm and dry.

 

Keep in mind I don't take all of this with me - usually it's just me and the GPS - but depending on what the hunt is, I have a few necessaries on hand if I need them!

 

-=-

michelle

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Along with most of the above items, I carry extra Zip-Loc bags. In the largest one (gallon size), I have some small ZL bags (one quart size) to replace bags in caches that may be ripped or otherwise unusable, at least one kitchen size trash bag, and a couple pair of latex gloves from my husband's dental office for the TO after the CI. We usually have a water bottle or two and the same for hiking sticks. The sticks are good for poking into dark places before grabbing boxes.

PeachyPA, Punxsutawney, PA

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Short answer: far too much stuff.

 

Long answer:

Camelbak (Mule if it's me carrying it, Cloudwalker if it's the bloke carrying it)

Geko 201 & lanyard

Cache page printouts

Batteries

Bottle of water (don't usually bother with Camelbak bladder for caching as it's usually a shortish trip from the car)

Tissues

Gloves to wear

Gloves to rootle about searching for the cache

Wooly hat

Waterproofs (if we're not already wearing them)

Stickers for log book

Pen & paper

Spare pen for cache

Cache swaps

Mobile phone

Compass (always carry the thing, usually forget to use it; instead stride about a lot with the GPS unit when I get close to the cache!)

Cereal bars

Whistle

Plasters

Camera

Carrier bags for trashing out

Gadget for getting stones out of horse's hooves

:rolleyes:

 

Can you tell I used to be a Girl Guide? Be Prepared...

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There are other complete threads on this subject, with really good lists.

 

However, for today, the fanny pack has:

GPS w/ AA lithium bats

2 drained AA NiMH bats

Camera w/ AA NiMH bats

One pen I'll loose w/in 20 caches, and one pen I won't

Small plastic animals and a Buckingham Palace guy

Bandaids, sting wipe, poison oak wipe

Food bar

Rolled up rain hat

Cellular phone

 

Flashlight at hand: 3D Maglite in vehicle

 

Weather this week: occasional rain showers, temp 55 F.

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Diary pills (don't leave home without them!)

And those are? :rolleyes:

 

In my own pack:

PDA (though, that's usually on my hip anyway)

Rino 120

Extra batteries

Compass

Flashlight

Bug repellant

Various cache goodies for trading

Extra ziplock bags

Poncho

First aid kit

Spare batteries

Extra FRS radio

Pencil

 

I'll usually add a couple bottles of water and a bag of trail mix before heading out.

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my girlfriend just got me a messenger / laptop bag for commuting and geocaching for christmas.. so far i can fit :

 

gps / interface cable

laptop (not taken on all caching trips; i am going to look into a pda)

2 meter handietalkie (amateur radio frequencies)

frs / gmrc radio (i found a 3 watt at wal-mart .. almost works like a real radio)

thermos and some snacks depending on the estimated journey

digital camera / cable

keys

wallet

cell phone

lighting system

cache items

 

as it gets warmer, and i actually do more geocaching on a regular basis i plan to add:

 

medical supplies

my camel back bladder

some climbing rope

a couple of carabiners

supplies for my bicycle (flat kit / essential trail-side tools)

emergency blanket

misc. emergency equipment etc.

 

this is probably overkill, and i imagine i'll minimalize to the essentials after i carry these items a few miles and weed out what i don't need. i know i am missing a few things here...

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Honestly, since there aren't any caches in this area that require much of a walk at all, I usually only carry the GPS, a few cache goodies, and a pen (because invariably I'd get to a cache that either doesn't have one or it doesn't work). I mean, the longest walk I've had was the other day, and I found 4 caches in less than about 2 miles of walking, 90% on paved paths, and none of which were more than .5 miles from each other or my car. In fact, two of them were within about 400ft of each other, so I don't know how they got approved.

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3 months in and I keep buying larger packs. Right now I carry:

 

First aid kit ( a really large self packed one)

Mag light

GPSr

Rope

Book:how to survive in the wilderness

FRS radios (2)

Cell Phone

cache business cards

trade items

compass

maps

snack food

water

rain panchos (3)

leatherman

pocket knife

trash bags

extra ziploc bags

trekking pole

Digital Camera

Pens / Pencils

Sharpie

 

Probably some things I forgot.

Keep adding new stuff as I find myself out somewhere and needing it/wishing I had a XXXX.

Edited by Johnnie Stalkers
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Since it seems that 90 percent of the caches out there involve walks of less than half a mile, I only bring my GPS, the cache page (or my PDA with the cache page loaded) trade goodies, my digital camera and usually a trekking pole to poke around in dark places.

