Hey there! Just got back from Florida. My cousin and I tried to find the Christmas box but we couldn't get to it. A good part of the trail was under water.
On to the question. I'm shopping for a new compass. I have a really old one that does the job but is not as accurate as I would like it to be. There seem to be a gazillion choices out there. Do any of you have a prefered model? Any suggestions? I also did some geocaching while out there (my cousins are more into geocaching than letterboxing, though I'm doing my best to corrupt them :) ) and I'm also looking into a gps. Any ideas? Thanks!
Lynne
P0F10HH1X1
equipment question
11 messages in this thread |
Started on 2003-09-16
equipment question
From: Lynne Dinger (lynnedinger@comcast.net) |
Date: 2003-09-16 15:15:31 UTC
Re: [LbNA] equipment question
From: (HANNAHKAT@aol.com) |
Date: 2003-09-16 11:46:25 UTC-04:00
For a compass, I find, you don't need anything too fancy for letterboxing. I
recommend a Silva Brand model (there are many). You don't need to spend more
than $10 - 18 dollars or so for a pretty good one. I use them for orienteering
classes for scouts and school kids etc. They work well, but it's not a great
hardship if you lose or break it (though I've never had one break yet).
-Kim (Rustypuff)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
recommend a Silva Brand model (there are many). You don't need to spend more
than $10 - 18 dollars or so for a pretty good one. I use them for orienteering
classes for scouts and school kids etc. They work well, but it's not a great
hardship if you lose or break it (though I've never had one break yet).
-Kim (Rustypuff)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: [LbNA] equipment question
From: dvn2rckr (dvn2rckr@yahoo.com) |
Date: 2003-09-16 16:10:13 UTC
Unless, of course, you attempt to tackle Ryan of Portland's infamous
& sadistic Applegate Trail Rest Area Letterbox near Grants Pass,
Oregon. Then, you'll need a several thousand dollar nuclear powered
military lensatic compass with laser guided precision, a GPS for
back up accuracy, a full flood light since your hunt will take you
well into the night regardless of when you begin & numerous
bottles/tubes of Zanfel/Technu for the almost assured miserable case
of poison oak you'll catch when you give up 'dead reckoning' the
various azimuths in the clues and then you surrender to the hunt &
peck method of finding the letterbox! Truly sadistic, he is...
dvn2r ckr
Hmmm...maybe that's why he's spent the entire summer on the East
Coast tackling the AT--he's trying to get out of firing range from
us frustrated Ryan box seekers... Fortunately, we can now say that
we've found every single Ryan LB that we've sought--granted, a
couple took multiple attempts, but we've eventually found them! Ah,
the sense of accomplishment... ;)
--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, HANNAHKAT@a... wrote:
> For a compass, I find, you don't need anything too fancy for
letterboxing. I
> recommend a Silva Brand model (there are many). You don't need to
spend more
> than $10 - 18 dollars or so for a pretty good one. I use them for
orienteering
> classes for scouts and school kids etc. They work well, but it's
not a great
> hardship if you lose or break it (though I've never had one break
yet).
>
> -Kim (Rustypuff)
& sadistic Applegate Trail Rest Area Letterbox near Grants Pass,
Oregon. Then, you'll need a several thousand dollar nuclear powered
military lensatic compass with laser guided precision, a GPS for
back up accuracy, a full flood light since your hunt will take you
well into the night regardless of when you begin & numerous
bottles/tubes of Zanfel/Technu for the almost assured miserable case
of poison oak you'll catch when you give up 'dead reckoning' the
various azimuths in the clues and then you surrender to the hunt &
peck method of finding the letterbox! Truly sadistic, he is...
dvn2r ckr
Hmmm...maybe that's why he's spent the entire summer on the East
Coast tackling the AT--he's trying to get out of firing range from
us frustrated Ryan box seekers... Fortunately, we can now say that
we've found every single Ryan LB that we've sought--granted, a
couple took multiple attempts, but we've eventually found them! Ah,
the sense of accomplishment... ;)
--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, HANNAHKAT@a... wrote:
> For a compass, I find, you don't need anything too fancy for
letterboxing. I
> recommend a Silva Brand model (there are many). You don't need to
spend more
> than $10 - 18 dollars or so for a pretty good one. I use them for
orienteering
> classes for scouts and school kids etc. They work well, but it's
not a great
> hardship if you lose or break it (though I've never had one break
yet).
