Kevin's Watch

Geocaching is a hobby/sport/activity that involves leaving a chache of some booty at a specified and hidden position (ussually a good hike away, but not always) and then putting its lat/long on the Geocaching website for other Geocarchers to find.

When a chache is found, you take out whatever was inside, sign the logbook (if there is one) and then put something inside in return.

You log in what you took, and what you put in and then move onto the next cache.


It seems like a LOT of fun, especially for someone who already loves to hike (like me.)

My question is what sort of GPS system I should get to use? The site lists some features to look for, but not any actuall brands.

Does anyone here hace a GPS they like more than others?

Any ideas anyone?

Balon, if you don't get any responses on the Watch, I know some families who post on some message boards I frequent on AOL who do geocaching as a family activity. I coud ask them what they recommend if you like.

Yeah! That sounds perfect! Please do.

Thanks!

No prob.

I'll go ask now...

Balon I got a response to my question for you. I hope the answer is helpful...

Response: re geocaching

My family geocaches... it's one of the geekiest hobbies outside of computers that you can have

Anyway, my dad has a fancy-schmancy GPS with lots of little bells and whistles and such, but I have a cheap one. And it serves me fine... although his is fun to play with.

As long as you can get your location that's all you really REALLY need. Everything else is just gravy.

Cool!

The eTrex was the one I was looking at.

Wadds, any other gear you use?

I figure a compass with map of the area, in case the GPS craps out, but other than that, I figure it's pretty straight forward, yes?

Any good spots up around your parts 'o the old North West??

There are good spots literally everywhere but I'm not going to tell you where, and I certianly wouldn't do so in a place where muggles could read it.

You're pretty much set with the info of the cache and the GPS I have a compass that I never ever use... but that's about it. Most of my caching is done in cities or suburban areas, since I don't go out camping much, so I don't ever have the compass with me then.

Have fun! Tell me if you get anything cool! (I have a pin from canada that I love... that's one of my favorite things)

Edit: compass is a hard word to spell

Coolness. It sounds like SO much fun.

But, ould you describe one of the Urban Caches for me? I'm still fuzzy on how/where you would hide one inside of a city.

Balon, having never gone geocaching, these would just be guesses. But surely you've read mystery novels where the detective has found clues deliberately left behind to tease him/her? I'm thinking along the lines of:

Inside a crevice in a landmark or statue
Under the 'hallowed' out leg of a park bench
Stashed over the entry way of an old building

And so on.

I could be totally wrong, but it makes sense to me.

It's sort of like going hunting for a 'released' book in your town that you read about on BookCrossing.

Mabye it's just my sleep-addled brain, but now I see.

Can't see how I missed that!

Geocaching always sounded soo cool to me. Good luck, Balon!

Yeah I'll need it. I can't even win at Mad Hatter!

Bah! I never could figure it out either.

Geocaching or Mad Hatter?

Cause to me, their one and the same thing. The exist only to piss me off.

Mad Hatter. Haven't tried geocaching yet. Gave up on Mad Hatter.

Wyldewode wrote: Gave up on Mad Hatter.

NO!

NGUNNGU!

Are you okay? 'Cause you sound like you're choking over there.

Geocaching sounds interesting, I'd have to get a gps receiver first to try it though.

Balon wrote:

Wyldewode wrote: Gave up on Mad Hatter.

NO!

NGUNNGU!

It's from my football years.

"Never Give Up Never Never Give Up."