 

For the more remote caches, I add my pack and fill it with all the seasonal appropriate items I'd take on a hike. Stuff like water, lunch, first aid kit, pocket knife, rain gear, extra clothing (in winter), trail maps, compass, flashlight and trash bags.

 

If problems had been reported with the cache, I'll add a "repair kit" with Ziplocs, a few Rubbermaid containers of various sizes, logbook and pencil.

Edited by briansnat
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I'm sorry, I'm lost. What are the following items:

Diary pills

Plasters

 

I'm carrying:

Geko 101

Sharp Zaurus with all the local caches GPXSpinnered onto the CF card.

Cheap but good Brunton Compass with LED light attached.

Spare pencil, shapeners, logbooks.

Trash out bags.

Spare GPS batteries

Potential swag (currently including): deception dollars, foriegn stamps, foriegn coins, puzzles, baby screwdrivers, hot wheels, virgin geocoins, virgin travel bugs.

 

In the trunk is more of the above to replace as they get used, a .50 cal ammo box filled with pencil shapeners (When the heck is the next Nebraska get together?), some trash bags,as well as a bunch of "future cache" stuff (different containers I can try out for size if I find a nice place and want to start planning a cache).

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bons Posted on Dec 7 2003, 06:11 AM  I'm sorry, I'm lost. What are the following items:

Diary pills

Plasters

 

bons, The Diary pills they mentioned are probably stop-em-up pills (Kaopectate). And Plasters are what the British call Band-aids. I know, my wifes family is from over there. :ph34r:

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Here's my list of common items that I carry on every trip, even the 1/2 mile hikes to find that tupperware box... ;-)

 

Small First Aid kit

Notepad

Sharpie marker

Ball Point Pen

AA maglight

head strap for AA maglight

Telescoping inspection mirror

Amatuer Radio

Lapel microphone for amatuer radio

Binoculars

Matches

Dental Floss

Nalgene style water bottle

Cache items

Bags for CITO

Carribeaners (3x)

Umbrella

Rain Poncho (more like a rain deterrant, it's not waterproof...)

Locking blade Buck knife

Backpack is a Kelty Boomerang

Fish-eye compass on sternum strap of backpack

Garmin eTrex Legend GPSr

Beltclip for GPSr attached to backpack strap for easy access

Digital camera

Cell Phone

Extra AA batteries (6x)

Stuff that the kids or wife don't want to carry

 

For summer months I'll add the following:

 

Bug spray

Hydration bladder of water

Sandals

swim suit, towels, other clothes as required

Stuff that the kids or wife don't want to carry

 

For winter months, I'll add the following:

Extra pair of gloves

Winter Hat

Other clothes as required

Stuff that the kids or wife don't want to carry

 

I think that's a pretty good list. I'm sure I've forgotten some of the things, but I think this is a pretty good list.

Edited by Team JKLK
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Here's my list of common items that I carry on every trip, even the 1/2 mile hikes to find that tupperware box... ;-)

 

Small First Aid kit

Notepad

Sharpie marker

Ball Point Pen

AA maglight

head strap for AA maglight

Telescoping inspection mirror

Amatuer Radio

Lapel microphone for amatuer radio

Binoculars

Matches

Dental Floss

Nalgene style water bottle

Cache items

Bags for CITO

Carribeaners (3x)

Umbrella

Rain Poncho (more like a rain deterrant, it's not waterproof...)

Locking blade Buck knife

Backpack is a Kelty Boomerang

Fish-eye compass on sternum strap of backpack

Garmin eTrex Legend GPSr

Beltclip for GPSr attached to backpack strap for easy access

Digital camera

Cell Phone

Extra AA batteries (6x)

Stuff that the kids or wife don't want to carry

 

For summer months I'll add the following:

 

Bug spray

Hydration bladder of water

Sandals

swim suit, towels, other clothes as required

Stuff that the kids or wife don't want to carry

 

For winter months, I'll add the following:

Extra pair of gloves

Winter Hat

Other clothes as required

Stuff that the kids or wife don't want to carry

 

I think that's a pretty good list. I'm sure I've forgotten some of the things, but I think this is a pretty good list.

And how many mules do you use to pack it all in?

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bons, The Diary pills they mentioned are probably stop-em-up pills (Kaopectate).

Dairy pills are for people who can't tolerate anything containing lactose (milk products) without some serious pain-age. They're usually taken to PREVENT the need for taking something like an entire bottle of gas-x or stop-em-up pills, er, kaopectate.

 

Most lactose intolerant individuals just avoid dairy altogether - makes life MUCH better, but it's best not to be caught unawares or unprepared! I live in fear of places like Olive Garden.

