Needed gear

[+Sunni Daze]

My GPS is being delivered tomorrow and I'm planning to head out after some caches near my home this weekend.

I'm not really an "outdoorsy" girl unless you count lying on the beach. I don't hike or camp, etc

So my question is, what have some of you found to be necessary or helpful gear to carry on your search?

GPS, water, good shoes, insect repellant are all obvious. My camera, definitely. Any other suggestions?

[+Cap'n Jack]

Something to write with, some paper just incase there isn't a log in the Cache. Some trinkets to trade, and a big dose of patience... You'll need it.

[+Dacxjo]

A floppy hat, with a big brim, that will protect your neck...

 

A belt pack or belly bag, with the things you bring to trade into caches, and to collect your finds! (you can also put a couple pens in, and a small notebook to log your finds...)

 

I have a vest-of-many-pockets (photographers vest, geologists vest, cartographers vest, etc.), which is lightweight, and helps keep the sun off me.

 

Music and earphones? I have an iPod, but even a small radio can add a soundtrack to a cache hunt. :-)

 

Snacky food. Power bar, or Necco Wafers. (Try not to bring stuff that may melt, like choclates...) Water is better to drink than sodas, but sometimes you just need some extra sugar or protein.

 

I clip the cache notes into my Palm Pilot, and keep my notes there. My wife prints the cache pages, and translates clues by hand when they are needed. Either way, bring along the info for the caches you are hunting, and make notes so you can log the finds when you get home. :-)

 

Dacxjo and Beki, Team Esperanto

[+Team Shibby]

If you are just starting out, make sure to take notice of the difficulty and terrain of the cache you plan to hunt. You do not want to start with anything too tough or you may not like geocaching from the get-go. Start with 1/1 or 1.5/1.5 caches until you are positive you can handle the harder ones, especially the one with difficult terrain.

 

Water. Bringing this is one that is most important (aside from your GPS) You dehydrate yourself in the middle of the woods, you could easily get disoriented and start to panic. Thats a bad situation to be in.

 

Insect Repellant: Invest in a can of Deep Woods Off or something similar. Make sure it contains deet. Be careful when you apply it that it does not get on anything plastic (like your GPS) or it will discolor it or worse. If you will be out hiking for extended periods, make sure you apply it frequently cause you will sweat it off pretty quick.

 

Snacks are important. Bring along Trail Mix or Power Bars or Granola Bars, something other than sweats. Take a break ever now and then and enjoy where you are while you eat. This will give the energy you need to think straight and to keep going.

 

First Aid Kit: Some simple bandaids, antiseptic, bandages and such, cause hey...ya never know. Scouts Motto...Be Prepared!

 

This could go on and on, but...If you do a search for things like 'Whats in your bag' and such, you will find lots of ideas for stuff to bring along. You will find that some people arm themselves to the gills with gear while others venture off with little more than their GPS and the cache page.

 

Good Luck and keep us posted!

 

Kar

[+briansnat]

In addition to some of the stuff mentioned above, buy a real compass and learn how to use it. GPS's can break, or run out of batteries at the worst possible time. Also, bring extra batteries.

 

A cell phone is good to have along, but don't rely on it. Long pants are recommended to protect your legs from thorns, brush and poison ivy/oak, or you can walk around with scratched legs all summer like many of us do.

 

Finally, a hiking, or trekking pole is a good idea. You can use it to poke around hollow stumps, in crevices and other places where you'd rather not stick your hand first. It also helps you keep your balance when crossing streams.

 

"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 August 19, 2003 at 03:12 AM.]

[+Waterboy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dacxjo:

Music and earphones? I have an iPod, but even a small radio can add a soundtrack to a cache hunt. :-)

Dacxjo and Beki, Team Esperanto

---

 

For Safety – DO NOT USE “Music and earphones” IN RATTLESNAKE OR BEAR COUNTRY.

 

Our music is the sound of water flowing over rocks, wind in the trees, and of course, the birds.

[+Waterboy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by BrianSnat:

Finally, a hiking, or trekking pole is a good idea. You can use it to poke around hollow stumps, in crevices and other places where you'd rather not stick your hand first.

