+gear02 Posted July 2, 2003 Posted July 2, 2003 I stumbled across this page and I'm very interested. I just had some questions. 1) What do you need to start? GPS Unit? That's it? 2) Do you need hiking or camping experience? I have neither. Thanks guys! Quote
+zoltig Posted July 2, 2003 Posted July 2, 2003 A GPS and a little practice with plenty of good tread on your walking shoes. There are lots of caches around towns and such. Lots of help in these forums. Then, once you are addicted, LOOK OUT!! You'll be caching in your sleep. Everyone started out as a "newbie" at one time or another. Check your area where you live and see if a fellow cacher will take you out on a hunt. I am sure the he/she will hand you the GPS and give a little guidance. Have fun!! My hockey Mom beat up your soccer Mom. http://coloradogeocaching.com/ Quote
+Markwell Posted July 2, 2003 Posted July 2, 2003 1) It's also advisable to have a compass (and know how to use it), and you'll want some little trading trinkets to start off. But other than that, those are the basic essentials. Oh, yea. And deet (Bug Spray). 2) Each cache is rated differently. There's a terrain and difficulty rating 1-5 for each. You don't really need camping experience if you're only going after the low rated caches. This graph... ...shows the Chicago area cache by their ratings. I summed the terrain and difficulty and grouped them by the integer (2.5 is grouped with 2, etc.). You can see around my are with 583 current caches listed as being in "Chicagoland" most of them have low difficulty and terrain combined ratings. In fact 25% are in the 2.0 (1/1) to 2.5 (1/1.5 or 1.5/1) rating. And that's the great thing about this hobby. You can participate at your comfort level. If you're not comfortable rappelling off of a 400 foot cliff to reach a cache, or doing a 3 mile hike, you don't need to. There's plenty of easier caches around that feed off of. But if you ever want that thrill of a lifetime hunt, there's scuba diving caches, 5 mile hike caches, mountain climbing caches, puzzle and brain teaser caches, all out there waiting. They're just fewer, and fewer people hunt them. Markwell Chicago Geocaching Quote
+Criminal Posted July 2, 2003 Posted July 2, 2003 quote:1) What do you need to start? GPS Unit? That's it? Yes, that's all you need. Everything else is fluff. quote:2) Do you need hiking or camping experience? I have neither. No, if you know how to walk you are easily capable of finding >80% of the geocaches out there. There are numerous threads about long equipment lists and what everyone has in their backpacks. You are asking what you need, everything else is extra or nice-to-haves unless you are ready to try for some remote caches. Welcome aboard! http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/ Quote
+gear02 Posted July 2, 2003 Author Posted July 2, 2003 I've been reading a bunch of caches and they mention a lot about ticks and stuff. Is this common? I kinda hate bugs... Quote
+gear02 Posted July 2, 2003 Author Posted July 2, 2003 Hmm...didn't catch the last two posts...this is good. I was thinking I had to hike into the swamp and stuff... I posted another thread about GPS units in the equipment forum, but I'll ask again here. What's a good GPS unit for a beginner...I don't want to spend that much money (200+) just in case I don't like Geocaching (yes I know Blasphemy...but I did buy a racketball racket a while ago...) Quote
Team VaxCave Posted July 2, 2003 Posted July 2, 2003 Spending less than 200? You can get an eTrex Summit or eTrex Legend for under $200 if you look in the right places. ::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+:: Searching through the cave. Team VaxCave. Quote
