Your First Geocache Hunt
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Step 3: Getting Coordinates Into Your GPS
 It's now time to get the coordinates from the paper into your GPS receiver. If this is the first time you've ever used your GPS you will want to power it up and set it outside in a spot with a clear view of the sky. The GPS will need to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes in order to update itself and find the position of the GPS satellites.
After 15 minutes the GPS should be ready to use. As you progress in your experience with using the GPS you will probably use a data cable connected to your computer to automatically load coordinates for geocaches. This is a tremendous time saver and prevents you from inaccurately entering the coordinates. However, since this is your first time, you will be entering the coordinates by hand.
It's difficult to anticipate what kind of GPS you have. Most manufacturers follow a similar pattern for entering coordinates (waypoints) into a GPS. I'm working with the assumption that you have a basic model, most likely either a Garmin eTrex or a Magellan eXplorist. Of course, you should always consult your owner's manual for exact instructions, but the instructions I have provided should get you started.
A basic GPS receiver will allow you to mark a waypoint by entering a name or identifier for the waypoint (such as "HOME," "WORK," "CACHE," etc.) and enter the longitude and latitude coordinates for the waypoint. On the basic yellow Garmin eTrex, go to the main menu and choose "MARK" from the list of options. Once "MARK" is highlighted, push the "ENTER" button (on the bottom left of the unit) to select it.
On the more advanced eTrex units, pushing in on the "Click Stick" controller will mark a waypoint. On the Magellan eXplorist GPS, you simply push the "Mark" button, located at the bottom left of the unit and identified with a pushpin icon.
 Once you're on the "Mark" screen, you need to give the waypoint a name. GPS's usually default to a simple numbered system (001, 002, and so on). In order to keep track of which Geocache you are searching for, you will want to identify it with its GCID number. You will find this at the top of the cache listing. It always begins with the letters "GC." Enter this in the "name" field on your waypoint marking screen.
Now scroll down to the "Location" field. This is where you will enter the longitude and latitude of the cache you are going to hunt for. Your unit will default to your current location, so it is essential that you adjust the numbers to the geocache you are looking for. Entering coordinates can be complicated at first, but with practice you will be able to do it quickly and easily.
On the basic yellow eTrex, press the enter button and use the "UP" and "DOWN" buttons on the left side (top and middle) to scroll through the numbers. Press "ENTER" to select the number you need and move on to the next number in the coordinates.
On the eTrex units with the "Click Stick," use the click stick to scroll through the number keyboard. Push in on the click stick to select your desired number and move on.
With the Magellan eXplorist series, use the toggling "ENTER" button to move up and down through the number list, push to the right to move on the next number in the coordinates. Push in on the button to move to the Latitude coordinates on the next line.
Once the numbers are entered, move to the bottom of the screen to "OK" on the Garmin units and "SAVE" on the Magellan.
Alternatively, on the Garmins you can choose "Goto" instead of "OK." At this point, you're ready to move on to the cache!
With the Magellan eXplorist units, you Click the "Goto" button and then choose "My Pts of Interest." From here find the GCID number for the cache you've just entered and click in on the "ENTER" button. You're now ready to go out and get the cache.
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