TravelBug Etiquette

[+CrackerFL]

Do Travel Bugs and Geocoins fall under the "leave something, take something" etiquette rules of geocaching? That is to say, if I find a TB/GC in a cache, do I need to leave something behind in order to move the item along, or is it considered acceptable practice to just go ahead move it to a new cache? If I were intending to keep the Geocoin and remove it from circulation, I'd definitely leave something, but I'm not much for collecting. I find the movement more interesting.

 

Thanks folks.

[+mpilchfamily]

TB and Geocoins are not Swag items and don't fall under the trade up or trade even rule for swag.

 

If you find a tag or Geocoin in a cache it is likely activated (owned by someone else) and should be moved along in accordance to its mission. Very rearly are geocoins left in a cache as swag unless it is a prize in a new cache intended for the first person to find that cache. In which case there will be a note to say its a prize either on the cache page or with the oin in the cache. You don't get to remove a Geocoin from circulation. That is up to the owner of the coin to do so.

 

So any coin or TB you find you need to take it home and look up its tracking number. Then you will see what its mission is and where the owner wants it to go. If by some chance the system comes back and tells you the coin or TB isn't activated then it is yours to keep and you should go back and leave something in trade.

 

Be sure to read through everything on the Trackable page before moving forward with any trackable items.

http://www.geocaching.com/track/default.aspx

[+harraps]

If I were intending to keep the Geocoin and remove it from circulation,

 

Please read the explanation above carefully and act accordingly.

 

Please be aware that you will only find on very, very rare occasions a trackable which has no owner. Please always assume that a coin or a TB has already an owner, who sometimes spend a considerable amount of money and will be very if you keep it and don't let it travel.

An action as described by you is in general seen as very rude and falls under the category "not done".

Please also read this (and not the "How-to"page, which is mixing up "grab" and "retrieve").

[+CrackerFL]

Got it. Thanks guys. Harraps, the link you gave is rather helpful. Like I said, I don't have much interest in keeping stuff I find in a cache to begin with, I'm much more interested in seeing things move along. I was getting sort of confused on the whole "Grab" vs. "Retrieve" issue though.

[+The Blorenges]

Got it. Thanks guys. Harraps, the link you gave is rather helpful. Like I said, I don't have much interest in keeping stuff I find in a cache to begin with, I'm much more interested in seeing things move along. I was getting sort of confused on the whole "Grab" vs. "Retrieve" issue though.

 

When a trackable is showing in the cache inventory and you go there, find the cache and take the trackable - That's a "Retrieve".

 

Sometimes you find a trackable in a cache but it's not showing in the Inventory of that cache. In this case you can still take the trackable but when you get back home you have to look at the trackable's home page to see what is showing as its "present location". It may be showing in a different cache or it may be showing "in the hands of" another cacher. In both these cases it's a good idea to keep the trackable with you and wait a few days to allow the previous cacher to catch up with their logs. (If you want, you can write a note on the cache where you found it saying something like, "Have taken trackable TB##### from the cache. Waiting for it to be correctly logged.")

 

I'll usually wait about a week.

 

If it's not logged into the cache by then, I think it's OK to do a "grabbed from" log to bring the trackable into your own inventory. You can then allow it a "visit" to the cache where you found it so that it gets the credit for being there.

 

MrsB

[+EdrickV]

Note that there are some caches where the owners would prefer that people who take a TB/Geocoin also leave one. (The idea being to keep a number of trackable items in the cache all the time for people to swap.)

 

See Travel Bug Prison here for more details:

http://geolex.locusprime.net/

[+mpilchfamily]

Note that there are some caches where the owners would prefer that people who take a TB/Geocoin also leave one. (The idea being to keep a number of trackable items in the cache all the time for people to swap.)

 

See Travel Bug Prison here for more details:

http://geolex.locusprime.net/

A CO can NOT impose a restriction like that. If you come across one then report it to the local reviewer and ignore that requirement. TBs and Geocoins are meant to travel and as such are open to be taken without trades.

[+EdrickV]

Note that there are some caches where the owners would prefer that people who take a TB/Geocoin also leave one. (The idea being to keep a number of trackable items in the cache all the time for people to swap.)

 

See Travel Bug Prison here for more details:

http://geolex.locusprime.net/

A CO can NOT impose a restriction like that. If you come across one then report it to the local reviewer and ignore that requirement. TBs and Geocoins are meant to travel and as such are open to be taken without trades.

