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Geocaching: A Great Way To Get Outdoors If you.re tired of hiking the same trail or picnicking at the same park, then Geocaching may be exactly what you.re looking for. Geocaching, pronounced gee-o-cashing, is the high tech version of a treasure hunt. Armed with nothing but a handheld GPS unit and a thirst for excitement, you.re off for new adventures and the likelihood of finding a hidden cache. Here.s how it works. Geocachers seek out hidden treasures utilizing GPS coordinates posted on the Internet by those hiding the cache. So to geocache, you.ll need a handheld GPS receiver. GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System, is the only system today able to show you your exact position on the Earth anytime, in any weather, anywhere. GPS satellites, 24 in all, orbit at over 11,000 miles above the Earth. The satellites transmit signals that can be detected by anyone with a GPS receiver. Using the receiver, you can determine your location with great precision. But just as important, you.ll be able to locate other things too, such as a geocache. There are a variety of GPS receiver models to choose from starting at about $100. Once you.ve got a GPS unit, you.ll need to know where the caches are hidden (hint: they.re everywhere). When a cache is hidden, the cache.s coordinates are submitted to a website for all to see (www.geocaching.com). Enter the coordinates into your GPS and you.re ready to go. Did I mention there are more than 100,000 caches in over 200 countries? Sounds easy, doesn.t it? Armed with a GPS and the coordinates, how tough can it be? In an urban area, easy access is typically available in the way of roads and trails. But what about on a mountain? What if there aren.t roads nearby? It.s entirely possible to be a few hundred feet from something and not be able to reach it (across a river or two hundred feet below the cliff you.re on are good examples). After you try to find a few caches, you.ll understand a number of the nuances of actually finding the cache. That.s the fun part. Once you find the cache, there are a couple of simple rules. Sign the logbook and if you take something from the cache, be sure to leave something. But what about placing a cache? That.s fun too. Just be sure to follow the rules as outlined at www.geocaching.com. Once you.re a seasoned geocacher, you.ll try your hand at travel bugs, geo-teaming and benchmark hunting. If you have only a couple hours to search for a cache, try to find one that is close by. If you have a couple days, take a family trip and make an overnight adventure out of it. Using your GPS along with your sense of adventure, you are bound to spend more time out of doors with people you enjoy. What could be better? Get Outdoors!
What To Know When Buying Binoculars We are asked nearly every day: "What are your best binoculars?" And every day we answer: "How do you plan on using them?" We are not trying to be evasive with our answer, but the truth of the matter is . the best binoculars for one purpose may be the worse binoculars for another. We want you to Get It Right The First Time. Understanding your application is paramount in determining the best fit . for you. Although there are many other specifications and qualities which determine the usefulness of binoculars, we will discuss in this article the primary characteristics for determining the best fit for your application. But before we show you the list, we should go over some basic terminology. What do the numbers on binoculars mean? All sporting optics (binoculars, spotting scopes, night vision goggles, etc.) use the same nomenclature to describe important features. As an example, a pair of binoculars may have 10x42mm listed as a technical specification. But what does this mean? The "10" refers to the magnification power of the binoculars . that is . objects viewed will appear to be 10 times closer than when they are viewed by the naked eye. The second number in our example is "42mm." This refers to the diameter, in millimeters, of the objective lenses on the binoculars. The objective lenses are located on the end of the binoculars furthest away from your eye when viewing. As with the aperture of a camera lens, the size of objective lens determines the amount of light that can enter your binoculars. If your binoculars are going to be used during low light (hunting and astronomy are good examples) you had better have large objective lenses. Another important number describing binoculars is called field-of-view. A field-of-view of 390' indicates that the width of the sight picture is 390 feet at a distance of 1000 yards. Field-of-view is determined by magnification and the focal lengths of the objective and eyepiece lenses. More magnification always means less field-of-view. This specification is sometimes expressed in degrees. A field-of-view of 6.5 degrees equates to 341' (6.5 times 52.5 equals 341). How well your binoculars will serve you in low light conditions is described as Twilight Performance. Although many things, such as overall design and quality of glass impact this specification, magnification and objective lens diameter are the chief components. A quick way to determine the Twilight Performance of binoculars is to multiply the magnification power (first number) times the objective lens diameter (second number). The higher the result, the better the Twilight Performance. As an example, 10x42mm binoculars will have better Twilight Performance than 8x50mm binoculars (420 versus 400). Now that we understand some basic terminology, here is .What to Know When Buying Binoculars."
Your understanding of these few simple tips will not only help you in acquiring the correct binoculars for your application, but they will also help you with successful viewing . no matter what you.re looking at. Use this information and you.ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!
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