Geocaching is the hot new sport for anyone with a yen for adventure. An updated version of the old treasure hunt, geocaching replaces yellowed, hand-drawn pirate maps with sleek, portable, handheld GPS devices like the Garmin GPSMAP 60 CS Portable Handheld Outdoor GPS (shown). Instead of hunting for Spanish doubloons on deserted islands, you trek through urban jungles or into the backwoods in search of hidden caches. Geocaching won’t make you rich, but it will enrich your leisure time. It’s a great sport for singles, couples, teens and families and a fun way to get some healthy exercise.  

It’s easy to get started with geocaching. All you need is a portable GPS unit. Look for these features when purchasing a GPS device for geocaching:

• You’ll be carrying the GPS unit while hiking, so look for a model that is lightweight and compact. You want something that is easy to carry in the palm of your hand because you’ll be checking the readout constantly as you hike. Some models come with a wrist strap.
• A unit with a long battery life lets you stay on the hunt longer. You won’t have to worry about loosing juice mid-hunt if you plan a day searching for caches out in the country or want to hop from site to site around town. A long battery life also allows you to track down those special hard-to-find caches hidden deep in remote sites.
• Look for a unit with a high waypoint storage which will allow you to store more cache locations.
• Good screen readability is important. The unit’s screen should be easy to read in bright daylight. A backlit screen for night viewing allows you to keep caching through dusk and into the night.
• Geocaching is an outdoor sport so choosing a waterproof GPS just makes sense. You want your unit to work in all kinds of weather. Some caches may be hidden near or under water (creeks and rivers make great cache sites).

You don’t need anything fancy. ActionGPS has a great selection of good, refurbished handheld GPS units at great prices. (Check out the Garmin Etrex Legend Handheld Outdoor GPS Receiver. Factory refurbished, it’s on clearance for an incredible price of just $84.95. A perfect start-up model.) 

Ohio is the latest state to jump on the geocaching band wagon. Capitalizing on the burgeoning interest in GPS geocaching, the Ohio Historical Society has placed hidden caches at 10 state historic sites. States across the country are using GPS geocaching to lure the public to state parks, historic sites and other attractions. A fun way to explore your own backyard, geocaching state sites is becoming increasingly popular. Given skyrocketing fuel prices, many families are taking advantage of the state-sponsored caches to take affordable mini-vacations close to home.

Newly hidden caches in Ohio include:

• Adena Mansion & Gardens in Chillicothe
• Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta
• Cedar Bog near Urbana
• Flint Ridge near Brownsville
• Fort Ancient near Oregonia
• Fort Meigs in Perrysburg
• Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont
• National Road/Zane Grey Museum near Norwich
• Piqua Historical Area in Piqua
• Serpent Mound near Peebles

“Two interests that Ohio Historical Society visitors and geocachers have in common are history and the environment,” said OHS site manager Erin Bartlett who coordinates the new geocaching program. Mixing history and nature, the new cache sites are expected to draw geocaching enthusiasts to explore parts of Ohio they may never have visited. “Introducing people to Ohio history, no matter where they live, is our main goal,” Bartlett said. “We’re thrilled with the response to our historic caches and expect more and more cachers to visit OHS sites in the future, especially now that Ohio travelers want to stay close to home to save on gas.”

Veteran geocacher J. B. Berry told the Chillicothe Gazette his favorite sites so far are the Serpent Mound “Snake in the Grass” cache and the Piqua “Treasure of the Upper Miami” cache. Berry, a biology teacher and environmentalist, has placed his own earthcache on a nature trail at the Serpent Mound site. Cachers are invited to add to the fun by placing their own caches at OHS sites by filling out an online application. For complete information on Ohio Historical Society geocache sites, visit the OHS website.

It’s easy to get starting in geocaching. All you need is a handheld GPS unit from ActionGPS. Geocaching hunt info can be found on many state, state park and state historical websites and on Geocaching.com.

