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Flash Intro-"Geocaching"
6 minute Movie-"Searching for a cache"
Basic Info
- Buy or borrow a Global Positioning System receiver. A basic unit is the Garmin eTrex GPS or Magellan GPS 315. Both cost about $100 and can be found at stores such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy or online at http://www.amazon.com
- Find a cache near you at <http://www.geocaching.com> Enter a ZIP code and the site will list nearby caches. Select a cache, such as "Geocache by Ray" or "Arboretum One" and click on its "details" button. Write down the cache's coordinates and print out the description. Use the online mapping site link at the bottom of the page to get driving directions to the location.
- While still at home, enter into your GPS receiver the coordinates of the cache as they are listed on the Web site. Coordinates -- such as N 39 degrees 24.661; W degrees 094 14.86 -- describe the latitude and longitude of the site.
- Follow the driving directions until you can drive no closer to the cache and park your car. Follow the arrow on your GPS receiver as it leads you to the cache. Be aware that heavy tree cover can block the GPS signal. Once you leave your car, it could take anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes to find the cache.
- The GPS signal will fluctuate once you are within 100 feet of the cache, so from that point on, you're on your own. Check around stumps and under rock and leaf piles. Remember that almost all caches are placed above ground, so no digging!
- Congratulations! You've found the cache. Take an item, leave an item and record your experience in the logbook. Reseal the cache and put it back exactly the way you found it.
When you get home, e-mail the person who hid the cache and let him know you found it. Also, post a description of your experience on the cache's online page at <http://www.geocaching.com>
Have Fun !GPS info ... Minnesota Geocaching Association ... Geocaching videos
Attachment: etrex.jpg
I hear ya....Let me see whats up for time.
I was thinking of seeing if ClueMaster was up for next weekend sometime, he's got a GPS, and I could either Borrow Ian's, or at work there's one I could ask to borrow.
That would work.... We can hash specifics this week.
Sure, still gotta see if CM is up to it or not. There's still a few at Phalen I need to get, did you get any more than the mosh pit one?
NO, thats all i've been to. I'm in St Paul 5 days a week. Just have to make time to hang out longer then I here working.
good spot to hit to get a few found. I still have 6 or so to get in that area.
I'm glad you guys are really getting into this....
I will promise that you will find some really cool spots ...there has been many caches in areas that I was EXTREMLY happy to have gone to. I would have never found that type of thing on my own.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that many things are cool to see but are not a tourist trap. But the geocachers will often put some type of a cache there for you to "find" out what it is when you get there. When on a vacation plan on doing some "vitural" caches to find an interesting area.....
Which one?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00003WGP5/ref=e_de_a_smtpd/002-6881695-1869646?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846&vi=tech-data
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000058BCQ/ref=e_de_a_smtpd/002-6881695-1869646?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846&vi=tech-data
The "Legend" has the PC cable, 8MB of memory, and the Map CD.
Great prices on both. I'm happy with the first one, and so far, see no reason to ever upgrade.
I don't know what kind Kitch has, but maybe he can comment on the legend.
Ian, Did you end up buying the PC cable & the software though?
If you recomend it, I'd say the second is the better deal.
If you don't think I'll need/use it, then the first one.
spend a little bit more.....get the 2nd one....you'll be happy you did.....
I have a megallian sportrak map (something like that).....so i don't know a lot about the legand...but I got a friend that has one and works well for him......
Kitch what do you think of the Rino 130?
I'm likin the 130 myself, got everything in a portable unit I could ever think of, besides a amateur radio frequency to I could post my position to a repeater station so people could see where I am via an online service.
When on a vacation plan on doing some "vitural" caches to find an interesting area.....
I'm gonna be heading back out to washington state in april, already checking caches out, gonna try and place a travel bug out there and see if it'll make it back here. On that note, anyone want to send a travel bug out to washington? I'd be happy to pick it up and place it in a cache out there.
anyone want to send a travel bug out to washington?
I still have the Clownz bug with me if you want to take it out there.
lol it okay to hold on to until april though? end of april it's lookin like. Going back via train again, I can get some cool shots of travel bugs at the train depots we stop at all the way out :)
It's cool with me.
oh so the clownz travel bug is yours Ian? Guess I don't know my travel bugs too well yet.
yep, it's mine. Clue Master needs to grab it from the cache, tho.
oh that reminds me too, ClueMaster, you up for hitting those Phalen caches this coming Saturday? OTS and I were thinking about hitting a few.
Have an all day party up north KC. Have fun. I'll try and remember to log that bug Ian. I see you did the little birdie you got from me.
doh, okay, thinkin I'll try and borrow the GPS from work then, otherwise maybe check with Ian about using his backup. Wish they'd hurry up and get the Rino 130 out...
http://www.mngca.org/forum/index.php
I assumed you all know about this local forum, but if not ... check it out.
