Easiest GPS units for rental to new geocachers

[+Taylebell]

Hello all!

 

I am in the process of setting up a "passport challenge" type program in our small town. There are 14 different caches that people will be finding and stamping a paper with cache specific stamps. They turn in the papers for a prize at city hall. (I am leaning towards path tags if anyone has any comments there too it's appreciated. )

 

Anyway, I am raising funds to purchase a few GPS units that will be available for people to try it out. They will be at the campground in town. The main issue is that the campground owners (though extremely nice people and willing to help out in any way) are not geocachers nor do they really understand how to use a GPS for geocaching.

 

I need the best option for the people to be able rent out. I would like it to be fairly simple so that it's not super confusing to explain how to use for either the person borrowing it, or the people renting it out to them. I am looking at the Etrex 10 mostly because of price. Wondering if there would be a better option before I actually purchase them though.

 

My main concerns are that I do not really want it to have tons of options so that it takes tons of steps to locate and alternate between caches. There is a good change that language may be a barrier in our area as we have a lot of non-english speaking families locally that we would LOVE to see involved. I do not want people to give up because they get frusterated.

 

I currently use a yellow etrex and /or my phone, so I am not as gps savy as most of you probably are.

 

Thanks for any advice you may be able to give me!

[+BAMBOOZLE]

For what you describe I think the Etrex 10 is fine. An Etrex 20 is better and takes maps but its more expensive and you have to buy detail maps or download free ones, etc.

[alandb]

Another option you could consider is to find some used/discontinued android smart phones with GPS chips and wifi, and install the Geocaching app on them. No need to put a service contract on the phone ... just use it as a cheap tablet. I have sometimes seen these on sale at radio shack or walmart real cheap .... well under $50.

 

 

[+Taylebell]

Another option you could consider is to find some used/discontinued android smart phones with GPS chips and wifi, and install the Geocaching app on them. No need to put a service contract on the phone ... just use it as a cheap tablet. I have sometimes seen these on sale at radio shack or walmart real cheap .... well under $50.

 

I love this idea but how would they use them? I don't understand that apparently. There would be no wifi around town. Obviously we could use it to program them but to actually track them it would use the gps accurately without a service plan?

[alandb]

Once you get the app and geocaches installed on it (using wifi) you should be able to use it as a stand-alone device (no phone/wifi connection needed, as long as the phone model has a bona-fide GPS receiver). I have not actually done this, so you would want to try it on one sample unit before buying a whole bunch of old phones.

Edited June 18, 2015 by alandb

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Another option you could consider is to find some used/discontinued android smart phones with GPS chips and wifi, and install the Geocaching app on them. No need to put a service contract on the phone ... just use it as a cheap tablet. I have sometimes seen these on sale at radio shack or walmart real cheap .... well under $50.

 

I love this idea but how would they use them? I don't understand that apparently. There would be no wifi around town. Obviously we could use it to program them but to actually track them it would use the gps accurately without a service plan?

It works fine. The GPS chip does not rely on data, you don't need a data connection to use it.

You do need a connection when you load the data and save it to the unit, is all.

 

EDIT to add: Probably better than getting a bunch of dedicated GPSr units. The app is "user friendly" -- much more so than a GPSr to a beginner.

Compound that with unknowing folks trying to explain how to use the device to another unknowing chap.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+gpsblake]

Etrex 10 gets my vote. For renting out units, you want the most simple and easiest unit to use period. The Etrex 10 falls into that category.

[+dcaches]

A campground we go to every summer had geocaching kits you could borrow for a day, they had 5 or 6 preloaded destinations on them around the campground...very similar to what you are describing. I found the unit very simple to use, I believe they were etrex 10's.

[+ecanderson]

For just a few $ more, there are still certified refurb Dakota 10 units out there. A nicer display, and touch screen - no buttons to mess with.

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Dakota-Waterproof-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B00TRFETWO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434902887&sr=1-2