We at Pokebattler take catching Pokemon seriously.  We will dedicate a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to some hardcore catching whenever we have extra time. It’s a fun way to get exercise and spend sometime outdoors. And we’ve learned a few tricks about how to make the most of our sessions.

Bring an Extra Battery, or a Few

Any Pokemon Go player worth his or her salt has an extra battery on them. Our favorite is this one by Anker that comes in a variety of capacities and has multiple ports to charge multiple phones at once. It lasts a very long time without needing another charge. We often charge both phones at once while catching Pokemon, although this does require extra long cords and a fair amount of effort not to get horribly tangled up. Speaking of which, always make sure you’ve got  a good cord with you. Oftentimes the one your phone came with works much better than ones that come with the battery.

Location, Location, Location

If you live in a semi-large city, you probably already know the best spot for catching Pokemon. It’s probably in the middle of downtown, or near a big tourist spot. With the popularity of the game waning, we’ve found the only real worthwhile spot in LA is at the Santa Monica Pier. It’s crowded and a pain to park, but it’s the only reliable spot to catch some rare Pokemon nowadays – especially the water based guys like Dratini and Magikarp.

Dress and Gear Up Appropriately

Pokemon Go launched mid summer in the states and it was a battle to not get third degree sun burns while battling at the gym down here in Southern California. Just thinking back to those days makes me sweat. For hot weather, a small backpack (because your hands are of course occupied catching those mons) with bottles of water, sunscreen and snacks is essential. You also need good sunglasses, and a wide brim hat. This won’t just keep your face shaded, it will help shade your phone so you can see what your catching when the sun glares off your phone.

For cold weather, you want the warmest, yet lightest jacket you can wear. There’s a good chance you’ll get hot walking around, and want to tie it around your waist. You’ll also want gloves that allow you to use your touchscreen. And don’t forget the water, walking around still makes you thirty. If it’s raining, unless you’ve got a fully waterproof cover on your phone and a way to block the rain without holding an umbrella, you’re stuck trying to catch mons indoors. Hopefully your city has some Pokemon friendly malls.

Wear the Right Shoes

You want the most comfy shoes you’ve got for long term walking. This doesn’t necessarily meaning running shoes. It means walking/standing shoes. I prefer the more barefoot style shoes as it keeps my feet comfortable longer, now that I’m used to them. But whatever your preference, make sure they keep you comfortable for hours of walking and standing.

Also keep in mind what kind of surfaces you’re dealing with. If things are muddy, you need some waterproof boots. If it’s a sandy beach, bring some flip flops you can take off and stuff into your backpack.

Bring a Buddy

It’s always more fun to have company, but having a friend to catch Pokemon with has other benefits as well.  It seems every phone and network has different timing within Pokemon Go. So they can spot dudes that you don’t yet see on their maps or in their sightings. And when you’re distracted with catching some stupid Rattata, they can kick you in the shin and show you where to catch that Lapras that just popped up.

Fighting gyms is also great with a buddy as they’ll help you prestige a gym much faster, or take a gym down while you both attack mons together.

Phone Case

I don’t know about you, but I constantly drop my phone while playing Pokemon Go. Make sure you’ve got a phone cover that can handle dropping. You may even want to bring for a waterproof cover.  I use this cover as it also reduces radiation, which can’t be bad, right?

Look and Listen

We at Pokebattler are Pokepurists. We never use any cheat sites. But sometimes we hear other people using them. And when they scream Dragonite, and bolt to the other end of the pier, we run after them. We just can’t help ourselves. Even non cheaters will often talk about which mons they’ve just caught and give you a hint as to where to head next. And watch for clumps of players. They’re most likely all trying to catch something more rare.