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Free advice

Submitted by King Boreas aka Ian on

Some Free Advice From King Boreas 
 

We never go into the woods without some of the gear listed below (the amount is based on how far into the woods we are going, and how long we plan on being gone, but our backpack contains 
 the following: 

 

  • GPS Unit
  • Water (16 ounce nalgene bottle and 96 ounce nalgene canteen)
  • First-aid kit
  • duct tape
  • cell phone
  • flashlight
  • wallet with cash and cards and license
  • lighter
  • backwoods cigars
  • printouts of all caches to be visited
  • spare batteries for GPS and camera
  • Leatherman Multi-tool
  • whistle
  • compass
  • digital camera
  • cache repair kit
  • Pen, pencil, paper
  • goodies for trade
  • tp and tiny shovel
  • gloves
  • baseball cap
  • lightweight long underwear
  • jerky and hard candy
  • emergency blanket
  • 2 garbage bags, kitchen or price chopper size
  • pre-made cache for spur-of-the-moment hiding

     

Tell someone where you are going and a "panic-by" time (or date), after which they can alert somebody to come and look for you.

Most authorities will tell you that if you are lost, you should sit down, and wait for someone to come and find/rescue you. We think that is pretty good advice in many cases, but...

If you take a minute or so before you head out to look at the map you have of the area you will be exploring, you will often find a barrier in one direction (N,S,E,W...this assumes you have a GPS unit or compass) that extends for miles (making it difficult to miss. This barrier could be a road, a stream, railroad tracks, a power line, or something similar. Fix the direction of your "escape route" in your head, and also think about whether you will turn left or right once you reach the "escape route". A couple of minutes spent on this before you go out in the woods can save you a miserable time once you get lost.

Wait a second...can't I find the "escape route" by using my map once I am lost, you ask?

Don't plan on your brain working at peak efficiency when you realize you are lost, take the time ahead of time, I answer.

Statistics show that people who take these kinds of precautions are not the same people who generally wind up getting lost in the first place.

Another freebie gained through forehead-slapping experience...start you GPS unit when you park your car, and set the parking spot as a waypoint...that way, if you get lost or just decide to quit for the day, you can easily find your way back to your ride home.

KITCH

My best advice for geocaching....

...its like crack....better think twice before you start.....you won't be able to quit

Sun, 02/13/2005 - 6:52 AM Permalink
OTiS

Yeah thanks for telling me that now.

Sun, 02/13/2005 - 6:56 AM Permalink
tim_the_hunter

I love crack, where can I get me one of them there GPS thinga majigs?

Tue, 02/15/2005 - 11:02 PM Permalink
KITCH

If you want a new one....I know a good website...

Wed, 02/16/2005 - 5:49 AM Permalink
green

Buy low; sell high.

Wed, 03/09/2005 - 7:35 AM Permalink
me2

oooh geocaching advice...darn ;)

Wed, 03/09/2005 - 9:51 AM Permalink
King Boreas aka Ian

oooh geocaching advice...darn ;)

The other one is invitational, only after the initiation.

Wed, 03/09/2005 - 10:02 AM Permalink
KT

wanna be initchiated!

Wed, 03/09/2005 - 1:28 PM Permalink
me2


 

wanna be initchiated!

Wed, 03/09/2005 - 10:11 PM Permalink
Clue Master

inkitchiated

Thought the same thing.  Had to re-read it.  huh

Thu, 03/10/2005 - 5:51 AM Permalink
green

HELP!

How do I know what caches in another state are close to where I'm going to be?  Use ZIP code?

Ian, any EASY finds (nite or day) 35 southbound into IA?

Thank you all!  :D

Fri, 03/11/2005 - 7:56 AM Permalink
KITCH

iUse ZIP code? yep

Fri, 03/11/2005 - 7:57 AM Permalink
green

Thanks, Kitch!  :D

Fri, 03/11/2005 - 8:00 AM Permalink
green

Ian/Kitch/Kogren/McLucky, you know enkneebuddy in way, way northern IA I could/should contact for geocaching?  I've e-mailed some IA forum guy to help me find some easy (figuring AND walking) caches.  But if you have any fiends down there I should contact, let me know, would you?  THANKS!

Fri, 03/11/2005 - 8:32 AM Permalink
green

How do I go about getting the coords at like MapQuest for a specific address?

Or, Kogren, if I'd e-gram you the address, could you get me the coords??? 
<batting pretty gray/green eyes>

Fri, 03/11/2005 - 8:35 AM Permalink
KITCH

sorry green ...i'm no help on this one....

Fri, 03/11/2005 - 8:42 AM Permalink
green

Thanks!

Fri, 03/11/2005 - 8:43 AM Permalink
KC0GRN

only cache I've done in iowa (IA right?) is the one near the southern border on I35, it's at a rest stop/visitor center. Was pretty easy, but I'm bettin not the area you're lookin at.

Fri, 03/11/2005 - 11:07 AM Permalink
zephyrus

Funny to see a 'Welcome Station' in the middle of the state.... They must be really lonely there...

Fri, 03/11/2005 - 1:53 PM Permalink
King Boreas aka Ian

Funny to see a 'Welcome Station' in the middle of the state

Yeah, WTF is up with that?

We were in Bettendorf/Davenport, two of the Quad Cities, on the IA border with IL. We took I-74 West (really north) to I-80 West for several miles, then took US 218 North. After several more miles we passed an "Official" IA Welcoming Station.

HEH

Mon, 03/14/2005 - 9:39 AM Permalink
KC0GRN

All I really know about Iowa is it's hard to find a restauraunt, oh, and if you like your sense of taste at all, don't go to one called "Top Steakhouse"

Mon, 03/14/2005 - 10:11 AM Permalink
me2

Icesis2 just called me from DeMoine IA. She says the people are crazy drivers there. Tailing each other driving 80mph! I guess they are on their way to Nashville. haha, if you knew her, she IS NOT IN TO country music. she is appeasing her daughter and our mom. At least I just get to hear that mom is taking pictures of birdnests in trees near gas stations and don't have to be there to see it-hahahahaha -damn, do I have to love her? -guess I can look at it as a quirk to love.

Oh, the advice in that is probly -love the quirks


[Edited by on Mar 14, 2005 at 10:19am.]

Mon, 03/14/2005 - 10:18 AM Permalink