Geocachers?

[Topgumby]

I know you are out there? Sound off!

Garmin Etrex Legend HCX here.

[fidjit]

Haven't done as much as I should lately

Compaq Ipaq HX2420 with Trimble Pathfinder XB GPS Receiver w/Bluetooth and Beeline GPS

or

HTC Desire with c:geo

As well as GSAK.

:biggrin1:

[galopede]

another one here. Just a basic Garmin Etrex does for me. That and a big stick for the nettles...

Gareth

[SRock]

Garmin GPS Map 60 CSx, Garmin NUVI 550 (on my Ducati) and iPhone GPS with Geocaching.com app.

Yeah, I love geocaching.

Its about to get a bit more difficult on the main island of Japan though, last weeks big quake moved the island 8 feet to the East.

I'm also the President of Misawa Geocachers (http://www.misawageocachers.org/about/).

[EvilGobi]

I'm not, but would like to be. I'm currently looking into my first GPS.

[aimsport]

I know you are out there? Sound off!

Garmin Etrex Legend HCX here.

Yop!

[csmorris]

I also have not been out for a while. I may start up again in the summer when (hopefully) I will have more free time. Did it a little more frequently when the kids were younger.

Garmin eTrex Vista C

Would love to try the iPhone w/ Geocaching.com!

[probesport]

Geocaching family here, the kids love it. We take the winter off to do other stuff but plan on getting back on it again shortly. We like to plan a whole day around it, go out to lunch, etc. It's a good time.

I use a Jeep Trailguide - basically a Garmin Quest II. It has a dock in my jeep then it comes out and its a regular handheld GPS with all sort of great features. I also use it on my bicycle with a special mount.

http://oarenj.com/tj/new/gps1.jpg

http://oarenj.com/tj/new/gps2.jpg

I usually like finding the obscure, out of the way hard to get to caches that allow us to get this thing a bit dirty

http://oarenj.com/tj/tjup/higherfront.jpg

[fidjit]

Geocaching family here, the kids love it.

It's great for the kids. I'd never get them to walk for a couple of hours just to walk, but chuck a few geocaches in front of them and the "treasure hunt" is on. And that's for teenagers :laugh:

TFTC TNLNSL :lol:

[probesport]

Yeah the kids complain about the walk at times, especially the 7 year old but we try to keep it fun. I know what they are capable of and walking for a couple hours should never be an issue. I'm a bit tough there, plus after 11 years of marriage and 2 kids I have perfected the art of tuning out.

[thatsilverguy]

This will tell you something - Magellan Explorist (one of the old green ones). Been a while for us too but we promised we would re-start soon.

Recommendations on a good off-the-beaten-track GPS? One that doesn't whinge everytime "You are not on a road". The GPS built into my phone frequently does that.

[probesport]

The trailguide I have (Garmin Quest 2) will do on road, off road, trails 2 tracks, bicycle and breadcrumbs. Works great and is a value now that it's gotten older. Its not touch screen but I've dropped it into a mudhole then nearly drove over it with no issues. Tough little thing.

[docfitch]

Fitches_afield haven't been out for awhile. We use a Garmin Etrex, also.

[DFrancis]

Done a bit, my wife has a Samsung Galaxy.

[ImaRobot]

My fiance and I go geocaching in the summers around her family cottage and in our home town. Her father gave us one of his many GPS devices so I don't know what brand I'm using.

Oddly enough we were camping/hiking in Newfoundland and I stumbled across a geocache without trying on a mountain. It was much more exciting then using a GPS but of course was just happen-stance.

[Explorerkid]

I geocache on occasion, had an older garmin but have been using my blackberries, and now my new HTC inspire. I really want a garmin gpsmap 62, but don't want to spend quite that much right now.
I would love to go out more, but I can't get swmbo excited about it, so I have to go in my spare time (rare).

[Walker]

Muggler here. :lol: just kidding. I always wanted to Geocache but don't have much time for it right now. I'll bet it's a blast

[Topgumby]

Wow, quite a few!

I'm intrigued by the new technology and paperless systems, but my GPSr drop and bash frequency dictates that whatever I have has to be built like a tank.

[Groat]

I haven't been all winter, but I should get out this week and find a few. I use a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx, such an awesome GPSr. It doubles as a mountain bike computer, and tends to handle anything with ease.