>
> -Kim (Rustypuff)
Re: equipment question
From: Sir Balthazar (neovolatile@yahoo.com) |
Date: 2003-09-16 16:11:25 UTC
Dear Lynne,
JugglerMouse and I have purchased military surplus Stockard and Yard
compasses (SANDY 183).
We found them up on eBay for about $30. They are not as good for
orienteering as the Silva type made for that but they are really what
we wanted. New, they cost about $100.
The reasons we love them is that they are rugged, precise, smooth
operating (a real plus), have a locking needle (keeps them from
breaking while stored and dampens the action when resetting), and can
be used in total darkness. Okay, not much boxing going on in the dark
but there are times when darkness falls upon us unexpectedly.
Navigating in that case is a nice touch. The tritium glow does not
screw with your night vision.
Yes, I know your question was also about GPS, but I try to keep
letterboxing separated from geocaching.
Folk coming to SLO Stamping in the Meadow, Oct 4th in SLO, bring your
compasses. Many of the directions will be in degrees and single
paces. *grin*
My two cents' worth,
Sir B
JugglerMouse and I have purchased military surplus Stockard and Yard
compasses (SANDY 183).
We found them up on eBay for about $30. They are not as good for
orienteering as the Silva type made for that but they are really what
we wanted. New, they cost about $100.
The reasons we love them is that they are rugged, precise, smooth
operating (a real plus), have a locking needle (keeps them from
breaking while stored and dampens the action when resetting), and can
be used in total darkness. Okay, not much boxing going on in the dark
but there are times when darkness falls upon us unexpectedly.
Navigating in that case is a nice touch. The tritium glow does not
screw with your night vision.
Yes, I know your question was also about GPS, but I try to keep
letterboxing separated from geocaching.
Folk coming to SLO Stamping in the Meadow, Oct 4th in SLO, bring your
compasses. Many of the directions will be in degrees and single
paces. *grin*
My two cents' worth,
Sir B
Re: equipment question
From: Brian, Ryan & Lori (bconnoll@marksonrosenthal.com) |
Date: 2003-09-16 16:27:25 UTC
Hi Lynne ,
I'm using the same compass as Sir B , and you really can't beat it .
They have them new at the Army Navy store in Stoughton . On Rt. 138 .
Expensive ? Yes , ( $ 90 ) but well worth it . The thing glows right
out of the pocket , will not dim , and this can come in handy .
Especially in the winter when it starts to get dark at 3:30 .
They are pretty much indestructible , and are designed for the
military , so they work quickly and accurately .
Have Fun !!
Brian
TeamGreenDragon
I'm using the same compass as Sir B , and you really can't beat it .
They have them new at the Army Navy store in Stoughton . On Rt. 138 .
Expensive ? Yes , ( $ 90 ) but well worth it . The thing glows right
out of the pocket , will not dim , and this can come in handy .
Especially in the winter when it starts to get dark at 3:30 .
They are pretty much indestructible , and are designed for the
military , so they work quickly and accurately .
Have Fun !!
Brian
TeamGreenDragon
Re: [LbNA] equipment question
From: Ron Salladin (salladin@frontiernet.net) |
Date: 2003-09-16 13:18:32 UTC-04:00
Lynne,
Try www.us.orienteering.org/OGear.html for a variety of links. I realize
it's geared toward Orienteering but I'm sure you'll be able to find what
you need there. I have two Suunto compasses, one (Arrow-30 Comp.) I paid
about $40 for that I use exclusively for Orienteering, and one (A-10) I
paid about $8 for that I use for Lb'ing. On the more expensive one the
needle settles more quickly and holds very steady while running. On
both, the needles point to magnetic north, and that's what you want. I
would trust them both for either sport. In most cases, heading in the
wrong direction is not the fault of the compass. As with anything, we
all have our personal preferences, and I'm satisfied with the choices I
made. Good luck.
ROC'nRON
Lynne Dinger wrote:
>On to the question. I'm shopping for a new compass. I have a really old one that does the job but is not as accurate as I would like it to be. There seem to be a gazillion choices out there. Do any of you have a prefered model? Any suggestions? I also did some geocaching while out there (my cousins are more into geocaching than letterboxing, though I'm doing my best to corrupt them :) ) and I'm also looking into a gps. Any ideas? Thanks!
>Lynne
>P0F10HH1X1
>
>
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
>
>
Try www.us.orienteering.org/OGear.html for a variety of links. I realize
it's geared toward Orienteering but I'm sure you'll be able to find what
you need there. I have two Suunto compasses, one (Arrow-30 Comp.) I paid
about $40 for that I use exclusively for Orienteering, and one (A-10) I
paid about $8 for that I use for Lb'ing. On the more expensive one the
needle settles more quickly and holds very steady while running. On
both, the needles point to magnetic north, and that's what you want. I
would trust them both for either sport. In most cases, heading in the
wrong direction is not the fault of the compass. As with anything, we
all have our personal preferences, and I'm satisfied with the choices I
made. Good luck.
