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What To Bring When Geocacheing?


rpwings

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I am new to this hobby. I found this site when looking for GPS info and thought "this is great!". I found 2 caches near where I live so far and I know there are more :o I am starting a list of things I need to bring with me during those "expeditions". First off, a GPS (ok, need to go buy one) then what else do you suggest?

 

Some of the obvious: pen, paper, maps, cache descriptions, good shoes, hat, photo equipment...

 

Thanks for your help,

 

RPwings

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Here's my checklist. (Yes, I wrote it down. I forgot too often):

 

GPS

Compass

Binoculars (don't always take these to the cache, depends)

Cell Phone

Camera

Wallet

This Notebook (the one with the checklist)

Handheld (Palm device)

Bug Spray (a must!)

Water

Spare Batteries

Stick (don't leave home without a stick!)

Trade Items

 

I've got another list somewhere of stuff that I should bring but I wouldn't be lost without, like extra logbook pens and spare logbooks, in case one is needed.

Edited by AuntieWeasel
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Here's my checklist. (Yes, I wrote it down. I forgot too often):

 

GPS

Compass

Binoculars (don't always take these to the cache, depends)

Cell Phone

Camera

Wallet

This Notebook (the one with the checklist)

Handheld (Palm device)

Bug Spray (a must!)

Water

Spare Batteries

Stick (don't leave home without a stick!)

Trade Items

 

I've got another list somewhere of stuff that I should bring but I wouldn't be lost without, like extra logbook pens and spare logbooks, in case one is needed.

I'd only add one thing to Auntie Weasel's list. I put a small metal hook onto the leather loop at the top of my hiking staff. It is GREAT for "fishing" caches out of places I'd rather not stick my hand! :o

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Toilet Paper (depends on length of trek)

Gloves

Flashlight

Lip Balm

Pen and Pencil

Thereby answering the age-old question, does Smogman poop in the woods?

 

Flashlight, some sunscreen and extra DEET. Yup, yup. One of those little first aid kits. They're not on my list because they stay in my kit.

 

The gloves are a great idea. I unexpectedly found myself in a bramble thicket today really, really wishing I had some.

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In addition to all the goodies listed above: We take extra logbooks, pencils, pencil sharpeners, zip lock bags, garbage bags and extra stash goodies. That way if we find a cache whose logbook is full, pencil missing/broken and low on trade items, we can leave the cache in better shape than when we found it.

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I also carry a bottle of Anti-Bacterial Hand Cleaner or Handi Wipes. Because after touching some of these caches you may want to wash your hands. Also I always bring my sunglasses and suntan lotion. I want to have fun not get fried like a lobster. ;)

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#1 - pack some common sense. Don't wander around the city tracking down light pole micros dressed like Indiana Jones on expedition. Pack as light as possible if your car is handy to save grief.

 

I usually carry little more than the GPS, pens,pencils, exra notebooks, trace goodies and maybe a bottle of water for anything lengthy. If I am going on a major expedition I may go fully armored but rarely do I need bother.

 

I get a tad testy when waiting for some of the more techno-oriented folks to get all their gadgets for a 5 minute walk to a pillbox.

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depends on where you live and what type of cache is around. 95% of them that I have found around here require nothing more than a GPS

 

In some areas that's true. Though insect repellent might also be a good addition and a small fanny pack with trade goodies and a cache repair kit. Duct tape, extra pencils, logbooks and Ziplocs.

 

For the more difficult caches, you bring anything you would on a hike. Water, lunch, rain gear, dry socks, etc....

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Thank you all for your suggestions. I expected to receive help but you all are great. Those were great ideas and suggestions and depending on the cache surroundings I'll be able to pick and choose what makes best sense for the occasion.

 

Thanks again. Maybe we'll meet on the run!

 

RPwings

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How about swag to trade? That's an important part of our pack. Or do you just sign logs? We have a little kit of swag because the kids always want to grab something. We normally carry our bag of swag, a first aid kit, a couple of bottles of water, bug spray, sun-tan lotion, the cell phone, our digital camera, and the print out for the cache we are seeking (we are not paperless).

