Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Any geocachers out there?

For cheaper ones, you can use older Garmin's. I've seen used, older etrexes (even NIB) on craigslist for around $100.

The things you give up are:
- external memory card support
- newer GPS chipset. May not matter if you're willing to wait a little longer to acquire sats. However, the newer chipsets do much better with foilage cover.
- DB9 serial cable vs USB. I have Intel Macs so I prefer USB vs a converter.

You might even consider PDA-based GPS units if you are OK w/ more hardware. My buddy uses one worldwide (mostly in the Israeli desert) with his HP iPaq. I know there are ones you can find w/ Palm V units, even Treos. If one shows up at Macworld (yup I'm going) for the iPhone and it's relatively cheap, I might try it.

If you have GPS on your phone, like a RAZR, that might do in a pinch, at least to try it. You can print all the maps for a cache from the Google maps and get the coordinates. Then use your phone to get you close.

Do what people have done for years and learn to read a map and compass... correctly.

Before one "takes up" hiking, an orienteering course should be a must.

I actually took one in junior high through school, along with a winter survival course...

Bren R.

What were your grades?

It was pass/fail.. and since I was the only one who brought enough calories worth of food, and food that could be eaten raw or heated, I think I did well. I also learned the real value of the "cable saw" in those so-popular-at-the-time "Rambo" knives (a guitar D-string is sharper) and why you should coat matchheads with paraffin wax (that rubber O-ring between the "compass endpiece" and the hollow hilt is more of a suggestion to water to stay out).

I suck at foraging ("I'm not eating that!"/"It's nutritious"/"It's FLORA!") and snowshoeing, however.

Bren R.

Oh, man, I forgot about those knives. I never had one, but I remember thinking they were cool.

But yeah, I should learn how to survive at some point.

Your logic is just but actually, just to be fair to some hand helds, I was very pleasantly surprised at how well my Garmin Quest does as a Driving GPS when it is actually small enough to fit nicely in a pocket. They appeared to have done a very good job of maximizing the smaller screen's potential as I have no problems at all glancing at it, as needed, when it's stuck to my windshield. Also doesn't hurt that it gives voice directions so you are prompted with verbal commands when a course change is required.

A bigger screen is probably always better for driving if it's as bright and easy to read as this one. (I have seen cheaper big screen versions that are more confusing and harder to read than my small one.) For me, it has to also fit in the pocket of my life jacket so I am very happy with it.

Also, to whomever said, "what if you get lost?" I'm sure you were joking but I guess it's possible to get lost with a GPS in hand but if you do, please through out your batteries when you are rescued so you can blame dead batteries.

Also, NEVER, go into the wilderness without a backup compass, chart, and the knowledge of how to use it. Otherwise, please will me your speakers.