Written by Janell Brown, Wayward Waymarking

There are only three essential pieces of equipment needed to participate in waymarking: a GPSr unit, a digital camera, and a computer with an internet connection. Since you're reading this article online, I'm going to assume you already have computer access.

GPSr stands for Global Positioning Satellite Receiver, which is a hand-held instrument you will use to find the exact geographical coordinates for that ever-so-cool spot you want to post a waymark for. It's more common to refer to the unit as a "GPS" so I'll use that from now on when referring to the unit. The GPS receives signals from multiple satellites that orbit the earth and uses that information to tell you things like where you are located, what direction you're traveling, and how fast you're going.

These units don't have to be high-end or expensive pieces of equipment. A simple GPS can be found at places like Target or Wal-Mart for $80 to $100 dollars, less during the holidays. Another approach might be to search for a used unit in the forums of geocaching.com. In the forums you'll find a section titled "GPS Garage Sale" where folks who are upgrading their equipment list their GPS units for sale. If you really like having all the bells and whistles, there are some handheld devices or cell phones with GPS capability AND internet capability. They can be expensive, but for some the added convenience is worth the price tag.

Once you've purchased your GPS, if you need some additional help getting it up and running, I suggest visiting the geocaching.com forums and digging around in the "GPS Units and Software" section or try contacting your local outdoor recreation store. Many of them offer inexpensive and sometimes free classes on how to use a GPS.

B. Digital Camera

Much like the GPS, a digital camera can be found at just about any price range. For the budget minded, try an auction site like eBay or the online classified ad site, Craigslist.org. Some waymarking.com categories will deny waymarks with low quality photographs, therefore I suggest using a camera other than the one you might have in your cell phone. This may seem uptight, however, your photos will tell half the story of the place you want to share with the world. A better picture is more likely to help people recognize that your waymark is worth a visit.

I suggest purchasing a camera that can take photos with a minimum of two mega-pixels (mp). MP refers to the number (in millions) of dots that the camera uses to make up the photographic image. Generally speaking, the higher the mega pixel count that the camera offers, the better the quality of picture. Cameras with greater than two mp resolution provide better photos for prints, but if you are just uploading pictures to the Web, then two mp is plenty.

For a great primer on how to choose a digital camera, link to photo.net's "Choosing a Camera" guide.

C. Other Helpful Equipment

The GPS and digital camera are really all the equipment you need to get started, but there are several other items that will make your waymarking experience easier and more enjoyable:

Notepad and pen - Often there will be information you'll need to gather about your waymark that you won't be able to just photograph. Examples would be things like a description of the location, the hours a museum is open, certain dangers in the area such as high cliffs, or a road that's only accessible by an all-terrain vehicle. If you are waymarking several different places, it becomes impossible to remember all of the extra information and a pen and pad will save you the frustration of arriving home, only to realize that you have forgotten a vital piece of information that is required to post the waymark.

Extra Batteries - You will always want to have on hand a set of extra batteries for both your GPS and your digital camera. It can be extremely frustrating to find a waymark that's perfect for a category you've been trying to post a waymark in for ages, just to find out that your camera batteries are dead. I use rechargeable batteries and although they seem pricey at first, the investment is worth it in the long run. Keep them in a pocket of your camera case and you will always be good to go.

Extra Camera Memory Card - If you have a small memory card in your camera, you might want to consider keeping an extra one in your camera case for those waymarking marathons you will soon be taking. This is especially handy if you're waymarking on vacation. You'd be surprised how fast 200+ pictures can be taken when you're waymarking.

Map of the area - When you're waymarking in an area that's not entirely familiar to you, consider bringing along a map. I keep a large Thomas Guide style map under the front seat of the car and use it often.

Handheld Device - I don't personally use a handheld device like a Blackberry or Treo, but others find them very helpful. If you carry one of these, then you won't need the notepad and pen because you can take notes with the device. You might even have a map loaded into it, or a list of locations that you want to waymark, or a list of waymarking categories. For those who don't need the latest version, available handhelds can be purchased on eBay at very affordable prices.

So, assuming that you have now gathered all the required equipment and want to get started, let's move on to finding something to waymark.

Next: Waymarking Step by Step
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