Posts Tagged ‘trackable items’

Don’t you just hate it when you KNOW that Geocaching.com does FILL IN THE BLANK but you can’t remember where you saw the link? That happened to me the first time I was hiding a geocache; I wanted to print out that cool sheet that appears in the caches. You know the one I’m talking about, right? The printout that says “Congratulations, You’ve Found It!” and then goes on to explain what geocaching is.

I knew that printout had to exist. Somewhere. After all, I’d seen it in caches around Northern Arizona. I just didn’t know how to navigate the geocaching.com website in order to find what I was looking for!

This article is actually a reader’s request and addresses just that issue: What ARE the parts of geocaching.com?

Since this website is HUGE and offers a ton of information, I’m giving my top three pages you need to know the anatomy of! If you have a section of geocaching.com that you feel everybody should know about, then let me know!

The Home Page

We all know the homepage of geocaching.com — that’s where you can log into your account!

Well, have you ever scrolled DOWN the page a bit? There’s a ton of really neat links hidden towards the bottom of the page.

So, starting on the top left and heading down the page:

1. You can search for a geocache from this page using a zip code or a GC code
2. A section for interesting products and services
3. Upcoming geocaching events around the world

From the right side and heading down the page:

1. A link to follow geocaching.com on Twitter
2. Information about CITO
3. Geocaching in the news

Hide & Seek a Geocache Page

To me, this page has a wealth of information that is hidden! Even though the title clearly says HIDE a cache, I never remember that this page has all the links I need to do that!

Left Side of Page – Seeking a Cache

This is where you can search for a cache. It starts with an area where you can enter different parts of an address to find a cache. It includes address, postal code (zip code) and state.

Below the first section, you can enter in lat and long in either a WGS84 Datum or a decimal format, depending on how your GPS is configured. The standard for the USA on new GPS units is the WGS84 Datum.

And, then a really exciting section! This is where you can search by keyword (I want to find a cache with “yellow” in the name. You can also search by a telephone area code. If you know the exact GC code of the cache, you can enter that as well.

(I use the GC code search function when I am returning after a day of caching and need to log my finds.)

And, my favorite part: Found by Username and Placed by Username. This lets me see what my favorite geocaching buddies have found lately AND I can also search for my favorite cache hiders.

Right Side of Page – Hiding a Cache

The right side of the page is always the part that gives me the most trouble. Since I am usually looking for a cache, I forget that all the links I need to place a cache are on this page as well!

From the top down:
The cache placement requirements. I review these every time I place a cache just to remind myself of all the little particulars of the game.

Right below the requirements is actually the form you use to tell geocaching.com that there is a new cache. It took me placing about 5 caches before I remembered where this link was!

And the cache note is next. Not only is this the “Congratulations You’ve Found It!” note, but it also has a log sheet that you can print out and include with your cache. Below this section, the cache note has been translated into a myriad of different languages to help cachers around the world.

Trackable Items Page

This page has all the links to Frequently Asked Questions regarding all things trackable. But, below that section is where you can enter a tracking number of an item you have (or discovered), you can activate your trackable, or search for a trackable item by name.

The first time I activated an EatStayPlay.com geocoin, I had no idea what I needed to do. I didn’t even realize that below the three boxes on this page were the forms that I needed!

If you’re confused about trackables, I’ve got two articles that might help you out: The Truth About Trackables and 5 Tips About Trackables

To all you experienced cachers out there:

What are the most useful pages/sections on geocaching.com for a new cacher?

What have you discovered about the website that would have made life easier for you if you had known it when you had just gotten started caching?

Last post, I gave a basic run down on what a trackable is. I covered travel bugs, trackable geocoins, and “dog tags”. This post, I wanted to go into what you actually are supposed to DO with a trackable item.

My father, ESP Boss, has a routine that he goes through every time he starts something new: buy a book and learn all about it! Taking up geocaching was no different. We’d heard about geocaching in a very simple sense but really didn’t know much about it. Before we headed out that first day in June 2008, ESP Boss had learned (and shared with me and The Queen Mother) all about log books and trackables.

Of course, it would be another 4 months before we actually FOUND our first trackable!

What I didn’t realize at the time was that, like geocaching, trackable items have their own “rules” and etiquette.