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Another thing I usually take, especially if I'll be hunting multiple caches in an area without returning to my truck in between, is the printout of the cache page inside a plastic sheet protector, the kind used to put them in a 3 ring binder. Then I attach a small carabiner clip to a belt loop, so I can hook the sheet protectors to it, keeping both hands free.

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Some other things to consider Extra Dry Socks, extra shoes or boots, umbrella, cell phone, pocket mirror, Treking Stick, trigger type grabber (very useful for caches in high places and to keep from being bitten by snakes and other varmits), cache pages, pens, pencils, trade goods, extra log paper for micros. Extra log books. Plastic bags for logs.

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Having a list is great but the thing you need that day is what you forgot.. I keep a vest

with pockets stuffed with things. My car is filled with supplies. A walking stick is great,

batteries, compass. I always forget the cell phone. I have a pocket filled with ziplock bags because I had to cross a river and didn't want the electronics to get wet. Been there for a year never used them again. It all depends is how much junk you want to be draggging through the woods.

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In addition to my aluminum hiking staff, I have a small/medium sized "hydro-pack" style backpack that I use on most caches. It's about 6" deep by 7" wide x 18" tall, with multiple pockets, and it's amazing what I can carry in there. Here's the current list:

 

GPSr (on shoulder strap)

Cell Phone

2-way Radio (on other shoulder strap)

Camera

Tripod

Water bladder (2-liters)

Compasses (2) (one small one clipped to shoulder strap)

ID/Emergency #s

Knife

Whistle

Flashlight

Can Opener

Screwdriver/Pliers

Nylon Cord

Strap Hardware

Matches

Signal Mirror

Cable Saw

Logbook/Pen

Maps, cache printouts/etc.

Calculator

Spare Batteries

Washrag

Soap

Rain Poncho

Sunscreen

Bug Repellant

Handwarmers (2)

3/8” Nylon Rope (20’)

First Aid Kit:

-Band-Aids

-Butterfly Closures

-Ace Bandage

-Adhesive Tape

-Cotton Balls/Swabs

-Antiseptic Cream

-Iodine Swabs

-Bug bite Swabs

-Gloves

-Instant Ice Pack

-Eye Wash (2)

-Chapstick

-Muleskin

-CPR Mask

-Snake Bite Kit

Solar Blanket

Toilet Paper

Fire Starter Sticks (2)

Cyalume Light Sticks (2)

Trash Bag

Ziploc Bags

Pedometer

Flashing Red Taillight

Swag (of course)

 

Sounds like alot, but it only weighs about 8 pounds, including water. It's amazing what you can pack if you do it judiciously <sp?> using compact, backpacker-type items. It stays packed all the time, so I can just grab it and go.

 

For the shorter jaunts, I toss the swag into a fanny pack along with my GPS, cell phone, camera, logbook, and a smaller first aid kit. The fanny pack also has a couple of water bottles attached.

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The only thing I could add, and I do so from experience, is a shovel, sand in a bucket or cat litter. WHY? After getting stuck 3 times in one day, I wished I had something to help give me traction. If I had some sand or cat litter I could have put it under the tires for better traction. Obviously I got out or I wouldn’t be sitting here sending this reply.

 

Oh yes, news paper to cover the floor of the vehicle to keep mud out of the carpet.

 

Lilbluyze

:blink:

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^^^ :(

Yeah, I know, it looks like overkill! Even I'm amazed when I actually look at the list. But again, it's amazing how small and compact it all is, and I've always been one of those "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" type of people! :(

 

And my 4x4 van has gotten me into and out of everywhere I've wanted to go, so far!!

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If you wear contact lens - bring along a spare set. I get disposable contacts (a box of each) and I keep a pair in my desk, car, backpack, bike pack, canoe pack.

 

Nothing really bites more than being 100 miles from home and losing a contact out in the woods or at a state park.

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:( Check out this site for all types of outdoor protection from the Sun and the Cold Weather.

The Cold Weather Stuff is out of site, i have used it a lot being an Iron Worker, it is really Top notch for your face and hands in winter time.

 

Have not checked out the Sun Stuff, been inside three months, with only Sunday off so far.

