What to do with it while you walk

[Guest tvlindy]

Where do you put the thing on a long hike? Presumably it needs to be on and able to see the sky if you want to be able to back track etc. That means not in your pocket or belt clip holder. Also no hats with big brims if you clip it to your pack straps. I don't want to just hold it out in fron of me for 2-3 hours. Any suggestions?

[Guest jeremy]

I suppose you could attach it to the top of your backpack, but you don't really need to have it on the whole time. I usually just take it out periodically to ensure I'm going the right way, and keeping it off and in my pocket most of the time.

 

Jeremy

[Guest ba.roberts]

I put mine in the breast pocket of a shirt or jacket (depending on the weather) and it seems to be working happily there. Somewhere I have seen a mobile phone pouch that fits on a strap worn like a bandolier across the chest, but at the moment I can't remember where.

 

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Brian

[Guest Moun10Bike]

Motorola supplies a stretchy piece of thick Velcro now with its TalkAbout radio holders. It is meant to strap around your arm, then the radio (with holder) adheres to it. I was thinking of adapting it to use with my GPS. Another solution is to pick up an external antenna (if your GPS can support it) and use the antenna's magnetic mount to "stick" it to a washer that you have sewn into a hat or cap.

[Guest Markwell]

rossroad, or significantly changed my initial direction.

[Guest peter]

quote:

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Originally posted by tvlindy:

Where do you put the thing on a long hike? Any suggestions?

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If I'm carrying a pack then I put my eMap inside the top compartment with the patch antenna facing up. Without a suitable pack I use an armband pocket that I bought at Radio Shack for $8. They sell them as holders for the FRS-band two-way radios. They're made of Neoprene with a Velcro fastener and they'll hold your GPS up high near your shoulder where it gets a good view of the sky.

[Guest Quinnow]

Do what I do...make your wife carry it, don't tell her I said that!

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

[Guest JasonW]

quote:

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Originally posted by tvlindy:

Where do you put the thing on a long hike?

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I put mine in an Aquapac waterproof bag with a lanyard, and put the lanyard around my neck with the bag containing the GPS in my top pocket. Works a treat and the GPS will never drop too far and it's waterproof in the bag!

[Guest CaptHawke]

While walking a nature trail in the Florida Everglades last month, I spotted a guy with an Etrex balanced on top of his floppy hat. His wife was pretending that she didn't know him.

[Guest JasonW]

I carry mine in an Aquapac waterproof case (with a lanyard) - I put the lanyard around my neck and the GPS unit in my breast pocket.

 

Thus my GPS is accessible, protected against spilling out of my pocket and against moisture.....

 

Suits me - but might not be suitable for others.

[Guest JasonW]

Doh - I hate web caches - I posted, came back later and thought it hadn't appeared for some reason and then it did! Now I look like a right axxxxxxxx

 

[This message has been edited by jeremy (edited 03-22-2001).]

[Guest JasonW]

Doh - I hate web caches - I posted, came back later and thought it hadn't appeared for some reason and then it did! Now I look like a right axxxxxxxx

 

[This message has been edited by jeremy (edited 03-22-2001).]

[Guest Anton]

Language! Language! Gee-whiz fellas!

 

Did ya read that some of us have kids that read these pages? Help us out, will ya?

 

Thanks. And you'll feel better, too.

 

Anton

 

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Anton Ninno, N2RUD

Syracuse, NY 13210

[Guest aero]

When I go on long hikes, like for at least a day or more, I turn my GPS on every hour to make sure I'm on course, and I save my position as a waypoint. If you do it regularly, you create a log of your hike without needing to carry a case of AA batts. I don't know about you guys, but my backpack is always too heavy as it is.

[Guest Farqhuarson]

well, like jeremy i only check periodically to make sure im heading the right way, or to mark a waypoint for whatever reason. the rest of the time i strap it to my shoulder strap on my CamelBack day pack, and there is a mesh pocket on the side that i reach back and stick it in. easy access, and if i do leave it on, it has a unobstructed (relatively) view of the sky.

 

anyways thats my solution. i do love my CamelBack

[Guest Farqhuarson]

well, like jeremy i only check periodically to make sure im heading the right way, or to mark a waypoint for whatever reason. the rest of the time i strap it to my shoulder strap on my CamelBack day pack, and there is a mesh pocket on the side that i reach back and stick it in. easy access, and if i do leave it on, it has a unobstructed (relatively) view of the sky.

 

anyways thats my solution. i do love my CamelBack

[Guest 300mag]

I usually take a bearing shut it off and place it back in it's carying case(on my belt).Then after take the compass an follow it ...and so on.This way it saves on batteries plus it goes faster.

[Guest Vilks]

I usually wear a military jacket when I'm out hiking and my Lowrance works fine out of the chest bellows pocket (got to be careful about bending over though).

 

My pack harness uses a custom made carry pouch that hold it on the bottom and uses an elastic strap/flap affair over the top leaving most of the unit exposed.

[Guest nkingston]

I believe you will find it most efficient to use your Gps in conjunction with your compass. Your Gps should tell you the proper compass heading and the distance (as the crow flies) to the cache waypoint. Find a visual reference with your compass and estimate how long it will take you to get to the cache waypoint. Then turn off the Gps. Turn the Gps back on when you are closing in or when you lose the visual reference and need another.

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

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Originally posted by nkingston:

Then turn off the Gps. Turn the Gps back on when you are closing in or when you lose the visual reference and need another.

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I usually advise people to avoid turning off the GPS, especially when in tree cover. It is easier to maintain satellite lock by leaving the unit on than it is to try to re-acquire it.

[Guest jeremy]

Very true. If it is a long hike, I still turn it off, then find a nice area to get a good lock on when I get close.

 

Jeremy

[Guest Moun10Bike]

Good point -- its a good idea to turn it off on a long outing, especially if you don't have a replacement set of batteries! As Jeremy says, just be sure to find a clear area in which to turn it back on.

[Guest Anton]

Greetings,

 

This weekend, while I was working on a particularly challenging cache that I still haven't found, I duck-taped an external GPS antenna to my hat. External antennas always have better gain than a built-in antenna.

 

The added benefit is that you can hold the GPS in any postion you like without affecting the reception quality.

 

Of course, if you look down at the ground or up to the sky, you WILL change the reception quality. Probably the best hat for this set up is a plastic hardhat. In hot weather use a mesh safari helmet.

 

Anton

 

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Anton Ninno - N2RUD

Syracuse, NY 13210

[Guest cache_ninja]

i forget to turn my 315 off sometimes, and then find usually, to my surprise, it has been getting a pretty good constant lock through my pocket(usually jacket)...pretty cool.

c/n

[Guest 300mag]

Sorry but everytime i see this post it makes me smile

[Guest 300mag]

Sorry but everytime i see this post it makes me smile

[Guest makaio]

Although probably a few years before prices drop to the point the average geocacher can afford them, wearable computers appear a perfect fit for this sport. Currently, many of us have the ability to use wireless palm units to connect to the website from the field along with our GPS units (or even integrated into the palm units), but they still occupy at least one hand. Wearable computers (www.xybernaut.com) will (and do) allow us to remain connected from the field hands-free. They even provide a means to be in voice/visual contact with other geocachers or someone back home, which lends itself greatly to the idea of team geocaching. As most of us enjoy elecronic instruments (or we wouldn't be geocaching), this could make the sport alot more fun.