[rod251]

My old Lowrance iFinder has been used for both hunting and geocaching. I haven't been lately but I need to get back into it. The kids love it. I'd probably try using the iPhone now.

[beau5278]

I haven't done much geocacheing yet but I'd like to try to get a little more time for it once the weather gets better,I have a Magellan Explorist 400 and use GSAK.

[_JP_]

Geocaching originally got it's start on a Usenet Newsgroup that I was involved with at the time. One of the people there decided to start a web site and geocachingCom was born. I was involved with the early days of it giving input on how to set it up. I haven't done much caching in while but I plan to start with it again. There's a lot of new caches in my area to check out.

[SeattleSparky]

Would like to get started doing this with the kids!!

[Drybonz]

I've done a few... I use the Geochaching.com app on the iPhone.

[sup909]

I am just getting into this myself. Looks to be a ton of fun and an added adventure I can add to my vacations.

[Clovis Man]

Been Geocaching for a while now -- I did one in 2002, then skipped five years before I decided to give it a good shake. Have now done 350+.

And you wouldn't believe my Geocaching.com member number -- it's less than 200!

[Topgumby]

I am just getting into this myself. Looks to be a ton of fun and an added adventure I can add to my vacations.

This has been the key thing with Geocaching and my kids. One of the best vacations we ever had was a "Staycation" that involved daily Geocaching, and we targeted parks we'd never been to in the local area. I was amazed at how many there were, and I grew up around here.

The kids thought it was the greatest thing since peanut butter met jelly.

[brucered]

Garmin GPS62s here. been at it a couple years now, but we take the winter off (-40 in winnipeg, no fun for geoaching with the kids).

upgraded my Legend HCx to the 62s to go paperless, glad i did. load up 1000 caches with all the info, no paper needed, hints are there, i can upload my field notes.

only problem with it is, mine has the "squeaky case syndrome". but it's from MEC, so if developed into a problem, it'll get exchanged.

i got into it, so i wasn't sitting around all summer and it's been great. kids love it, we can do it when we camp and it gets us places we would never go, plus it's FREE. we have a premium membership, so we pay for that, but other then the cost of the GPS and gas, it's a N/C hobby.

if you are on Geocaching.com, we are "TheRedArmy (http://www.geocaching.com/profile/)"

http://www.handtec.co.uk/shopimages/products/normal/gpsmap62s.jpg

[Groat]

One thing I've learned about GPSr units is that I don't ever want one again without a high-sensitivity receiver. I suppose they probably don't make them without them any more, but the point stands all the same. I had an older Garmin Rino unit that worked decently well, but coverage in the forest was spotty at best and often inaccurate. Also, you needed to have a GPS lock before getting under cover. Geocaching was sometimes a royal PITA with it. If you were caching under cover and it was cloudy outside, forget about it.

I ended up getting a Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx last summer and it was a night and day difference. The high sensitivity receiver gets a lock VERY quickly, even under cover. It stays accurate anywhere. I can't think of a time I've lost reception with it. It's tough as nails and pulls double duty on my bike. Lithium batteries last a surprisingly long time in it. I do have one or two gripes about the device, but they're relatively minor after you consider the advantages.

[b0bp]

I just came in from a day of grid searching. We have a volunteer group that performs exercises with the sheriffs' offices from several surrounding counties as well as the fire and rescue groups and the wildlife commission.

Sometimes we see folks that have difficulty learning to use their GPS devices. One of the most common issues is related to the coordinate system that is set up in the GPS. A lot of people don't know that there are many coordinate systems and that you'll get different results with each system - very different, even with the same eight numbers being entered as way points. The three main systems are:

Degrees, Minutes, Seconds Format (DDMMSS) : 54°57'20.43"N
Decimal Degrees Format : 54.955675
GPS Coordinates Format : 54 degrees 57.3405 Minutes

Once we get people set up to use the same system (we use last one), I often suggest that they go Geo caching to learn some of the finer points of their device.

[Ihorn]

I was doing it, but school kind of took over for me. I would like to get back out doing it, but will have to wait and see how the job search goes. Being in LA leaves a lot of time to be outdoors. Gotta love Southern California.