Back in the day a sailor or adventurer set out with a map, a compass and a dream. These days you can hit the high seas and tough terrain with much better equipment than that. And there is no need to feel as if you are not really roughing it–they only did it back then because they had no other choice. We are certain that pirates and honest men alike would have used GPS devices if they could have gotten their hands (or hooks) on them.

Take the Garmin GPSMAP 76Cx Portable Handheld Outdoor Color GPS, for instance. Unlike a map, it is actually water resistant and provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, maximum speed. Its card slot is inside of the waterproof batter compartment, so there is no worry about your stored data getting wet. It also accepts optional preloaded microSD cards with MapSource® data for your off-road and marine excursions.Plus, the Garmin GPSMAP 76Cx floats.

This device is mariner-friendly and has a ultra-sensitive receiver that can track your location in dense forests or deep canyons. It takes 2AA batteries and has a battery life of up to 18 hours.

If you are really attune with nature, you can figure out the best times to fish, or you can rely upon your Garmin GPSMAP 76Cx and let it tell you the best times to fish.

When you purchase the Garmin GPSMAP 76Cx, it comes equipped with:

MapSource Trip & Waypoint Manager

Americas Basemap

128 MB MicroSD Card

USB Interface Cable

Belt Clip

At our family reunion picnic last weekend, my sister put a modern twist on that old camp staple: Find the Dinosaur Egg. If you ever went to summer camp, I’m sure you remember hunting through the woods for the “dinosaur egg,” actually a big, green watermelon. After a hot day of hiking, it made for a refreshing treat and always led to another camp favorite – the long-range seed spitting contest.

To keep our hyper-active slew of small fry busy so the adults could catch up on family news, my sister planned an elaborate dino hunt using her handheld GPS. A series of clues and activities led the kids around the picnic site, over to the playground, around the pond and down a hiking path in search of dinosaur signs. Along the way they had to search out mini-caches, each of which directed them to play a game or engage in an activity before moving on to the next clue.

Using the GPS held the interest of our middle-schoolers who took charge of directing the younger kids. At one stop they engaged in a noisy game of dino hide and seek which quickly degenerated into a game of chase with roaring ”dinosaurs” racing around chasing each other. We hid multiple clues around the playground to give each of the older kids a shot at using the GPS while the small fry played. With frequent references to the GPS, they stalked around the pond and through the woods until they finally spied the “egg.” Upon their triumphant return to the picnic site (all too soon), chin-dripping slices of watermelon were carved. And, yes, a seed spitting contest quickly ensued.

ActionGPS offers a wide range of geocaching GPS devices to suit every user. From Garmin’s dynamic Colorado 300 handheld color GPS with all the bells and whistles to the durable kid-friendly (i.e., indestructible) Garmin Etrex Venture handheld outdoor GPS receiver, ActionGPS offers GPS handhelds in every price range. Click here to check out the complete line of handheld geocaching GPS units at ActionGPS.  

It could be the “Iron Man” of geocaching once it gets up and running. While kayaking along the Alligator River near North Carolina’s Outer Banks last weekend, I met an outdoorsman who is in the process of designing what could be the ultimate geocache experience. Like the Iron Man competition, he envisions a tri-fold caching challenge but with his own unique twist.

His idea is to expose geocachers to the raw beauty of the Carolina coast. The eastern shores of North Carolina encompass a wide variety of natural environments. There are the constantly shifting sandy keys and low dunes of the Outer Banks themselves, the thick marshes that line the shores of the sound, the densely vegetated scrub forests, the old weed-choked logging canals, and the sunken wreckage of ancient ships. Migrating flocks, black bears, red wolves, river otters, snapping turtles and alligators are among the animals that make their homes in this coastal wonderland.

In his dream geocaching event, participants would follow a trail of coordinates by kayak. Each set of coordinates would lead to a remote river site where you’d have to hike and explore to find the next clue. The final clue would lead to a ship wreck where you’d have to dive to find and retrieve the treasure.

