What Do I Need?
That's not really the question. The real question is, "What do I use when I go Geocaching?" What have I found that makes the hunt more enjoyable and a little easier? This is just about me—the way I like to play the game. As always, your mileage may vary.
If you want to get a good idea of the basics, then checkout the Geocaching FAQ page itself. Hopefully these pages give you an idea of where to go from there.
Hunting
GPSr
The GPS receiver you choose is going to be a personal decision based on what you think you need and what you can afford. I recommend doing some reading on the Geocaching message boards first and looking over some of the major manufacturers' webpages (Garmin and Magellan). Ultimately, it's up to you to pick a unit you can understand and live with.
 I chose the Garmin eTrex Venture because of the price, durability and design. The eTrex series seemed pretty straight forward to me--easy to understand and use. Also, while I considered spending more for a unit that did mapping, I'm also a Palm user, and knew I'd be able to hook the eTrex up to my Palm for more advanced functions.
UPDATE: Well, I had a little extra money that was burning a hole in my pocket and I had to find some way to celebrate my 200th found cache so I decided to upgrade and buy an eTrex Legend! The addition of the maps is amazing and I'm pretty sure it's saved me a lot of time and gas. However, I still think that the Venture is a good deal for the money. While I was able to get the Legend for a pretty good price at Best Buy, the detailed maps you're really going to want are still going to set you back a bit. So, before you make any decision, be sure to take into account the total cost of the GPSr
Compass
 Remember learning how to use a compass in school? If you're like me, you never actually planned on being in the woods anyway, so you probably didn't pay attention. But believe it or not, they're pretty handy when Geocaching. Just because your GPSr doubles as a compass, don't go thinking you won't need one.
I've learned that you don't want to skimp on your compass, but you also don't necessarily need the most expensive model out there, either. I chose the Silva Landmark after having some experience with a cheaper compass and noticed a BIG difference. It was definitely worth the money.
For one, they're very handy as you close in on the cache. The closer you get to the site, the more the needle on your GPSr's compass will jump around (due to walking slower, poor satellite reception, etc.). Carrying a compass will enable you to get a fix on the cache from a short distance away and then begin walking to it.
A compass is also helpful if you are geocaching with a team or a partner. With a compass and a GPSr, you can come at the cache from different angles and zero in on it together.
Most of all, when you're geocaching in the summer and the tree cover is blocking your signal from the satellites you can use the compass to re-align yourself with the cache. This little maneuver is enough reason to shell out big bucks for a dependable compass.
One thing to remember, though. If you want to be more accurate with your compass, be sure to set your GPSr's compass to "magnetic north" rather than "true north" before moving in on the prize.
Cache Bag
You're going to get a lot of opinions on this topic and just about all of them are going to be different. Let me give you two words of advice that I think are essential before choosing a cache bag/back pack/whatever:
- Pay attention to your surroundings. What is absolutely essential in the Great Northwest is probably not all that necessary in Middle America. Spend some time getting to know what hiking and caching is like in your area. When you're on the trail and you realize that a certain object would be handy, make a note.
- Pay attention to your own needs. Do you cache with kids? You're probably going to pack a few things that people who don't have ever had to worry about. Do you have allergies? Do you want to be able to do some occasional cache maintenance? What are you able to physically carry? How prepared do you want to be in the event of an emergency? These are questions you really need to ask before you blow big money on an expensive pack that hangs on your back like a rock.
 The bag I started out with was designed for turkey hunters to store their calls and other equipment in. It had 3 separate zippered compartments. The one in front, I use for my own supplies. I could keep some bug spray, my compass and a travel pack of kleenex in there (and a few allergy pills). I also could keep my cellphone in it when things start to get a little hairy (my GPSr would also fit in it quite nicely). The second zippered compartment was very small, so I used it for extra AA batteries for my GPSr. The third compartment was the largest and I used it to store all the items I might trade in a Geocache.
It was handy, fit on my belt, stayed out of the way, and frustrated me to no end. I finally had to admit it was just too small and I was going to need a backpack.
There's only one thing I know for sure about backpacks - good ones are expensive. The last thing I needed to be doing was bringing home a big, expensive backpack that would be way more than I needed and end up being more of a burden than the cheap little pack I started off with. So I did a little research, posted a few questions on the forums and, well, pretty much came up with nothing.
In the end, I was walking through Wal-Mart one day, about a month or so after school had started in the fall, and found a ton of backpacks in their clearance section. The one I settled on was marked down to $3.00. "Great!" I thought, "A three-dollar lesson in backpacks is exactly what I need!"
 The pack is slightly smaller than the average backpack (more like the size of a half-day pack), has 4 outer pockets, which are perfect for my signature items (I keep them out there so I don't have to dig into my pack every time I stop at a cache), a first-aid kit, a leatherman's tool, spare batteries, and some garbage bags. Inside there's the main area where I keep trade items. There is also a sleeve for a hydration bladder. I was able to find a Platypus Bladder fairly cheap and would recommend it to anyone who ever finds themselves needing to carry water on an excursion.
 I love my backpack, but I don't drag it out for every single cache. When it comes to a lot of them in small city parks, it's just not worth the hassle or the "goofiness" factor of carrying the backpack. In those times I use a small GPS Case that I picked up off eBay. It has a large pocket in the back that was made for maps, but holds small trade items fairly well, a large pocket for the GPS, and two side pockets that hold batteries and a pen fairly well. I also added a front pocket that holds my compass and keeps it handy for whenever I need it. The whole thing hooks on my belt and stays more-more-or-less out of the way.
Continued on the Next Page
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