[Mako72]

Garmin Etrex and Legend here. Been doing it since about 2002, when we remember:blushing:. Bought a netbook 2 years ago so we would remember when we go camping. Seems like I can either remember to grab the GPS or the computer but rarely both! Even then if we do them we just sign the logs and forget to log back in and sign it on geocaching.com. Well we are due for new phones and after we ran into someone using the cacheberry app it got me thinking maybe a blackberry is the way to go. I'll let you know if we get them and do it!

Jay

[Navig8tor]

Gosh, you guys are geeks!:thumbup:

I started geocaching about 8 years ago with my niece. It was something the both of us could do outdoors together that was fun but not too challenging.

My garmin etrex died last summer when someone (probably me) left it on the dash of my car. I guess it doesn't like being baked.

I really liked the garmin so I will probably go back to them. Not sure what model though. The etrex venture HC looks like a nice color screen at a good price. Unfortunately they don't make a waypoint manager for the mac so I am not sure if I can ever download waypoints to it.

[Scooterman]

I gotta come outta the closet...
Been a Geocacher since 2002. Tried to quit. It's in the blood. There's no saving me...
Mike

[nyfinest]

I go out "treasure hunting" with my three year old as much as we can. It always amazes me how many there are in NYC

[Groat]

I just wanted to mention that I went out today and found my first cache in almost a year thanks to this thread.

[fidjit]

I was actually going to do a British Aristocrat Geocache PIF when I was in San Francisco however there seemed to be a lack of responses to my thread and I didn't want a razor rotting away in a park somewhere :001_rolle

[Live2Ride]

Started geocaching with friends in 2007. I did a little without a GPSr, using Google Earth and my digital camera. Worked fairly well but time consuming.

Mrs. L2R and kids gave me a Garmin Oregon 450 for Christmas and we've been having a blast. I placed two caches last week, another last night, and my oldest daughter placed her first cache recently. All 4 along great trails but they won't get much play from the lazy drive-up cachers around here.

Side benefit: while I'm geocaching, I'm not trolling antique shops buying razors.

[Live2Ride]

I was actually going to do a British Aristocrat Geocache PIF when I was in San Francisco however there seemed to be a lack of responses to my thread and I didn't want a razor rotting away in a park somewhere :001_rolle

Oh, fidjit, I'd have made the 8 hour round trip drive for that!

I thought of putting a DE in a cache as a FTF prize, but figured it would be a disasterous collision of two geeky pursuits!

[fidjit]

Oh, fidjit, I'd have made the 8 hour round trip drive for that!

I thought of putting a DE in a cache as a FTF prize, but figured it would be a disasterous collision of two geeky pursuits!

Yeah, the cache was going to be a B&B published cache only , but.............

[tchudson]

I drove over my last GPS, so I'm looking at one of the new Garmin eTrex 20s.

[Comet]

I love to Geocache. I have a the Garmin DAKOTA 20. I got the Topo and road maps too. Lots of fun

[Topgumby]

Ok, geek challenge time.

I'll post a picture of shave gear at a geocache.

[brucered]

man, i didn't do much geocaching at all this year...camping, canoeing, cycling, kayaking....but not much geocachaing.

GPSmap 62S is my weapon of choice.

[bassopotamus]

I've wanted to do some geocaching, but haven't had time. I have a Garmin etrex Vista HCX, which works reasonably well, but I find the user interface pretty annoying. I mostly use it for hunting (mark the car, mark my treestand, etc).

[_JP_]

The last geocaching I did was with my iPhone. There's an app for that.

[Ken Tanaka]

Delorme Earthmate PN-60 with the SPOT.

Team KAG is our Geocaching ID.

Only been at it a few months and it had brought us to some interesting places.

[tchudson]

I just ordered a Garmin Etrex 20. Should be in this week. Maybe I'll do a Geocache PIF....

[grimas42]

My daughter and I love to go searching for caches. I use my Iphone app and she has a kids geocaching GPS. Hers does not have a map, but it saves me from letting a 9 year old hold my phone as we cut through the woods.

[Tillerman7]

I know you are out there? Sound off!

Garmin Etrex Legend HCX here.

I'll admit it. I enjoy Geochaching!

[_dadgad]

Just to keep this thread going, I've been geocaching since 2003. My current toy is a Garmin Oregon 400t that I got in 2008. About time for a new one, I think.

[INSilverado]

My family and I geocached for a couple of years, then we just kind of got out of it. Our girls are teenagers and don't have an interest, but my wife and I will go again sometime.