 

-=-

 

michelle

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Well, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that doesn't have to strike a major expedition just to find a tupperware box! And here I thought I was just doing something wrong!

Oh yeah. Similarly, it's usually just me and the GPS out there on the trail. I DO have a small hold-it-all bag (with goodies listed way above) but I generally leave everything in the truck (minus my wallet and keys which are in a zipped up inside pocket in my coat).

 

It would take more time to organize/put-on-everything-I-intended-to-carry than it usually does to find the cache.

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I tell you guys you don't need any of that stuff. A cell phone loaded with local cachers numbers will get you to any cache you need.

Yeah, and if it ain't a virt, you could just log the caches from in front of your computer....hmmmm, wonder how long I could get away with that?

 

Example: 11-11-03, 14:32 Found cache right where you hid it. And wouldn't you know, I couldn't get my pen to work? Great hide. TN/LN/SN (Took nothing/left nothing/signed nothing)

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Ohhhhhh. Darn I don't have a garment bag. I guess I can't geocache.

 

Now for an ON topic post:

 

Most caches around me are pretty short. Maybe a mile or 2 at the most, but usually 1/2 mile or less. All I carry is the Garment Pack Sling thingy, My pack which has a bunch of trade items, an extra logbook or 2, a few extra zippys, pens, bug spray in the warmer months, cell phone and that's about it. Other than stuff I have with me all the time, ya know like cloths, money, keys, wallet, pink tutu and... what?.. doesn't everyone wear a pink tutu all the time? C'mon next you're gonna tell me you don't skip through the park playing your accordion. Geez! :ph34r:

Edited by JMBella
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- 1 pair good Boots - 1 set Clothing - 1 gps - 5 packs spare batteries - 1 cell phone - 2 maps - 1 compass - 1 combination knife and multi-purpose tool - 1 hat - 1 .45 automatic - 2 pairs nomex gloves - 2 boxes ammunition - 200 feet rope - 4 days concentrated emergency rations - 1 machete - 1 chainsaw, if the machete isn't sufficient - 3 gallons extra gas for the chainsaw - 3 handheld land mobile radios - 1 drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills. - 1 laser range finder - 2 towels - 6 packs m&ms or skittles, as trail mix - 1 miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible - 100 dollars in rubles - 1 compound bow - 1 quiver of 40 arrows - 100 dollars in gold - 1 water bottle, or camelback (or both) - 9 packs of chewing gum - 1 blood chit - 8 ounces ground coffee - carabiners: 20 aluminum, 10 steel - 1 propane lamp - 4 extra thorium mantles for lamp - 2 pounds extra propane - 1 pair snowshoes - 10 packs waterproof matches - 200 feet of 550# parachute cord - 1 signal mirror - 1 issue of prophylactics - 3 combination smoke grenade/signal flares, and pack of gyro jets - 3 flashbangs - 3 lipsticks - 1 bottle SPF 50 sunscreen - 1 emergency eye patch - 1 gas mask and 4 extra filters - 2 grease pencils - 1 stapler - 3 pairs of nylon stockings - 1 set of car keys - 1 sun dial in case my watch breaks - 1 waterproof notebook - 1 sewing kit and extra buttons - 1 knife sharpener - 1 set sunglasses - 1 whistle - 1 magnifying glass - 1 scientific calculator - 2 plastic bags - 1 slingshot - 50 ball bearings for slingshot ammo - 1 headlamp - 1 tent - 1 field cooking set - 1 shortwave radio - 1 portable TV - 20 cough drops - 1 parka - and 1 safety pin.

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- 1 pair good Boots - 1 set Clothing - 1 gps - 5 packs spare batteries - 1 cell phone - 2 maps - 1 compass - 1 combination knife and multi-purpose tool - 1 hat - 1 .45 automatic - 2 pairs nomex gloves - 2 boxes ammunition - 200 feet rope - 4 days concentrated emergency rations - 1 machete - 1 chainsaw, if the machete isn't sufficient - 3 gallons extra gas for the chainsaw - 3 handheld land mobile radios - 1 drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills. - 1 laser range finder - 2 towels - 6 packs m&ms or skittles, as trail mix - 1 miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible - 100 dollars in rubles - 1 compound bow - 1 quiver of 40 arrows - 100 dollars in gold - 1 water bottle, or camelback (or both) - 9 packs of chewing gum - 1 blood chit - 8 ounces ground coffee - carabiners: 20 aluminum, 10 steel - 1 propane lamp - 4 extra thorium mantles for lamp - 2 pounds extra propane - 1 pair snowshoes - 10 packs waterproof matches - 200 feet of 550# parachute cord - 1 signal mirror - 1 issue of prophylactics - 3 combination smoke grenade/signal flares, and pack of gyro jets - 3 flashbangs - 3 lipsticks - 1 bottle SPF 50 sunscreen - 1 emergency eye patch - 1 gas mask and 4 extra filters - 2 grease pencils - 1 stapler - 3 pairs of nylon stockings - 1 set of car keys - 1 sun dial in case my watch breaks - 1 waterproof notebook - 1 sewing kit and extra buttons - 1 knife sharpener - 1 set sunglasses - 1 whistle - 1 magnifying glass - 1 scientific calculator - 2 plastic bags - 1 slingshot - 50 ball bearings for slingshot ammo - 1 headlamp - 1 tent - 1 field cooking set - 1 shortwave radio - 1 portable TV - 20 cough drops - 1 parka - and 1 safety pin.

