paperless caching

[MTCrunch23]

I just have to say that i'm so glad this thread is on here! I've been wanting to go paperless for SO long, but never knew how to start! Hopefully I can pick up a Nuvi or a Z22 and get started soon!

[MTCrunch23]

Has anyone here tried caching on a Palm Treo? I'm looking at getting one but I want to make sure it will work for paperless caching before buying it.

[dubord207]

A Palm will certainly get you into paperless caching,but the Palms are very sensitive to cold and if you're not going to use it for other things I personally feel a Nuvi is a better investment, probably for about the same amount of money. The Nuvi has all the info from the cache sheet plus it will give you turn by turn directions to the cache, or the closest road access to the cache. (They occassionally do odd things, but most of the time they're very helpful) Plus, when you travel, the Nuvi is loaded with a ton of useful info. We know the Nuvi will hold at least 18,000 caches so that's what I would consider as opposed to the Palm.

[WhereRWe?]

Most people with Palm OS handhelds use the Cachemate software, which will work on ANY Palm handheld. With it, you can import almost the same data as is shown on a printed cache listing. Remember: The Palm is what you carry with you instead of paper. I assume you already have a GPS unit, and have been printing out cache listings, which is why you want top go paperless. I'm not familiar with the Nuvi - haven't decided what model I want to get yet - but would suggest that you get the Treo. You can use it for a lot of otehr things besides geocaching. And you can store the information for as many caches you have memory for.

Since it looked like you've got a Garmin eTrex Legend, which does not support route mapping, I'd suggest getting a Nuvi for the car for navigation.

[WhereRWe?]

Dubord -

Can you go into some detail about using a Nuvi for caching? A lot of people like me don't have them (yet) and would like to know the capabilities.

For example, you say that "The Nuvi has all the info from the cache sheet". Huh? Do you load Cachemate into the Nuvi? And I like our Palm because we carry it with us to he cache. Can you take the Nuvi with you, like a handheld?

[dubord207]

It's quite simple assuming you have GSAK. GSAk has a Garmin Nuvi macro. After you do a filter of where your going to cache and the type of caches you want to find, you run the Nuvi Macro, plug in the Nuvi, follow the steps and it loads the whole cache sheet onto the nuvi. What's on the Nuvi is exactly what you see on geo.com including encypted hints and logs. One of the biggest advantages is that if you have just done a cache and then look at the next closest on the Nuvi, it will tell you how long it's going to take to get to it. If you're doing the Phippsburg penisula and the next cache is only a half mile away as the crow flies on the Bailey's Island penisula, 44 minutes by car, then you won't head in that direction. You can set the Nuvi to chime when you drive by a certain distance from any cache. If your just headed to Kittery for the day and have all 5000 plus caches in Maine in the Nuvi, you can look at the distance and continuous arrows pointing towards the caches to see if there's any you want to grab as you go along. Quite frankly, I could get by without the Oregon with the info the Nuvi has and go back to my 60csx which works just as well.

[hollora]

dubord207 has described this quite well. I love my Nuvi and now hardly ever use the Palm. As I didn't use the Palm to log the caches. Everything is on the Nuvi...hints, logs and then it gets you there too!

The question can you take the Nuvi with you to the cache may not have been answered. Yes, just unplug it and when it says it is shutting off and gives you an option to run off the battery - hit the button for battery.

I wished I had the 550 now so I had the option to use it for the WhereIGo caches. Not real brave with downloading and trying stuff and can't get a firm answer if the 350 I have will work with WhereIGo. It works fine for all else.

Use my Palm mostly for an address book now.

[shuman road searchers]

One thing to remember about the Nuvi is that it is sensitive to water. If it is raining out(in Maine this year that is all the time) and I want my Nuvi with me for a hike than I put it inside a ziploc to protect it from the rain.

[hollora]

One thing to remember about the Nuvi is that it is sensitive to water. If it is raining out(in Maine this year that is all the time) and I want my Nuvi with me for a hike than I put it inside a ziploc to protect it from the rain.

Now that's a good thought! But I seldom take mine out of the vehicle. Make note of the logs and whatever else and just the other Garmin for the rest. My hubby waits on my return to the vehicle....confident in the fact that should I not return...........he can confidently say to the person who finds him sitting on the side of the road or in the road - "look on that - that is where she should be!"

[Haffy]

Don't forget the Macro for the NUVI is here" http://pilotsnipes.googlepages.com/index.html