GPSr

A friend of mine, recently suffered a broken GPS (whilst out caching) and is looking for a replacement. Misguidedly, she asked for my advice, which started me thinking.

There are a number of methods of finding caches, which I will try to summarise.

Naked Caching
The title is a bit of a cheat (similar to the Naked Chef - who kept his kit on). Using geocaching.com the target cache is looked up and it's position noted on streetmap. The cache printout and a print of the OS map is then taken to ground zero. Usually, especially for the easier hides, this method along with the hint, should locate the cache after a short search.

E-trex
The stand alone GPSr. This was how it used to be done (in the good ol' days, when I started). The co-ordinates are loaded into the GPSr (Global Positioning System Receiver) either manually (lots of room for error), directly from geocaching.com or from GSAK (geocaching swiss army knife.) The basic GPSr devices do not allow for cache descriptions so the paper printout is still needed.

PDA
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have many uses in geocaching. At a basic level, a program such as Cachemate can be used to store the cache details, removing the need for the paper printout. A fairly basic, cheap, Palm handheld can be used for this.
If the PDA has a built in GPS (or can use an external bluetooth GPSr), we can move another rung up the ladder and use Memory Map (or strictly speaking Pocket Navigator) to display one's position on an Ordnance Survey map. When correctly configured, a click on the cache symbol will bring up the relevant details in Cachemate. This applies only to Windows Mobile devices.
Certain mobile phones (running Symbian software - e.g. Nokia N95) can perform a similar feat using ViewRanger software.

Mobile Phones
As mentioned above, certain mobile phones can be used to help locate geocaches. The iPhone has an app. and for most platforms, I believe, Geocache Navigator can be used. These approaches utilise the inbuilt GPS and download the cache information, directly, from geocaching.com so may cost unless you have an unlimited data package for you phone. This approach is great if you find yourself with some spare time but you don't have your regular kit with you. The accuracy of the GPS may not be a good as a dedicated unit. Usually, the record of your find, or otherwise, can be uploaded straight into geocaching.com.

Mapping GPSr
Many, newer and more expensive GPRs units, have either built in maps or have the facility to load maps onto them. More information can be added to the waypoints providing cache descriptions and hints. The top-end devices, such a the Garmin Oregon, can even have OS maps (but they are prohibitively expensive). With an Oregon, you can load upto 1,000 caches (enough for even an all dayer) complete with descriptions, past logs and hints. On the map, you can navigate to the trail head (with turn by turn instructions) then switch to Geocaching mode to home in on the cache. When approaching GZ, you can switch to the compass and go for the kill. Once found (or not, as the case may be), a push on the touch screen will record your attempt along with any notes you wish to attach.
Back home, all the day's field notes can be uploaded to geocaching.com which make the whole logging process so much easier.

Conclusion
As you can see, there are many methods to be employed to locate those elusive caches. As is so often the case, it's very much horses for courses.
Personally, I use my N95 with ViewMaster to get an overview of the area and to locate footpaths etc. and my Oregon to actually locate and log the caches.
I would be very interested to hear how you do it.

Team Butter Fingers

Oh the embarrasment!

Last Sunday, I did the excellent "Follow the Arrow" series of caches between Coughton and Alcester, which I really enjoyed. However, the fist cache I visited, well, here's my log entry...

2912. What a start to a morning's caching. Found the cache easily enough but as I went to retriev it, it fell from my (butter) fingers and hit the ground - bounced and disappeared from view accompanied by a splash!

I crossed over and followed the path down to the river to see the cache bobbing past. I followed it downstream and was going to head it off at the wier but luckily, it got stuck in some tree roots and I was able to rescue it.

On the good side, I can confirm that the container is waterproof.

I signed the log and very carefully put it back.

Thanks for the cache and the riverside walk!

... which was bad enough; although I did manage to rescue that one. A while back, some may recall, I dropped half a magnetic nano in my van and it was never seen again (the nano not my trusty stead.)

Today, in deepest Earlsdon, I was fumbling around for another magnetic cache - a key box this time (does anyone know a cheap source for these?) when I...

reached in, felt the cache, then felt it fall ! And of all the places where it could have fallen, it landed in the one place which is inaccessable. I'm really sorry.

What am I to do? I'm tryng to avoid ICTs as it is. If I add magnetic caches to my "don't touch these caches with a barge-pole" list I'm going to severly limit my choices. Perhaps, I could add a small net to my caching kit and position it under any magnetic caches I find. Maybe an elaborate electro-magnet affair so that I could suspend the cache in mid air (it would have to have that buzzing werr-werr sound.) Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Now how do I apply a GSAK filter for caches that are already at ground level?