[Picaro]

Have an Etrex 20 on the way( company purchase for hhmhhm, vehiclular navigation) which I'll mainly be using to map some of the unmarked bushwalking tracks we have around here..and find my way out again...but I've been studying up on GC'ing as well.


Ok, geek challenge time.

I'll post a picture of shave gear at a geocache.

So.........

[Phog Allen]

Well let me add a question here if the OP does not mind. If so, let me know and I will delete this post and start a new thread.

I know this is the most loaded question in all of geocaching but what sort of unit do I want to buy? I realise a handheld unit is required and Garmin Etrec line is mentioned a lot. However, if you go to Garmin you will find simply tonnes of models and I have no clue how to distinguish which features mean what, how it relates to each series in the line, and how it then affects the activity itself.

And of course price. From $100 to nearly $600. How do you make a choice? I can tell you we probably need to stay under $200 for a price point. And I also understand there are other brands to consider as well.

Cheers, Todd

[Mako72]

Well let me add a question here if the OP does not mind. If so, let me know and I will delete this post and start a new thread.

I know this is the most loaded question in all of geocaching but what sort of unit do I want to buy? I realise a handheld unit is required and Garmin Etrec line is mentioned a lot. However, if you go to Garmin you will find simply tonnes of models and I have no clue how to distinguish which features mean what, how it relates to each series in the line, and how it then affects the activity itself.

And of course price. From $100 to nearly $600. How do you make a choice? I can tell you we probably need to stay under $200 for a price point. And I also understand there are other brands to consider as well.

Cheers, Todd


You can use any of them. Generally what you get with more expensive units is mapping, which may or may not be useful to you, ease of entry and maybe the ability to do it paperless. I use a couple year old Etrex Legend and it works fine, I just carry my printed sheet with me. The paperless caching can now be done with smartphones as well, I Know Iphone and Blackberry have apps and I am sure other phones have them as well.

To be honest I would bet that the vast majority of people who buy higher end models probaly never utilize all of the features anyway.


Jay

[Crag]

I'm the Scoutmaster for my Boy Scout Troop and we go the old Fashioned way...Map and Compass, and so far we have found everything that has been posted on our District website for our class. So long as we have the Lat Long we can find anything! Of course each boy also carries an Apisphere Geomate Jr, which were donated by our local REI after we completed 40-hours each of conservation.

Traditionally in December we don't have a traditional camp-out, so we did a geo day instead. I basically hid 10 classic scout tools in different places and as a troop (each boy took a turn as lead to find his cache) we found all the goodies...they had a blast and got stuff for their backpacks to boot!

[hsamuels]

My good friend Till Harbaum in Germany has written a geocaching package for smartphones. More information at http://www.harbaum.org/till/cacheme/index.shtml

[Mako72]

I'm the Scoutmaster for my Boy Scout Troop and we go the old Fashioned way...Map and Compass, and so far we have found everything that has been posted on our District website for our class. So long as we have the Lat Long we can find anything! Of course each boy also carries an Apisphere Geomate Jr, which were donated by our local REI after we completed 40-hours each of conservation.

Thats awesome!

After I taught my Mom to geocache about 7-8 years ago she started asking me the origins, so to speak. After I explained Orienteering to her, she ended up expressing some interest in it so we took a couple classes with a local club. She had fun learning and I got to remember how to do it from Boyscouts 20 years ago. Easier to use GPS but nice to know I can still break out the map & compass in an emergency situation.

Jay

[FL shaver]

This is an activity that got our teenagers out of the house. Jump in the Jeep with some coordinates and take off. I don't think they would have gone for a walk in the park otherwise. I have a cheap hand held Garvin from about 4 or 5 years ago. It has served us well. Some interesting caches around here, even though we live in the suburbs, and it is hard to go unnoticed around here.

[James1971]

I haven't done as much lately as I once did, but still pick up the occasional cache on my travels.

Etrex legend here, but using my iPhone for all the metro ones lately....

[EvilGobi]

Just got a GPS for Christmas, so I get to start now. I might wait until spring though.

[rob74]

We just tried it out for the first time this past weekend. (Thanks to this thread, I might add! :thumbsup:) My son who is almost 4 years old had a great time finding the caches and exchanging SWAG once I got us close using the Android App. I think that we will have some fun with this.

