Geocaching

[Pigeontroller]

Sounds like an elaborate way to litter...

[muskymike]

I just read about this and signed up. It sounds like a blast. I have a few questions though.

 

1) I have a Nuvi250 is this okay for this sort of stuff? or is another type recommended?

2) where do you start? Do you just go to the location and look around or am I missing something? Is there some sort of starting point?

3) What do you do when you find the cache?

4) I looked at the "send to GPS" function, is it compatible with my unit?

 

I could probably find all these answers on the site, but I am hoping it can be dumbed down for me here

 

Thanks

Mike

[caper]

Sounds like an elaborate way to litter...

 

LOL

[bbog]

I just read about this and signed up. It sounds like a blast. I have a few questions though.

 

1) I have a Nuvi250 is this okay for this sort of stuff? or is another type recommended?

2) where do you start? Do you just go to the location and look around or am I missing something? Is there some sort of starting point?

3) What do you do when you find the cache?

4) I looked at the "send to GPS" function, is it compatible with my unit?

 

I could probably find all these answers on the site, but I am hoping it can be dumbed down for me here

 

Thanks

Mike

I'll try and answer your questions.

1. The Nuvi250 is okay if it will allow you to navigate to a position "off road". You can use the device's autorouting capability to get you close to the cache then need to switch to off road or turn off navigation and watch the screen to monitor your progress to the cache. You will want a unit that is waterproof since it will be used outside the vehicle.

2. There are many different kinds of caches. You would likely want to start off with a "traditional" cache that provides the actual location of the container. Follow your GPS to the posted co-ords and start looking around. The cache will likely be tucked away so as not to be discovered by a non-geocacher. Some hiders can be quite creative in their hiding methods!

3. Inside you should find a logbook. You sign this logbook then decide if you wish to trade for an item in the cache. The cache may also contain "trackable" items (such as travel bugs or geocoins) that you may pick up to move to another cache. When you go home you logon to www.geocaching.com and log your visit and any trackables that you picked up or dropped off.

4. If you have a supported GPS and the Garmin Communicator Plugin.

 

Have fun and let us know how you do.

[mikeymikey]

I just read about this and signed up. It sounds like a blast. I have a few questions though.

 

1) I have a Nuvi250 is this okay for this sort of stuff? or is another type recommended?

2) where do you start? Do you just go to the location and look around or am I missing something? Is there some sort of starting point?

3) What do you do when you find the cache?

4) I looked at the "send to GPS" function, is it compatible with my unit?

 

I could probably find all these answers on the site, but I am hoping it can be dumbed down for me here

 

Thanks

Mike

 

Well...

 

1. Yes you can use your Nuvi to do it but lack of features and way it functions may cause frustration. But it's do'able.

2. There is no starting point, there is only final destination (waypoint). Let the GPS take you there and since GPS can not pin point exact spot, once you get very near you should be using the 'hints' giving with the geocache to look for it.

3. There usually is a log book or some sort, you just write down the date/time/comment if you want and see what others have done with it too.

4. I personally use Garmin 60CSx. SEND to GPS function does work with your unit. GeoCache will be listed under with all other waypoints you've added.

[walleyejigger]

was lookin thru the site to see it would be anything i'd be interested in, looks like fun

 

simplyred, the one you went to near gogama up to the tower,(the air is thin up there) i go there over a dozen times per summer, my folks have a trailer in gogama and we leave staight from there on our quads, beautiful spot, my name is scratched in the side of the shack, my dog "superman" jumped off the cliff exactly where ur pic of ur dog is after my nephew threw a rock over, thought she was gone forever, but a few miutes later she came crawling up the mountain without a scratch, how she did it is a mystery to me,

 

the lake u fished in has some decent pickeral in it, and the lake behind the gravel pit has some good smallmouth

[muskymike]

Barnie and Mike, Thanks for the info. I am going to try it I think with the unit I have. I kind of wish the units were cheaper though. i would buy another. I dont really need a handheld such as the 60csx cus the perm. mount in the boat and this for the car do me just fine. But this could be an excuse for a new toy haha

 

Thanks again guys. That was really helpful.

