The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching

by Peters, Jack W.

• ISBN13: 9781592572359
• ISBN10: 1592572359
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-06-01
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.

Summary

They're hidden in city and state parks, outside of nearby buildings, alongside hiking trails and exercise routes, and even in local neighborhoods. This is geocaching, an adventure-based game involving intentionally hidden treasures, i.e. caches, and a standard handheld global positioning system (GPS) unit. The idea behind geocaching is for people to set up caches all over the world, and to then share the GPS coordinates of the caches via the Internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches, and once found, a cache usually provides its visitor with a wide variety of rewards available for the taking. Authored by a renowned expert on GPS usage and the editors of Geocaching.com, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching is a comprehensive yet easy to understand guide for getting started and having fun with geocaching.

Author Biography

Jack W. Peters, a nationally recognized leader in GPS navigation training, has been an active participant and promoter of geocaching since its inception. Certified by the state of Oregon as a search and rescue officer, Jack is the co-founder and manager of an off-road vehicle search and rescue team for the Lane County Sheriff's Office known as the Special Vehicles Group, publisher of GPS Navigator Magazine.com, and the author of The GPS Navigation Guide and the soon-to-be published Off-Road Field Guide.

The Staff and Editors of Geocaching.com have been involved with geocaching since its inception, and are widely recognized as pioneers and custodians of this rapidly growing adventure-based activity.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Welcome to Nigh-Tech Hide-N-Seek	1	(44)
1 What Is Geocaching Anyway?	3	(8)
What Is Geocaching Anyway?	4	(3)
How It All Got Started	7	(3)
GPS Users Get an Instant Upgrade	8	(1)
London, Paris, New York, Beaver Creek?	8	(1)
The Origins of "Geocaching"	9	(1)
The Birth of Geocaching.com	10	(1)
If You Hide It, They Will Come	11	(1)
Timing Is Everything	12	(1)
A Hobby, Game, or Sport?	12	(1)
Cache Me If You Can	13	(1)
The Cacher Community	14
The Complete Idiot's Top Ten Reasons to Go Geocaching	15
2 Game Basics	11	(22)
Game Basics	17	(3)
Take Something	18	(1)
Leave Something	19	(1)
Sign the Logbook	19	(1)
Cache In, Trash Out	19	(1)
Share Your Experience Online	20	(1)
Learn the Language	20	(1)
Log On Before Heading Out	21	(1)
The Best Stuff to Stash	22	(4)
A List of Favorites	22	(2)
Geocacher Signature Items	24	(1)
What Not to Stash	25	(1)
Areas Where Caches Are Found	26	(2)
Wide Open Spaces	26	(1)
Parks	26	(1)
Urban Jungles	27	(1)
Hitting the Trail	28	(1)
Going Out a Little Farther?	29	(4)
Dress for Success	30	(1)
Cacher Comms	31	(2)
3 GPS-Rocket Science for the Masses	33	(12)
DoD's Gift to Techies	34	(1)
Evolution of the GPS Receiver	34	(1)
Useful Gear for Work and Play	35	(1)
Satellite Signals	36	(1)
Benefits of Using GPS	37	(1)
