It’s amazing to see how much handheld GPS units have advanced since the beginning of the 21^st Century. In the early days these “bricks” were huge, heavy, clunky and nowhere near as accurate as they are now. They possessed rudimentary functionality in comparison to even today’s most inexpensive models.

You cannot deny that geocaching has significantly impacted the manufacturing of GPS’s. When Garmin first updated the eTrex to include geocaching icons it was big news. The world had noticed our little game. Now, entire models are marketed specifically for geocaching. Recreational GPS usage is a major factor in this high-tech marketplace.

With the release of Garmin’s GPSmap 60 line, we saw the inclusion of some amazing geocaching functionality. They possessed the ability to mark caches as found and then direct you to the next closest cache. Add to that the many techie geocachers out there who began designing hacks and programs to expand this functionality and we finally had a GPS that was made for caching!

When the 60CSx finally came out I decided it was time to jump on the bandwagon. The expandable memory lured me to give up my old monochrome Legend and step up to a whole new world of caching. Since its release it seems to have become the standard unit for the serious cacher.

With so many options available, I’ve seen a lot of people who have been overwhelmed by this GPS. It’s as though they have no idea where to start when it comes to setting the unit up for their own use. While some of the modifications can be a bit intimidating, the unit is amazingly easy to customize to fit your own needs and style of caching.

Here is a brief list of seven adaptations that I made to my Garmin GPSmap 60CSx. As always, these are simply my preferences. I don’t present them as “must do’s” but rather as examples of what you can do. What’s important is that your GPS works for you. If anything, this list might open your eyes to some options that you hadn’t considered and an adaptation that will be uniquely your own.

1. Change the Welcome Screen

Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you that I have a bad habit of losing things. In fact, the more expensive the item the better the chance that I’ll lose it. Give me a pair of cheap sunglasses and I’ll keep them for life, but if I buy a pair of RayBans they’re gone in a matter of weeks.

I’m bad on cell phones too.

Thankfully I have yet to lose my GPS. And thanks to Garmin’s foresight to include a Welcome Screen, hopefully I won’t have to worry about it.

When you turn your GPSmap 60CSx on, the first thing you see is the Welcome Screen. It’s got all that important corporate copyright information and a big blank spot for you to fill up with your own information.

Some people choose the cutesy approach and put their own little message in there. I chose the more practical approach and included my name, mailing address and email address.

In theory, if someone stumbles across my GPS lost in the wild and turns it on, the first thing they will see is information on how to return the unit to its rightful owner. Sure, that’s putting a lot of trust in the good of my fellowman, but then again, I also included the words “REWARD IF RETURNED” just for good measure.

How do to it:

• Push the “Page” button until you come to the “Main Menu” screen.
• Arrow down to “Setup” and press “Enter”
• Arrow down to “Welcome Message” and press “Enter”
• Enter your desired text and press “OK” to save it.

2. Use the Belt Clip (even if you wear suspenders)

Aaaah, I remember the good old days when everyone had their own idea for a “hands free” kit for their GPS! I saw grown men—manly men!—sewing pouches and begging their wives to knit holsters to hang from their belts. I personally experimented with sticky-back Velcro in an attempt to come up with the perfect way to stow my GPS when my hands were busy logging a cache or pulling me up the side of a hill.

Garmin had us all in mind when they included the optional belt clip button. Yet I’m always amazed when I see cachers who don’t use it! It’s incredibly functional and handy.

Plus having electronic stuff hanging off your belt makes you look like Batman