Sandbaai Geocache

biometrics

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Who's keen to get this one next week?


@Papa Smurf @Spizz

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Chingha

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Been awhile, over 3 years since the last find, hope it is still in good order.

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Spizz

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My new year resolution is to hike more but at the moment I am seriously unfit. (I was hiking at Voelklip last week and nearly died, but that may have been due to the hangover as well). So I think I need to do some walking round the streets to get the airways open and get the heart pumping, but geocaching sounds like a great idea and I think that might be a good direction to head in.

I am a loner though when it comes to exercise and hiking etc. Always have been. Not that I don't like company it's just more of how I handle myself and knowing my limitations. But let me see how I get on with the fitness drive, I really need to pull the finger out of my arse right now.
 

Spizz

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@biometrics When you are geocaching, how do you navigate when you are on the go? I'm assuming you use a phone app and I see there are a few out there, so what would be your procedure if you were planning a hike to a specific cache? i.e. do you have to study at home before you leave, when you arrive at the car par, on the trial etc?
 

Papa Smurf

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This sounds like Skattejag, but with technology (y)
'Stop die horlosie, ek het hom !!' screams Scott Scot

Beyond The Spotlight: Stop the clock!
 

biometrics

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@biometrics When you are geocaching, how do you navigate when you are on the go? I'm assuming you use a phone app and I see there are a few out there, so what would be your procedure if you were planning a hike to a specific cache? i.e. do you have to study at home before you leave, when you arrive at the car par, on the trial etc?
Truth be told I haven’t done it in years. Used to be very active between 2000 and 2010. I have a dedicated GPS but a phone works as well of course. You can buy the official app or try the free c:geo app.

Once you’ve decided on a cache you need to plan it online. You need to at least get to the trail head without assistance. Use the Geocaching mapping system and Google. Read the cache details, read the logs. You can decode the clue now or keep it as a backup.

You should be able to get an idea of the trail from the maps. On the trail the GPS is only going to help with the general direction, as paths twist it will point in various directions. The GPS is most helpful at the location of the cache but only to five meter accuracy. This is where you need to think like a geocacher, where would you hide it? Careful not to just shove your hand into holes, there may be something alive in there. If you can’t find it then decode the clue (you should have printed the cache details).

Btw, the Geocaching mapping system has a flaw, when you pan around you need to click the refresh button or it won't update. There are plenty of caches here. I prefer the classic caches (hiking in mountains) but you get virtual caches (boring) and drive by caches (good for practise).

As with any hike assume the worst, so no matter how hot it is, you have to have a kway type jacket at the bottom of your backpack in case getting stuck and weather change. That plus lots of water, some food, fully charged phone. You must tell someone where you are going. Wear boots not sneakers. Must have a hat.
 
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biometrics

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I see the official app is now free with in app purchases, so don’t know the limitations.

You’re looking for the app by Groundspeak.
 

Spizz

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Great tips, thanks bud. I'll read through the links too.

I had a 30 minute power walk this morning round the mean streets of Vermont and will continue to do this daily to get the heart pumping again.

/hut hut hut
 

biometrics

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Great tips, thanks bud. I'll read through the links too.

I had a 30 minute power walk this morning round the mean streets of Vermont and will continue to do this daily to get the heart pumping again.

/hut hut hut
I’m also unfit but the garden work and treadmill is improving the situation.

Btw when I go hiking with someone there is very little conversation and many rest stops. I mostly prefer a partner for safety reasons.
 

Spizz

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I’m also unfit but the garden work and treadmill is improving the situation.

Btw when I go hiking with someone there is very little conversation and many rest stops. I mostly prefer a partner for safety reasons.

Yeah fair point. Let's see how the return to fitness goes and we can look at doing this one in a couple of weeks time or so, if you are still up for it.
 

biometrics

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Yeah fair point. Let's see how the return to fitness goes and we can look at doing this one in a couple of weeks time or so, if you are still up for it.
I will be. Need to get fitter myself and lose a few more kilos.

I've attempted, and failed, this cache once, so have done the ground work. Trail head turned out to be tricky.
 

Spizz

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I went for a hike in Fernkloof this morning with my 15 year old son and we aimed to find 3 geocaches in the same trail. Found one, couldn’t find two. So that’s my first one logged and although the hike was a fairly easy one it was great to get out and search.

It’s a busy trail so we did get some odd looks when searching at one location, and a guy said he thought we were stealing some cuttings from some tree or other.
 

biometrics

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I went for a hike in Fernkloof this morning with my 15 year old son and we aimed to find 3 geocaches in the same trail. Found one, couldn’t find two. So that’s my first one logged and although the hike was a fairly easy one it was great to get out and search.

It’s a busy trail so we did get some odd looks when searching at one location, and a guy said he thought we were stealing some cuttings from some tree or other.
Geocachers call them muggles, you're supposed to look all casual when they come by.
 

biometrics

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I have done already
Check the logs, you'll find people with 10k-20k finds. I'm guessing they are retired traveling the world. The beauty of caching is that they tend to be in awesome places often not visited by tourists.
 
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