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Private Training Caches on Scout Camps


K2gw

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Hi I'm new to Geocaching.

At our Scout Camp, we have some private caches that are used to introduce Scouts to the subject through Geocaching Merit Badge. Due to Youth Protection Rules, we cannot have the public looking for these on the camp property and thus they are not published. 

How how can we simply manually type in the lat/long of these private training caches into a Scouts instance of Catchly so they can use the app to get an introduction to the hobby and the application?

Obviously, once they get home and with their parents permission they might become advocates for the hobby and hunt for public caches using the same app  

Thanks

 

Gary

 

 

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The best way would be to import a GPX file into Cachly with all of the caches. This would allow those caches to function like normal caches, expect and geocaching.com functionality wouldn't work, since they wouldn't be registered caches.

There are various apps that can create GPX files such as GSAK on the PC and iCaching on the Mac.

Does this help?

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I understand a GPX file could be loaded, but Scouts may be restricted from receiving emails and files from adults due to youth protection policies.

I'm really looking for an option that  allows the Catchly user to type in a cache latitude and longitude when given a piece of paper with them printed on. 

Seems like it should be simple to do. It certainly can be done with standalone GPS units. We just want them to be able to start Geocaching in a camp setting using a smartphone that nowadays they often already have. 

Any ideas?  Or do we need to use another free app?  I'd rather them be able to learn Catchly and then later seamlessly transition to looking for public Caches when they get home ( with their parents permission of course)

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You can press and hold on the map and it will drop a pin, then tap the info button on the callout and choose Save Location. This will allow you to then refine the coordinates and save that location. These can then be accessed by going to More and Saved Locations.

You can also tap your current location to create a Saved Location.

These saved locations can then be used to navigate to using the compass and target features of Cachly.

Does this help?

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3 hours ago, K2gw said:

Any ideas?  Or do we need to use another free app?  I'd rather them be able to learn Catchly and then later seamlessly transition to looking for public Caches when they get home ( with their parents permission of course)

I don't know your scout group, but I do question whether Cachly is the right tool.  Don't get me wrong, Cachly is an excellent app for geocaching, but here's my two cents worth (again, not knowing your group).

1) Are all your scouts iPhone users.  If not, what will Android or other users use?

2) Will scouts be willing to pay $5 for app when there are free alternatives ($5 is a bargin for an app like Cachly, but people tend to have passionate opinions about paying for apps).

I suspect there are free apps out there that can do what you want to do. 

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Haven't found a free iPhone app that allows user to easily enter lat/long to then home in on using the GPS. Suggestions appreciated          

Being able to do it in something like Catchly allows them to then easily transition to hunting public Caches using the same tool when they get home. 

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I'll try the create waypoint using the map, and then modifying the lat/long using the method described. As the Training Caches are all within a mile of the start point, that might work. 

Also, the idea of sending an gpx file via airdrop is a good one. I'll look into it. Thanks!

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