Logistical considerations could tank the project. Much of the Carolina coast is protected National Forest or National Seashore. Actual cache containers could not be hidden in protected areas. Creating an underwater cache site also presents unique problems. Maintaining the integrity of the hunt in the storm-wracked waters of the Outer Banks might prove impossible.

A virtual hunt might have to supplant the traditional physical quest. One idea is to create a website where geocachers could track their progress on a map, recording the GPS coordinates of prominent land marks in order to obtain their next clue. If this guy pulls it off, this could be the ultimate geocache challenge.  

To celebrate its Sesquicentennial, the state of Minnesota sent geocachers on a history hunt. Hiding caches in 72 individual state parks, the Minnesota State Park Geocaching History Challenge featured historical statistics about each park. Those who rounded up all the clues from parks became eligible to participate in a regional challenge. Completion of all four regional challenges led to a final state challenge and a gold coin prize. The geocaching History Challenge began May 11 and continues through December 31.

The first cachers to complete the challenge (and to date the only finishers) are Cindy and Allan Habedank and Bemidji, MN. The dedicated geocachers completed the entire course in just 31 days using a handheld GPS. They estimated that they traveled nearly 4,000 miles across the state and hiked at least 150 miles. The hardest cache? One hidden on remote Garden Island in Lake of the Woods. To reach the island they had to travel to Canada, go through customs, take a boat to the island, then search for the cache. Fortunately, not all caches were as difficult to find.

Fairly new to geocaching, the Habedanks began geocaching just 15 months ago. In that time they have logged 173 cache days and uncovered 832 caches. They’ve hunted caches across the country and even found one in Oslo, Norway. “The geocaches really are all around the world,” said Cindy. “You can actually find a geocache in Timbuktu.”

The Habedanks have found geocaching to be the perfect activity to do together. “It’s like a pirate treasure trail, Easter egg hunt and crossword puzzle, all in one,” explained Minnesota State Park naturalist John Fylpaa who set up one of the regional caches for the History Challenge. “Once you get started, it’s addicting. You’ll be looking up geocaches at every place you travel,” the Habedanks said. With the History Challenge under their belts, the Habedanks have set their sights on tackling the multi-state Great River Road challenge which involved geocaching up and down the Mississippi River. Happy hunting!

Choosing a new GPS just got a little easier. Like many people, I’m a careful shopper. I spend hours checking out products from different vendors, reading Consumer Reports, pouring over product reviews, evaluating features, and charting the pros and cons of my top choices. When I buy, I like to get the biggest bang for my buck!

ActionGPS made buying my latest GPS unit a breeze. ActionGPS carries all the big names in portable and handheld GPS units: Garmin, Mio Tech and TomTom. You can search for products by manufacturer or type: automotive, outdoor, fitness, marine, motorcycle, recreational, geocaching, etc. But my favorite feature is the instant product comparison (click the link to view a comparison of two of our hot new arrivals).

Here’s how to make your own product comparison on ActionGPS:

• On the homepage of our website, click on one of the categories in the right-hand column.
• Read the summaries that accompany each product and click the item to peruse the details, specs and reviews.
• Once you’ve decided on your top contenders, check the box next to each item you want to compare.
• Click the orange oval “compare selected” button under the category title at the top of the item list.
• ActionGPS pulls up a nifty chart that compares all the major features, including price.
• Place your order.

It’s that easy. ActionGPS takes the guess work out of shopping for a new GPS. Visit the ActionGPS website and try it for yourself.

It’s bad enough to pay $8 for a movie ticket and then be forced to sit through 15 minutes of commercial drivel before they screen the first trailer, but commercials in my own personal car? That’s outrageous! Unfortunately, that’s how Detroit car manufacturers say they’ll pay for all the cool, new telematics planned for future cars. As Sarah Webster of the Detroit Free Press so succinctly put it: “Advertisers will provide the gas on this information Superhighway.”

