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Did you ever say "I wish someone told me..." when you started?

Verboten

By Verboten
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Verboten

+Verboten

Posted
Posted

I read about Geocaching a while ago and it sounded like a pretty cool hobby, but just kind of got dismissed as good ideas often do.

 

I've been traveling for work recently and started thinking about a GPS to hook up to my laptop after getting turned around a few times. While trying to justify spending the cash on a GPS I recalled Geocaching and have spent the past couple of days lurking here. After reading up a bit I've decided that this is something I really want to do. I even have an idea where my first cache will go.

 

I've read up on the hardware and the eTrex Legend seems like a good choice at $150 after rebate from Amazon. I'm open to other suggestions, but I think I like the form factor of the eTrex over the Meridian. My dad has a Meridan Marine and it just seems kind of clunky to me. I've never really used it for anything, and have never even held an eTrex (looked at them at Target), but that's what I think I want.

 

Anyway, I guess I don't have any specific questions to ask. As the title implies, I'm just kind of looking for general advice. If you could start Geocaching over again, what would you do differently?

 

-Vb

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Kouros

+Kouros

Posted
Posted

I'd not hide my first cache so soon after starting. Having done so, I can really understand the appeal of getting right in there straight away, but honestly, it's best to wait until you've found a good number of caches to understand how they should be hidden.

 

My first cache was atrociously bad. And I mean bad. At the time I thought it was well hidden, but in the light of day (literally, as I hid it at night) things weren't as good as they seemed. The first few visitors to the cache - people whom I would now consider my friends - were very kind, and tactfully suggested that it should be moved.

 

Moved it was, and almost a year later, it's still there, and people actually enjoy hunting for it now, rather than wondering what planet I was on when I placed it.

 

------

An it harm none, do what ye will

soapbox.gif

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briansnat

+briansnat

Posted
Posted

I don't think I'd do anything differently. I purchased the Legend and it's a fine choice. I eventually upgraded to the Vista, chiefly for more memory, but don't regret my inital purchase of the Legend.

 

My first cache hide is still one of my best even though I only had one find at the time. The one thing I've been doing differently is using ammo boxes instead of RubberMaid/Tupperware for my standard sized caches, They are as cheap, or cheaper and much more waterproof and durable.

 

I've also slowly been replacing my older caches with ammo boxes.

 

"An appeaser is one who keeps feeding a crocodile-hoping it will eat him last" -Winston Churchill

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RichardMoore

+RichardMoore

Posted
Posted

I would have joined the local geocaching club sooner. When you compare experiences with other geocachers you find out that the problems that come up are normal. I thought that I was using the GPS incorrectly until I spent some time with more experienced cachers.

 

RichardMoore

 

Progress is not created by contented people.

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Kouros

+Kouros

Posted
Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Night Stalker:

I would suggest that you purchase a GPS with sufficient memory so that you can download maps. I travel a lot for business and find that it is a life saver for finding my way around as well as finging caches.

 

Actually, I completely agree. I bought my GPS (Garmin Venture) second-hand, and I would really, *really* prefer to have decent mapping on it.

 

------

An it harm none, do what ye will

soapbox.gif

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bitbrain

+bitbrain

Posted
Posted

1) Make sure you can recognize Poison Ivy and Poison Oak in all their various forms

 

2) DEET is your friend 'cause the skeeters don't like it

 

3) Keep a spare set of batteries handy when you're caching

 

4) The shortest path is not always the best path

 

5) 'Couldn't Find It' logs can be the most interesting to read. Don't be afraid to log a No Find.

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Verboten

+Verboten

Posted
  • Author
Posted

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:

I eventually upgraded to the Vista, chiefly for more memory, but don't regret my inital purchase of the Legend.

 

quote:
Originally posted by Night Stalker:

I would suggest that you purchase a GPS with sufficient memory so that you can download maps. I travel a lot for business and find that it is a life saver for finding my way around as well as finging caches.

