› Forums › Geocaching in Wisconsin › Help › need child friendly gps & help
- This topic has 16 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 21 years, 3 months ago by
brkster.
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10/14/2004 at 3:02 am #1720150
I’d like to get my sons and I started on this, but don’t know where to start! Can I get some recomendations on what we will need? They are 10 and 7.
10/14/2004 at 4:22 am #1740073Where do you live? Knowing that, there is a good chance that one of us would be happy to meet you for a couple hours of caching to give you some pointers and get you started.
Another great option is to join us for an event. For now, just bring some suitable clothing for a day outdoors.
This link has the 5 events that are presently scheduled. Grab one of us and tell us you are new, we will be happy to give you an introduction to our sport!
10/14/2004 at 4:36 am #1740074quote:
Originally posted by Cathunter:
Where do you live? Knowing that, there is a good chance that one of us would be happy to meet you for a couple hours of caching to give you some pointers and get you started.Another great option is to join us for an event. For now, just bring some suitable clothing for a day outdoors.
This link has the 5 events that are presently scheduled. Grab one of us and tell us you are new, we will be happy to give you an introduction to our sport!
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?state_id=50
Absolutely! Just post were you live, your groundspeak name so someone can look you up and contact you. You’ll be surprised how many people will jump up to help! It’s a very family friendly sport with a great line of supporters!
~Linus10/14/2004 at 12:13 pm #1740075quote:
Originally posted by contemplatingjello:
I’d like to get my sons and I started on this, but don’t know where to start! Can I get some recomendations on what we will need? They are 10 and 7.
First off, I have to say, I love the screen name you picked. Too cute!
My son is 7 and he comes geocaching with me. As for what he needs – I got him some hiking boots and off we went! According to your title, you are looking for a child friendly GPS unit – if it’s for the child alone (if they each get their own) I’d go with small, light, and inexpensive. We happen to use a Garmin 72 that we all share. I like the big screen. And I like that it’s waterproof just in case, lol. But there are lots of options on lots of units in varying price ranges, so I’d recommend trying some out if you can. The event caches others mentioned are a great way to meet other cachers and you can tag along and see lots of different kinds of units.
Other than that, just make sure you take a few trinkets to exchange in the caches as the kids will almost always want to trade something! And one last thing – let THEM find the cache often. If you spot it, play dumb and guide them to the right direction. (“I’m going to check behind this tree. Can you go check that hollow log on the ground?”) I find that if my son complains about an afternoon of caching, it’s because he wasn’t the one to spot any caches first.
I hope that was a little bit helpful. Ask any questions you want. We’re all happy to offer up our opinions!
~Mama Fishcacher
10/14/2004 at 12:16 pm #1740076Oh! One more thing! If you want some cache recommendations, just ask us for suggestions in a particular area and any of us can tell you which caches would be good to take kids along. (Or some to avoid too, lol.)
~MF
10/14/2004 at 2:26 pm #1740077Welcome to the fun! We have two daughters … 8 and 12 … the love geocaching, the 8 year old took a couple months to build up enough desire to do more than 1 or 2 on a given day, but now that she finds her share of them, the interest level is way up there. A happen to agree 100% with the other posting that suggest the Garmin GPS72 … it’s a pretty low cost unit, much larger screen than most units, easy to understand buttons … we got it as a 2nd GPSr for the kids to use AND when we take new guest/visitors (both young and old) with us … the 72 is pretty much only useful for geocaching, hunting and fishing; as you can’t download road maps into it, so don’t plan a family vacation with it. Our original unit (with road maps but less kid friendly), is a Garmin eMap, which they don’t make anymore but I love it (especially since I’ve added a after market rubber yellow case). You should check out events, especially the upcoming All-A-Glow event in the Milwaukee area. If you happen to be near the Ozaukee County area (north of Milwaukee), let me know, about 7 or 8 of my caches are very kid friendly and I can email you my suggestions and “kid rating” of each of them. Ask questions often and have fun!
10/14/2004 at 2:33 pm #1740078I should have added … if you only want to have one GPSr but want road maps and like the features of the 72 … the Garmin GPS76 series seems to have all the kid advantages of the 72, plus map download potential (assuming you add map software).
10/14/2004 at 6:00 pm #1740079the etrex that was $50-60 is also kid friendly if you can find one at a best buy. very basic model small light wt.
“A bad day of hunting is better than a good day at work”10/15/2004 at 4:20 pm #1740080Thanks all! I live in Racine, do stores around here carry these or should I shop online? I’ll check out the group get togethers, that sounds like a great way to get started!
10/15/2004 at 4:32 pm #1740081I should add- I am clueless about this (can you tell LOL?). I was chatting with someone online who said she did this and it sounded fun. But I don’t know anything about it other than you go looking for hidden things LOL.
What features should I look for if I can’t find the reccomended models locally? Waterproof and backlit? I don’t need roadmaps, I stick to mapquest for that . Anything else it should have? Do I have to download info into it?
10/15/2004 at 7:43 pm #1740082quote:
Originally posted by contemplatingjello:
I don’t need roadmaps, I stick to mapquest for that .
Oh that’s so cute! Actually, I have maps, but until recently didn’t know how to use them. Now I don’t know how I cached without them! You want to buy the best GPSR you can afford! The most features for the best buck! Nothing says you have to use them all right away. Start with the basics of your unit, then build up to the “Wow! I can do that?!” It’s been a lot of fun learning how to use what I own (which by the way is a Magellan SporTrak Map). The best thing you can do is hit an event, talk to everyone you can and play with as many different GPSR’s as you can get your hands on!!! Just walk right up, say, “Hi, I’m a newbie, may I see your GPSR?” Then stand back while we all attack you with our words of welcome and encouragement.
10/15/2004 at 8:06 pm #1740083I agree with L4C … buy more than what you THINK you need now … unless your funds are very limited OR you don’t mind buying another unit in the near future. You’ve not considered one factor … this is a new hobbie/sport/occupation for you, this geocaching stuff … suddenly having an electronic map with little or no advance notice will become an important part of your life. You will see geocaches you want to go to, and will not want to bother with “old fashioned” paper maps that you print from the Internet … or worse yet, you are out doing a multi-cache, the first step sends you to another location 1.9 miles away and you have no map in your hands for that area.
10/16/2004 at 11:15 pm #1740084If you would like to get together for some GPS pointers and an introductory cache or two, drop me an e-mail at
rjohnson36@wi dot rr dot comI live just off KR and it would be my pleasure.
[This message has been edited by Cathunter (edited 10-16-2004).]
10/18/2004 at 9:46 pm #1740085We, too, live in Racine and would be happy to take you on a few caches. We’ve showed many the sport/game, including our friends who have two 4 year olds and two 6 year olds. We live on the northside (actually Caledonia) and always welcome the chance to cache with a newbie. You can check our GPS out and see how it works, then go from here. We bought ours locally and there are many, many options.
Feel free to contact us at wsfolk at wi dot rr dot com, or just go through the main geocaching site and look us up and e-mail us through there. We’re free many evenings and some weekends and would love to show you the basic ropes.
Bill & Steph
Folk Trakers10/19/2004 at 1:10 am #1740086Welcome aboard. I also live in Racine and would be able to assist you if you’d like. You could reach me at brkster2000 at yahoo dot com.
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