The OnStar-type system that powers the unlock button if you lock your keys in the car “might be courtesy of Red Bull,” explained Velle Kolde, Microsoft Auto senior product manager. All the features now found on OnStar and Ford’s Sync wireless communications and entertainment technologies — and more still in development — could come with a sponsor. Imagine your GPS system announcing a right turn onto Main Street “where you can get a mouth-watering Big Mac in .3 miles.” Map-tied advertising is expected to pay the hefty price tag of all those cool, new tech features.

“Nobody wants another bill,” Panasonic’s Hakan Kostepen pointed out at a recent telematics conference. Everyone wants the cool features OnStar offers, but few want to pay the monthly subscription fee. OnStar services start at $18.95 a month. Ford Sync’s flat fee of $395 is an even bigger hurdle for car buyers. Who wants to shell out for another pricey package on top of the cost of a new car? In an industry survey by the Consumer Electronics Association, only 37% of 16- to 24-year old drivers said they’d be willing to pay for installed consumer electronics in their car and then not more than $270. Older drivers were generally willing to pay more for in-car electronics, but fewer said they’d even consider having them installed if they had to pay for them.

Detroit sees commercial advertising as the obvious way to defray the cost of new tech features. In the car of the not so distant future, you might be able to download movies for the rugrats from Netflix, book an oil change courtesy of Pennzoil or schedule that 5,000 tune up care of your local Ford dealer. I can’t think of a better reason to go with a portable GPS navigation system — all the cool tech features you want AND NO COMMERCIALS!

I wonder where Maxwell Smart would have kept his GPS unit if they’d been around back when he and Agent 99 fought the KAOS bad guys back in the ’60s? Perhaps in his other shoe? Or maybe in a super flat screen on the end of his tie? If he had a GPS, he wouldn’t be wasting time trading banalities at a bakery counter with an over-the-hill KAOS honey. He’d just follow his GPS to the KAOS hot cache and save the day. Of course, audiences of the new Get Smart movie would lose a hilarious exchange of double entendres, and a classic bit of Hollywood repartee would be forever lost in the Cone of Silence. Who wants that?

The scenario of Max fumbling with a GPS isn’t as far-fetched as it seems. With GPS technology getting smaller, cheaper and better, it’s one of several computerized tracking and listening devices changing the world of private investigation, the day side of the shady spy world. They may not be fighting KAOS agents, but PIs are using GPS devices to ferret out the bad guys. Fort Lauderdale PI Jim Bender uses a matchbox size GPS device to stake out cheating husbands without leaving his office. He recently used the same technology to track down thieves who were stealing fuel from a major oil company’s big rigs, saving the company hundreds of thousands of dollars. Stakeouts that used to take hundreds of man-hours are now accomplished with a GPS device affixed to a wheel well, says Bender.

“Anybody can be a spy now,” says Todd Myers, president of Computer Sights, a Florida surveillance supply store. All you need to channel your inner Maxwell Smart is an internet connection, a GPS device and a few other nifty gadgets, and basic human curiosity. Agent 99 would be so proud!

Many of you are currently in the process of deciding what to get dad this Father’s Day. We thought we would offer some advice.

Here are our Top 10 Gifts for Father’s Day this year:

10. Grooming Kit

9. Sports Jacket

8. iPod/MP3 Player

7. Digitial Camera

6. Hardware Tools

5. Outdoor Handheld GPS

4. Sporting Event Tickets

3. Set of Golf Clubs

2. Automotive GPS

1. Plasma TV

We obviously think that a GPS unit would make a perfect gift. GPS units are, affordable, portable, and will probably be put to use daily.