If anybody trys the Sun Screen Stuff lets us no how it Works.

 

dermatone.com

 

Hozho.

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That list of tackle is unbelievable! I don't think the armed forces equips their commandos with all that gear. :(

 

When I go caching I usually include the following:

 

- mountain bike (with toolkit)

- helmet

- GPS on handlebars

- water (lots!)

 

I've yet to encounter a contingency that called for anything over and above this. :wacko:

 

Cheers!

C-A

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Yeah, my list even surprises me when I actually look at it! Thing is, I started with just a few items and have added a bit here and there, eventually ending up with that. Again, my hydro pack is relatively small, but has a good number of pockets, so it's all organized and easy to access, weighs very little, and still has room for a pretty good amount of swag items and some snacks. And while I will admit I've never had the need for 95% of what I carry, it's comforting to know it's there on the offhand chance that something happens and I do need it.

 

My son (11 years old) and I are heading for Mt San Jacinto Peak in 1 1/2 weeks, approximately 12 miles total, starting from 8500ft (top of the Palm Springs Tramway), climbing to 10,800ft (the Peak), and then descending to 6000ft (Pine Cove area). I'm comfortable knowing that I'm prepared for nearly any contingency that might arise. When hiking that distance with your kids, you definitely want to be "over-prepared", not "under". One unforseen incident can turn an otherwise nice day hike into an emergency overnight situation, or worse.

 

While alot of the short jaunts/caches require only my fanny pack with just a few items, I find that my hydro pack is small/light enough that it's almost as convienient and easy, so it's practically a toss-up, unless I'm going after an urban-micro or a cache-n-dash.

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In addition to my aluminum hiking staff, I have a small/medium sized "hydro-pack" style backpack that I use on most caches. It's about 6" deep by 7" wide x 18" tall, with multiple pockets, and it's amazing what I can carry in there. Here's the current list:

 

GPSr (on shoulder strap)

Cell Phone

2-way Radio (on other shoulder strap)

Camera

Tripod

Water bladder (2-liters)

Compasses (2) (one small one clipped to shoulder strap)

ID/Emergency #s

Knife

Whistle

Flashlight

Can Opener

Screwdriver/Pliers

Nylon Cord

Strap Hardware

Matches

Signal Mirror

Cable Saw

Logbook/Pen

Maps, cache printouts/etc.

Calculator

Spare Batteries

Washrag

Soap

Rain Poncho

Sunscreen

Bug Repellant

Handwarmers (2)

3/8” Nylon Rope (20’)

First Aid Kit:

-Band-Aids

-Butterfly Closures

-Ace Bandage

-Adhesive Tape

-Cotton Balls/Swabs

-Antiseptic Cream

-Iodine Swabs

-Bug bite Swabs

-Gloves

-Instant Ice Pack

-Eye Wash (2)

-Chapstick

-Muleskin

-CPR Mask

-Snake Bite Kit

Solar Blanket

Toilet Paper

Fire Starter Sticks (2)

Cyalume Light Sticks (2)

Trash Bag

Ziploc Bags

Pedometer

Flashing Red Taillight

Swag (of course)

 

Sounds like alot, but it only weighs about 8 pounds, including water. It's amazing what you can pack if you do it judiciously <sp?> using compact, backpacker-type items. It stays packed all the time, so I can just grab it and go.

 

For the shorter jaunts, I toss the swag into a fanny pack along with my GPS, cell phone, camera, logbook, and a smaller first aid kit. The fanny pack also has a couple of water bottles attached.

with that list though in a tent and go camping

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We have a medium sized file box from Wal Mart that contains:

 

GPS and Camera in one kit

pens/pencils

paper

cache sheets pre printed off in notebooks for regional areas where we live (Tulsa, Downtown, Midtown, North, Wagoner, Tahlequah, ECT)

Backpack

Flashlight

Swag Bag

Walking sticks (not in box)

DEET/Bugspray

Duck Tape (it has 1000 uses you know)

Flares

Light sticks

2 way radios

First Aid Kit

 

We don't go to far yet from the Cachemobile soooo don't need much. We don't necessarily carry all this stuff with us when we leave the van though. Now N5PNE says we need a snake bite kit too...in Oklahoma maybe he is right...dunno.

