Geocaching

timbernet · Jul 18, 2009

I am curious if others on here are into geocaching? I only started back in April -- a co-worker and myself go out during lunch breaks/after work and hit up geocaches in the area, etc.

Today I was on Mount Hood and grabbed a few in that area -- another fun activity that gets me off the computer and outdoors

dragonsden73 · Jul 18, 2009

I used to.....they just now finished up a big event at Champoeg......

Mark-60 · Jul 19, 2009

I do it sometimes. I don't do it as much as I'd like. One certainly finds some interesting places while caching...

-Mark.

gunnoob75 · Jul 20, 2009

If GPS systems start to fail, Geocaching will be a LOT of fun. X Marks the spot, maties.

Grizzly_A · Jul 20, 2009

I tried it once...

I'd need a nicer GPS and probably an iPhone for the satelite view.

timbernet · Jul 20, 2009

Grizzly_A said:
I tried it once...

I'd need a nicer GPS and probably an iPhone for the satelite view.

Haha, sorry about that one man... I need to get back over there and hunt some more.

Uber_Noob · Jul 21, 2009

Been doing it for awhile and just got the Canby Chamber of Commerce Trackable coin and getting ready to do the Mt Hood Territory Challenge to get that coin as well. Its a great hobby that can take you to some very interesting places in your own backyard that you would never have known existed. The Wife has about a bakers dozen placed around the SE Portland to Oregon City area.

Uber_Noob · Jul 21, 2009

Grizzly_A said:
I tried it once...

I'd need a nicer GPS and probably an iPhone for the satelite view.

I did my first 10 or so using Google Maps and Google earth before I decided it was worth getting a handheld GPS

AvnEng · Jul 21, 2009

Garmin has a couple of nice ones that you can download the information to from the geocache website. My wife and son enjoy doing it and tested a few of the garmin units before getting her the Oregon.

timbernet · Jul 21, 2009

AvnEng said:
Garmin has a couple of nice ones that you can download the information to from the geocache website. My wife and son enjoy doing it and tested a few of the garmin units before getting her the Oregon.

I have the Garmin Colorado series, Coworker has the Garmin Oregon series. It is great how we can just click "Send to GPS" from the website and see all the descriptions, etc on our GPS units. Plus we can share the caches between GPS units wirelessly -- very cool tech!

Oro · Jul 21, 2009

I got my other 1/2 a Garmin unit for christmas last. If figured it was something she'd play with and enjoy and come in handy when we do wilderness/back country rides. This spring she started using it for geocaching. Damn if it is not interrupting the rides all the time as she makes us dismount and root around in swamps and crap.

We found Nana's Geocoin in a local regional park in some big woods in Snohomish county last month. She took it to New Orleans on a trip two weeks ago; it's already back to San Francisco (we just looked it up).

Tomorrow I am supposed to drill a small toy Peruvian horse (that is the breed we own and ride) and securely attach a Travel Bug to it and then we are going to try to send it to Peru, then Spain (where the breed base genes and stock are from).

Next local gun show I am picking up five or 10 30 cal ammo boxes so we can plant some of our own. Man, one thing her affinity for geocaching has taught me is how incredibly durable those things are. We pull them out of water-soaked rotten stumps in nasty wet forests, and the notebooks and things inside aren't even damp. Impressive.

The feature on this unit that apparently makes it awesome for geocaching is the magnetic compass built in. It works when stationary unlike the GPS derived compass. For hunting out the spot, it's a huge time saver. Unfortunately it is a huge power suck, so you need to get in the habit of keeping that feature toggled off except when in actual use. If you want one of these for geocachiing, look for one with a functional magnetic compass that will point to the waypoint. They still tend to be the high-end units, but what I did was but the just-continued series so it was on closeout and had all the same features, just not as slick a casing and buttons. Apparently tech with these has been static in the last few years - the only improvements have been marginal things regarding user interface. The memory, accuracy, etc. has been pretty static the last two generations.

Grizzly_A · Jul 21, 2009

Uber_Noob said:
I did my first 10 or so using Google Maps and Google earth before I decided it was worth getting a handheld GPS

I've got a "get me back to the truck" eTrex. Not nice for inputing coordinates for geocaching...

One of those Oregon or Colorado Garmins would be nice for geocaching.

I logged my first geocache yesterday. I need more practice...

gunnails · Aug 9, 2009

If any need a GPS and Topo maps, I got the hook up.

<broken link removed>

kenr74 · Aug 9, 2009

I just found my 500th today. Great way to get the kids out and off the computer or phone. We do 10-15/month whenever we have some time.

Oro · Aug 16, 2009

Today we found something amusing.

In Soaring Eagle Park in Sammamish, WA - small blue toy Chevy Corvette with a Travel Bug attached engraved "Get me to Bowling Green!"

It started out in Mass. in January, somebody promptly took it to WA and it's been stuck here since April.

rayd8 · Aug 17, 2009

Just started this a couple of months ago with my nieces and we really enjoy it. They love to go 'treasure hunting'.

Anyway, I've compiled some links that you guys might find useful (additional topos, trail downloader, photo linker for geotagging photos, etc):

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/or/
http://www.redtrails.com/base.asp#
http://code.google.com/p/gpicsync/
http://www.earlyinnovations.com/gpsphotolinker/