+Renegade Knight Posted July 2, 2003 Posted July 2, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Criminal: quote:1) What do you need to start? GPS Unit? That's it? Yes, that's all you _need_. Everything else is fluff. quote:2) Do you need hiking or camping experience? I have neither. No, if you know how to walk you are easily capable of finding >80% of the geocaches out there. There are numerous threads about long equipment lists and what everyone has in their backpacks. You are asking what you _need_, everything else is extra or nice-to-haves unless you are ready to try for some remote caches. Welcome aboard! http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Dangit Criminal that's exactly what I was going to say. Worse it's about how I would of said it. For under 200 I'd go with the Legend. It has mapping. Ticks like to crawl around before they settle in for a long meal. It gives you time to get rid of them. This is mostly an early summer thing and in the more remote and wooded caches. The urban caches won't be much of a tick issue. Quote
+sbell111 Posted July 2, 2003 Posted July 2, 2003 Yeah, ticks suck. Use the bug spray, however, and they will leave you alone. Quote
+BullDogBob&Double00 Posted July 2, 2003 Posted July 2, 2003 I was introduced to geocaching this last weekend and went to Best Buy and bought a Garmin etrex for 85.00 plus a two year extended warrantee tax included 102.00 and some change. BullDogBob Quote
twoball Posted July 5, 2003 Posted July 5, 2003 thats cool info because ive got a new gps and too much energy and that sounds like about all i need to geocache well thatt and the all important hard to find ingredient- a little help I am drunk and you are ugly, but tomorrow I will be sober but you will still be ugly Quote
The Falcon Posted July 5, 2003 Posted July 5, 2003 A few things you need are: GPS unit 50 ft. nylon rope 100 ft. carbon fiber rope mosquiteto netting K-BAR knife 1800-grade ballistc nylon bag Rip-stop cotton BVDs, camo Owl Optics night-vision scope signal mirror, with lanyard 20lb.s trail mix, divided into re-sealable packages Emergency 2-person raft, self-sealing sides Desert Eagle, 400 full metal jacketed rounds Quick-lace desert boots, with quick-wik outer layer and D-hook laces 2 pair socks and a clean pair of under-garmets. or is it just me? =-=== Yes, a GPS unit is all you need, though I recomend some water and a hat; I hate bugs too. Some people bring a stick for hiking and for poking around a cache. Important tip: always way-point your car/the enterance! ===== It is the tale, not he who tells it." Quote
+CrimsonWrath Posted July 5, 2003 Posted July 5, 2003 quote:Originally posted by The Falcon:A few things you need are: GPS unit 50 ft. nylon rope 100 ft. carbon fiber rope mosquiteto netting K-BAR knife 1800-grade ballistc nylon bag Rip-stop cotton BVDs, camo Owl Optics night-vision scope signal mirror, with lanyard 20lb.s trail mix, divided into re-sealable packages Emergency 2-person raft, self-sealing sides Desert Eagle, 400 full metal jacketed rounds Quick-lace desert boots, with quick-wik outer layer and D-hook laces 2 pair socks and a clean pair of under-garmets. or is it just me? =-=== Yes, a GPS unit is all you need, though I recomend some water and a hat; I hate bugs too. Some people bring a stick for hiking and for poking around a cache. Important tip: always way-point your car/the enterance! ===== It is the tale, not he who tells it." Ha! I was laughing up a storm at this list! I really liked the raft. I need to get one of those! You did forget some other things that should be taken along on the trip, IMHO: Printout of Cache site - Print the page of the cache you are hunting. I reread them a few times while searching and sometimes have to stop to decode clues.Pencil / Pen - Once you find the cache, it is customary to at least sign the log. There could be a pencil in the chache, but I'd rather carry one than not bring one and find a chache without!Trading items - If you find you want to exchange items at the cache site, you'll need something of your own to put into the cache.Garbage bag - CITO - Cache In / Trash Out - Take a bag with you on the hunt and pick up any garbage while you are searching. Quote
The Falcon Posted July 5, 2003 Posted July 5, 2003 Well, that was just my "day-pack" list... I forgot the pen! Good call. As for caching booty, check some of the threads on here, you'll hear a lot of differnet answers. One member gave an excellent answer, "leave the cache in the same or better condition." E.g, a clean toy is ok, an empty pop can is not. ===== It is the tale, not he who tells it." Quote
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