Do You Have To Have A Gps

[vberchtold]

I am very interested in doing the geocaching - so are my kids, but do not have a GPS and can't afford one. Is there any place on the Geocache site that give "walking directions" for us poor people??? Vic

[+El Diablo]

Hi Vic,

There are people that do it without a GPS unit, but it takes a lot of mapping skills. There are caches out there that are letter box hybrids that you can do. Or you might want to look into Letter Boxing.

 

El Diablo

[+Renegade Knight]

You don't need a GPS. However you will need to hone your map skills to get close then use the clue to find the cache. You can be quite successful doing this. Especially once you start to get a feel for how people hide caches.

[outrigger3]

walmart sells them for around 100 dollars you can get a good unit there

[+Robespierre]

If you have a local park that you know well, and it has a cache, you just might be able to start very easily - but you might not have a place you know well enough. Perhaps you have a friend with a unit, and you could take him/her alone and show them caching. good luck.

[+Night Stalker]

I just got a new cacher started who found his first couple of caches without a GPS. I don't know how he did it. I am not that good with a map. You might want to find a local cacher who is willing to take you around with him/her for a while until you can afford to take the plunge. Normally it doesn't take long before the itch gets the best of you. I know people who have gone on crash diets to save enough money to buy one.

[+IVxIV]

As the others have already said, yup you certainly can go Geocaching without a GPS. Best to stick to the 1/1 caches though (implying level of difficulty of find, & toughness of terrain). And yeah you & the kids will have an enjoyable experience doing "grass roots caching"

 

Keep in mind though if you (& family) are the "outdoorsy" types, then a GPS isn't such a one-dimensionl gadget only good for this activity. You'd be surprised how many interesting uses can be achieved by these amazingly accurage wonderboxes. Hey some people even use them to "mark" the coordinates of their car in huge parking lots

 

Once you decide to take the plunge & buy a GPS, a used one on Ebay might be your cheapest route, a lot of people have had many good reports from units purchased in that virtual auction sale. New units can be had cheap too, one of the cheapest is the Lowrance iFinder GO that's sold new for just $68, and for a cheapie it has every bit as good of accuracy as the most expensive consumer GPSr. That's one interesting quirk of this technology. Contrary to steriotype opinions, more money does NOT buy better accuracy (necessarily)

[vberchtold]

I am the person who posted the question, I thank all who responded and was amazed how many in such a short time. Again thank you for your responses. Vic

[3Ds]

Today i am in the forums looking for advice on the cheapest yet effective gadget to get. I have 22 finds and no gadget myself. Granted a lot of mine are virtual but not all of them. I am looking to buy but enjoy greatly the 'secret agent' style hunting. My general guidelines are:

I usually look for a hide that is not more than 1.5 or 2 on difficulty and terrain.

I read all logs and the clues and encrypted hints and photos.

I go to lostoutdoors.com and get a photo of the area with a marker at spot -must do.

I look at the maps on the logs page

Make good notes and take with me.

I know it may take more than one trip to the site to find it, one to scope and then reevaluate the clues and photos with the info i gathered on the first trip out.

It may sound like a lot but it is truely a hunt and very gratifying when it is found.

Hope this helps. 3Ds-always on the hunt

[+Yamahammer]

There is always eBay.

 

[WH]

Asking whether you need a GPS to go caching is a little like asking if you need a fishing pole to catch fish or a rifle to go hunting.

 

It is possible to catch fish and kill game without them, it just requires more patience and skill.

Edited June 2, 2005 by WH

[+briansnat]

There is also letterboxing which is similar to geocaching, but no GPS is required.

 

As far as a GPS being too expensive, some manufacturers make some very inexpensive units. I've seen the Garmin Geko 101 sold new for as litle as $49 and the Lowrance iFinder GO only lists for $79.

 

You can find them even cheaper if you check out eBay, or this websites GPS Garage Sale forum.

[+sbell111]

With patience and dumb luck, you can find a geko 101 or yellow etrex on ebay for $50-$60.

[MagicMeeko]

Use the hints and pictures. I mean the cache placer intends for you to use them or he or she would not put them there. And since he put them there, he must want for you to have that information. Some people would need both the GPS and the hints and pictures.

 

Seriously though, limit your first non gps finds to 1/1s and 2/2s. Also Look for the larger cache containers.

