Geocaching Gear

[Miele]

The first time, I just took my GPS and the cache description. I didn't find anything.

The second time, I thought a pen would be a good idea.

Then, I found out that I had to decode some morse code, I had to return home and get a translation from the internet.

After I found my first cache yesterday, I found out it would be useful to take something to wipe my hands with......

 

To make a long story short:

What do you take with you when you go out geocaching, and how do you prepare for a geocache (read all log entries, view the pictures)?

 

Thanks for the tips, from an absolute beginner

[+steviep]

i take -pen, a4,water proofs ,spare batteries,mobile phone, stick,pda,gps,maps,swaps,tb's,wellie's,spare socks ect ect

[+Indotguy]

I consider the the basics to be a GPS, PDA (or hard copies of cache pages), compass, small flashlight, pocket knife, spare batteries and a writing device (I use a Fisher's Space Pen. It fits in my pocket nicely and writes on anything, even damp logs). Gloves are handy at times and if your caching trip is going to take you very far in the woods the usual equipment one would take on a hiking trip is recommended (maps, firstaid kit, bug spray, water etc). And yes of course, always take along your mobile!

[+briansnat]

It totally depends on the cache and the season. A short summer park and grab, I'll only have my GPS and maybe a trade item in my pocket. A long winter hike will see me bringing a crammed daypack with extra clothing (down vest, waterproof shell layer, dry socks, wool hat, extra sweater) and essential survival items such as mylar emergency blanket, fire starters, matches. Also lunch, perhaps a small thermos of hot tea and plenty of water.

[+reveritt]

I always carry my GPSr, spare batteries, camera, pen, hand sanitizer, TP, water bottle, flashlight, knife, whistle, cell phone, compass, hiking stick, and trade items.

 

Depending on season, I also carry bug spray, sunscreen, chapstick, spare gloves.

 

Some of this stuff gets left in the car, but I carry most in my bag.

[+Wadcutter]

GPSr, extra batteries, bug repellent, 20 ft of 550 cord, assorted sizes zip lock bags, black trash bag (for CITO, shelter, water collection), small flashlight (uses same size batteries as GPSr), OC (pepper spray), small ball compass and milspec compass, light weight leather work gloves, 2 ink pens and 2 pencils, notebook, small camera, straight blade knife in pack, a few bandaids, 4" off set bandage, triangular bandage, 1 qt canteen of water, cell phone, matches, mil heat tab to use as fire starter, and the usual assortment of trade items. All these go in a small vinyl covered kid's multicolored book bag/back pack which has padded shoulder straps. The ball compass is hung on one of the straps for ready reference. The OC fits in one of the outside pockets. Depending on the cache location and where hiking will include some food items from military MREs, even if I think the hike may be for an hour. The whole pack weighs about 10 lbs. On my person is a folding knife, Gerber or Leatherman (which depends on my mood that day) multi-tool, Leatherman micra tool, and one of my handguns (again, which depends on my mood that day. And before it starts a war about carrying guns, I'm a cop, aka LEO). I take a shepherd's crook as a walking stick.

In my vehicle I'll pack extra socks, extra pair of shoes, change of clothes, larger first aid kit, 50 ft of nylon rope, 2 gal of water, military rain poncho (I'll throw it in the pack if looks like will be on a long hike to use as a shelter if worst comes to worse), blanket, extra batteries for GPSr, laptop with mapping program, inverter, military folding shovel.

Oh yeah, almost forgot the most important item, which I couldn't get out of the house without when caching - the wife.

Edited December 13, 2004 by Wadcutter

[+hikemeister]

For about a year now I have kept a plastic tool box in the trunk of my car -- it contains trade items, extra log sheets, pens, pencils, plastic bags, various size cache containers, velcro and other things to use for attaching micro caches to surfaces. Of course I also take my GPS and a pen to sign logs. After the GPS, the most important thing is my hiking stick -- never cache in Florida without one, because you definately do not want to poke around in vegetation with your hands. I suspect this holds true just about anywhere.

[+ziatriguy]

( I'm a cop, aka LEO).

Must be in the blood...I carry just about everything you do....with the addition of climbing gear in the truck.

 

Your cruiser trunk must be stuffed

 

Just remember that 1* applies 27/7.

[tanner77]

Well, I am very new to this, so most of the ones I have found have been park the car and walk about 400ft or so, so not that much goes with me...just my GPS, pencil and notepad for clues and notes, compass, some small toys to place, and my cellphone. As I get more into it, I will probably start to carry a day pack with some basic first aid stuff, flashlights, water, stuff geared for a full day of geocaching.

[+Wadcutter]

Must be in the blood...I carry just about everything you do....with the addition of climbing gear in the truck.

 

Your cruiser trunk must be stuffed

 

Just remember that 1* applies 27/7.

Don't need climbing gear around here. This is central IL. Flat as a table top. Altho, never can tell where I'll end up, might throw some in.

Yup, squad is stuffed - trunk, backseat, and the front seat. If they'd give me a trailer to pull behind I'd fill it up too.