[Andy]

Signed up and went out looking for my first cache last night, after a few minutes looking (had narrowed it down greatly due to pictures, logs and google earth) had found it! :thumbsup:
Am using the groundspeak iPhone app, but am already looking at a nice new Magellan GPS.......... I can see another AD forming here.......

TNLNSL

http://img.geocaching.com/stats/img.aspx?txt=View+my+profile&uid=17a7b617-0577-40ec-9bcd-eb9aa2afffd0 (http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=17a7b617-0577-40ec-9bcd-eb9aa2afffd0)

[barneykiller]

Droid incredible and c:geo

[5savages]

I used to geocache fairly regularly, but find myself too busy for much now. My favorite time to geocache is when we're on family trips.

[BingeAndPurge]

After months of talking about it, my son and I took a trip following the creek next to our house that travels between two sub divisions to find a cache I discovered on my c:geo app last fall. We are now hooked. We returned home, and I helped him log the find into a boyscout geocache logbook that I got him for Christmas as a stocking stuffer. I am amazed at how many caches are around. Today we took a family trip to a park and ended it with a search. After we returned home, I made a grocery trip. I pulled into the parking lot, and on a hunch pulled out my phone and brought up the app. Sure enough, a cache was right next to the store. We are a family who try to get outside as much as we can. I do a little hiking and a lot of wade fishing, so this just adds another element to our lifestyle. Another aspect of my life brought to me by B&B.

[5savages]

You'll find a lot of rest stops have geocaches. It makes for a great way to stretch the legs when you're on a road trip.

[EvilGobi]

I went out for the first time today, I didn't find anything though. I was really muddy so I totally missed it.

[1369]

Garmin RINO 130 here...

[joamo]

catsnfish, my wife and I have cached since 2007. I publish The Onlinegeocacher.

[Andy]

I went out for the first time today, I didn't find anything though. I was really muddy so I totally missed it.

Even though your first one was a DNF don't let it discourage you, everybody has DNFs whether they post them or not.
Geocaching has taken me to some pretty wonderful places that I wouldn't have know existed otherwise. :thumbsup:

[EvilGobi]

Even though your first one was a DNF don't let it discourage you, everybody has DNFs whether they post them or not.
Geocaching has taken me to some pretty wonderful places that I wouldn't have know existed otherwise. :thumbsup:

I know. It's within 500 metres of my apartment, and basically went out for a walk with my new (well it's from Christmas but this is the first time I used it) GPS. The problem was that there was no description listed on my GPS for it so I had no idea what I was looking for. When I came home and looked online I pretty much know exactly where it was, so I plan on going back to find it soon. It did convince me that the premium subscription would be worth it though.

It was kind of a rainy day and I wasn't really prepared otherwise I would have looked until I found it.

[Andy]

I know. It's within 500 metres of my apartment, and basically went out for a walk with my new (well it's from Christmas but this is the first time I used it) GPS. The problem was that there was no description listed on my GPS for it so I had no idea what I was looking for. When I came home and looked online I pretty much know exactly where it was, so I plan on going back to find it soon. It did convince me that the premium subscription would be worth it though.

It was kind of a rainy day and I wasn't really prepared otherwise I would have looked until I found it.

Best thing about a premium subscription is the ability to create a pocket query, which allows you to download all your local caches as the one file and then transfer to your GPS, giving you log files, hints, etc.

[brucered]

Best thing about a premium subscription is the ability to create a pocket query, which allows you to download all your local caches as the one file and then transfer to your GPS, giving you log files, hints, etc.

reminds me, i have to renew my subscription...camping season starting soon, it's nice to be able to plan a route and have them all in one .gpx file, showing 1km of the road on the way to the campground.

[EvilGobi]

Best thing about a premium subscription is the ability to create a pocket query, which allows you to download all your local caches as the one file and then transfer to your GPS, giving you log files, hints, etc.

Ok so I did this and had all the caches within like a 100km radius of my house yesterday. They were all on there, then I went to go out today and they were all gone off of my Magellan Explorist GC. Any ideas? I even tried copying the files again and still nothing.

[Andy]

Ok so I did this and had all the caches within like a 100km radius of my house yesterday. They were all on there, then I went to go out today and they were all gone off of my Magellan Explorist GC. Any ideas? I even tried copying the files again and still nothing.