 

My first 5 caches where without a gps. I decided on the Etrex Yellow (Which I got for $89) and had that with me for a 3/2. I don't have much 'force' yet so that cache with my GPS was a multiple DNF. After that my car quit on me. So technically, all of my Finds have been with out a gps.

 

Another cache was in my old neighborhood. I looked at the pictures, and given what I saw, I knew EXACTLY where to go. Once I was on-site in the park (pocket park) it took me less than 3 minutes to find it. That one was a micro as well.

 

There is a list of the top geocachers floating around somewhere, one guy is in the 4 digits, and claims to not use a GPS at all.

[+Team Cotati]

Unfortunately there is no place on the site that gives walking directions. The site and game are most assuredly GPSr centric and as such you would be best advised to purchase one.

 

But no, you are not required to have one. Try finding a few using some of the techniques that others in these forums can recommend and advise upon.

 

This ought to answer your question. Good luck and have fun in the great outdoors.

[dave1980]

There is always eBay.

 

I second that, I have searched for grins and giggles on ebay for GPS units and came up with some interesting stuff. You can search the forums there are many posts about GPS units and you can find one to your liking and search for it on ebay or if you know someone with a gps unit they dont use all the time you could borrow one

Edited June 3, 2005 by dave1980

[+Faith the Aquariaqueen]

Vic,

 

I was successful with my first searches by using mapquest and the hints, plus a lot of reading people's logs, some of the best hints are there. Like someone said look for the 1/1 caches. My kids aren't particularly fond of the micro's......nothing to trade.

 

I have a GPS, but I wasn't savvy with it at first, and I still rely on the hints to find most of the caches.

 

I have a hunch you could get a used one pretty cheap. Not sure if there is a geo-cache group in your area who would lend you one, or even give you one of their older units..........

 

Are your kids in scouts? It's possible that someone there has a GPS that you can either use or go with them. Something I have realized is that geo-cachers are a very friendly group that love sharing the experience.

 

Good luck from a newbie

Queenie

[+Faith the Aquariaqueen]

Vic,

 

I was successful with my first searches by using mapquest and the hints, plus a lot of reading people's logs, some of the best hints are there. Like someone said look for the 1/1 caches. My kids aren't particularly fond of the micro's......nothing to trade.

 

I have a GPS, but I wasn't savvy with it at first, and I still rely on the hints to find most of the caches.

 

I have a hunch you could get a used one pretty cheap. Not sure if there is a geo-cache group in your area who would lend you one, or even give you one of their older units..........

 

Are your kids in scouts? It's possible that someone there has a GPS that you can either use or go with them. Something I have realized is that geo-cachers are a very friendly group that love sharing the experience.

 

Good luck from a newbie

Queenie

[+Jeep_Dog]

Like someone said look for the 1/1 caches.

Ok, folks, hear me out on this one. I definately agree sticking to a 1 difficulty level, but I am not certain about sticking to a 1 terrain level. Perhaps 2-3 terrain difficulty is more appropriate.

 

From my orienteering days, the more terrain (relief) is better if you are using soley a map. More terrain generally = easier to identify features = better ability to determine where a person is located. An obvious exception to this would be a cache with a 1 terrain rating that is near a prominent terrain feature such as a body of water.

 

At least 20 of my finds were ones where I did not even refer to my GPSr until within 500 feet of the cache, since they were located in an area of prominent terrain features, and due to a good map recon, I knew exactly where I was in relation to the general vicnity of the cache, and all of these had relatively higher terrain ratings. Caches with terrain ratings of 1 generally create the need for me to look at the GPSr much quicker...

[dantheman2005]

Here is a great (and affordable) idea.

 

At Wal*Mart, they have the Garmin eTrex (what I have) for around $90-100 dollars.

 

Put it on layaway, and make small payments as you go.

 

Eventually, you have a GPS!

[+WxGuesser]

without reading the entire post... you can find a cheaper (but will work fine) gps out there for $50.. i bought my yellow etrex for $70 about 2 yrs ago.. so i'm sure the price has dropped alittle...

 

check this out... it's at $46 right now.

 

Yellow etrex on Ebay

 

this one is for $23 with a day to go...

 

little yellow garmin etrex

Edited June 4, 2005 by WxGuesser