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new guy hasn't a clue


keguiste

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Howdy folks... I'm 55 years old, recovering from a stroke in 2011 that ended my career as a truck driver, I'd like to use geocaching as a part of my recovery. I don't know anybody that is already into it, so I'm dependent on what I can read and learn here from y'all. I have minimal experience with gps(almost zero), I bought a unit for in my truck that I typed an address into and it would give me a route. I never used actual coordinates only street addresses.

I know am not in good physical condition to be taking on a hobby like this, my left leg is still weak and my ankle is prone to collapse with each step but I'm gonna try anyway. I had assumed that a handhelp gps unit was a requirement but I see lots of talk about phones, so my first question is, do geo apps use a lot of data?

You can feel free to tell me I'm crazy for trying this without having two fully functional legs, I know it won't be easy and I'll have to be extremely careful and selective about where I go and not bite off more than I can chew. I get around ok now with a cane and I think with trekking poles I can navigate a bit rougher terrain. I'm in Venango County in northwest PA, anybody in this area?

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I've known a number of geocachers who had limited mobility, so you won't be alone. Caches with lower terrain ratings should be more accessible, so that will be something to watch for. A terrain rating of 1 star means it should be wheelchair accessible. A rating of 1.5 stars should still be pretty easy, but not quiet wheelchair accessible.

 

I do most of my geocaching with my phone, although I use one of the API partner apps rather than Groundspeak's own app. I never get close to my monthly data limit, so I don't think the app uses much data. But my intuition says that downloading maps and other images is going to use a lot more data than downloading geocache data, which is just text, and therefore relatively lightweight.

 

There may be some geocaching events in your area, which would be a good opportunity to meet local geocachers. There should be a big "Events Near You" link on the geocaching.com home page.

 

Finally, here are a number of tips for beginners that I've posted before:

 

--

 

A common recommendation for beginners is to stick with small small.gif size, regular regular.gif size, and large large.gif size caches. Until you're more experienced, avoid micro micro.gif size caches, some of which are smaller than most beginners can imagine (sometimes called "nanos"). Save those for later, after you have some experience.

 

Also, stick with caches that have a difficulty rating of no more than 2 stars stars2.gif. Save the more difficult ones for later. You may also want to choose caches with easy terrain ratings. (The difficulty rating tells you how hard it is to find the cache once you get there. The terrain rating tells you how hard it is to get there.) And it is often best to start with traditional 2.gif caches, which will be at the published coordinates. Multi-caches 3.gif or mystery/puzzle caches 8.gif or other cache types can require more work just to figure out where the container is located.

 

Under ideal conditions, a consumer GPSr will be accurate to about 3m (10ft). That applies both to your device, and to the cache owner’s device, so you may find the container 5-6m (16-20ft) from ground zero under ideal conditions. Under less than ideal conditions, both GPSr readings can be much less accurate. Once you get within that distance of ground zero, put your device away and look around for places where a container could be hidden.

 

Where would you hide something? Do you notice anything unusual? Is anything too new, too old, too organized (e.g., UPS: an Unnatural Pile of Sticks/Stones), too symmetrical, not quite the right color or shape, etc.? Don’t look only on the ground; the cache may be knee-level, waist-level, eye-level, or overhead. How might the container be secured in place? With magnets? With a hook? With string? With fishing line? With something else? Does anything move when you touch it? (Be careful when touching things though.)

 

Go ahead and read the cache's additional hints (if provided), and read the past logs and look at any photos in the cache's image gallery. They may help you understand what you're looking for, and how/where it may be hidden. It may also help to look at some of the cache containers available online. For example, check out the cache containers sold by Groundspeak. Also, take a look at the Pictures - Cool Cache Containers (CCC's) thread in the forums, and check out some geocaching videos on YouTube.

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Go for it! One thing I would suggest for anyone with limited mobility - especially if you end up having to travel to parts of town or the countryside you may not be familiar with - bring a buddy. There are times where I wonder if it might have been advisable for ME to bring one along, where maybe I almost got lost, injured or stuck in a situation where having someone else around would have been a good idea. If you don't have a friend or family member along, the events are a good place to meet someone to go on the hunt.

 

It's one of the great things about this game...I've met and seen folks at all levels of fitness - from marathon runners and rock climbers to folks like me who have sedentary jobs and only occasionally exercise to people who maybe don't get around so well. Just be smart and know your own capabilities before you go for a cache. I've walked away numerous times when I saw where my phone was leading me...either because I knew I didn't have the proper attire to feeling like I could get injured or stuck and nobody would know where I was.

 

As for smartphones and data...I'm not sure. I happen to have a T-Mobile unlimited plan, so I don't worry too much about how much I use. Keep in mind a lot of caches have images in the description or in the gallery and those always have an effect on data. Might be a good idea to create lists on the computer before going out. That way you can see ahead of time what's on the page, maybe print out any helpful images. Heck, you can even download via wifi on your phone for offline usage. Accessing those lists can help you manage your data usage if it's tight for you.

Edited by J Grouchy
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Hey Keguiste,

 

I'd say find a GPS or use your smart phone and go full steam ahead! There are caches that require hikes along trails, and caches that you can drive your car up to within a few feet of where it is hidden.

 

I've found caches in several states and it's a great way to enjoy the outdoors and discover new places (many nearby home) that you never knew existed. Anytime I go anywhere, I take care of whatever business that brought me to that particular area, then I take my phone out and see if there are any nearby caches to look for. I've never been disappointed.

 

I live about an hour and a half from you...I'm in the far NE corner in Ohio, about 2 blocks from Lake Erie. I've done some geo-caching in Erie, PA last summer and I'm sure I'll be there again when the weather gets warm again.