When you copied your pocket query to your GC, did you copy the gpx file to the "geocaches" folder and the wpt-gpx file to your "waypoints" folder?

More info on copying PQs can be found here (http://support.magellangps.com/support/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=814&ratingconfirm=1)

[EvilGobi]

When you copied your pocket query to your GC, did you copy the gpx file to the "geocaches" folder and the wpt-gpx file to your "waypoints" folder?

More info on copying PQs can be found here (http://support.magellangps.com/support/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=814&ratingconfirm=1)

Yeah, I did all that and they showed up yesterday. Then I wen't to go today, it locked on GPS-wise (I don't know how else to say this) and they were all gone. I've now created a new PQ with the same parameters and it seems to have gone on it now. I have no idea what happened.

[Andy]

Yeah, I did all that and they showed up yesterday. Then I wen't to go today, it locked on GPS-wise (I don't know how else to say this) and they were all gone. I've now created a new PQ with the same parameters and it seems to have gone on it now. I have no idea what happened.

Not too sure but these thing happen, but the main thing is that it is working :001_smile

When in the search menu, make sure that either all or nearest are selected/checked.

*Insert Garmin vs Magellan quip here* :innocent:

[FL shaver]

Can't wait to find a puck of MWF in a cache some day soon!

[EvilGobi]

My wife and I went out yesterday and today and found 6 caches. It's already gotten us out of the house more then we usually are.

[brucered]

Can't wait to find a puck of MWF in a cache some day soon!

Ha..now you got me thinking. we have 1 hidden of our own, close to our house, but are looking to place another and perhaps a wet shaivng or Barber themed one would be awesome....

[Topgumby]

My wife and I went out yesterday and today and found 6 caches. It's already gotten us out of the house more then we usually are.

Outstanding.

[Uncle Jackie]

Have been doing it for a couple of years now. The daughters and I really enjoy it.

[garyg]

Have been doing it for a couple of years now. The daughters and I really enjoy it.

Just discovered both geocaching & this thread, and made a first find just today. My GPS goes back to the Clinton years, my eyes back to Harry Trumans'

Pretty neat to find a film can sized object just off a trail I've walked for a long time

[Uncle Jackie]

Geocaching "The art of using a billion dollar satellite system to find Tupperware hidden in a forest".

[garyg]

Geocaching "The art of using a billion dollar satellite system to find Tupperware hidden in a forest".

Wow, think I'll be laughing for a while over that definition ..

[Spinch]

Another Cacher, checking in. The eTrex 20 is my weapon of choice.

I'm terrible at finding urban caches, though. Give me something the size of an ammo box out in the forest over a bison tube hanging from a bush in a Wal-Mart parking lot any day of the week.

[Redstar]

My wife and I did it a lot last year. My gps broke in early spring and now I just use the iPhone app. I hate having to use my phone and haven't been motivated to do it as much as I would otherwise. I need to buckle down and get another gps. Its cool to see so many of us here do it!

[Andy]

Another Cacher, checking in. The eTrex 20 is my weapon of choice.

I'm terrible at finding urban caches, though. Give me something the size of an ammo box out in the forest over a bison tube hanging from a bush in a Wal-Mart parking lot any day of the week.

I generally keep away from urban caches, too many muggles around.
I like caches where I can take my time to find them without raising looks from passing vehicles, people, etc.

[EvilGobi]

I generally keep away from urban caches, too many muggles around.
I like caches where I can take my time to find them without raising looks from passing vehicles, people, etc.

I completely agree, I'm not a big fan of looking super-sketchy while doing it. I found out there's a couple around the mall my wife and I work in though, so tomorrow after I drop her off to work, I'm gonna go find them. The mall should be dead because it's Canada Day (July 1st) here, and while it is a holiday for us when it falls on a Sunday stores (weirdly) have to stay open on it and get to close the Monday. Also no-one knows about this stupid rule.

[rahgnar.s]

Another Cacher, checking in. The eTrex 20 is my weapon of choice.

I'm terrible at finding urban caches, though. Give me something the size of an ammo box out in the forest over a bison tube hanging from a bush in a Wal-Mart parking lot any day of the week.

I totally agree. Pennsylvania Geocacher here.

Delorme P90 is my GPS of choice.

[Turk Kahvesi]

I greatly enjoy Geocaching. Only use my iPhone. It's amazing the things I've found in my own home town that I never knew existed, including an entire abandoned railway line complete with abandoned Civil War era coal mine.

