Paperless Caching

[Ah yes!]

I've checked around the topics on the Forum but cannot find any proper information on "Paperless Caching". I have a Garmin Etrex Vista HCx which, no doubt, does not lend itself to paperless stuff.

Being a little long in the tooth (or is it blue tooth these days?) I'm somewhat hazy about all the latest gadgets. (My mobile is of the brick variety, run on paraffin.)

As we often go out armed with about 10 sheets of A4 printouts, the idea of paperless is attractive, but where do we start?

What gps unit is necessary?

How much information is loaded into the gps unit?

Are such units as good as our present Garmin in hunting down the cache?

Any information would be appreciated.

[Bill D (wwh)]

I've moved this post to this forum, where it's more appropriate.

[DrDick&Vick]

If you want to get a new GPS that will alow Paerless Caching then the Colorado or Oregan are the models to look at, or you could look at EBay and look for a PDA that will run Memory MAp and linked text files for the cache info (I use Geocache Log to do all this for me). Even better is to upgrade to Windows Mobile mobile phone when your contract allows.
I personally use a eTrex Legen HCx and a Mio PDA with built in GPS along with Memory Map and Geocache LOg, dows the lot for me. ANother way is, if you have an iPod , is to download the Cache info to the iPod as notes (once again Geocache Log does this)
Have fun and enjoy caching.
Geocache Log is a viable alternative to GSAK with NO macro files to add.

[Ah yes!]

Thanks DrDick&Vick, I'll check out your suggestions. Regards, Ah yes!

[Gwendolyn]

Although I use the Colorado for paperless caching I still have the co-ords and the clue in my little notebook just in case something goes wrong.

[11011100]

I've checked around the topics on the Forum but cannot find any proper information on "Paperless Caching". I have a Garmin Etrex Vista HCx which, no doubt, does not lend itself to paperless stuff.

Being a little long in the tooth (or is it blue tooth these days?) I'm somewhat hazy about all the latest gadgets. (My mobile is of the brick variety, run on paraffin.)

As we often go out armed with about 10 sheets of A4 printouts, the idea of paperless is attractive, but where do we start?

What gps unit is necessary?

How much information is loaded into the gps unit?

Are such units as good as our present Garmin in hunting down the cache?

Any information would be appreciated.

I'd also be interested in what info is loaded into the GPS unit, such as hints etc...

[zwei ormers]

Paperless caching is all well and good, but I believe the Colorado and Oregon units eat batteries like they're going out of fashion compared to the etrex series. Just something else to consider.

[Djinnsplace]

Paperless caching is all well and good, but I believe the Colorado and Oregon units eat batteries like they're going out of fashion compared to the etrex series. Just something else to consider.

I’m thinking of having an Oregon 200 as a Christmas Present. It seems to be a good step up from my etrexH. As having to look for caches where we are going online and then print them out, then go somewhere totally different only to have no caches to do, is doing my head in!!
So my question is...
Can I use Memory Map 5 with an Oregon 200 and if you can how?
Thanks

[Bear and Ragged]

So my question is...
Can I use Memory Map 5 with an Oregon 200 and if you can how?
Thanks

No.
Try Talkytoaster, or buy the official ones.

[bearhugger]

I'm at that funny age where i can use new technology but sometimes it takes me a while to get my head round some of it. I do 'not quite paperless; where i copy and paste the relevant data into a text editor. Hopefully i've attached a text docment but i will post with an example if it doesn't work.

[border caz]

I use a Garmin Nuvi 205 (very cheap, compared to an Oregon) on to which I load Pocket Queries via GSAK. This gives me all the info from the cache page inc. hint and last 5 logs.

It's excellent for drive bys and for getting me to trailheads. And comes in handy for general sat nav use of course! I found 400 and odd caches with it before deciding that I needed something else for off road as the battery only lasts 4.5 hours, and it's a bit delicate compared to a "proper" handheld GPSr.

Thanks to Dr Dick I becamethe proud owner of a Legend HCX - I can load this with from the same PQ, via GSAK, but of course it doesn't have the extra info, only name and co-ords, so now I get all the info from the Nuvi and find the cache with the Legend.

I do actually find the Nuvi is usually a bit more accurate than the Legend, but isn't as good under heavy tree cover.

Only had the Legend a few weeks so it may be me being not very used to it yet, it has Topo maps on and shows most PFs.

I think the two together give me all I need.

My friend who I was caching with at the weekend has an Oregon, but still fires up her Etrex H to find the cache - it seems to be more accurate than either my Legend or her Oregon - so maybe an H and a Nuvi is the best combination - and probably the cheapest!

[hazels]

Paperless caching is all well and good, but I believe the Colorado and Oregon units eat batteries like they're going out of fashion compared to the etrex series. Just something else to consider.

I heard that too - but to be honest.... providing you don't use the backlight on all the time, I have found that I use no more batteries than my 60C....

Of course you could just invest in good quality rechargables!!!!

[Team Cobra UK]

Hi,
I recently got an IPod Touch (Must have been a good boy as is was from Santa).
I have found the best way to use it for paperless caching is to download the Air-Sharing application from the apple store (you only need the lite version and its free)
And then using gsak on my PC I export all my caches in the dadatbase as an html page, then I connect my Ipod and using the Airsharing application i can copy the files to it from the pc, (deag and drop them on to it like a seperate harddrive) and there it is every cache, hint and recent logs ready to view, its resizable on the screen and no - internet required when out caching.

Hope this helps...

[Smithbats]

I have an ipod touch too. using the Geocaching application, I can download my pocket queries at home then look at them via the saved lists section on the app. You don't have to be connected to Wifi to do this and we happily cache all day. You can also write your logs/field notes and once you get home or you connect to a wifi signal, it will upload them to the site.

Hope that helps too

[Bear and Ragged]

I heard that too - but to be honest.... providing you don't use the backlight on all the time, I have found that I use no more batteries than my 60C....

Of course you could just invest in good quality rechargables!!!!

I found it (Origon) does use more battery power compared to my 60CSX.

BUT. I am using it to navigate to the cache, and to read the description/ do the paperwork -TB's taken/left etc.

The 60 GPS was used to navigate, and the paperwork done on a PDA.

Not really fair to say "Eats batteries" hmy:

[Gwendolyn]

In simple terms, the cache page description, the logs, the hint, everything you need. Cache symbol also shows on the topo map.

I am also considering the Nuvi 550 as I need a new one for the car, this also is geocaching friendly

[forestferret]

sergai i think you are gettin confused mate
or have come to the wrong site :

[Bill D (wwh)]

sergai i think you are gettin confused mate
or have come to the wrong site :

Oops, I missed those posts, thanks for drawing my attention to them... The user's banned, and their spam post (which got trapped anyway) was already deleted, but I didn't see their posts in here which were just attempts to increase their post count and try to get past one of our spam filters.

[Bear and Ragged]

Spotted, reported, and dealt with by Studley1 !

[forestferret]

allways willing to help if i can

[alflavor]

Although I'm new to the sport, I soon got irritated by all the print outs. I have an ipod touch and have been finding it useful to use the Groundspeak app for this little device - just save the ones I have downloaded to my Garmin to the app as an offline save - quite easy. Not perfect though and it means have two gadgets out and about. Ipod touch hasn't got a great battery life either but a charge has lasted me two days caching in Cornwall.

Have see a way of exporting a cache print to PDF and then having this on the ipod - this I will be checking out next week I think!