 

While a CO cannot order people to only trade trackables for other trackables, it doesn't seem like it would be against the rules for them to ask people to trade trackable items for other trackables.

[+Chokecherry]

Note that there are some caches where the owners would prefer that people who take a TB/Geocoin also leave one. (The idea being to keep a number of trackable items in the cache all the time for people to swap.)

 

See Travel Bug Prison here for more details:

http://geolex.locusprime.net/

A CO can NOT impose a restriction like that. If you come across one then report it to the local reviewer and ignore that requirement. TBs and Geocoins are meant to travel and as such are open to be taken without trades.

 

While a CO cannot order people to only trade trackables for other trackables, it doesn't seem like it would be against the rules for them to ask people to trade trackable items for other trackables.

 

The problem is that many people don't know it's just a "request" versus a "demand." We have one of those travel bug hotels here where it states on the page that if you take one to leave another one and that's what many people do which means many bugs sit and languish in that cache. Even if it is just a request.

 

Personally, I liberate any/all travel bugs when I find them unless they have a goal attached that I can't help them meet. Other wise I grab them all and move them along. I find the "if you take a bug you should leave a bug" thing silly and obnoxious. If the cache is good for travel bugs it will naturally attract them. You don't need some artificial means to keep them there.

 

My travel bugs want to travel not sit in someone's cache prettying it up.

[+BlueDeuce]

While a CO cannot order people to only trade trackables for other trackables, it doesn't seem like it would be against the rules for them to ask people to trade trackable items for other trackables.

 

If a travel bug hotel is in a good spot for the quick and easy exchange of travel bugs, then an empty hotel won't stay empty long. People are always looking for a convenient place to drop bugs off. The owner of a well-placed hotel should actually be pleased if the hotel is occasionally empty, since it shows that the hotel is serving its purpose: to get bugs moving quickly. And if a hotel does stay empty for long periods of time without the cache owner continually raiding other caches to re-stock it, then it's not a good place for a travel bug hotel.

[+EdrickV]

Don't know about anyone else, but when I get a TB/Geocoin and am looking for a place to drop it off at, I would rather look for a cache that I hadn't found yet rather then a TB Hotel I have found. Of course, I don't get out Geocaching half as much as I'd like to so I'd rather go somewhere with caches I haven't found, then go back to a cache I've already been to.

[+WarNinjas]

In our popular travel but "Hotel" We called it a Motel as that is what we mostly stay in. We asked if members could trade one it would be great but if not just take one because we need more vacancy's anyways. There has been 60 coins/bug traded out. I do notice when someone finds it and all the bugs have checked out they do seem disappointed but new ones pop up all the time.

-WarNinjas

[+BlueDeuce]

In our popular travel but "Hotel" We called it a Motel as that is what we mostly stay in. We asked if members could trade one it would be great but if not just take one because we need more vacancy's anyways. There has been 60 coins/bug traded out. I do notice when someone finds it and all the bugs have checked out they do seem disappointed but new ones pop up all the time.

-WarNinjas

 

So keep the motel populated and put them at risk. Nice.

 

"There are mugglers everywhere try and make sure they don't stare...<snip>..Please put back with care there are mugglers everywhere!...<snip>...Seriously, Mugglers galore."

[+MuzzaDazzler]

Got it. Thanks guys. Harraps, the link you gave is rather helpful. Like I said, I don't have much interest in keeping stuff I find in a cache to begin with, I'm much more interested in seeing things move along. I was getting sort of confused on the whole "Grab" vs. "Retrieve" issue though.

 

When a trackable is showing in the cache inventory and you go there, find the cache and take the trackable - That's a "Retrieve".

 

Sometimes you find a trackable in a cache but it's not showing in the Inventory of that cache. In this case you can still take the trackable but when you get back home you have to look at the trackable's home page to see what is showing as its "present location". It may be showing in a different cache or it may be showing "in the hands of" another cacher. In both these cases it's a good idea to keep the trackable with you and wait a few days to allow the previous cacher to catch up with their logs. (If you want, you can write a note on the cache where you found it saying something like, "Have taken trackable TB##### from the cache. Waiting for it to be correctly logged.")

 

I'll usually wait about a week.

 

If it's not logged into the cache by then, I think it's OK to do a "grabbed from" log to bring the trackable into your own inventory. You can then allow it a "visit" to the cache where you found it so that it gets the credit for being there.

