Arrr! Where do I find the booty?

Buy the Magellan eXplorist GC on Amazon!

A few weeks ago, I heard for the first time about something called “geocaching.”  It was explained to me as an activity in which you look for and find hidden treasures, or caches, that other people hide around the world.  You are able to find a cache by using a handheld GPS unit and the latitude and longitude coordinates that the cache-hider posts online–usually on www.geocaching.com.

Some of the geocaches, however, cannot be found by simply using the lat/long coordinates.  Some are found by also using clues provided or solving puzzles and riddles made up by the hider.  Having always been fascinated with maps, puzzles, treasure-hunting, and codes, I was immediately interested in trying out geocaching.

I downloaded a geocaching.com’s free iPhone app to my phone, and began trying to find my first cache, but was unsuccessful.  The GPS in the iPhone is not very accurate for geocaching purposes, as it is not a true GPS.  Rather than using the GPS satellites, the iPhone simply uses triangulation to sense where you are in relation to cell-phone towers.  Having not found a cache on my first trip out, I became somewhat discouraged, so I began researching actual handheld GPS units.

After several days of researching which unit I wanted to give a try, I settled on Magellan’s eXplorist GC unit.  This unit is only a few months old, as it was released by Magellan in the spring of 2010.  Here are some of my favorite features of the unit:

• Full integration with www.geocaching.com – you can plug the unit in to your computer using the USB cable provided with the unit and download all of a geocache’s details (i.e., coordinates, clues, logs, etc.) directly to the unit in just a couple of seconds.
• Easy navigation – navigating through the unit’s menus and screens is fairly easy to learn.
• Clear, color screen – reading the unit’s color screen is easy on the eyes, and makes for finding your treasure that much easier.
• Affordability – this unit is one of the least expensive models on the market, and it definitely serves my needs.

The first time I went geocaching after purchasing the eXplorist, I found one of the caches I had been attempting to find.  The eXplorist got me within about 6 feet of the cache’s location, whereas the iPhone app had put me approximately 200 feet away from the cache.  The next day I used the eXplorist, I found the cache very quickly, and with no problems.

All in all, I am very happy with the Magellan eXplorist GC unit.  Whether you have never geocached before and want to try it for the first time, or are a long timer who is looking for a new unit, I would highly recommend this unit.  Here’s to starting a new hobby and getting outdoors and finding some hidden treasures.  Good luck!

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