 

Karen aka okpondlady

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with that list though in a tent and go camping

See, if I was actually planning on making it an over-nighter, then I'd want to carry even more stuff. Believe it or not, I'm not into "roughing-it". Been there, done that, when I was younger. Now I'm into comfort! When I go camping, it's in the 27' motorhome, not a tent. Nah, I figure if I have to spend the night due to some unforeseen circumstance, I can always use my solar blanket and rope to make a tent!

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Your many replies have lots of fine suggestions, I would only add: Carry a grease cutting soap like Dawn, small bottle of Isoproply Alcohol, bottle of water to keep in the trunk of your car. In your GPS pack include some Isopropyl Alcohol hand wipes.

As you can see I am a believer in being prepared for an encounter with Poison Oak or Poison Ivy. Prevention is better than a cure. I also carry an old mop handle as a walking staff/bush prodder. Those plastic and metal cache container sound off nicely when prodded (lightly) with the walking staff, it is also nice for shoving brush and branches out of the way so you don't have to do it by hand.

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4x4van, my partner and I wish we had your pack with us on Monday night! We started caching way late in the evening thinking it would be a quick find, got way off the trail, the gps died, and it got very dark very quickly. All we had was the GPS, the printout, and a half bottle of diet coke between us. After wandering around in the woods for an hour in total darkness, we finally called it quits and settled down for the night. And of course we had a huge thunderstorm around midnight that lasted just about forever! It was wet and scary, but we managed to get out okay once the sun started coming up.

 

Needless to say, our geocaching gear list just expanded exponentially. :P

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I’m not sure why I’m posting this as it mostly repeats what others have said, but it’s from the perspective of an old guy who only recently began geocaching, and to some extent this is a game better suited to younger more agile people. I had to give up on one cache that would have required a mild form of acrobatics to reach it and get back.

 

I use a denim carry bag to keep things together/collected to take to the car when I start out, but I don't take it out of the car on the hunt. My stick stays in the trunk between hunts.

 

1) GPSr & extra batteries

2) Printed copies of the first page of the cache descriptions, & a zoomed map linked from the description page. Copy of current working cache folded in pocket, the rest are Note 1

3) OFF/Deet - in Houston this is essential -- jillions of mosquitoes and West Nile Virus Note 1

4) Digital Camera. extra batteries are Note 1

5) Compass - which I rarely use because it never seems to help. Recently this is Note 1

6) Right hand glove - for sticking hand into/under worrisome places. In pocket.

 

I think the following ones are more important to us old codgers who can't climb, stoop, bend, squat and kneel like younger folks. And, irregular ground is more of a problem - it threatens a fall and things break easier. And, I don’t bring wading boots.

 

7) A stick for walking on irregular ground, moving stuff aside and poking around in worrisome places (mine happens to be 2 cm square meter stick with a wrist strap on one end)

8) Inspection mirror -- a mirror with a telescoping handle. To peer into, above and under hard to reach places. (I'm considering taping on a penlight flashlight to shine on the mirror.)

9) Compact binoculars - for seeing places I don't want to have to climb, crawl, wade or walk a log to unless I know there's a payoff. Note 1

 

I have a couple of bottles of water and a cell phone in the car -- I rarely go more than a mile from the car.

 

I don’t carry swag because I don’t trade. I go for the places I see and the hunt. Occasionally I leave geoGeorges. I have never taken anything.

