Looking for a Female Geo-Caching Partner

[Pilotsmom]

Hello, I am looking for a female that owns a GPS to go on hunts with her. I am very new to this hobby and at this point do not know if I want to purchase a GPS. Last week while my cousins were visiting from IL, we went looking for the straight days and I loved it. However, whether I purchase my own GPS or not, I would prefer to have a partner instead of going alone. Because some of the places we were at last week, I would have been a little scared to be alone. I live in Cabot, AR and am looking for someone is who is fairly close. I am not interested at this time at going on hunts too far from home. If you need a partner and knows someone who might be, please email me at Pilotsmom@classicnet.net
so that we can get accquainted and see if we would like to play this game together.

Pilotsmom

[BACKPACKNJACK]

Welcome aboard "Pilotsmom",
You may not have a GPS yet but you’ve already found the best treasure of them all, this site and the people you will meet here.
Lots of very knowledgably and helpful people on this site and I doubt it will take you long to find someone to cache with.
I’m glad you enjoyed the game and I’m sure it will become even more fun for you if you like the outdoors.
BPNJ

[Pilotsmom]

Thank you. I have already met two very nice people. I appreciate the welcome and hopfully I will meet someone to go caching with, if not I will just go to the ones that are very public and not way back in the woods and very isolated, after I buy my GPS.

[Gaddiel]

I just wanted to echo what Jack said. Glad to see another person get interested in geocaching, and glad that you found this web site. Welcome! If you ever have a question or idea, this is a great place to throw it around...

Wayne

[Pilotsmom]

Thanks Wayne, this group sounds like a very friendly bunch of people. I appreciate the offer of helping and as I get more into it, I KNOW I will have more than one question. I was at Wal-Mart today killing time as my pictures were developing and looked at some GPS's. They are VERY expensive ($400 - $900). They sent me over to sporting goods and I saw a couple of them anywhere from $99 to $129. That was more my price range, but didn't really look at them seriously, just because I wouldn't know a good one from a bad one. :roll:

I appreciate the welcomes !!

Becky
aka Pilotsmom

[BACKPACKNJACK]

I think the first question would be to ask yourself if you want a unit with maps. This is mostly the big dividing line in price.

I have one with and one without. I use the one with maps for a lot more then caching, but I do a lot of roaming around and lots of road trips to places that are new to me. An atlas and a $99 GPS will get you to any cache I’ve been to but having them on the same page makes it easier.

Getting the one with base maps doesn’t mean you are through, buying a GPS is sort of like buying a fishing boat....the more stuff you get for it the more useful and more fun it becomes. If you think you would like to see
how many caches you can find in a day or you would like a GPS to help you get around in an unfamiliar state or city, the one with maps would well be worth the money even though a GPS without maps is still a useful tool in doing both of these things in unfamiliar places.

Folks upgrade their units all the time so finding a good used one isn’t all that hard to do.
The base maps seemed to be worthless to me so I soon bought the street maps program also.

The mileage of others may vary considerably.

[Pilotsmom]

Thanks, That gives me a lot to think about. Just being new to Geo-Caching I didn't want to get TOO much in debt for a hobby, I may or may not get to do very much. It may be something that I end up doing alone and I don't know how much fun that will be for me, because last week I had my two cousins with me, but they have gone back to IL. I have realized though that there is defintely a LOT to learn with this GeoCaching Hobby. :lol: I appreciate your opinion though and will keep it in mind when I do make that purchase.

Becky
aka Pilotsmom

[LadyEngineer]

Hey Becky (Pilotsmom),

I'm Ladyengineer and also 1/4 of Flirtin_with_disaster. My family lives in Cabot and I just wanted to let you know your welcome to call if you have questions or need help. 3/4 and 4/4 are 6 and 8 and keep us very busy so we don't cache as much as we like. We live out on Hwy 5 towards Greystone. Our "Penny for Your Thoughts", "Decorate a Christmas Tree" and "Lonesome Park" caches are all ones that you can do alone. Though make sure your not wear protective clothing if you allergic to poison ivy if you do the last two. Oh and "Decorate a Christmas Tree" is actually in my side yard between us and our neighbors.

