Geocaching Without Paper(using A Laptop)

[+bigrock]

I would like to Geocache Without Paper using a laptop not a Palm.

 

I can find info on doing this with a palm but very little on doing this with a laptop.

 

So my question is, If I use Gsak on my lap top, buy a premium membership from Groundspeak and download GPX files will I be able to have all of the same information about each cache that I want to visit as if I was logged onto the "net"

 

What I would like to see is the "Terrain, Difficulty, Hints (Decrypted) ect. when I am offline and in my truck with the laptop.

 

My apologies if this question has been asked before but I am having trouble finding info related to Laptops.

 

Appreciate all replies!

[+Semper Questio]

Yes. In fact, if I'm thinking this out enough, It should actually provide a better "view" of the cache information than with a palm-type device. Plus, if you have wireless capability and can locate a WAP you can get up-to-the moment updates and and do on-the-move logging.

 

A BIG down side is that a laptop would be awfully clumsy and dangerous (to be stolen or damaged) to lug to many cache sites and power limitations are far more of an issue.

[+Greymane]

This is a great way to get you "close" to the cache. Depending on the cache, this will get you in the ballpark. Then you can review the details and head out with your GPSr. I like the Pocket PC because I can take it right to the cache with me. And, yes, I can take all of the webpage data with me.

[+bigrock]

Thank you for the very quick replies!

 

Basicly all I need is to be able to acess the webpage data when the internet is not available.

We would like to take a roadtrip and Geocache along the way. I just thought it would be nice to have all the data with us on the laptop as we travel along.

 

I am not to worried about the laptop as it is older and not that attractive to thieves. Maybe I will paint it in camoflage

 

Thanks again for the replies,

Bigrock

[+Miragee]

A Palm M500 like mine can be bought on eBay for around $40.00 to $60.00. Much more convenient than my laptop.

 

I take my laptop with me occasionally, but with the map on my GPSr, with all the waypoints there, and the cache info on my Palm, in Cachemate (well worth the $8.00 registration fee), I don't need the laptop for some caching adventures.

 

I definetely don't take it on the caching trips where I be doing more hiking than driving.

[+Semper Questio]

I have GSAK on my laptop. when i travel i use it in the hotel..I use a alm Tungsten E with CacheMate in an Otter Box in the field.

[+NightPilot]

You can save the web page itself to your laptop, but this can be time-consuming for a large number of caches, and is probably more trouble than it's worth. What you will see in GSAK is what you see on your computer. Try disconnecting from your internet connection, and running GSAK, and you'll see exactly what you get. Probably there are a couple of reasons you don't see much discussion of this:

 

1. It's very hard to carry a laptop along to the caches, and that's what most people really want - information when they're searching for, and having trouble finding, the cache.

 

2. With a laptop, you get just what you see at home, just with the internet connection disabled, so it's not that hard to figure out.

 

One advantage of having a laptop with you is that you can often find a wireless access point while driving, and log onto the site with it. There are free access points all over the place, even if you discount all the home networks that are transmitting. All Panera Bread restaurants offer it, along with many other coffee shops and restaurants; many motels offer it; many libraries also offer free access; in Texas, all rest stops on major highways will soon offer free access, if it isn't already installed, and other states might eventually follow suit. There are several websites that list free wifi hotspots, but none are even close to complete, AFAIK. They pop up too often for anyone to keep up with.

[+bigrock]

A Palm M500 like mine can be bought on eBay for around $40.00 to $60.00.  Much more convenient than my laptop.

 

Wow, that is a reasanable price that is worth checking out!

 

NightPilot,

Thanks, that is the exact info I was looking for.

[+Sputnik 57]

If you are a Garmin user and have City Select or Topo, you can also load NRoute on your laptop and use the laptop to autoroute and display your track, position, etc.