Geocaching 101 for Tweeps: January 2010
On January 23rd, we will put on our first “Geocaching 101 for Tweeps” event. Did you get a new GPSr for Christmas and want to find out more about geocaching? Maybe you’ve had one for a while and want to explore geocaching? Maybe you don’t even have a GPSr and just want to find out more about finding Tupperware in the woods (or in the city)!
In case you don’t know anything about geocaching, this is what Groundspeak has to say:
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.
At the event we’ll introduce you to the basics of geocaching, show you where to find out about geocaches and how to read cache pages. We’ll show you a number of different cache containers. We’ll introduce you to finding geocaches with yourGPSr. We’ll talk about geocaching etiquette. And finally, we’ll hunt for some real caches in the Pacific Spirit Park.
If you’re interested in coming, please fill out the form below. To keep the group manageable, it will be limited to 20 spaces.
Date: 23 January 2010, Rain or shine
Time: 10am
Place: Pacific Spirit Park, park at lot just off 16th Ave.
View Geocaching 101 for Tweeps in a larger map
Saw your post on Twitter and had to look up what Geocaching was :D
Would be helpful to have read a quick one line introduction to the idea above your post. http://www.geocaching.com/ had a good explanation. Cheers!
Fair enough. Although I would expect that most people following me have heard me Tweet about geocaching so much that they've either already looked it up or learned to block it out. :) Thanks for the feedback.
I've been wanting to get into GeoCaching! But am confused as to what type of GPS i can use…do I need a handheld one…or can i use those flat 4″ screen ones from Costco – that are made for the car?
Well, you don't *need* a handheld one. You can use an automotive one, but it'll be a bit more challenging. A handheld one certainly makes it easier, but there are people that use the car ones. I'll have a Garmin Nuvi (automotive) with me at this event and will show anyone who is interested how to use it to find caches.
so where would you suggest looking for a handheld one? and will the very most basic do?
The place I generally recommend for buying handheld GPSr's is gpscity.ca. They're an Alberta-based shop that usually has unbeatable prices and reasonable shipping rates. You might also be able to pick up a used one from Craigslist or eBay.
As for which ones to look at … well, that's a bit more of a complicated question.
For starters, I'm most familiar with Garmin GPSrs, so that's all I'll talk about here. There are also units from Magellan and Delorme.
The basic Garmin handheld is the eTrex series. They have Venture, Legend, and Vista models with increasing features. If you're considering these, you'll want one that ends with a “HC” suffix, which means that's it has a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and a colour screen. The Venture HC is about $130 and the Vista HCx is about $225. You can load caches on to any of these.
The next step up is the GPSMap 60 CSx, which has been a very popular geocaching GPSr, but is starting to show its age. It runs about $340.
The next step up after that are units that can do “paperless” caching — which means that logs, descriptions, and hints are all contained in the GPS. Very handy. There are two units I'd recommend: the Oregon 300 or the Dakota 20. They're similar units, but the Dakota is smaller. They run $375/$360. Of course there are more expensive versions of both.
One of the problems with Garmin GPS units is that the base map that they come with is quite poor. There are some free maps you can use that aren't too bad, or you can buy a Garmin map add-on for ~$100.
The newer phones also have reasonable GPS capabilities too (iPhone, Droid, etc) but I don't know too much about them.
There's also a VERY basic “GeomateJr” GPS that I haven't seen or used, but it gets positive reviews. It's a very simple GPS that comes pre-loaded with caches and is only meant for geocaching (and is targeted at kids).
Anyway, I'd suggest taking a look at the GPSr's that we'll show at the 101 event before taking a plunge :)
A>
[…] and @LeftCoastMama (who blog on Left Coast Floyds) and a great meet-up/ tweet-up they put on called Geocaching 101.It was an event they took their own time to organize and introduce some ‘muggles’ like […]