Up North

After our 72 cache-fest back in March, during the debrief, we agreed that it hadn't been to bad and that one hundred caches in a day, on foot, was do-able.

The UK Mega series was chosen in March ahead of the Blackburn Letterboxes which was our next objective. Our researcher (Stokesy) got to work and found us a route which would give us that elusive ton. Word went out of the impending expedition and, with a week to go, we had nine members (and one in support!)

05.15hrs (yes, that's in the a.m.) I received a call informing me that Stokesy was on his way. I was picked up, bleary eyed, and we were away heading north. One good thing about being up so, so early is that the M6 is almost empty and we made good time arriving at our rendezvous just before seven thirty. Obviously, Graham was already there!

We said our welcomes and kitted up, before setting off for them thar hills. The weather looked very promising, so much so that many elected to leave heavy waterproofs behind (a decision we did NOT regret.) The terrain was gentle and we soon started bumping up our tally. We did waste a little time on a couple of DNFs, but were on target. We were having such a good time that wwe hardly noticed as the terrain changed and were acsended onto the moors for some cracking views.

As the day wore on, and the numbers increased, it became apparent that we may have bitten off too much and with aching limbs we decided to call it a day at eighty four. Some were a little disappointed at not reaching our goal but, hey, 84 caches in a day is not bad going.

Although, we did not achieve the hundred (this time) we all had a great day out in great company. All achived new PBs (I know it's not about the numbers) and at least one member is chomping at the bit for another attempt at the ton.

Arran Industries

As the week on Arran draws to a close, Team Balders has dealt a devestating blow to the island's tourist industry. Today, I found the last cache of the series so there is no need for anyone to come to Arran (actually there are lots of other, less important reasons to come.)

The Arran Industries series by Jango & Bobba Fett, is a series of twelve caches dotted around the island at sites of past or present industries. The full list includes, Whisky, Fishing, Coal, Slate, Bobbins, Barytes, Limestone, Sand, Iron, Cloth and Cheese. Those who can do adding up may be saying "Eh, that's only 11!" and how right they would be. In each cache is a number and in two, special instructions for calculating the co-ordinates of the missing "Quarry".

Of the eleven, there is one cache inside a cave, one in a very long hedge (not quite an ICT) and one which involves a three hour walk (which I had to do twice). Just to add to the fun, two of the caches are not listed on Geocaching.com (apparently, there are two other listing sites, Terracaching and Navicache.)

The series was placed in 2007 and I have been picking at it on our regular breaks to the island. This time around, I was determined to finish the series and through Geocaching.com, I made the aquaintance of JackieC who also likes to visit Arran and had the same plan but arriving a week later. We compared notes and although, I think, she was a little niffed, wished me well and was also myArranach PAF.

Earlier in the week I tried the Terracache listed Coal . This cache is a multi but I couldn't find two of the numbers (although one was easy to guess) so resigned myself to not finishing the series this time around. I then decided to mop up a few of the island's other hides including an FTF on Blue Lagoon.

Although not actively trying to finish the series, I found the rest leaving just coal and the final. After talking to Jackie, I was persuaded to give coal another go, which I did this morning. This time I spotted the missing number and made my way to the cache which was soon found. Inside, I found the last piece of the jigsaw, in this case, a big formula to plug in all the numbers so far collected.

Just in case the bonus, Quarry, was placed nearby because I'd hate to have to do this walk yet again, I sat down on the beach and plugged in the numbers. Horror of horrors, the numbers didn't add up. In my notes, from an earlier trip, I had put a question mark by one of the numbers; I substituted other values and came up with three possible solutions.

Back at the car, an hour and a bit later, I set off for the three possibles (all within a few hundred metres of each other). I had to bushwhack my way up to the first but after a search I couldn't find anything that matched the clue so battled my way through a gale to option two. After a short hunt, I came up with the goods. I opened the ammo box to find a blank logbook (now wouldn't that be a bummer if someone had beaten me to it?), and a bottle of Arran Milestone beer. On the label it states that it's bottle conditioned. It is also now ammo-can conditioned - it must have been frozen up there over two winters. I have yet to open it but I shall keep you all posted.

The descent was marred by sinking up to my nether regions in a peat bog but, hey, I'd completed the series!

So as the holiday draws to it's conclusion, I am a very happy bunny and what a great way to end. I've had a week of caching (well, mainly, caching early and then family stuff later) in some brilliant terrain. I've had a variety of cache types and two FTFs. Best of all, not a single 35mm film pot in an ivy covered tree.

