What Do I Need?
Part 2
Hunting (Continued)
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Palm
How did I ever survive without a Palm? It's almost become a part of me. If I go somewhere without it, I start fidgeting. On more than one occasion when I have left it behind somewhere, I've found myself saying, "Oh no, I forgot my brain!"
 My Palm contains my address book, my datebook, my expense reports, memos that remind me of just about everything, and even some word processing programs. There are even a couple games on it. So, when I started geocaching, the Palm became a natural extension to use in the game.
I use a program called DayNotez to keep track of caches I find. This enables me to duplicate my log entry in the field for when I return home to enter it on the website. I was able to create a little template that makes this process even easier.
When you sign up as a Subscriber of Geocaching.com one of the premium features you receive is the ability to create "Pocket Queries." These are files downloadable to your Palm. The standard method for doing this is to use Mobipocket Reader (free download), but this program has proven itself to be a big resource hog. Several other programs have sprung up to enable you to download your Pocket Queries to your Palm. You will find one method detailed on my Paperless Caching Page.
I had a cord made through GeorgeCo that links my eTrex to my Palm M515. I'm still experimenting with software right now, though, so I have no advice on what works best for this kind of hookup.
One Other Caveat: if you have a Palm you might be tempted to buy one of those GPSr's that hook directly to the Palm and carry it in the woods with you. If you're like me, your Palm has way too much valuable information on it to be carrying it around out in the woods. A true GPSr is built much tougher and will do a much better job than a Palm with a GPSr attachment.
Hiking Staff
 I never would have bought one of these, but one day I was on a hunt and found myself on a very steep hill. Thankfully, I had found a nice stick on the ground, but trusting a half-rotten stick takes a lot more faith than trusting a sturdy metal one specifically made for hiking!
I did a little research on hiking staffs and had settled on one made by Tracks. My first choice was the Sherlock Travel Staff, but when I finally got to see them at a local store, I purchased the Field Staff instead.
Yeah, price was a factor.
I can't say I take it along on every hunt, but there are a few places around here that I wouldn't go without it. Not only is it great for getting a little extra hold on slanted ground, but it's perfect for knocking spider webs down!
If you're a little unsure as to the need for a hiking staff, here's a great article that makes some good points on the use of them.
Travel Vest
 This was one of those great purchases that NEVER happen to me . . . well . .except for this one time.
It's a Columbia Sportswear Trekker Travel Vest. I had never heard of Columbia Sportsware before this, but have since become more familiar with some of their other products. Interesting company. They seem to have a lot of great items for the outdoorsy sort.
I had seen a vest similar to this one in a local store for $60.00 and said, "There's no way I'm wearing something that costs that much out into the woods!" Then I found this one for auction on eBay and got it for $9.99. I couldn't be happier!
The pockets on this vest are great. The one on the upper left side is perfect for my GPSr. There's a pocket that's perfect for my phone, my compass, some stash items, my digital camera . . well . .you get the idea. Also, due to some kinda space-age fabric, it's amazingly cool even in hot weather.
Stuff to Stash
You have to remember, Geocaching isn't about the prizes you collect, it's about the hunt. But having something kind of nice or just plain fun to remember the hunt by is always a plus.
A lot of people end up with a "signature item," something they almost always leave behind to let other people know that they were there. Some of these are quite involved--custom made Geo-coins, pins, patches and the like. Others are more common items which have come to take on special meaning for the cacher. Either way, it's a great way to say, "Kilroy was here." . . . or whatever your name is.
I sort of stumbled across my own signature item. One of the ministries I work for helps people set up "Lighthouses of Prayer" in their churches and communities. One of the materials we sell is a small lighthouse lapel pin. I bought several of them and attached them to my own "signature card" which I designed to look kind of like a trading card (complete with stats on the back). I try to leave one behind along with some other item.
Other than a signature item, some of the things commonly found are McDonald's or other fast-food toys (not everyone likes these), small games, music cassettes or CD's, software, Where's George Dollars, first-aid kits (a GREAT idea) and on and on. The "no-no's" are food items (no matter how well wrapped), knives, or anything that could harm a kid that might accidentally stumble across the cache. As always, use some common sense.
As a general rule, try to trade evenly. Don't swap a used Q-tip for a Hummel figurine or anything like that. As a matter of practice, a lot of Geocachers like to leave the cache a little richer than they found it by trading up.
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