GPS products have gained massive popularity the past couple of years and there are plently of products to choose from. Here are a few GPS units which we think provide the best value:

AUTOMOTIVE GPS:

Garmin Nuvi 260W Widescreen GPS (Brand New)

Garmin Nuvi 650 Widescreen GPS (Refurbished)

OUTDOOR HANDHELD GPS:

Garmin VISTA HCX GPS (Brand New)

Garmin LEGEND HCX GPS (Brand New)

We will guarentee to have your GPS delivered in time for Father’s Day as long as the order is placed before:

3 P.M. EST Wednesday (June 11th) with standard shipping

3 P.M. EST Thursday (June 12th) with express shipping

Rest assured dad will absolutely love you, and the GPS you gift him, the next time he uses it to find the closest Driving Range or Sports Bar.

Another great summer weekend is approaching which means it’s time to load up your GPS and hit the trails in search of geocaching treasure. Started in 2000, geocaching is a relatively new sport/hobby that uses GPS equipment to find hidden caches — kind of a techno-treasure hunt. Similar to the orienteering you might have done in your younger days as a Boy Scout or Girl Scout, geocaching replaces that boring old compass with a cool electronic GPS unit.

Over the years people have gotten creative with geocaching. There’s the traditional cache that started the phenomenon: coordinates that lead you to a container with a log book and maybe a few trinkets. But geocaching has evolved and now reflects the unique creativity of its enthusiasts. Today you can track multi-caches where one cache provides clues for finding the next cache until you finally ferret out the final cache. There are mystery or puzzle caches that require you to solve a puzzle to gain access to the cache coordinates. Cipher caches allow you to channel your inner Bond as you decode clues that lead you to cache coordinates. Every year there are new and creative developments in the sport. Geocaching has become so popular that many areas have clubs where cachers meet regularly. Event caches organized by local and regional clubs draw geocachers for a day of discussion, training, sharing and caching. Mega-event caches can attract hundreds of geocachers from all over the world.

You’ll find a number of great websites that tell you how to get started, where to find caches, how to create a cache in your area, and more. Our favorite is Geocaching.com which is a great starting point for enthusiasts new to geocaching. You’ll find an easy to use cache-search feature and plenty of information about the hobby. On our website, you’ll find GPS units to fit every budget.  Right now you can get a great deal on a refurbished Garmin GPSMAP 60 CSx portable handheld outdoor color GPS (shown above). So click on, load up and get out there!

My neighbor is a marathon runner. She’s run locally and in neighboring states for years. Last year she took on the hills of San Francisco and is training for the pavement-pounding Chicago Marathon this fall. Of course, her dream is every runner’s ultimate ambition: the Boston Marathon. We live in an area of hills and ravines not far from the river, so she gets a good workout running in the neighborhood, but boredom was starting to kick in. Tired of the same old sights, she just bought a Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Fitness Trainer with Heart Rate Monitor to help expand her practice route and track her performance. She said it was love at first sight!

The Garmin Forerunner 305 includes a high sensitivity GPS receiver, an easy to use new courses feature and a rugged wireless heart rate monitor that guarantees optimal performance. Its unique design wraps the GPS antenna around the wrist for improved reception under trees and near tall buildings. The Forerunner 305 ensures great reception whether you’re running in an urban cityscape, suburban neighborhoods or out in the country. The ANT wireless heart rate monitor has a soft, comfortable chest strap and superior battery life. With the Forerunner 305 you don’t have to worry about cross-talk with your MP3 or cell phone. The unit reliably measures and sends data to keep you training in your optimal heart rate zone.

What makes the Forerunner 305 so much fun for distance runners, bikers and cross trainers is the course feature that lets you compete against previous workouts. The Forerunner 305 allows you to transition easily between sports without resetting the unit to track your total workout. An optional Foot Pod accessory can track distance, pace and calories burned when you train indoors, even when GPS reception is unavailable. The Forerunner’s three main data screens can be customized to track 12 data fields, providing instant and continuous feedback during your workout. As with all Forerunners, workout data is stored in memory for review and analysis.

Do you buy day-old bread at the supermarket? When you step into a store, do you bypass all of the new merchandise and head straight to the clearance rack?

If you do, there is absolutely no shame in that whatsoever. Bargain hunters are some of the savviest shoppers around. And like any other store, Action GPS knows that it has to cater to people looking for a good deal.