[HotToddy]

Yup Been one for about 3ish years. I have a Garmin Etrex. My wife son and I go out every once in a while. My wife is afraid of snakes so she usually lets me and the kid do the bushwacking!

TFTF!

[rahgnar.s]

Hahaha, I have a terrible habit that makes geocaching alot harder than it has to be. I get something like 50m away from a cache and start bushwacking and often end up right back on the same trail which I didn't realise lead right to the cache anyway.

[salim.nanji]

My geocaching trips usually end up happening at 2am when me and my friends get home after a night out. Only found one cache so far though! We usually just see what's around and go from there

[indytechnerd]

Been a cacher for about 6 years. I started with an Etrex Legend and never had a problem. My in-laws got me a new Etrex 10 with a caching bundle for Christmas, but I haven't had a chance to take it out yet, too much snow on the ground.

[Andy]

Been a cacher for about 6 years. I started with an Etrex Legend and never had a problem. My in-laws got me a new Etrex 10 with a caching bundle for Christmas, but I haven't had a chance to take it out yet, too much snow on the ground.

The etrex 10 is my weapon on choice, a great unit.
The only downside (that I have found) is that it can only show the closest 18 caches, however I have found that on occasions it fails to show the closest caches and thinks that the closest is a couple of Kms (or Miles) away.
Generally I don't have an issue with it, as my caching trips are always planned and I load the GPS with the needed caches beforehand and then remove when returning home.

[California Pilot]

Been at it since 2008 with my eTrex Legend HCx. Lots of DNFs over the years, though I did successfully find two today.

[DerekL]

Howdy! Elde (http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=8d79b282-5057-4060-a86b-2703f1bc1c68) checking in from the Great Pacific Northwet. After seven years of caching, I've only got 250 caches, but I concentrate on quality over quantity.

I use Garmin GPS Map 60 CSx, and we've gone paperless with the Geocaching iPhone app. (It really has changed our game for the better.)

[Uncle Jackie]

Hahaha, I have a terrible habit that makes geocaching alot harder than it has to be. I get something like 50m away from a cache and start bushwacking and often end up right back on the same trail which I didn't realise lead right to the cache anyway.

Yup me too. If there is a more difficult way to get there, I'll find it.

[EvilGobi]

Yup me too. If there is a more difficult way to get there, I'll find it.

I do the same thing too.

[Lexbomb]

Yep I'm one too wife and I love it. Use a garmin etrex10 on a side note I randomly bumped into the guy that hid the 2,000,000th cache. He was looking for a cache hidden near my work (a jail) and our patrols made it difficult for him not to look out of place. I let him know I'm one of him and we got talking. He told me he just hid the 2,000,000th cache, checked it out and yep. Made my day.

[Phog Allen]

Hey chaps. I looked into this a couple of years ago but have never gotten round to it. I think I have my daughter and wife on board. I have learned to quit asking what is "best" for anything anymore. Much depends upon the way you interact with it. Saying that I have two friends who work at Garmin corporate(about 25 miles from my home) and they can usually put me on to some deep discounts. However, I simply have no idea what I actually need to do this. I suppose it is like anything. You can put as much as you bloody well want into it. I do not mind spending a bit of money but want to make sure any unit I buy is VERY user friendly. I do not want it to be more of a chore to use it than find a cache.

Cheers, Todd

[garyg]

Todd, I think there's less YMMV with the GPSr's but certainly enough to go around. I started with a decade old Magellan, pretty quickly upgraded to an ETrex Garmin 20 .. there are smart phone apps that supposedly work also, there were none available for my rotary dial though ..

After about 500 finds, mostly alone, but sometimes with some super-cachers, it comes down less to the technology than developing an "eye" for possible hiding spots, and what they call "geo-sense". My old GPS got me just as close, and I found a bunch with it, but it didn't allow the paperless stuff like the new ones.



Hey chaps. I looked into this a couple of years ago but have never gotten round to it. I think I have my daughter and wife on board. I have learned to quit asking what is "best" for anything anymore. Much depends upon the way you interact with it. Saying that I have two friends who work at Garmin corporate(about 25 miles from my home) and they can usually put me on to some deep discounts. However, I simply have no idea what I actually need to do this. I suppose it is like anything. You can put as much as you bloody well want into it. I do not mind spending a bit of money but want to make sure any unit I buy is VERY user friendly. I do not want it to be more of a chore to use it than find a cache.