ROC'nRON
Lynne Dinger wrote:
>On to the question. I'm shopping for a new compass. I have a really old one that does the job but is not as accurate as I would like it to be. There seem to be a gazillion choices out there. Do any of you have a prefered model? Any suggestions? I also did some geocaching while out there (my cousins are more into geocaching than letterboxing, though I'm doing my best to corrupt them :) ) and I'm also looking into a gps. Any ideas? Thanks!
>Lynne
>P0F10HH1X1
>
>
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
>
>
Re: equipment question
From: crappiefishergirl (jdstoeck@fgi.net) |
Date: 2003-09-16 17:43:03 UTC
I'm also a closet geocacher....
anyway, the garmin etrek navigator is the best for your money. i
have the magellan sporttrak. kind of wish i had a garmin now. but
the magellan gets me there. garmin is more advanced with regards to
maps and software. even if you go with the gecko, make sure to get
a model with WAAS for excellent accuracy.
check amazon.com for the best prices and to help you comparison shop.
anyway, the garmin etrek navigator is the best for your money. i
have the magellan sporttrak. kind of wish i had a garmin now. but
the magellan gets me there. garmin is more advanced with regards to
maps and software. even if you go with the gecko, make sure to get
a model with WAAS for excellent accuracy.
check amazon.com for the best prices and to help you comparison shop.
equipment question
From: Lynne Dinger (lynnedinger@comcast.net) |
Date: 2003-09-16 20:47:12 UTC
Hey! Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who responded to my question regarding compass preferences. This does help narrow down my shopping. Now, if I can just get my husband to agree to my choice. ;)
Lynne
P0F10HH1X1
Lynne
P0F10HH1X1
Re: [LbNA] equipment question
From: Ron Salladin (salladin@frontiernet.net) |
Date: 2003-09-16 17:08:21 UTC-04:00
Lynne Dinger wrote:
>
>Lynne
>P0F10HH1X1
>
If it's your choice, why would you you have to get your husband to agree
with it?
ROC'nRON
Re: equipment question
From: Drew Family (drewclan@aol.com) |
Date: 2003-09-17 03:49:12 UTC
Haven't read ahead to see if I'm bucking the trend here, but as far
as gps I *don't* recommend my Magellan 310, which is/was pretty
popular for geocaching. We don't geocache too much (like 4 times
total), but I do use it alot for calibrating my telescope and it's
prone to lots of down time. Hates any kind of tree cover, which makes
it useless from May to November here in New England, and sometimes
can't pick up a satelite fix from an open field. Couldn't find the
broad side of a Moose Hill barn this winter, either. Maybe go Garmin?
I know I will next time (are you listening, Santa?).
Jay in CT
as gps I *don't* recommend my Magellan 310, which is/was pretty
popular for geocaching. We don't geocache too much (like 4 times
total), but I do use it alot for calibrating my telescope and it's
prone to lots of down time. Hates any kind of tree cover, which makes
it useless from May to November here in New England, and sometimes
can't pick up a satelite fix from an open field. Couldn't find the
broad side of a Moose Hill barn this winter, either. Maybe go Garmin?
I know I will next time (are you listening, Santa?).
Jay in CT
Re: equipment question
From: mulbie (mulbie@yahoo.com) |
Date: 2003-09-17 15:48:38 UTC
---
Hey there -- As far as GPS equipment, I have to recommend the GARMIN
GPS 76 series. We have one for boating, and I also have used it for
geocaching on occasion. It is a great unit that is waterproof and
seems to have very few problems. It is nice to take on a hike, as you
can set it to backtrack, and retrace your route if you lose track of
right and left turns. They also have a mapping one that is a little
more expensive, but will probably be our next GPS.
> Lynne
> P0F10HH1X1
Hey there -- As far as GPS equipment, I have to recommend the GARMIN
GPS 76 series. We have one for boating, and I also have used it for
geocaching on occasion. It is a great unit that is waterproof and
seems to have very few problems. It is nice to take on a hike, as you
can set it to backtrack, and retrace your route if you lose track of
right and left turns. They also have a mapping one that is a little
more expensive, but will probably be our next GPS.
> Lynne
> P0F10HH1X1