 

And that's for 1/1 caches in suburban parks. You should see what he takes when he heads out for a tough cache :ph34r:

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Here's my list of common items that I carry on every trip, even the 1/2 mile hikes to find that tupperware box...  ;-)

 

.........

Dental Floss

.........

 

I think that's a pretty good list.  I'm sure I've forgotten some of the things, but I think this is a pretty good list.

OK, what's the floss for - not dental hygene? I know survivor sites have floss as a "must have", but not sure what you would use it for whilst caching.

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OK, what's the floss for - not dental hygene?  I know survivor sites have floss as a "must have", but not sure what you would use it for whilst caching.

For those hard to reach caches, perhaps? Or, if you get lost in the woods, you could use it to snare small game and insects for food.

But he's got a GPSr, so he can't get lost! :ph34r:

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Truth is, the dental floss is for, well, me. I put it in the pack for a trip that I took a few months back and never took it out. Much of the contents of my pack have never been used for a cache. This pack is my day-hike pack as well as my geocache pack, so many of the items simply come along for the ride...

 

Actually, the pack weighs suprisingly little. I've never actually wieghed it, but I can't see it being over 5-10 lbs. I have carried this same pack with some additional clothes and food for nearly 8 hours and had no problems. It's a long list, yes, but it's a long list of really little things.

 

Is it overkill for 99.9% of the caches we do? yeah, I think so. BUT, someday, just maybe.... :ph34r:

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I have a small/medium sized hydropack with a 2-liter water bladder. In addition to the water, it holds:

-Snacks (usually beef jerky and trail mix)

-compass

-pedometer

-knife

-whistle

-small flashlight

-small bungees

-small tripod

-matches

-cell phone

-cache log/pen

-maps, etc

-calculator

-spare batteries

-washrag and soap

-rain poncho

-nylon rope

-sunscreen

-bug repellant

-handwarmers

-signal mirror

-first aid kit

-snake bite kit

-solar blanket

-toilet paper

-fire starter sticks

-cyalume light stick

-trash bag/ziplock bags

-digital camera

-small cable saw

-GPSr (duh)

-Geo-loot (swag)

 

It's very compact, and even with the water, it only weighs 8-10 lbs.

 

My 11 yr old son has an even smaller hydropack, again with 2 liters of water. In/on it, he carries:

-rain poncho

-solar blanket

-first aid kit

-knife

-handwarmers

-combo compass/whistle/thermometer/magnifier

-cyalume light stick

-signal mirror

-maps

-GPSr

 

With water, about 5-6 lbs.

 

About to add small GMRS 2-way radios to both packs. We like the longer hikes (4-8 miles), but hit alot of the shorter ones as well. The hydropacks are small/light enough that they're not unwieldy for the short ones (overkill, yes, but...), and yet work perfectly for the longer ones.

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I was suprised only three cachers mention Maps. I carry the Delorme big book of topos for Nevada, and the Nevada-dot road atlas. The second one dosen't have topo lines but shows every cow path in the state.

Living in the Sierras I always carry the standard desert and mountain emergency equipment in the car.

We always hike a lot so I just added a few things when we started caching. I keep this stuff in a fanny pack inside my day pack, since most caches are a short walk.

 

GPS

extra batteries

Digital camera carried this anyway but I keep it in the fanny pack now.

cache swag

extra batteries

A few cards with the URL's to the local cachers associations printed on them.

Sacagawea Dollars (my sig item).

Pen/pencil

Mini Mag light, I'd rather look in that hole first thanks.

Small pocket spiral notebook to note my finds and trades.

Leather gloves, lots of things that sting, bite or poke in this area.

35mm container with a couple of bandaids, sometimes I forget to put the gloves on.

Did I mention extra batteries?

 

After reading this thread I am going to add a Cache first aid kit. (Thanks for the idea briansnat.)

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