---

In addition to a trekking pole, a pair of gardening gloves may be useful when poking around hollow stumps, etc. Gloves are also useful when the cache is covered by wet, slimy objects or has wet, slimy contents.

[McKenna Family]

Someone already said spare batteries, nothing sucks worse than getting close, then the GPS goes dead.

 

Signaling device of some sort. A small whistle is a good way to attract help if you injure yourself. Small first aid kit is also a good idea.

 

Let someone know where you are going, and when you expect to be back. Even better, do that and also take a friend or two.

 

Have fun.

 

Patti and Matthew McKenna, Watsonville California

Garmin 72

[+Renegade Knight]

The lists above are a good place to start. You can add or subtract items as you learn what you wish you had brought along.

 

One thing I'll add to the list is a compact mirror. It helps you look rather than feel around with your hand in dank and dark places.

[+leatherman]

Gloves and a mirror have been mentioned. So I will embellish.

 

I like PVC gloves. They're sweaty but they protect you from stickers and slime.

 

You can buy a mirror on a telescoping handle at a car parts store, or in the tool section at Sears.

 

POWDER!!!!!!

[mckee]

I ran across somebody who said a flare gun was a nice thing to have in more remote areas. Sounds extreme, but I suppose f you're getting there by boat you may already have one with you.

[mckee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Team Shibby:

Snacks are important. Bring along Trail Mix or Power Bars or Granola Bars....

---

 

I originally read this as "Snakes are important." I wondered how a snake could afford a bag of Trail Mix...

 

...or even carry it.

 

[+Smitherington]

Something to consider is record keeping. I make all my notes in a small spiral notebook and log 100 finds per notebook. I note the time, trades, maybe weather, points of interest, comments about the cache, etc. Some people keep a three ring binder with all their printouts with the notes kept on them. Some use a Palm or Pocket PC. Some keep no notes. Some take photos of every cache.

If you don't start out keeping records, it is hard to start after caching for a while. Some will be missed that way.

But whether you keep records or not, Happy Caching!!

[+shawhh]

the amount of gear i take depends on the terrain the cache is in. around town: gps, compass, calculator, extra batteries, cell phone, pen, pad, insect repellant, and trade items. in the wilds: the above plus water, flashlight, space blanket, clothing appropriate for the weather, lighter, maps (if really in a remote area), and specialty items as needed or warranted. until you can get a feel for what works for you, better to take too much than too little. anytime you are in an unfamiliar area be sure to mark the position of your vehicle so as to avoid the embarrassment of being out in the woods with all this high tech navigation equipment and not be able to tell which way to go! good luck on the hunt from a fellow RN. -harry

[+Sunni Daze]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I never would have thought of some of them. Delivery of my GPS has been delayed until tomorrow, which is disappointing but I'll still have time to read the manual & play with the unit before I head out. Thanks again. You guys are great.

 

"We'd mount an expedition heading up into the bay,superstitious children playing Pirate for a Day."-Jimmy Buffett

[Rapparee]

I have a "beach bag" that has all the stuff like suntan lotion, towels, swimsuits, waterproof key container, small pair of binoculars, etc, in it.

 

I am now making up a caching "backpack", which will have the stuff I figure I will need.

 

This makes it much easier to "grab and go", and not have to go through some kind of checklist for each outing, and maybe taking the chance of forgetting something important.

 

Just thought I'd add this in case it is a helpful idea for some of you out there.

[4x4van]

Welcome to the world of geocaching!

 

All great ideas listed here. As you get more familiar with geocaching, you'll develop your own style and needs.

 

I started with a fanny pack, but my needs/wants quickly outgrew it. I now use a small hip-mounted case for my GPS unit, and I picked up a small/medium hydro pack (Camelback type) for the rest. It's made by Outdoor Products, and has been very durable. It's small enough to be handy, but large enough to carry everything I need.

 

In addition to the internal water bladder, I take along:

-First Aid kit, solar blanket, light stick, sunscreen and bug repellant wipes, a small bar of soap and washrag.

