Geo-caching

[bonzodog]

Does anyone here do this - it's reckoned to be the worlds fastest growing geek hobby.

I haven't tried it yet, as it requires the purchase of a GPS unit - it's basically treasure hunting with GPS, and can involve finding a box hidden very well, which you then take an item out and leave an item in, and sign the logbook for the next visitor. It sounds like fun, and I was wondering if anyone had any experience of it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocaching

[zenrox]

i need the gps unit first tho it llooks like fun

[runningwithscissors]

Never heard of it.

[insane_alien]

you don't NEED a GPS. it helps, sure, but an OS map and a compass can be good enough.

although i'm biased cos i got to the cache before a guy with a big expensive GPS dohickey :P

[STREETURCHINE]

you don't NEED a GPS. it helps, sure, but an OS map and a compass can be good enough.

although i'm biased cos i got to the cache before a guy with a big expensive GPS dohickey :P

lol..he obviously did not know how to use his big expensive gps dohickey very well did he...:D

[-Rick-]

Sounds fun :)
Any idea where to find cheap and reasonable GPS devices?

[de_valentin]

It's great fun and I don't really think its very geeky. It's outdoors lots of hiking. And for me hiking without a purpose couldn't really get me going but with geocaching there is a purpose. You want to find caches.

http://www.geocaching.com

It's worldwide, I've been introduced to it as a part of my education (geodesy),
One of the other great things about it is that it takes you places you would never know about unless a local tells you about it.
During our last vacation in Italy we ended up on top of a mountain with spectacular views and lots of ruins. And the feeling when you do discover something that someone has hidden just for fun.

I could go on and on but its time to go home for me now so I will stop.

And btw you do need an GPS-set but they aren't that expesive anymore.

[stalker145]

Does anyone here do this - it's reckoned to be the worlds fastest growing geek hobby.

I've gone on a couple of hunts around the area here. I agree with de_valentin that it is a lot of fun. I also agree with insane_alien that you don't really need a GPS unit, depending on the cache you are hunting and the instructions given.

It's a great way to get out into the world and do things with the family.

By the way, I got myself a pretty decent Magellan Explorist at WalMart for a little over $100USD. I'm still trying to get it to work well with Linux, but I will succeed :D

[noremac]

I am big into Geocaching. Once I log my finds I just got back from doing today, I will be at 296 finds. A bunch, but certainly not a lot compared to others(1000's). Its a great, generally free, high tech sport. Met many cool people are various events, such as the "Texas Challenge" and a couple others. Also once in a while run into someone AT a cache, looking for it as well. It has gotten me to some VERY neat places I would have never ever found on my own. Many Many stories to tell from various finds, some with good outcomes, others, not so well. If you are an outdoors person, like to camp and such, its a definte thing to be into. Rarely will you go to any kind of state park in the USA and not have some to find. Along with that comes all the various details in caches. Traditional, multi-caches, virtuals, webcam caches, letterbox, etc. So many different things you will run into.

You can pick up a good quality GPS, with fair price from Newegg. Thats where I have bought 2 of mine. I personally recommend Garmin. They have always been my favorite, but I have not used many other brands recently, so I am sort of biased towards that. But they certainly make good products. For caching, I use a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx along with a Garmin StreetPilot 2720. StreetPilot, sits on the dash and helps find shorter routes from cache to cache. Can see the streets much clearer on it and have a much better idea of where to go to get to the particular area you need to be at. The 60CSx is of course what I use to get me from the car to the cache itself. Couldn't be happier with the two. Some of the new features coming out on the Garmin Colorado are sweet too. Wish I had the money to buy it. And the nicest Magellan, Triton 500 IIRC is awesome with a built in camera. Little much for just a GPS, but heck, who cares.

Thats what I got on it...glad to answer any other questions if anyone has one.

-Cameron

[RegT]

i love geocaching, its a cool way to explore new places. I have one of these....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-eTrex-GPS-Personal-Navigator/dp/B00003WGP5/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1198890289&sr=8-2

[Kzin]

Something I'd be interested in... Don't have GPS, but never thought about that whole map and compass thing... Could even be more accurate with that ;-)

[noremac]

While finding a cache is certainly possible without a GPS, it's gotta be difficult. Darn near impossible if you are in the woods. Perhaps in the city, with decent resolution satellite images, it could be fairly easy.
-C

[Chilli Bob]

I've been Geocaching for several months, but don't get as much opportunity to go out as I'd like. All you need is a cheap GPS, the basic Garmin eTrex is more than adequate. There are a few caches you can find without a GPS (I did one on the weekend) but really you do need one. A map and compass just won't cut it. (Not least because the datums used on maps are often different to the WGS84 that is the default for Geocaching.)