 

Note 1 – left in car until needed

Edited by Thot
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I refer you to my classic list. This is for 1/1 caches in urban parks. The list of items I take for difficult ones is too long to post (would crash the server):

 

- 1 pair good Boots - 1 set Clothing - 1 gps - 5 packs spare batteries - 1 cell phone - 2 maps - 1 compass - 1 combination knife and multi-purpose tool - 1 hat - 1 .45 automatic - 2 pairs nomex gloves - 2 boxes ammunition - 200 feet rope - 4 days concentrated emergency rations - 1 machete - 1 chainsaw, if the machete isn't sufficient - 3 gallons extra gas for the chainsaw - 3 handheld land mobile radios - 1 drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills. - 1 laser range finder - 2 towels - 6 packs m&ms or skittles, as trail mix - 1 miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible - 100 dollars in rubles - 1 compound bow - 1 quiver of 40 arrows - 100 dollars in gold - 1 water bottle, or camelback (or both) - 9 packs of chewing gum - 1 blood chit - 8 ounces ground coffee - carabiners: 20 aluminum, 10 steel - 1 propane lamp - 4 extra thorium mantles for lamp - 2 pounds extra propane - 1 pair snowshoes - 1 three million candlepower spotlight - 1 motorcycle battery for the spotlight - 10 packs waterproof matches - 200 feet of 550# parachute cord - 1 signal mirror - 1 issue of prophylactics - 3 combination smoke grenade/signal flares, and pack of gyro jets - 3 flashbangs - 3 lipsticks - 1 bottle SPF 50 sunscreen - 1 emergency eye patch - 1 gas mask and 4 extra filters - 2 grease pencils - 1 stapler - 1 grappling hook - 3 pairs of nylon stockings - 1 set of car keys - 1 sun dial in case my watch breaks - 1 waterproof notebook - 1 sewing kit and extra buttons - 1 knife sharpener - 1 set sunglasses - 1 whistle - 1 magnifying glass - 1 scientific calculator - 2 plastic bags - 1 slingshot - 50 ball bearings for slingshot ammo - 1 headlamp - 1 tent - 1 field cooking set - 1 shortwave radio - 1 portable TV - 20 cough drops - 600 extra batteries - 1 parka - and 1 safety pin.

 

To be serious, I just take whatever I feel like taking. The most important are good boots, and WATER... I can usually get by with just the 3L camelback and maybe a candy bar or two. If I am on my bike I also bring a couple bike tools.

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4x4van, my partner and I wish we had your pack with us on Monday night! We started caching way late in the evening thinking it would be a quick find, got way off the trail, the gps died, and it got very dark very quickly. All we had was the GPS, the printout, and a half bottle of diet coke between us. After wandering around in the woods for an hour in total darkness, we finally called it quits and settled down for the night. And of course we had a huge thunderstorm around midnight that lasted just about forever! It was wet and scary, but we managed to get out okay once the sun started coming up.

 

Needless to say, our geocaching gear list just expanded exponentially. :o

Yup, exactly what I meant. What started out as a quick grab turned into an overnight campout in a thundershower! I've always been a bit of a packrat anyway, but I also don't like to be overloaded (sounds like an oxymoron, but it really isn't). Consequently, I put alot of time and thought into what I carry, and how I carry it. Items should be small, light, and compact, yet durable and useable.

 

Of course, all the gear in the world won't help you if you don't have it with you! As small and light as my pack is, it's really handy even for short jaunts as well, so I'm less likely to leave it behind "since this cache/hike will just be a quickie". The circumstances of that "quickie" can change dramatically very easily, as you so aptly found out!

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I may have missed it in the lists above, but I would add a Leatherman or other multitool

I didn't think to mention items that I always carry in the car that remain in the car, such as a flashlight and a small tool kit that contains about 8 common tools including a Leatherman.

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In addition to my aluminum hiking staff, I have a small/medium sized "hydro-pack" style backpack that I use on most caches. It's about 6" deep by 7" wide x 18" tall, with multiple pockets, and it's amazing what I can carry in there. Here's the current list:

I want a bag like that! :o I'm serious. I always tend to carry much of that stuff in the trunk... be nice to carry on longer hikes or caches (doing my first find this weekend)...

Could you tell us what brand/model your pack is?