This is why you will find a “Clearance” section on the Action GPS website. If you are looking for a new GPS device, browse through all of the sections. If there something you like, but aren’t quite ready to buy just yet, keep checking back and peruse the Clearance section to see if something you want have been made available at a reduced price.

Right now there are some great items in Clearance, such as:

The Garmin StreetPilot C530 GPS Automotive Navigation System-this easy-to-use navigation device is in stock and will ship to you the same day you order it. It comes already loaded with maps and you have the option of adding traffic alerts.

Earlier in the week, we discussed GPS devices that can take you where you want to go by land or by sea. Well, you can find a great product that will do just that in Clearance. The Garmin Etrex Legend CX Hand Held Outdoor Color GPS can route you on roads or off, has a waterproof battery compartment and can withstand the rugged outdoors or being dropped in the water.

Maybe you fancy yourself to be a modern-day Pirate of the Caribbean. Or perhaps you are an adventurer, a la Indian Jones. Either way, you need to get where you are going and you may need a little help. No matter how wonderful your sense of direction may be, you really cannot do it all alone.

The Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx Portable Hand Held Outdoor Color GPS may be just the thing for those of you who travel by land and by sea. This device gets high marks from people who used GPS navigation devices for outdoor and marine use. The trip computer has an odometer and provides stopped time, moving average, overall average, maximum speed and more. (Useful information to have as you make notes for the travel diaries you plan to publish.)

Designed for travel in uncertain terrain, this device has a very sensitive GPS receiver. You will be able to track your location in thick forests or deep river canyons. Its electronic compass means you will not lose your bearings.  The built-in quad-helix receiving antenna has remote antenna capabilities.

This unit is not only water resistant, it also floats! It come with built-in celestial tables that will allow you to figures out the best times to fish, should you decide to go for “take-out.”
This sturdy product comes equipped with MapSource Topo and inland lake maps, BlueChart marine cartography waterlogged journeys. It also has City Navigator street maps for when you dock and decide to explore the land.

Visit Action GPS to learn about this and other GPS devices designed for outdoor and marine use.

With obesity reaching crisis proportions in America, I’m always looking for ways to drag my kids away from the video games and get the whole family out and moving. We recently discovered the fun of geocaching. Geocaching combines GPS technology with the fun of a treasure hunt. All I have to do is pick up our GPS unit, jingle the car keys and the kids dash for the car, eager to hunt down the next cache.

Geocaching has added a fresh element of fun and excitement to our weekends. The whole gang races through Saturday chores so we can seek out a few caches before dinner. Sometimes we take a picnic and make a day of exploring a new area. Even on hectic days, there are plenty of quick-find caches right in our neighborhood. We’ve discovered all manner of interesting places geocaching. Who knew there was a pre-Civil War cemetery just steps from our local K-Mart or a gushing waterfall tucked into a quiet glen under the freeway? We’ve come upon a gaggle of fuzzy goslings as we geocached along a previously unknown river trail. Burping bullfrogs surprised us as we walked through a wetlands just minutes from our home. For our family, the fun of geocaching is as much the discovery of new places as it is the thrill of the hunt.

Geocaching is a great hobby for anyone. You don’t have to be a rugged hiker. People hide caches along public pathways and in many community parks where the terrain is easily navigated. All you need to get started is a portable GPS unit and a computer. We started with an easy-to-use, inexpensive, refurbished GPS unit, the Garmin Etrex Legend CX Handheld Outdoor Color GPS. Rugged and water-resistant (essentials with our active kid crew), the Garmin Etrex is lightweight and slips easily into a pants pocket. The 256-color display is sunlight-readable, and it didn’t take long for our kids to get the hang of using the unit. With a 10,000-point automatic track log that allows for 20 saved tracks, you can trace your path in both directions. To date we haven’t gone on that extensive a geocache hunt, but summer is coming and the kids are itching to give it a try!