Geocaching?

[cdrn1]

Does anyone here do this? I think it would be something my oldest DD would really enjoy as she does quite a bit of traveling and likes to do unique things. I am curious as to what type of GPS she would need (I know absolutely nothing about them) and what they cost.
TIA.

 

[Papa Deuce]

http://130.94.75.33/showthread.php?t=825731&highlight=geocaching

Cost from $70 to $400.... and up.

 

[MiJo]

My DW and I have been caching for 2 1/2 years and enjoy it quite a bit. We just purchased a Magellan eXplorist 210 for around $160 and feel it's a good choice. Some of the less expensive models don't allow waypoints to be downloaded to them from the geocaching.com site, meaning you have to put the cache information into the GPS unit by hand. We did that for quite a while and it gets tiring, especially when you're entering more than a couple. It can also cause errors in coordinates, etc. The Garmin Legend is a popular unit for about the same price. The main differences between the $150 units and the $250-$500 units are a color screen instead of B/W and possibly more detailed maps built into the unit. Our 210 has quite a bit of memory for us to download more detailed maps and quite a bit of memory for waypoints, more memory than a lot of the more expensive units. It also comes with a free USB cable for connecting the unit to a PC for waypoint downloads. Not all models include the cable, which can cost another $25 or more. The GPS Store.com has pretty good prices as do other places on the Net. If your DD decides to do this, shop around on the Net for prices. Shipping usually runs around $6.50 or so per unit. It may seem like a big initial investment but a decent GPS unit will bring many hours of enjoyment to someone who enjoys geocaching!
Mike (alias "Team SAR-Dogs" on the geocaching.com site)

 

[disneymcgraw]

We love geocaching !!!!!!! We use a Garmin ETrex Legend and I got it last year for I think around 130.00.
It's a fun activity and we do it with my best friend and her two kids and my daughter. All the kids are 6,5 and 4 and they love it. They think of it as treasure hunting, hence our geocache name is......The Pirate Piggies !!!!

 

[mbw12]

Ok....dumb question.....no flames please....what is geocaching?????

 

[Lisa L from MI]

Ok....dumb question.....no flames please....what is geocaching?????

thanks for asking first!!! LOL!!!

 

[MiJo]

Geocaching is sort of a "high-tech treasure hunting game". It is family oriented and almost anyone can take part. It basically works this way: a geocaching participant hides a container of trinkets in a wooded area or park. That person then uses a GPS receiver to get the Latitude/Longitude coordinates for the container and places those coordinates on the geocaching Website, Geocaching.com . Other geocachers then use their GPS receivers to try to locate the "treasure cache". Once they do, they sign the logbook in the cache and exchange trinkets. They then return home and log their find on the Website using their PC. In one variation, the container is very small and contains only a slip of paper for a logbook (micro cache). Geocaches are located everywhere, world-wide, and thousands of people take part in the game! If you go to the Website and enter your zip code in the appropriate box at the top of the page, you will see all of the caches near your home. You can click on one to see a description of that particular cache and read all of the logs posted by cachers who have found (or in some case, were not able to find) the cache.
I'll try to answer any questions you may have! Good caching!
MiJo (aka, Mike of "Team SAR-Dogs" on the geocaching site)

 

[Lisa L from MI]

So it is all done in "cyber space" then?? I am confused!! LOL!!!

I do have a handheld GPS though...never used it...can't figure it out!!! LOL!!

 

[MiJo]

Lisa L,
No, not in cyberspace. The coordinates for the caches are posted on the Web. To find a cache, a geocacher inputs the coordinates for a cache into his/her GPS unit. Then, it's off to the woods, or a park or some other area to find the cache. Once found, the geocacher returns home and logs the find on the site for that particular cache. It's a great excuse to get out of the house and do some hiking, although some of the hikes are very short. There are actually caches hidden in places like WalMart parking lots, although the ones in the parks are much more fun to look for. There was, and may still be, a small cache hidden in Norway at EPCOT. They're everywhere!
Go to geocaching.com; enter your zip in the box at the top of the page; and check out the caches in your area. You can then enter the coordinates for one into your GPS unit and go out to try to find it. It's free and a lot of fun.
Mike

 

[Lisa L from MI]

WOW...that is so cool. I put in my zipcode and have quite a few. I will have to look into this!! Like I said though, I have no idea how to work my GPS. Isn't there a GPS website you can use?? LOL!!

 

[Lisa L from MI]

oh...but when I put in my zipcode it came up with all the "found" ones....do I need to join to get the ones "to find"??

 

[MiJo]

What make and model do you have? It's actually fairly easy; kids do it!

 

[Lisa L from MI]

I just pulled it out of the cupboard...LOL.....Looks like a Garmin...48.....12 channel?? I think it may just be a "marine" handheld....not sure.....

Do you have to "join" the site though to find the hidden cooridinates??

 

[MiJo]

Caches can be found hundreds of times so the ones you are looking at are all available for you to find unless they have a red line through them (archived for some reason). When a cacher finds a cache, he/she doesn't take the cache container. She signs the log book in the cache; exchanges trinkets (not mandatory); and rehides the container for the next person to find. In order to log in to the geocaching.com site, you must join. All that means is picking a geocaching "nickname" and a password. It's free.

 

[MiJo]

Lisa L,
I typed in the zip for St Clair Shores (48080) and checked some caches. One is called Nature's Hideaway. That one is in a local park and has been found over 70 times since it was placed. That might be a good one to start with if you try geocaching, although it sounds like it is cleverly "disguised". Some geocachers pride themselves on camouflaging their cache containers to make them difficult to find. That's part of the game. Always check the ratings for "difficulty" and "terrain" before heading out, especially when you are a newbie. A difficulty rating of 5 stars can be next to impossible to find, while a 1 star is usually pretty easy.

 

[Lisa L from MI]

I am definitely going to read more about it in their site...sounds really cool....

 

[MiJo]

The Garmin 48 is a "marine" GPS receiver although it appears it can be used for geocaching or land navigation. As long as you can mark a waypoint it should be OK and it can do that. Once you enter the waypoint for a cache (coordinates) and save it, you should be able to do a "go to" to that waypoint and the "compass page" of the GPSr will get you to the cache. You will want to check that the coordinate system in the GPSr is the correct one for geocaching before you start. Again, that's not hard to do.

 

[Lisa L from MI]

thanks for your help...think I will figure out how to charge the battery in the GPS...I think last year it said something about the "internal" battery not charged...

 

[MiJo]

Good luck and good caching!

 

[edcrbnsoul]

I just got a new Magellen eXplorist 400 for Christmas to replace the Garmin I destoyed last year (something about they dont like being run over by snowmobiles?) so I can go geocaching again woo hoo. She will have fun its high tech game of hide and seek and WDW has a few caches some of them virtual others are Survey Discs/benchmarks that Disney or the goverment uses to survey land.

Like this one at the AK Bus stop

http://www.wintertime.com/OH/GC/Disney/disneymarks.html#WDWR