Like BPJack said about the GPS, you pay for what you want. If your just getting started I recommend the Etrex Legend which you can get at Wal-Mart or Gander Mountain for under $200 and it can load maps (you will have to purchase the mapsource CD's separately). At the moment on-line you can get an Etrex from wal-mart in a special buy deal where you can get the unit, mapsource CDs and the car charger adapter for $204.94, which is a good deal.

Well, I better get to work. Hope to see you around.

LE (aka Jo)
501.580.2880

[Pilotsmom]

Hi LE,
Thanks for replying to my post. I have looked at some of your caches and decided to wait until the fall. I am highly allergic to poison ivy and SCARED to death of snakes, so I am staying away from anywhere they mention the two. I ran across 2 Black Widow Spiders last week and that about freaked me out.

I am still trying to make up my mind if I want to really invest in this hobby, one reason because I am alone and another is I am a little physically handicapped (if that is possible). What I mean is I live with constant pain due to several diseases and most days do't feel like getting out. But...like I mentioned before I had so much fun last week, that my heart wants to get involved but am not sure my body is. I will keep your advice and when I make up my mind will consider everyone's suggestions.

Thanks,
Becky
aka Pilotsmom

[BACKPACKNJACK]

Technologically, except for Microsoft’s off ices, there are more techno/geeky folks who cache then about anywhere you could visit so lots of geeky techno stuff goes into their caching but there are also cachers who like their caching a little different, not even arrows to point them and they only use the numbers displayed on their GPSRs to find the caches they seek so they don’t load anything into anything, they just copy down the coords.

There are disabled folks plus marathoners and every physical level in-between.

There are those who like snakes plus those who maybe don’t even like dirt.

There are those who like long hikes in the deep woods plus those who don’t even what to turn their car engine off.

There are folks like you who are allergic to poison ivy plus there are folks like me who obviously are only allergic to dusting. [:) ]

There are single moms who cache with small children so worry about where they stop plus there are big old greasy men like me who even clear a path at the mall so they don‘t care where the cache is.

That is one of the best things about caching, you can do it *if* and *when* and *where* and *how* and *how often* you want to, using *what ever* you want to use. I have read the post of cachers who had found a dozen or more and didn’t even have a GPS yet. There are lots of city caches that can be found only using the description and there are micros and virtuals in the most public places you could ever find, like the River Market in LR or the Mc-Mall in NLR or downtown Clarksville, etc. plus many many other places. In fact, for the price of a few good meals you can get a GPS and just use the coords to find all the really cool places in the world (I read that some folks do that very thing).

PS. I’m not trying to push the game here, I’m just trying to push doing it the way you want to do it. What else can an 80 year old grandmother plus her 8 year old grandson find to do together when they can’t even enjoy the same foods or movies and surely not the same music, and they can do it in 220+ countries and for only $99 (plus tax in a store near you :) ??

[polijn]

If you're ever in the Hot Springs area on days that I'm off, I'll be happy to go with you. :D Though my 2-year-old may accompany us. ;) Email or PM me.

[Pilotsmom]

Thanks, I appreciate that. Normally though I do not travel very far from home, but I will keep you in mind. I love Hot Springs and would love to go back for a trip. It has been a long time since I was there. However, I do appreciate your offer.

Becky
aka Pilotsmom

[nettybug]

Heay! I'm from Cabot too. My husband is usually working on weekends so I do my hiking by myself or with my son. I work in LR but live in Cabot. Let me know if you want to get together sometime.

[topkitty98]

Last I knew, pilotsmom was out of town, so if she doesn't answer quickly send her a private message. She is pretty much always up for a partner! I teach, so in the summer I am out alot too. Keep me in your head, okay? I live in Jacksonville. This time of year, I am working 2 jobs every night and weekends, so winter is busy. Welcome aboard!

Beth
>^..^<