 

thanks,

Gabe

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In my pack I carry:

 

First Aid Kit Including:

First Aid Guide

10 Adhesive Bandages 3/8" X 1 1/2"

3 Adhesive bandages 3/4" X 3"

1 Knuckle Bandage

2 4" Adhesive Strips

1 Guaze Pad 2" X 2"

1 Alcohol Pad

1 Antiseptic Pad

1 Moleskin 1"*3"

1 Travel Towel

1 2 3/8" Steel Needle

 

SAS Survival handbook

Flashlight

Headlamp

Swiss Army Knife

Camera

GPSr

Spare Batteries

FMP

Swag to trade

Zippo

3L Water Bladder

Snacks

PDA

FRS Radio

Nylon Rope

Permanent Marker

Spare Ziplock Bags

Edited by Niss Feiner
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You can get lots of models of hydration packs at WalMart, Target, sporting goods stores, etc. Just look around and see what you like.

 

What I carry depends on the cache. In my truck, I have lots of stuff, but there is no need for most of it for most caches. A micro in a shopping center parking lot, or in a bush in a busy park really doesn't call for 40 pounds of gear in a pack, and you really draw attention to yourself if you dress up like that. I can dig out whatever I need, and what I need varies a LOT.

Edited by NightPilot
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I am fairly new to geocaching but on a recent hunt I had the batteries die on my GPS... and I didn't think to bring extras. So, luckily I wasn't so far in the bush that I couldn't here nearby highway traffic, I just followed the sounds out. I didn't get the cache, and I almost got completely lost. Teaches me to always BRING EXTRA BATTERIES!

 

Oh, and don't forget to stock up on those little pencils the next you're in IKEA. (yes, I put IKEA pencils in caches if they are missing a writing device)

Edited by kone
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Yeah, I know, it looks like overkill!  . . .  "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" type of people! :D

 

And my 4x4 van has gotten me into and out of everywhere I've wanted to go, so far!!

And for some perspective . . . I generally carry a folded up print-out of the cache page to tell me where to look and what to look for :D . Sometimes I even cary my GPS :rolleyes: , but not if I've mapped out the cache to a fairly narrow and obvious location that allows finding it by reading the cache discription and counting a few paces from an obvious land mark like a road or trail intesection. :unsure:

 

I might cary extra socks if I were wearing any, but they don't work well with thongs. :D

 

If it is hot out, I cary a plastic whiskey bottle in my back pocket :ph34r:. Pint whiskey bottles are great because they are flat, just the right size, and fit nicely into pockets. No, I cary water in them.

 

And yes, of course, I cary trade items and a pen.

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As you might know us Geo-Cachers Are out just about Anywhere

some times with nothing more that our Gps,Map and Compass,and a water bottle

in the boy scout's they have something called

QUOTE

The Ten Essentials kit or TE-K for short. Pronounced (tee-kay)

 

In the TE-K We have

 

1. A Pocketknife

2. A First aid kit

3. Extra Clothing (as in layers of clothing. Pack for the Weather!!!)

4. Light Rain gear or Poncho ( can be used as Extra Clothing

5. A Water bottle

6. A Flash Light (With fresh batteries!!!)

7. Trail Food * (Look below for a List)

8. Matches and Fire Starters (Try soaking cotton balls in petroleum jelly

you can pick some up a local drug store!! put store them in a old film canster

They burn for about 8-10 mins As is!!!!

9. Sun Protection ( sun screen or a hat )

10. A MAP and Compass ( don't foget this!! this is in Case your gps Breaks Down!!! So you can find your way out!!!

 

if you pack it right its about a 1/2 to 1 lb

 

Trail Food List

 

( Before you go eat a good Hearty Breakfast!!)

 

Stuff that works well as trail food are

1. Trail Mix ( with m&ms mixed in is ok)

2. dried fruit

3. mixed or UN mixed nuts

4. raisins Crackers with Peanut butter OR Cheese (the packaged ones!! Spray Cheese does not work well!! And might make a mess)

5. Energy Bars ( Cliff bars, Power bars, Balance Bars

6. Beef Jerkey (drink lots of water with this)

 

NO CANDY!!!! If you are hiking its all most pure Sugar it will give you a

Quick boost but no energy!! It will slow you down!!!

 

AND NOW YOU HAVE A FULL TE-K IN CASE YOU GET STUCK SOMEWHERE!!!

 

HAPPY GEOCACHING!!!

 

Researched

BY Charles J Iverson Eagle Scout

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