Here Is What to Expect	37	(1)
How Accurate Is Accurate?	38	(2)
WAAS	39	(1)
Factors That Affect Accuracy	39	(1)
Getting a Fix	40	(2)
Initialization	42	(1)
GPS Limitations	42
Backing Up the Gear	44	(1)
Part 2: Get Off the Couch and Play!	45	(76)
4 Navigating Geocaching on the Web	41	(24)
Developing Your Cacher Profile	48	(1)
Searching for Nearby Caches	48	(2)
Paperless Geocaching	50	(3)
Downloading Coordinates	51	(1)
Pocket Queries	52	(1)
Selecting a Cache to Seek	53	(1)
Cache Difficulty Ratings	54	(1)
Difficulty	55	(1)
Terrain	55	(1)
Using Maps and Clues	56	(4)
Watching a Cache	60	(1)
Posting Your Own Cache	60	(2)
Disabled Caches	62	(1)
Posting Photos	62	(3)
5 Playing the Game	65	(18)
The Hunt Is On!	65	(8)
Data Entry	66	(1)
Maps and Clues	67	(2)
Road Trip!	69	(1)
Ground Search	70	(3)
After the Hunt	73	(1)
Rating a Cache	73	(1)
Hiding a Cache	74	(9)
Container Considerations	75	(2)
Saving the Coordinates	77	(1)
Care and Feeding of Your Cache	78	(1)
Ask Permission	78	(1)
Do's and Don'ts	79	(4)
6 Geocaching Tricks and Tips	83	(16)
Good Advice	84	(1)
Before You Leave	84	(1)
On the Trail	85	(2)
Map Considerations	86	(1)
Do Your Homework	87	(1)
Search Techniques	87	(4)
Cloverleaf	89	(1)
Triangulation	90	(1)
In Life There Is No Reset Button	91	(4)
Environmental Concerns	92	(1)
Poison, Stingers, and Fangs	93	(1)
Dangerous People	94	(1)
How Not to Look Weird	95	(4)
7 Game Variations	99	(14)
Auto Rallies	100	(1)
Benchmarks	101	(4)
Searching for Benchmarks	103	(1)
Finding a Benchmark	103	(1)
Logging a Benchmark	104	(1)
Degree Confluence Project	105	(1)
Geodashing	105	(1)
Letterboxing	106	(1)
Multistage Caches	106	(1)
MinuteWar	107	(1)
Moving Caches	107	(1)
Mystery or Puzzle Caches	107	(1)
Offset Caches	107	(1)
Virtual Caches	108	(1)
Webcam Caches	108	(1)
Adding Geocaching Games to Your Events	108	(5)
8 Travel Bugs and hitchhikers	113	(8)
Message in a Bottle Revised	113	(1)
Hitchhiker Origins and Types	114	(1)
Travel Bugs	115	(6)
Finding Travel Bugs	116	(3)
Relocating Travel Bugs	119	(1)
Starting Your Own Travel Bug	119	(2)
Travel Bug Stories	121	(8)
Cannonball Run	122	(2)
Darth Vader TB 1	124	(1)
Message in a Bottle	125	(1)
Tigger	125
Part 3: Finding Your Way Around	121	(94)
9 GPS Gear Selection	129	(14)
GPS Receivers	130	(3)
Primary Features	130	(3)
Types and Application	133	(7)
Handheld Without a Basemap Database	133	(2)
Handheld with a Basemap Database	135	(1)
Vehicle-Based Receivers	136	(1)
Computers and PDAs	137	(1)
Antennas	138	(1)
Batteries	139	(1)
Special Considerations for Geocaching	140	(3)
10 GPS Setup and Features	143	(20)
Learning Your Way Around Your Receiver	144	(4)
Which Button Does What?	144	(1)
Common Pages	145	(3)
Setup	148	(3)
Alarms	148	(1)
Backlight Timer	148	(1)
Battery Type	149	(1)
Coordinates	149	(1)
Distance Measurement	149	(1)
Map Datum	149	(1)
Map-Page Orientation	150	(1)
North	150	(1)
Time	150	(1)
Timers	151	(1)
Save Your Batteries with Simulation, Demo, or GPS Off Mode	151	(1)
Saving Waypoints	151	(4)
Waypoint Averaging	155	(1)
Track Logs	155	(3)
Saving Track Logs	157	(1)
TracBack Route	158	(1)
Routes	158	(5)
Saving Routes	160	(1)
Auto Routing	160	(3)
11 Navigation System and Compass Basics	163	(20)