 

MrsB

Hello. Have replied later in this thread too but now having read all and re-visited tb page I cannot find anywhere to "visit". Would you mind please explaining how I visit the tb to where I found it.

Thanks

[+The Blorenges]

Got it. Thanks guys. Harraps, the link you gave is rather helpful. Like I said, I don't have much interest in keeping stuff I find in a cache to begin with, I'm much more interested in seeing things move along. I was getting sort of confused on the whole "Grab" vs. "Retrieve" issue though.

 

When a trackable is showing in the cache inventory and you go there, find the cache and take the trackable - That's a "Retrieve".

 

Sometimes you find a trackable in a cache but it's not showing in the Inventory of that cache. In this case you can still take the trackable but when you get back home you have to look at the trackable's home page to see what is showing as its "present location". It may be showing in a different cache or it may be showing "in the hands of" another cacher. In both these cases it's a good idea to keep the trackable with you and wait a few days to allow the previous cacher to catch up with their logs. (If you want, you can write a note on the cache where you found it saying something like, "Have taken trackable TB##### from the cache. Waiting for it to be correctly logged.")

 

I'll usually wait about a week.

 

If it's not logged into the cache by then, I think it's OK to do a "grabbed from" log to bring the trackable into your own inventory. You can then allow it a "visit" to the cache where you found it so that it gets the credit for being there.

 

MrsB

Hello. Have replied later in this thread too but now having read all and re-visited tb page I cannot find anywhere to "visit". Would you mind please explaining how I visit the tb to where I found it.

Thanks

 

Once the TB is in your Inventory you go back to the cache page where you found it and go to your Found log... Click 'Edit log'. This opens up the log text box - you don't need to add any wording but you could add something like 'edited to give TB a visit'. Underneath the comment box will show your Inventory box with the TB in it - Select the action 'visited' - Then Submit the log again.

 

Visit done.

 

The TB is now back in your Inventory ready for its next move.

 

MrsB

[+windsock58]

regarding travelbug etiquette - would you all consider it OK when going away on vacation to find and retrieve as many local TBs as possible to take along. My thought was to then find as many as I can where I am going to bring back and place in caches back here.

[+ngrrfan]

regarding travelbug etiquette - would you all consider it OK when going away on vacation to find and retrieve as many local TBs as possible to take along. My thought was to then find as many as I can where I am going to bring back and place in caches back here.

Not as MANY as possible.

 

IMHO ... what that does is strip your area of trackables so there aren't as many for locals to find or others that come into your area while you are gone.

[+windsock58]

regarding travelbug etiquette - would you all consider it OK when going away on vacation to find and retrieve as many local TBs as possible to take along. My thought was to then find as many as I can where I am going to bring back and place in caches back here.

Not as MANY as possible.

 

IMHO ... what that does is strip your area of trackables so there aren't as many for locals to find or others that come into your area while you are gone.

Thanks for your reply. I am new to this and appreciate all the info.

[+The Blorenges]

regarding travelbug etiquette - would you all consider it OK when going away on vacation to find and retrieve as many local TBs as possible to take along. My thought was to then find as many as I can where I am going to bring back and place in caches back here.

 

I feel it would be OK to collect a few TBs from local caches but please make sure you check whether they have any specific missions before taking them on vacation - It would be a pity if any were accidentally moved a long way off their planned route!

 

MrsB

[+windsock58]

regarding travelbug etiquette - would you all consider it OK when going away on vacation to find and retrieve as many local TBs as possible to take along. My thought was to then find as many as I can where I am going to bring back and place in caches back here.

 

I feel it would be OK to collect a few TBs from local caches but please make sure you check whether they have any specific missions before taking them on vacation - It would be a pity if any were accidentally moved a long way off their planned route!

 

MrsB

Thanks for the reply.

[+Bear and Ragged]

And.

Would be nice if you contacted the owners, to see if they really want their TB's to go overseas.

 

I have TB's out there that are NOT to go out of the UK.

(They have the info on the TB and the cache page!)

[+BlueDeuce]

regarding travelbug etiquette - would you all consider it OK when going away on vacation to find and retrieve as many local TBs as possible to take along. My thought was to then find as many as I can where I am going to bring back and place in caches back here.

 

Only if you are assisting the TBs towards their respective goals.