[+JohnnyVegas]

For me it's just the basics

 

Magellan Meridian gold

Magellan sport track map

Magellan Sport trak color (For back up)

Pocket PC loaded with maps of cache areas and PQs

Two or Three flash lights

Several pens

Note pad

Trade items

Bottle of water

Titanium Walking sticks

Batteries

Yaesu VX7R ham radio with extra battery

FRS/GMRS radio - Just bought this one

Radio Shack Pro 96 Digital Trunking scanner - Just bought this also

More Batteries

Base plate compass

Paper map depending on the area

Whistle

Small zip lock bags and log sheets for micro that might need them

Most all of this fits in my vest pockets and my shoulder bag

 

Durring winter I add

Day pack with Rain jacket (gortex)

Fleece Jacket

Fleece hat

Gloves

For winter caching I also use a day pack

[The Dune Doggies]

Check out www.geocachestore.com they sell a pack that has all the essentials you need, including batteries to feed your GPS when in need. And the Yak Pak that they sell to carry is great, I can't say enough about the convience of this thing. Having all of your stuff in one place is truly helpful.

Edited December 15, 2004 by The Dune Doggies

[+Maddawg351]

My pack is kinda light compared to all you

-Magellen SportTrack Map

-Cache Sheets

-Some Swag

-Extra Batteries

-Compass

-Binoculars

-Camera

-A Pensil & Pen

-A Bottle of Water

-My Hiking Stick

-and A Bag of Caching Karma (things I've found, Sig Items, & a list of the caches I've found, ect...)

 

Well thats it. I have a basic tool kit in the car and some rope. I guess that makes me a lightweight. I'll probaly add to the list later, but for now this works for me and only weighs about 5lbs.

[+Thot]

As you might suspect this question has come up before. This may be he ultimate Markwell:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=80569

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=76912

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=74690

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=69796

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=57765

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=58613

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=53416

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=64154

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=7761

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=7112

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=8058

[+briansnat]

You forgot:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...topic=54584&hl=

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...topic=54681&hl=

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...topic=58613&hl=

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...topic=54753&hl=

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...topic=51482&hl=

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...topic=55962&hl=

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...topic=53681&hl=

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...wtopic=9250&hl=

[+wolves shepherd]

I'll chime in for no other reason than I'm planning an all-day cache hunt at a local park soon. (11 caches in 1 park!)

 

Anticiapated conditions--Temperature in the high 40's or low 50's. Covering up to 6 miles on foot (depending on how far the one multi takes me.)

 

(I've obviously done my homework. Looked up all the caches, downloaded the *.loc file and uploaded waypoints to my GPS using GPS Utility. Copied pertinent infor to my Palm Tungsten E for each cache. Read all descriptions to find out onf the 2 multi's depends on 2 of the singles, so I will go in a logical order.)

 

GPS (Filled with rechargables)

Extra set of batteries (alkilines)

PDA

Baggie for the PDA

Knife

Paratool (SOG's version of the Leatherman.)

Camelback full of water

Rain gear (if forecast warrants.)

TB that needs placed.

SWAG

Trashbags to CITO with

Extra baggies in case caches need some help.

Maybe an extra cheapie notebook in case a logbook needs some help.

A book (One of the caches is a book exchange.)

Compass

Pen

Mini-maglight

Printout of the park I made at www.lostoutdoors.com showing all the caches

Daypack

Lunch or at least some snacks

Binoculars

Bird book

Hiking staff (Bamboo, I made it myself!)

 

Clothes--

Probably polypro underneath windpants and a windbreaker.

Gloves, hat, comfortable shoes.

 

That should pretty well cover it!

[+Alan2]

hand sanitizer

 

I know I'm going to sorry for asking but why?

[+Team Perrito Blanco]

A bandana or two is a definite item in any hikers pack.

[EZ Spinners]

I'm lining up a sherpa for my next caching adventure. With all the gear that's needed to get to a cache my back won't be able to take it!

[+Anonymous']

I bring my GPS, cache papers, some swag, a pen, a compass, and a water bottle. Occasionally I bring more but these are the things I generally bring.

[+mdjfun]

Sorry, but... SWAG?

[+Maeglin]

Sorry, but... SWAG?

Aye, matey.

 

Unlike Pyewacket, though, I don't think I'd call it an acronym... just a term.

[+Team Perrito Blanco]

Arrr!

[kayaker22589]

My cell phone, pocket knife, pen, GPS, two spare batteries, swag, and a pen.

[+Chaz]

I always take:

 

-GPSr (DUH!)

-Coumpass

-Camera

-Pocket Knife

-Swag

-Money

-A Micro Cache, just in case

[+Maeglin]

Letsee...

 

- Camelbak

- GPSr

- PDA

- Camera

- Spare batteries

- Some kind of snack

- First aid kit (thankfully haven't needed it, but better safe than sorry)

- Poncho

- Pencil

- Extra ziplock bags

- Insect repellant

- Swag

 

As far as getting ready for a caching trip, will usually look up caches in a general area, print road maps as needed, and load info into the PDA and GPSr. Not one of the most spontaneous cachers... yet