 

The Legend has a base map and 8MB which seems sufficient for Geocaching and general use. For more detailed mapping I have a laptop with MapPoint. Is 8MB too small to download detailed maps to if I decide to buy some later? Brian, how was the Legend restricting you?

 

Thanks for the replies,

 

-Vb

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Night Stalker

+Night Stalker

Posted
Posted

I don't know how much memory it takes to download a decent map for a Garmin, but the maps for the Magellan are compressed enough that I can download a pretty large area in less then 5 meg. In addition I can load as many as 3 maps at a time so by selecting the areas I want I can get very complete maps in less then 5 meg for several areas.

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arcadesdude

arcadesdude

Posted
Posted

Ultimate List of Geocaching Tips

http://geocaching.port5.com/geocachingtips.php

 

Also another good tip would be to skim the past posts on this forum, great stuff here.

 

Mapping on a GPS is definately a bonus but if you can do without it you could get a etrex yellow (basic), a Geko, Magellan 315 GPS for a bit cheaper. You could probably get a GPS for geocaching for about $65 if you look hard enough and buy it used. But if you want a better more feature filled GPS and you'll be using it for more than just geocaching, then that going to cost you a bit more. Then again if you want precision accuracy you could plunk down 5k on a Trimble icon_smile.gif

 

Ricky's Geocaching Page

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Dale_Lynn

Dale_Lynn

Posted
Posted

One thing I would do is play with the GSP unit for day or so. Push all the buttons, look at all the screens, read manual cover to cover a few times.

 

Take unit to a local park or school grounds or large accessible area. Identify a land mark, something like a water fountain, or home plate on ball field or even a odd shaped bush, just something. Program that item ( location) in as a way point. You know how to do this because you played with all the buttons and screens. Walk a distance away from the "way point" item. Use GPS to guide you back (forget fact you can actually see the "target location"). Watch GPS reactions as you "wander around" looking for the location. Maybe even walk past location to see how unit responds.

 

Once you are familiar with unit, go on a few simple 1/1 cache hunts. What I do is I let GPS guide me to the spot where unit says cache is. I put down my back pack (it carries a few trinkets personal log book and a few pencils and whatever) as a marker for "the location". I then begin a visual ground search for the actual cache. Remember It can be the maximum distance for the accuracy of your unit plus the cache hidders unit. so if you unit is accurate within 15 feet and the hidders is within 15 feet the actual cache may be up to 30 foot from the "location" registering on your GPS.

 

Look for something slightly out the ordinary for the specific location. A pile of rocks or sticks or under a odd shaped bush, inside a hollow log. Just LOOK. There is not going to be a neon sign saying "CACHE HERE".

 

Dale

icon_rolleyes.gif

 

--------------------------------------------------------

I'm Diagonally Parked, In A Parallel Universe.

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briansnat

+briansnat

Posted
Posted

quote:
Brian, how was the Legend restricting you?

 

I wouldn't say it was restricting. I was able to load maps of my entire home geocaching area (northern NJ and southeastern NY state.

 

But I find the Vista's additional memory useful. In addition to my local geocaching grounds, I'm able to load maps for other areas that I visit frequently

 

"An appeaser is one who keeps feeding a crocodile-hoping it will eat him last" -Winston Churchill

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garrettmaster1

garrettmaster1

Posted
Posted

The Legend is a great GPS. I absoutely love mine. If you get into the technical side of things with it later on with all of the software and such, you should check out garmins site to download a upgrade on the Legends software

 

One program I found really interesting for caching/goofing around with (heh), is a program called "USAphotomaps" found here: http://jdmcox.com/ This program will show your current position, waypoints, tracks, and routes all on aerial photos.

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ZingerHead

+ZingerHead

Posted
Posted

Good choice. You'll love the maps for plotting driving routes to and from the caches. I have a Vista and the little yellow eTrex, and while both are completely adequate for the part of geocaching that comes after you park the car, the Vista is my hands down favorite for getting me there. If I had the money, I'd trade up to a V for the autorouting.

 

There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary numbers, and those who don't.

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