I assumed you all know about this local forum, but if not ... check it out.
I didn't know about it. I just registered.
I think some time this week I'll order a gps.
Very cool.
Before you try any, let me find some "winter-friendly" meaning NOT under a foot of snow.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000064184/ref%3Dpd%5Fsl%5Faw%5Fasin-1%5Fce%5F3921486%5F72/002-5158564-8685621
this is the one that I have.....I have no complaints....its waterproof and floats(big selling point for me) (I don't know why-not like I go boating alot).
THAT RINO130 Looks really nice....the only sucky part would be I don't think I'd use the radio that much.....
My dream GPS is the http://www.gpsexplorer.com/gpsmap60cs1.htmlwhich was made for the geocaching community. (out of my price range).
wow Ian, you're getting a few converts this year :)
yep...i think 3 or 4 this year...and i got a co-worker that did his first one on sat.
Cool, a couple people I've talked to about it sound interested, but I don't think I have any solid interests yet. I figure when I get a GPS and take em on a cache hunt or two, I'll see if there's any bites.
Neither Here Nor There
Bobcat is a 'cacher from Wisconsin who comes over to hit about 10 at a time.
February 14 by bobcatw98 (592 found)
Since I'm not from this area, I parked neither here nor therebut over that-a-way. The cache was exposed (darn sun!) so I rehid it as best as possible but my cover won't last long either.
lol shoot, even a guy from wisconsin could find it, man, I'm gonna have to get that one now, just a matter of pride ;)
Okay I'm off for the evening. OTS, you still up for Geocaching @ Phalen on Saturday?
BTW Ian, nice avatar.
Too bad you couldn't get a permit for geocaching, that'd be cool, then again, just leave it to the parks and rec to think up some silly thing like that. I'd pay it though if it meant I had special privileges.
OTS if you're readin this, looks like the Rino 130 is slated to be available march 10th.
Then it looks like my bonus will be just in time :)
oh wow, I so want to find this one, but I'm thinking it'd be best to have help along.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=106108
one thing I'm getting to find out pretty quick, I need to keep a list of caches I want to find, so I don't forget them.
Welcome to one of the most difficult caches you will every attempt.
Good luck KC ;-)
lol real good luck right now as I don't even have a GPS...
Still, you get a few people together and it couldn't be all that bad...
Minnesota is a good guy ... he just registered after finding 400 caches
WHY?
just got a FTF on a cache and i'm how the heck ..after 23...is extremely tough hide....didn't make sense.....
hold on ...
I haven't shared this with anyone yet.
King Boreas,
I have been meaning to contact you for some time to say "thank you"! This
morning's post on the MnGCA about the cleaner gave me the motivation I
needed. Let me start with a little about me. I have just started to log
online, but I have found 476 caches locally. Many were yours. Your caches
have added a lot of enjoyment to my life. They have gotten me back out into
the woods for long hikes, to local parks I didn't know existed, and allowed
me to take fifty pounds off my body.
I'm sure I am one of the silent majority who are thankful for people, like
you, who use there own resources to set up caches and then take the time to
place them for the enjoyment of others. Pretty nice, I think! I take
pleasure in the hunt for the cache whether in a cookie tin, Glad ware,
Tupperware, pill bottle, ammo can, etc. The variety of containers is what
makes the hunt challenging and interesting.
I hope this one individual does not stop you from enjoying this hobby. It
would be a great loss to the local geocaching community. If you need to
make your caches members-only again that's fine with me. You have many fans
out there and I am one of them.
Thank you for all you have done for Geocaching,
Minnesota
(Jon)
thats cool
Yeah, geocaching wouldn't be the same without all the work Ian has put into it, instead of a few hundred caches in my area, it'd probably be more like a 100 if I'm lucky.
Thanks Ian!
Hopefully if I get going on getting a GPS, I'd like to put a couple caches out, sorta pay people back for all the caches I've found :)
IAN.... I guess per geocaching.com...we still don't have enough caches in the area to warrent getting an local apprvr.....
doesn't it seem like it would be dumb to wait till the state has 2k in caches then get an local apprvr.....
that would be 1k more in caches that somebody that is out of state or region for that matter to approve.
"they" "good ole boy club" kinda thing....
Whoohoo!
Just talked to the boss, asked if I could borrow the company GPS for the weekend, he asked what for and I told him about geocaching, said sure I could borrow it and let him know how it turns out.
Maybe got another person interested in the sport ;)
You go KC!! IM me Sunday if you're going out. I might have some time to get away from here.
Will do CM, have fun at that party, the GPS I'm borrowing is the same kind Ian uses (the etrex) maybe that'll bring me some luck tomorrow.
the cheap yellow???
tell your company to spend spend spend....
no wonder he ok'd it
well at least it's better than no GPS ;)
There seems to be a problem with the Bouncing Ball cache. If you haven't looked for it yet, I'll give ya some clues.