-A knife, flashlight, lighter, and cheap plastic rain poncho.

-Cell phone, extra GPS batteries, compass, small calculator, camera, digital pedometer.

-Snacks (usually jerky and trail mix).

-Cache log sheets (my own design), pen/pencil, the cache page and any topo maps I've printed out.

-Geo-loot (for trades).

 

After reading this forum, I think I'll add a pair of gloves, signal mirror, and whistle.

 

Always remember to mark/record your parking location when you first get there! Makes getting back to where you parked much easier. It also allows you to make the return trip a new route in itself, rather than simply backtracking where you've already been.

 

And finally, perhaps most importantly, I always print out a list of the sites/coodinates where I'm headed and leave them with someone, in case I fail to return.

 

We don't stop playing because we grow old...we grow old because we stop playing!

[Mr. Big]

One or two items I've not seen but that I pack for everything outdoors are a length of stout cord, a knife or multitool for repairs of a host of little things, from sunglass screws to torn out shoe eyelets.

 

Most useful item, and one I've never left behind since suffering mild hypothermia after climbing from 80 degrees and sunny at 4300 feet to drizzling and 50 at 8000 feet: garbage bags.

 

I like to carry things with multiple uses. Garbage bags -- the big ones -- make great ponchos, and they make great CITO bags, too (hence the name).

 

GPS arrives in a day or so, and I can start caching the right way -- been doing it unassisted and often unsuccessfully so far. However, I've spent a lot of time outdoors, so my advise comes from that.

 

Anytime I'm away from roads and crowds -- taking a "real" hike -- I carry enough shelter to get me through a night safely. That may only be a garbage bag and a polypro sweater, along with a few energy bars and water. Always a whistle, light and matches or lighter.

 

Good thread!

[Nightstalker1967]

All the above posts have excellent suggestions but don't forget the mundane that I bet most of these folks take but have not mentioned (or I speed read too quickly) -- namely, a waterproof bag. It can be an elaborate canoe expedition type, a garbage bag or just a quart or gallon ziplock bag depending upon your needs and disposition.

 

I'd suggest visiting a basic hiking and camping website and brushing up on 'the Ten Essentials' or whatever is recommended on that site and reading just a bit about being in the wilds before chargeing off on your first hunt that is other than an urban park if you are as inexperienced as you said. You might even desire to take along a mentor with some experience to just kind of watch over your attempt.

 

ANother tip and I'll quit. Do not wear any 'smell good' when outside hiking. I love the smell of a woman wearing Opium or me wearing Farenheit but so do the BUGS. I shower hair and all using a bar of soap that is Citronella enhanced. You can buy this at Walmart and camping stores.

 

Good luck and have fun.

 

"For the captain had quitted the long drawn strife

And in far Simoree had taken a wife." ( R. Kipling)

[+Sunni Daze]

I tried to find the Pioneer Park Cache today but couldn't get to it due to flooding. Why didn't anyone mention waders

All I can say is that is was good practice in familiar territory & THANK GOD FOR BUG SPRAY!

 

"We'd mount an expedition heading up into the bay,superstitious children playing Pirate for a Day."-Jimmy Buffett

[magellan315]

Sunnie Daze, just moved out of Florida and cahced their for two years. You should expect a number of caches in your area to be flooded at this time of the year due to the daily rains.

[+Joba and Geo Jake]

Besides the above mentioned (all great ideas), I bring a wad of baby wipes in a zip lock bag. They can clean up just about anything.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Be nice to your kids....They'll choose your nursing home.

[Daft Tart]

This has been a really useful thread for me as I have just started also.

 

At present, I am caching with my partner, but will be on my own from next week when I get home!!!

 

So far, my bag contains....

basic first aid kit (my home area in UK is marsh and country land)

GPS,

combined compass, whistle, thermometer and magnifying glass,

pen,

notepad,

cell phone,

trades,

 

AND ONE THING NOT MENTIONED YET ----- Loose change!!!

 

Will have to stock up on some more bits, but think I have the basic essentials!

 

Daft Tart