seraph618
Newbie
Posts: 7
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« on: December 07, 2009, 14:03:59 » |
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Hey all!
I live in Bville/Syracuse and am a newbie/muggle to geocaching. I heard about it from an ex-girlfriend of mine and have always been interested in the idea. Now that I've finished my masters I've got a lot more free time so I plan on delving headlong into geocaching.
I've purchased my "Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching" and have read many forums on the subject. I've done my research on GPS units and shall be purchasing one shortly not to mention all of the ancillary equipment (i.e. compass, flashlight, swag, etc).
If anyone has any suggestions for a first timer I'm more than happy to learn/listen....
- Suggestions on what type of gear to carry
- Suggestions on which geocaches to attempt as a newbie
Thanks!
-seraph618
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Novac
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« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2009, 15:04:11 » |
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Things to pack/bring...here are some ideas for a newbie: - GPSr
- Batteries
- Pens
- Pencil
- More batteries
- More pens
- Bug spray
- Flashlight
- Hat
- Alcohol pads/wipes
- Basic first aid
- Poison ivy block
- Poison ivy cleaner
- Spare pair of footwear for the car
- Tweezers
I know this is not a complete list. Someone else will thing of something simple I missed. Cache suggestions for a newbie? That's a tough one. My main suggestion to a B'ville cacher is to try and get about 25 finds before you attempt caches on W Entry Rd or Hencle Blvd  |
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bullseye1
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« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2009, 19:19:42 » |
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When and if you plan on caching in remote areas i would recommend a compass in your caching pack and make sure you know how to use it. Also bring a cell phone in case of emergencies. Have fun and enjoy this game/sport/hobby. Good luck.  bullseye1 |
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Dr. Witty
Newbie
Posts: 4
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« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2009, 11:35:46 » |
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A Compass??! What the hecks a GPS for? The most important thing is to bring some nice swag. I go to the dollar store to get mine. I also keep a large pack of double A's in my car. Definatly bring more than 1 pen. You'd be suprised how often you leave your only pen in the last cache you visited, only to find no pens in the cache your going to. I have a fanny pack where I keep all my stuff, but don't actually wear it, that's so 80's, and this hobby is nerdy enough. As for bug spray, posion ivy block and first aid, I don't bring that stuff, but since I got 6 cases of posion Ivy last year, I think I'll revise that plan. I am actually the poster boy for the worst case scenario as far as geocaching goes, so nevermind this, just listen to Novac and you'll be fine.
Welcome to the hunt.
-Dr. Witty
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dnnsgps
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« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2009, 21:15:02 » |
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Just be sure to MARK your car before heading off into the woods!!!!  Even with a GPS you can get turned around or after you find the cache you either 1. delete the cache you just found or 2. turned your gps off and is now clueless on where to go and to get back to your car! |
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seraph618
Newbie
Posts: 7
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« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2009, 11:54:43 » |
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I reviewed Novac's list (THANK YOU) and went out and purchased everything I didn't already have. I was unable to find any poison ivy stuff and was about to give up on it, but after reading Dr. Witty's tales I think I'll find some before I head out.
And a big thanks to dnnsgps! I don't know if I would've thought to mark my car prior to heading out, but I'll be sure to do that now. :-)
Now all that's left is buying the GPS. :-) I'm waiting for a few more Xmas sales to explode before I jump on it. I'm still undecided between the Garmin Oregon 400t versus the DeLorme PN-40. I'll ping my soon to be geocaching buddy (since this is partially his Xmas present) before I buy it.
Thanks again everybody!
-seraph618
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Novac
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« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2009, 17:01:29 » |
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I was unable to find any poison ivy stuff and was about to give up on it, but after reading Dr. Witty's tales I think I'll find some before I head out. I don't particularly recommend or not recommend any brand, but these are the two that happen to be in my bag: - Ivy Block -- Rub it on your skin before heading into the woods to help prevent getting PI in the first place. They claim it has substance that absorbs urushiol. (I found a $1 coupon)
- Technu -- "When used within 2-8 hours after exposure to the plants, Tecnu can remove urushiol oil before the rash begins. Once the rash has started, washing with Tecnu helps remove any free oil on skin allowing the natural healing process to begin without possible recontamination." I strongly suggest cleaning up a whole lot sooner than 2 hours
 (I found a $1 coupon)
To buy these, check the chain drug stores. Ivy Block lists only Walgreens on its site while Technu lists a bunch including Rite Aid, CVS, etc. You should also know that drwitty is the sort of person who rides his bike to a cache, enters a wooded area wearing low-cut biking shoes and short socks along with biking shorts and then sits on the ground while he takes his own picture. Don't believe me? Take a look! :O |
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Frank
Power Cacher
Posts: 30
all about nothing
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« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2009, 11:14:47 » |
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You should also know that drwitty is the sort of person who rides his bike to a cache, enters a wooded area wearing low-cut biking shoes and short socks along with biking shorts and then sits on the ground while he takes his own picture. Don't believe me? Take a look! :O Yikes.... |
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Novac
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« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2009, 21:09:15 » |
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Yes, and then he wonders why he's so unlucky when it comes to PI  |
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seraph618
Newbie
Posts: 7
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« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2010, 16:29:06 » |
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The Garmin Oregon 400t arrives on Monday! I can't wait to go and find my first cache. I wonder how successful I'll be with 2.5' of snow on the ground. :-) (P.S. www.thegpsstore.com has great prices!). |
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seraph618
Newbie
Posts: 7
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« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2010, 11:52:02 » |
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I'm officially no longer a Muggle! I'm not a Power Cacher yet, but my first find was a microcache. I was pretty happy with that! ;-)
TTYL,
seraph618
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Novac
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« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2010, 02:18:18 » |
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Excellent. It's all going according to plan!
Now update us once you have your first case of geocaching poison ivy!
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