Geocaching: Hike and Seek with Your GPS (Technology in Action Series)

Technology can be more than just practical-it can also be fun. And fun is exactly what you'll have when you try geocaching. It's a high-tech treasure-seeking game that uses the Global Positioning System (GPS).Because geocaching combines the outdoors, puzzles, and adventure, everyone-from kids to kayakers, and retirees to rock climbers-can easily become involved. You'll join a rapidly expanding worldwide network of people who hide containers of "prizes" in the wilderness, suburbs, and even in the middle of cities, then provide clues for others to discover them.Borrowing from the classic pursuits of orienteering and letterboxing, geocaching can be as easy as a walk in the park or as challenging as scuba diving to a hundred feet. You don't need to be an expert in electronics, navigation, or even hiking to start. With this book, you'll soon understand GPS technology, know how to find your way about, and be able to prepare for your next hike-and-seek adventure!Author Sherman has dedicated this super book to all the people who realize that a technology developed for the military can be used peacefully when you are hiking a million miles from your nearest worldly care. This is one of the most useful books available to support the interests of the countless thousands of geocachers that criss-cross the globe finding and leaving their caches for others.Kudos to Apress for publishing this fascinating book that reveals the ever-expanding world of geocaching. With today's GPS devices become more common, the exciting, fun world of geocaching will continue to grow, and this will stimulate more interest in author Sherman's intriguing, thorough book on this growing sport.

I've been intrigued by geocaching since I got my new GPS withgeocaching features and being an avid hiker; I've always been looking for ways to enhance my hiking experience. Enter Erik Sherman's "Geocaching: Hide and Seek with your GPS" book. Sherman goes into the basics of geocaching including the types of events you may be likely to participate in, but goes into some good technical detail of GPS and compass theory. Although I'm quite up on my outdoor equipment, he goes into good explanation of the types of equipment and how to use it. Next there is explanation of various techniques and tips for geocaching. I'm impressed with his constant consideration of the environment and how the sport (or hobby) should be environmentally friendly. Throughout the book there are countless references to internet and resources in print. Reading this book I now have enough foundation and curiosity to go out and try my first geocaching event this spring. This book would be a welcome edition to anyone's hiking/outdoor library.

This book is extremely helpful for those just starting the sport of geocaching. Sherman explains geocaching from the very basics to getting you out there in the field. To be truthful, there are some parts I just scanned because they were fairly technical but this is good manual that I will recommend and buy for an educational project that I am working on.

The majority of geocachers have learned the ropes of this sport by the old Nike motto: they just did it. They may have gone out on hunts with a few more experienced cachers and picked up some pointers from them. They might have sat around campfires at event caches and traded tips. They also might have spent hours perusing the forums and weighing the advice given there against several large grains of salt, but the journey of a thousand caches always begins with the step of simply finding that first cache. No one has ever picked up a manual and read their way into geocaching. It just isn't done.However, all of us would have to admit there are aspects of this pastime that baffle us. We may come prepared with an extensive knowledge of the outdoors but lack the technical savvy to know exactly how to finesse a GPS. We might come to the game as a gadget geek but admit to getting lost in our own backyards. It would take a lot of searching through web pages and libraries of outdoor guides-not to mention trial and error-to assemble information on the various aspects of this game. Thankfully, there's a much better source.Eric Sherman's Geocaching: Hike and Seek with Your GPS is a book that brings the fun of geocaching and the thrill of the hunt together with much needed information about how to stay alive in the woods. Sherman has wisely approached this topic with the realization that geocaching itself isn't all that complicated. Instead he has provided us with a guide to all the little incidentals that can make "finding a box in the woods" complicated.Most of the time I didn't feel like I was so much reading a book about geocaching, as I was reading a book about the outdoors from a geocacher's perspective. From map reading to shooting a baring with a compass to picking out the perfect hiking boots, Geocaching: Hike and Seek with Your GPS fills us in on all the other stuff that wouldn't have been in our GPS manuals, even if we had bothered to read them.When it does come to information directly related to placing and finding caches, Sherman writes with the savvy of someone who's been there. Many of his points are punctuated with personal stories that almost any cacher can relate to and laugh about. Photos from the wild and websites are plentiful and give even the newest of newbies enough background to understand exactly what this game is all about.Aside from being an active geocacher himself, Sherman could not have chosen a better technical editor than Kelly Markwell, a man who's name is synonymous with knowledge about geocaching. This is truly a book about geocaching by geocachers. Geocaching: Hike and Seek with Your GPS will make a welcome addition to your collection of field guides and outdoor literature. Finally having all this information in one resource makes it well worth its very affordable price.

My sister-in-law ordered this for me for Xmas 2003 but it just shipped in April. I haven't read the book but it seems to be a very good overall review of the hobby. The chapters include the following:1 - Starting Off (A quick overview of the sport and its history)2 - Cache On (Various web sites, cache types & TBs)3 - The Technology (GPS, compasses and maps)4 - Lost in Style (Map reading, using the GPSr, 5 - A Good Walk (Being appropriately dressed, food & water)6 - On the Hunt (Loading the waypoints and finding the caches)7 - In Hiding (Hiding a cache)8 - Geovariations (Variations on the sport)Appendix A - ResourcesAppendix B - Outdoor SafetyMany have joined the hobby, as I have, not as hikers enhancing their hiking, but those with a GPS and intrigued by finding caches most people don't know are all around them. If you fall into this category, you're likely not familiar with what would be common knowledge for those already consumed with the sport of hiking and the info provided in this book can help get you more aware of that portion of the hobby. For those that are wondering what Geocaching is all about, it's probably easier to pick up the book and get a good overall feel without having to spend time searching various sites.The book isn't expensive and I'm looking forward to reading it and hopefully getting out of it some information that will make Geocaching even more enjoyable.