Todd, I think there's less YMMV with the GPSr's but certainly enough to go around. I started with a decade old Magellan, pretty quickly upgraded to an ETrex Garmin 20 .. there are smart phone apps that supposedly work also, there were none available for my rotary dial though ..

After about 500 finds, mostly alone, but sometimes with some super-cachers, it comes down less to the technology than developing an "eye" for possible hiding spots, and what they call "geo-sense". My old GPS got me just as close, and I found a bunch with it, but it didn't allow the paperless stuff like the new ones.

Cheers, Todd

[EvilGobi]

Todd, I think there's less YMMV with the GPSr's but certainly enough to go around. I started with a decade old Magellan, pretty quickly upgraded to an ETrex Garmin 20 .. there are smart phone apps that supposedly work also, there were none available for my rotary dial though ..

After about 500 finds, mostly alone, but sometimes with some super-cachers, it comes down less to the technology than developing an "eye" for possible hiding spots, and what they call "geo-sense". My old GPS got me just as close, and I found a bunch with it, but it didn't allow the paperless stuff like the new ones.

Yeah I agree with you completely. Mine was designed pretty much specifically for Geocaching, so it has paperless. It's a Magellan, but I think I would be pretty much ok with any one that allows you to download geocaches to it. I don't think I would ever get out if I had to print out the listings for the caches I was going to.

[Phog Allen]

Gary and Alex, thank you for the nice responses. Now can I ask a really silly question? What is this paperless thing I see all the time? I mean, surely to goodness you are not printing out maps with a non-paperless unit? I suspect this has more to do with listings of caches than the maps themselves. Yes/no? Anyroad, from what little I have gathered from your posts it is worthwhile to go with a paperless unit.

Cheers Todd

[garyg]

Todd, an old non-paperless GPS will lead you to the approximate same spot (subject to tree cover, volcanic ash, etc) as a brand new whiz kid. Paperless units though will allow you to see the cache description, some prior finders' logs, clues, etc., while you are in the woods, and have better/faster/painless cache downloads than typing something like N 42° 27.541 W 083° 26.710 digit by digit into your device, then naming it. With non-paperless, like my old one, you missed the GeoCaching.com stuff unless you printed it out & stuffed it in ya pocket.

Either will work, around here some practice what is known as "Dirty Caching", where they look it up then go afield without their device (works better on urban caches, believe me), though I have found a couple/three that way ..

It is a fun activity, keep us posted

[brucered]

paperless also allows you to make notes in each Find, so when you upload your finds/Not Found, it displays you notes and you can leave as it or add to it.

I started out with a etrek, printed off all the notes, description etc and had no issues. but it was a hassle. the paperless GPS's are much nicer to use, but don't get you any closer to the cache.

it has saved us from looking for a "non-existent" cache. ie) you don't have printouts, have your GPS and decide to stop for a cache. only to discover it has 10 DNF's in the past week and you were looking for nothing.

time to get back out and Geocache this year...i took a year or so off, but am getting the bug again and now the kids are a bit older and able to hike thru the muck and terrain a bit better

[EvilGobi]

paperless also allows you to make notes in each Find, so when you upload your finds/Not Found, it displays you notes and you can leave as it or add to it.

I started out with a etrek, printed off all the notes, description etc and had no issues. but it was a hassle. the paperless GPS's are much nicer to use, but don't get you any closer to the cache.

it has saved us from looking for a "non-existent" cache. ie) you don't have printouts, have your GPS and decide to stop for a cache. only to discover it has 10 DNF's in the past week and you were looking for nothing.

time to get back out and Geocache this year...i took a year or so off, but am getting the bug again and now the kids are a bit older and able to hike thru the muck and terrain a bit better

Exactly. My first (and only) GPS allows me to download the caches to it. So I've never really had to experience printing out or writing down co-ordinates, and I just don't think that I would really get out much without the luxury of just downloading everything to my GPS.

[LondonMark]

Me and the missus do it with nothing fancy. Just a garmin Foretrex 401.

Been doing it a few years in the UK and other countries.

[astropup]

DeLorme PN-60, GeoBucket and the iPhone Geocache app. Up to 223 finds and 3 hides.