Using a smartphone for cachin'

Prior to my deployment in 2009/2010, I observed several cachers using smarthphone for geocaching.  Being an owner of many caches, I noticed that emails for cache finds come during the day, instead in the evening when cachers return home from a cache run.  I wondered if I should make the dive to the smartphone.  With my retirement from the National Guard and a VA disability, I have the funds for the date package and invested in an Android phone.  I browsed and downloaded the C : Geo, a free application for geocaching.  It did come in useful when I stopped at a reststop on I-24 outside of Chattanooga and didn't have the caches on my pocket query.  -boatman- began using an iPhone more than a year before I went to the smartphone and he reported that the smartphone application is very useful when one finds themselves with an opportunity to cache that was not planned.  I quickly found that to be a reality.

This past weekend, my oldest daughter used my laptop for a research paper, so I did not have access to GSAK, so all I had was the phone.  I also didn't know the exact plan and with a phone, I could just find caches of opportunity.  In which, we found one in Dover, TN, (Battlefield....Dead End Series Continued).

Advantages: 

Very useful when out and have unplanned time and opportunity to cache.
Everything is on one device, cache page, logs and GPS arrow.
Log the find after signing the log. 

Disdvantages:

Phone is not as rugged as a Garmin handheld, not a good idea to use on or near water or rock terrain.
GPS feature on the phone uses battery charge quickly.
Using applications for a long period will use up the data package. 

Signed logs in every county in Tennessee

With another trip to East Tennessee, I left home around 3:30 am and swept through Pickett, Scott and Morgan Counties to complete the requirements for the Tennessee County Challenge. 

Left I-40 at Cookeville and headed north to Stay the Night - TB Hotel in the snow where there was about one inch on the ground.  After Pickett County, I headed east and even though I had Fentress County, I could not pass up Sgt. Alvin C. York // Hero // Statesman.  Cache is located at the home of the Congressional Medal of Honor Winner.  After finding the cache, I drove to the cemetery about 1/2 mile away to visit the Sgt's grave and pay my respects.  Went onto Scott County and decided to go after a regular size cache in the snow at Robbins Park Cache, this was a quality cache and thanked myself for going after this cache instead of the guard rail series north of this location. I have determined that the game is turning into a game of going from guard rail to guard rail.  Drove onto Morgan County and found an earthcache called Potter Falls, even though earthcaches do not quality for the county challenge.  I really wanted to find the nearby physical cache, however it has a 4.5 terrain rating and 4 difficulty.  The odds of a DNF were high and also noted it was snowing, rocks has ice and the chance of an injury would also be high.  I continued to head south towards Knoxville and found smokey's tour and with that find, I have completed the requirements for the Tennessee County Challenge. 

Obion River Float

With the upcoming Obion River Blueway Caches CITO, the cache owner asked me to go along and assist in placement of caches along the river.  I helped out with four ammo cans.  Typically, I don't get much of a work out placing caches; this one worn me out.  Due to schedule conflict, we elected to set out on the river this past Friday.  I arrvied at the launch location about a half-hour before the CITO cache owner.  Took the time to hike east  of the parking area and could see the potention for a nice walking power trail. 

CITO owner arrived with a powered john boat.  We unloaded the boat at the water and then hooked his trailer to my truck.  We set out for the recovery area, leaving the CITO owner's wife at the boat.  She and a Tauras remained at the boat until our return about 45 minutes later. 

We set out on the boat for my first real experience floating the Middle Fork of the Obion River.  It was a calm and peaceful float.  The weather turned cold once again and rain continued until we reached the recovery area.  By the time we reached the end, I was soaking wet, my legs from knees down were drenched due to falling in once.  My chills continued until I arrived home to take a hot shower. 

I placed four cachers and the caches were in honor of cachers who are willing to do the extreme terrain caches and no stranger to the water.

James Brown

Adventuretrekker

Davy Crockett and soldier and stateman.

Kodiak_62

Davy Crockett

Chimps8mybaby

Jacob Mullory

GeoYakr

It doesn't pay to be a ladies man