Arran

Tales from a Scottish Isle

As followers of this Blog will know, I am up in Bonnie Scotland just off the Ayrshire coast on the beautiful Isle of Arran. Know as Scotland in miniture, Arran has just about something to offer everybody, from Golfing (waste of a good walk) to rock climbing calling in on canoeing, cycling and walking on the way. There are also nearly 50 caches on the isle which measures only about 30km by 15 and rising up to 874m (Goat Fell). We are staying in a lovely house on the shore of Lamlash Bay overlooking Holy Isle.

Team Balders has been to Arran a few times in the past and we have managed to find a few of these caches including an FTF after 9 months (wouldn't last nine minutes back home - eh, Graham?)

There is a series of caches on the island called "Arran Industries" with caches place need sites of past and present industries on the isle. For such a small place, it's had a lot of stuff happening, including the obvious Whisky, cheese and fishing to Barytes (?), sand, coal and satellite technology (I may have made one of those up.) Each cache has a number which somehow give the co-ordinates of the bonus cache (quarry). Anyway, I've been slowly picking away at these but totally failed to find Coal (listed on Terracaching) so am unable to complete the series. I have e-mailed the cache owner (CO) a number of times but he is yet to reply.

I have also been trying for an FTF this week but with little success. King Hakon, on the nearby Holy Isle, is a puzzle cache which I was sure I had cracked but on the ground it just wasn't right. Again, I've contatcted the CO but it's the same guy as already mentioned so that's that one scrubbed.

Another puzzle, Teddy's Picnic also looked promising with no logs on Geocaching.com. I solved the puzzle and drove into the hills to look for this one. There was the cache just where it should be so I opened the log - to find that someone had logged it five days earlier! Perhaps they're still on holiday and haven't got the luxury of mobile internet so that one's on the watchlist.

Looking further down the GSAK list I spotted Ard Bheinn - Into the Volcano. No logs but on the top of a 512m extinct volcano. There are no paths on this hill so it was going to be hard going, then on the day, the clouds and rain came down. I was going to make the ascent today but a new friend, JackieC, told me of a new Arranach cache, Blue Lagoon, so I went for the easier option and finally bagged my long deserved FTF. How sad am I? I changed my Facebook profile to ... at 350m signing a log as FTF while at GZ! (and I took a photo.)

JackieC, also enjoys caching on Arran and was a little worried that I was going to beat her to the Arran Industries series, but with my earlier DNF, it's her's for the taking next week when she is on Arran - good luck girl.

The geo-mutt and I have walked many kilometres this week over terrain including sandy beaches,
grassy glens, muddy swamps and boulder fields (and that is hard going). The dog is totally knackered so we're having an easy day tomorrow. All this walking should be good practice for the upcoming Blackburn Letterbox trail - if it doesn't kill me first!

Well that's enough for now - I dare say I'll have more to add when I get back to Brum.

I.C.T.

I was in Milton Keynes today so had to try a few caches at lunch time. Is it something in the water down there, but why are there so many "camo 35mm in ivy covered tree" caches in MK?

Is it a lack of imagination or do the locals really like rummaging around in the green stuff? Surely (don't call me Shirley) with all the parks and other green areas, there must be plenty of places to hide a slightly larger box or if it has to be a micro, some other location - in a tree, base of tree, under stone etc. etc.

It makes my blood boil !!!

Rant over - well that one at least! Next rant is STAMPS and not the one from the Post Office. I mean those useful ones that let you put your personal mark in the log. Now mine's not huge (stop tittering at the back) but if I'm doing a micro (having extracted it from the ICT) my stamp usually takes up 2 lines; which some may think extravagant. But what about this one I spotted today...
Count them with me;
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8 and a bit lines !!!

I popped out last night with Sue and the geo-mutt to bag some of HillHappy's latest batch and ran into Taff Hunter - nice couple, so we did a few together. Of course, we had to do a maintenance visit on KissKiss while we were out.

Apart from my ravings, I've had a couple of good caching days and am looking forward to the event in Knowle, hoping to meet lots of people.

That's all for now - cheers.

My Oregon got lost

Out this evening, enjoying the longer evenings (well one at least), doing the Hidden Gems series in Perry Bar when my Oregon tells me that the cache is a further 180m away which happens to be the other side of a tall steel fence. I checked on my Nokia N95 and that told me that I was 20m away. I used the Nokia to home in on the cache as the terrain suited the clue and there is was. However, the Oregon was still indicating nearly 200m to go!

I switched off and back on and moved on to the next cache. The N95 was spot on but the Oregon, again, 200m off.

The battery was showing 1 bar but I'd had no warnings of low battery. I shall try new batteries tomorrow and I hope that is the cause of the problem.

By the way, the Hidden Gems series is a true hidden gem and well worth as visit.