Degrees or Meters?	164	(1)
Latitude/Longitude	164	(4)
Distance	166	(1)
Coordinate Address	167	(1)
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)	168	(3)
Selecting a Coordinate System	171	(1)
Other Coordinate Systems	171	(2)
Military Grid Reference System (MGRS)	172	(1)
Township, Range, and Section	172	(1)
The Compass	173	(10)
How Many Norths Are There?	175	(2)
Finding True North	177	(1)
Important Terms	178	(1)
Shooting a Bearing	179	(1)
Compass Accuracy	180	(1)
Which Compass?	181	(2)
12 Maps	183	(18)
Map Basics	184	(1)
Map Scales	184	(1)
Topographic Maps	185	(1)
Map Reading	186	(1)
Reading Topographic Maps	187	(6)
Check the Datum	189	(1)
Grid Lock	189	(1)
Map Colors and Symbols	190	(1)
Contour Lines	190	(2)
Pacing	192	(1)
Plotting GPS Coordinates	193	(5)
UTM System	194	(1)
Latitude/Longitude System	195	(3)
Navigation Tips	198	(3)
13 Computers	201	(14)
GPS with Computers	202	(4)
As a GPS Receiver	202	(1)
Map Databases	203	(1)
Data Transfer and Management	204	(1)
Real-Time Tracking	204	(2)
Mapping Software	206	(3)
GPS Company Software	207	(1)
Aftermarket Software	207	(1)
Online Map Services	208	(1)
Terrain Analysis	209	(1)
Component Wiring	210	(1)
Taking Computers Geocaching	211	(1)
Load Lots of Maps	212	(1)
Caches by the Thousand!	212	(1)
Time for Real-Time Tracking	212	(1)
Some Final Computer Bytes	213	(2)
Part 4: Welcome to the Community	215	(60)
14 Geocaching Groups, Forums, and Travel	211	(22)
Geocaching Groups	218	(3)
Internet Groups	219	(1)
Geocaching.com Discussion Forums	219	(1)
Club Websites	220	(1)
Starting Your Own Geocaching Group	221	(1)
Event Caches	222	(2)
Taking Your Hobby on the Road	224	(1)
Geocaching Vacations	224	(5)
Travelin' Bugs	225	(1)
Meaningful Places	226	(2)
Packing for Vacation Caching	228	(1)
International Considerations	229	(4)
Flying with GPS	230	(1)
Use Some GPS Discretion	230	(3)
15 Geocaching Events and Competitions	233	(12)
Events and Competition	234	(4)
GPS Goldrush	234	(1)
Midwest Invitational Geocaching Competition	235	(1)
GPS Orienteering Events	236	(1)
Texas State Geocaching Extravaganza	237	(1)
Nevada Trophy -A Navigational Adventure	237	(1)
Entering Competitive Events	238	(3)
Back to Basics	238	(2)
Team Dynamics	240	(1)
Organizing Your Own Event	241	(1)
Game Time!	242	(3)
16 The Future of GPS Technology	245	(16)
Trends and Possibilities	246	(2)
GPS and Personal Training	248	(1)
Bluetooth	248	(1)
GPS and Digital Photos	249	(3)
GPS Radio Tracking	252	(3)
Safety and Security Services	255	(1)
GPS and Cell Phones	256	(1)
Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs)	257	(4)
17 The Future of GPS Entertainment	261	(14)
From 0 to 80,000 in 3 Years	262	(1)
Integration into Other Games	262	(2)
Poker Runs	262	(1)
Golf	263	(1)
Paintball	263	(1)
Morse Code	263	(1)
Hero Hunting	263	(1)
Games Built In?	264	(1)
Theme Events	265	(2)
Racing Games	267	(3)
Environmental Ethics	270	(3)
Where Do We Go from Here?	273
Appendixes
A Resource Directory	275	(8)
B Glossary	283	(8)
C Navigation and Hap References	291	(4)
D Cache Log Sheet	295	(2)
E Geocache Notification Sheet	297	(2)
F Travel Itinerary	299	(2)
G Gear Checklist	301	(2)
Index	303