Has anyone tried this program,,,

http://www.gpsbabel.org/

... it has a Linux version. It's quite powerful, but only runs as a command line program. I've been creating CSV files in Open Office Calc with data from www.geocaching.com, then using GPS Babel to upload it into my eTrex. It's not the simplest method, but quicker than typing large numbers of co-ordinates into the eTrex directly.

In theory, I'm trying to learn Python to write a simple front end to make it easier, but it's taking a while.


If anyone sees Chilli Bob in a logbook in South East Queensland, that's me.

[mellowd]

Looks like fun, I gotta try it out

[stalker145]

Has anyone tried this program,,,

http://www.gpsbabel.org/

... it has a Linux version. It's quite powerful, but only runs as a command line program. I've been creating CSV files in Open Office Calc with data from www.geocaching.com, then using GPS Babel to upload it into my eTrex. It's not the simplest method, but quicker than typing large numbers of co-ordinates into the eTrex directly.

In theory, I'm trying to learn Python to write a simple front end to make it easier, but it's taking a while.

I know that I've seen a Linux front-end out there somewhere. I'm sure it's in my bookmarks at home (I'm at work for the next 24 hours). I noticed this (http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/gpsbabel/) looking through Google. It doesn't upload for you, but it looks like a nice convertor for those other file formats.

[tdrusk]

my parents just started doing this.

[kg4tah]

I have found several local caches and logged them on the geocaching website. Its pretty fun to go out and look for this stuff, I just wish I could find the time to do it a little more often.

[lekifsirk]

I just heard about geocaching and found a Mio c230 DigiWalker for 49. I have no idea how to get geocaching info into it. If anyone has any advise or tips I'd be very grateful. I'm relatively new to Ubuntu/Linux also, so I don't really know how to use GPSBabel, but like I said, I'd be really grateful if anyone could offer any info that would get me closer to my goal of Ubuntu/geocaching.
Thanks.

[Dr Small]

Without a GPS, you could always go Letterboxing.

[oldsoundguy]

few weeks back somebody did the cache on the corner of this property. That was how I found out about it. Got several brochures from the searchers and there is a local organization that fosters the events.

Interesting to say the least, and most that came through were really nice people.

I have a PDA that has GPS installed .. but never thought of using it in that manner as I have a dash mount for it and use it to GET SOMEWHERE! LOL

[smartboyathome]

I do this. I have found quite a few caches now. I use a Garmin Etrex Venture HC (which I got new for $140 from Amazon). I have to use Vista to put the coordinates onto it though, otherwise I would have to pay Geocaching.com in order to download the .gpx files.

[leftyfb]

I have to use Vista to put the coordinates onto it though, otherwise I would have to pay Geocaching.com in order to download the .gpx files.

http://my.garmin.com and click on extras. They let you download gpx files to be uploaded to your gps either by mounting it via usb cable, SD card, or with the POIloader available from garmin.

I happily pay for a geocaching.com account since I can download 500 caches at a time and in fact get them updated and sent to me via email every day.


With that said, I've been thinking of making up some "ubuntu" geocoins to be sold/given out to the community. Anyone interested in doing a group buy?

[pigphish]

I've been Geocaching for several months, but don't get as much opportunity to go out as I'd like. All you need is a cheap GPS, the basic Garmin eTrex is more than adequate. There are a few caches you can find without a GPS (I did one on the weekend) but really you do need one. A map and compass just won't cut it. (Not least because the datums used on maps are often different to the WGS84 that is the default for Geocaching.)

Has anyone tried this program,,,

http://www.gpsbabel.org/

... it has a Linux version. It's quite powerful, but only runs as a command line program. I've been creating CSV files in Open Office Calc with data from www.geocaching.com, then using GPS Babel to upload it into my eTrex. It's not the simplest method, but quicker than typing large numbers of co-ordinates into the eTrex directly.

In theory, I'm trying to learn Python to write a simple front end to make it easier, but it's taking a while.


If anyone sees Chilli Bob in a logbook in South East Queensland, that's me.

Web interface to GPS babel. Does the same thing the command line does

http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/gpsbabel/