 

I certainly hope you give this a go....and enjoy it as much as I have. Good luck!

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I see lots of talk about phones, so my first question is, do geo apps use a lot of data?

 

If you have an Android phone and are worried about data take a look at GDAK. It's designed with offline use in mind but works online too.

You could just load caches in the database, download (offline) maps on your home connection and then go caching all day with 0 bytes used.

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I had a stroke in July 2014 and needed to use walker for 3-4 months afterwards. I did't drive again for almost a year. But as soon as I was driving I started caching again. My mobility is fine now, but I won't run again and climbing trees is a no go (also because of my age -now 60 :) ). I started walking paved trails and increased my distance each time. Started at 1/3 of a mile and can now make 1.25 mile before my leg gets tired. Since my stroke I have found about 600 caches. In a few months I will hit the 10,000 mark. For a while after the stroke, I wondered if I would ever cache again. Just go at your own pace. Look up events in your area to meet local cachers. I'm sure there are people that would be glad to help show you the ropes.

Edited by Wacka
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I see lots of talk about phones, so my first question is, do geo apps use a lot of data?
If you have an Android phone and are worried about data take a look at GDAK. It's designed with offline use in mind but works online too.

You could just load caches in the database, download (offline) maps on your home connection and then go caching all day with 0 bytes used.

That's a good point. A number of the smartphone apps can work just fine without a data connection, using cache data (and perhaps map data) that you've loaded in advance via wifi. I sometimes put my Android phone into airplane mode while geocaching in areas with spotty cell reception, just to prevent the phone from draining its battery by trying to connect to distant cell towers. But if you're concerned about cellular data usage, then you could do the same thing to restrict its ability to consume your monthly data limit.
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Bravo to the OP! I am a recreational therapist and have done numerous presentations on using Geocaching as both therapy as well as a means to remain active and improve quality of life after a stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, etc. I applaud your desire to learn a new hobby at a time when so many abandon activity.

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I don't think the data will be too much of an issue, but a handheld GPS is very easy to learn and they are much cheaper than they used to be. A hint for someone just starting off is to pay attention to the name of the geocache you are looking for. Lots of times there is valuable info hidden in the name. Good luck and welcome to the community. :D

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Everyone here already seems very encouraging and helpful, but I'm going to add my two cents anyway!

 

I say absolutely do it! There are so many different caches, and I have done many that take no more than stepping out of my car and grabbing the cache with a bit of walking or no walking at all.

 

As far as GPS goes... I actually use an old cell phone that doesn't have service anymore. I hook it up to my Wi-Fi at home and add GPS coordinates to Google Maps. Then once I enter and search for it I can save it to a list. So I have a list on the Google Maps app for Caches. Then when I'm away from home, without any service or Wi-Fi at all, it still let's me use it no problem. This really isn't a permanent solution, but it's holding me over until I can get a handheld GPS!

 

I've had several members who experienced strokes, so I understand how limiting it can be. But there is no reason you can't jump into this activity and enjoy yourself. It's a lot of fun and it's very flexible, so no matter your interest, time, capabilities, area, etc... there's always something out there for you!

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I know at least one cacher out there who only has one leg. He doesn't let it stop him. Hopefully this will aid your recovery. That said, make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew, and consider going out with a battle buddy in case of a mishap. (Even if they don't have any interest in signing the log, it's always good to have some backup around in case your legs don't feel like getting you back out as well as they got you in.)

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I think it's great! A lot of us have Geocaching "sticks" or canes...to poke around in the brush so walking with something like that can aid in caching and walking. I always have my stick if I'm night caching! LOL! Good luck, it's lots of fun and it gets you to move around, I think it's great you found caching!

All the best~

Mona aka caching name-

monamie

Edited by monamie
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You're not crazy at all. I know a number of geocachers with disabilities. I know of a cacher with one leg and another whose legs are paralyzed and both don't just stick with handicap accessible caches. They also do higher terrain caches, sometimes getting out of the wheelchair and crawling on their butts.

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Way to go, OP! My dad is wheelchair-bound and often goes geocaching with me. You're definitely not crazy. :D

Like the others have said, I'd go with a buddy until you feel comfortable going on your own. Events can be good places to meet fellow geocachers (or so I've heard).

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!

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Howdy folks... I'm 55 years old, recovering from a stroke in 2011 that ended my career as a truck driver, I'd like to use geocaching as a part of my recovery. I don't know anybody that is already into it, so I'm dependent on what I can read and learn here from y'all. I have minimal experience with gps(almost zero), I bought a unit for in my truck that I typed an address into and it would give me a route. I never used actual coordinates only street addresses.

I know am not in good physical condition to be taking on a hobby like this, my left leg is still weak and my ankle is prone to collapse with each step but I'm gonna try anyway. I had assumed that a handhelp gps unit was a requirement but I see lots of talk about phones, so my first question is, do geo apps use a lot of data?

You can feel free to tell me I'm crazy for trying this without having two fully functional legs, I know it won't be easy and I'll have to be extremely careful and selective about where I go and not bite off more than I can chew. I get around ok now with a cane and I think with trekking poles I can navigate a bit rougher terrain. I'm in Venango County in northwest PA, anybody in this area?

 

Hi keguiste! It looks like you are blessed with a number of recreational trails in your area. Take a look at this link:

 

AVTA-Trails

 

I see a lot of caches along the Sandy Creek trail that you might consider. If you do not have balance issues you could also consider trying some bicycling along that trail (it appears that the trail is paved) to look for caches. Note that the trail has three different parking areas so you could plan shorter trips while you evaluate and increase your abilities.

 

One other thing...no, you are not crazy! Me, on the other hand...

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