 

Mike

[Deano]

Just got home and see this thread is alive again. Geocaching is pretty awesome, I knew it's just a matter of time and this will catch on big time. It's great fun and gets you out to places that you never knew existed. I haven't been doing it as much lately, mainly because all the snow and the fact I have most of the caches within a 100 mile radius of home. But getting ready for spring and another year of caching. The caches I enjoy the most are the ones that take me to awesome picturesque places, if you wanna find some of the best caches in Ontario, take a look at my bookmarks at the geocaching site. One of my favorites was Fraser Bay Fishing cache, I did it with my son and 2 dogs. We drove a hundred clicks towards Manitoulin Island, put the boat in the water and went 15kms up the lake (McGregor Bay, North Channel), tied the boat up at shore and hiked 800Meters in, up 500Meters to the cache, the view of Lake Huron was incredible, it's my Signature Pic. On the way back we caught 5 lakers downrigging, went home and had a great fish fry to end the day. A day neither me or my son will soon forget.

 

MikeyMikey- The beautiful places help with the photos, I got a bunch of me on top of different mountain top all across Ontario.

 

Walleyejigger - Great story, that's one of the things amazing about Geocaching, you get great stories almost evertime you go out. My wife and son didn't make it to the top of the tower, and the whole way back they argued who made it up the farthest. LOL. I went to the top and she was swaying up there, but it still was an Awesome experience. The final cache co-ords were written at the top. So far I've cached in 3 Provinces and one State. I still have one on my to-do list, it's called Eternal Flame, It's in New York, it's a flame that's underneath a waterfall, hopefully I'll get there this sumer.

[maybe]

I'd think twice about taking a touch-screen model bushwhacking. My rugged little handheld (Garmin eTrex Vista Cx) gets its share of abuse, despite me being the very careful & gentle type. Cheaper to buy a little offroader right off the bat, instead of have to replace the damaged Nuvi and then still need something for outdoors.

 

Start off with some "traditional" caches marked as difficulty 1 out of 5. They're pretty much "when you get to ground zero, you'll be standing on obvious tupperware." Good way to get your feet wet. Keep the terrain ratings low, too - no sense hiking 2km uphill before you're sure you'll be able to find the cache.

 

"Multi-stage" caches are for after you've got a few easy traditionals under your belt, and you're pretty comfy with the GPS. The coordinates you get send you to step 1, and then you break out the instructions and maybe a notepad to cipher like Jethro. Check the difficulty rating before you attempt them...they can range from simple to downright evil.

 

When you're looking at a cache's web page, deciding if you want to try it or not, be sure to read the logs from people who have already found it. They can be a gold mine.

 

The $3/month premium membership will let you see cache locations plotted out on a Google map. Seeing the information organized that way is extremely helpful.

 

My favorite cache so far wasn't long on scenery, but I loved how it made me stop and really learn to use my GPS. After travelling to the given coordinates, you had to find 2 other locations that were miles apart. In each of those locations, you stopped and projected another waypoint at a given bearing. Once you had these 4 points, you connected the dots, and the cache was located where those lines intersected. No paper, maps, or other tools required - once you know how it works. Don't try this your first time out.

[mikeymikey]

$3 premium membership to view the locations plotted on Google Map ?

I sure am not a premium member and I can browse the geocache locations on GoogleMap.

 

Maybe there are more options? I don' tknow.

[Deano]

membership lets you load hundreds of caches at the same time, you can also use the "cache along the route" feature which makes it easier to find and load caches from the site. I gotta renew mine soon.

Another great thing about caching is there is something for everyone, you can even do them downtown in big cities, but I like the "out of the way" ones.

[maybe]

Yup, there's more detail on the maps if you're paying. Complete list of perks starts halfway down this page.

[muskymike]

I was on the site searching for caches around my house. Turns out there is one I can see from my window. I wish I knew about this when it started. I need to go get a new GPS now

[Dutch]

Glad to see this post was brought back, just in time for Spring.

It's a great way to test out the GPS, good exercise and a great way to spend time as a family.

[Daplumma]

I may be hiding a few caches in the west arm area this june,suggestions on what to put in them and what to put them in are welcomed.

[irishfield]

151 and the glass bottle is fine!

[Daplumma]

151 is for girls,we have the real hard stuff here.

Joe