Help Me Please

August 27, 2004

Can someone please help me to learn this game? I want to play but I don't know where to start. I live in Rogers Park, Chicago. Thank you all!!

August 27, 2004

Can someone please help me to learn this game? I want to play but I don't know where to start. I live in Rogers Park, Chicago. Thank you all!!

Go to geocaching dot com and click on about geocaching. You'll learn all about it.

August 27, 2004

There is a link to geocaching.com at the top of this page...

August 27, 2004

Do you have a GPS yet? If yes do you know how to use it?

For local assistance you can check out the Midwest Forum.

August 27, 2004

I already have a GPS and I've used it a few times. I just want to learn how to use it in this fashion.

August 27, 2004

I already have a GPS and I've used it a few times. I just want to learn how to use it in this fashion.

Pretty simple...To start, go to the "Hide and Seek" area on the geocaching homepage. Type in a search for the area you want to look in. Pick one or two of the easier ones to start with, click on the corresponding page and type the listed coordinates into your GPS. Now go look for your treasure!

After finding the cache, sign the log book and place the cache back in it's original position, go back home and log your find on the cache page.

Pretty easy...There's more to it but you will find it by poking around the site and doing more caches.

August 27, 2004

Scroll down the list of forums, near the bottom, you'll find a section for caching groups in your area (Midwest) I'm sure you'll find some help there

(local contacts) Edited August 27, 2004 by Mzee & Associates

August 27, 2004

After finding the cache, sign the log book and place the cache back in it's original position.

Ah, so it's the finding it part I'm doing wrong.

August 29, 2004

After finding the cache, sign the log book and place the cache back in it's original position.

Ah, so it's the finding it part I'm doing wrong.

LOL! I was thinking the same thing when I wrote that...I should have said "I've HEARD that others sign the log book after finding the cache!" :rolleyes:

5.3k · August 29, 2004

As others have said, look for local cache events in your area, go to one or two and try to find someone you go on a few searches with. Unless you go out and look for some, you wil never learn. Geocaching is more of a learn by doing than a learn by reading activity.

2k · August 29, 2004

Welcome aboard! I strongly urge you to pick some "regular" caches as your first attempts since they tend to be larger, easier to spot when you get close and a tad more satisfying o find when you're starting out.

Let the co-ords you enter get you close and pay attention! Not all GPSr's will take you straight to the cache but instead will indicate to you a small area to concentrte your search.

Look around when the GPSr says you're close, any hollow logs? suspicious piles of brush. Sometimes a popular cache will have a path leading to it from all the cachers.

Enjoy yourself ou there. Don't be frustrated if you don't hit paydirt the first time out. It takes some getting used to.

3k · August 29, 2004

Can someone please help me to learn this game? I want to play but I don't know where to start. I live in Rogers Park, Chicago. Thank you all!!

You've been a member since July of 2002 and you don't know how to geocache yet?

I don't get it.

August 29, 2004

I got the GPS two years ago as a gift and used it only for hunting in Colorado to mark vehicles and animals. I haven't used it since. I just remembered I had it and decided to try my hand at this game. It's been sitting in a drawer for almost two years. Get it?

August 29, 2004

Do a zip-code search to find caches around your town. If possible, find one in a park you're more familiar with, so parking and finding trails won't be so much of an issue. Before you leave, make sure to read your GPS's owner's manuel or look it up online so you can use the navigation features (very handy in geocaching).

Edit: remove link that wasn't working...

Edited August 29, 2004 by Enspyer

August 29, 2004

What is the correct setting for the position format? I am on hddd mm'.mmm'....what do these letters mean anyways?

1.7k · August 29, 2004

What is the correct setting for the position format? I am on hddd mm'.mmm'....what do these letters mean anyways?

I don't know what the h is but the ddd is degrees, the mm is minutes and the .mmm is decimal (fractions of) minutes.

That's the typical setting for geocaching

Maybe the h is for hemisphere which is indicated by a plus or minus sign.

Edited August 29, 2004 by Thot

1.8k · August 29, 2004

If you will bookmark this markwell page, and check it out as needed, you will have most of it down.

http:http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/marklent60544/myhomepage/Geocaching/markwellgcfaq.htm#Feet//members.aol.com/_ht_a/marklent60544/myhomepage/Geocaching/markwellgcfaq.htm#Feet

3k · August 29, 2004

Get it?

Got it thanks. :lol:

There are some pretty good suggestions here so far, make sure to let us know if you have any specific questions.

You aren't from Michigan are you? Just asking because of the Wings avatar.

If so come on over to our local group MiGO @ http://www.mi-geocaching.org

August 30, 2004

You might also check the Chicago geocaching page. And then, you could always buy one of the books on the topic. :lol:

4.7k · August 30, 2004

baldy, you've gotten some good advice and some not-so-good advice.

for sure do a zip code search for caches in your area. pick one or two that are not very difficult (they have difficulty ratings), have fairly large containers, and have been found recently.

you may even wish to read other people's logs about the caches. some of us don't like to read the logs beforehand because they sometimes contain spoilers, but it's probably best to read them on your first couple of tries.

PRINT the page out (use the print friendly option) and bring it with you. sometimes it contains information that you don't always recognize as important information.

i'm assuming that since you're already used your GPS unit for hunting and such that you already know how to enter a waypoint. enter the coordinates for the cache, hit "goto" and you're in business.

find it, sign the log, and if you like, make a trade. try to make a fair trade.

you will find that there are no shortage of opinions in the forums about a variety of things, so if you have questions you can always ask. when you ask, try to have your question worded specifically enough so that you'll get specific answers that will be useful to you.