Geocaching.com explains it as: “Most owners would rather see their travel bugs do a lot of travelling, so try not to hold on to a travel bug for too long. If you plan on holding onto the bug for more than 2 weeks, make sure to send a courtesy email to the owner letting them know.”

But, I think there are a few other things that should also be considered “best practices” when it comes to travel bugs:

1. Log that you’ve picked up the trackable right away.

There’s nothing worse than visiting a cache thinking there’s a travel bug there only to not find it. Often times, people will mention that in the log: “TFTC. Didn’t see the TB.”

If you’re going to be responsible for a travel bug, be sure to log on geocaching.com right away that you have it. That keeps other cachers from being frustrated that it isn’t there AND lets the owner know that the travel bug hasn’t been lost, stolen or muggled!

2. Try to place the trackable as soon as possible.

The whole point of traveling items is to TRAVEL! Of course, I understand hanging on to one for a while until you find the perfect cache. Personally, I like to let them hang out on my desk, under my computer monitor for a while before I move them on.

3. Let the owner know if you’re hanging on to the item for a while.

Like geocaching.com says, it’s just a nice gesture. Most people invest anywhere from $4 – $12 in a trackable item so while they know it might go missing, it’s nice to know it hasn’t yet!

4. Be patient when somebody has your trackable item.

I know how frustrating it is waiting for my EatStayPlay.com Geocoin to move from one cache to the next. But, I keep reminding myself that everybody has a life outside of geocaching. If the person has had it 5 weeks or more, I MIGHT drop them a friendly note asking if they still have the item, but I don’t get too antsy. And stay polite!

A friend of mine picked up a travel bug that had a tractor attached to it. Her 3-year-old son fell in LOVE with the tractor! Carried it everywhere and even slept with it. The owner of the travel bug actually started sending emails asking when the item would be moved on, after about two weeks. Needless to say, my friend had to take the tractor away during her son’s naptime. Now, she thinks twice about picking up any trackable items that are attached to tractors, cars, or any other type of toy her son might become too attached to!

5. When you place the trackable, log it right away.

My last tip is rather like Tip 1: lot it on geocaching.com! Trackable items are less likely to go missing if everybody logs them into and out of geocaching.com as quickly as possible.

Like I said in The Truth About Trackables, I actually had a trackable geocoin picked up and moved on before I could even log that it was IN the cache! I try to always log trackables the same day I pick up, discover, or place them. That time, it was just that the other geocacher was able to get to their computer faster than I could!

For all you experienced geocachers:

What other “best practices” do you have with trackables? Is there anything that just drives you nuts about how people handle them? (Keeping them too long, not posting them, etc.)

Ah, trackables! Trackable items can be the Holy Grail for some geocachers. But, what exactly are they? This article is about that a trackable IS; next week’s will be about what to do with one once you find it.

Put simply, a trackable is an item that is moved from cache to cache, around the world, and its movements are recorded on geocaching.com.

But, if you’ve ever tried to explain that concept to a Muggle, then you know the most common question is: “Where does it keep the tracking chip?”

The first time I was asked this, I honestly didn’t understand. I mean you TRACK it at geocaching.com… Then I realized that with GPS technology, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that the trackable item itself can be read and registered from a satellite. While that’d be really cool, it’s not the case.

(Although, if they can microchip a dog, it does make a next-step type of logic!)

Trackables, also called travel bugs, TBs, or hitchhikers can be a variety of items. Each trackable has a unique code that has been registered with geocaching.com.

So, just what IS a trackable item?

A travel bug is a “dogtag” imprinted with the image of a bug made from a barcode and a unique tracking code. These are produced by geocaching.com and available from the website directly or a variety of retailers. These “dogtags” are typically attached to an item like a small toy.

Trackables can also be trackable geocoins. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes but are typically metal. They also have a unique code that is registered with geocaching.com.

How do they work?

With most aspects of geocaching, there are two sides to a trackable item: the online and the real world.

Real World Trackables

In the real world, a trackable is placed into a cache, ready for another geocacher to come find it and move it along. Once it has been placed (or picked up) the online aspect of the item gets updated.

Online Trackables

If you’ve ever found a geocache and logged it online, then you’re familiar with the online aspect of geocaching. The rules are very similar for the online life of a trackable item. Once and item has been placed into a geocache, the cacher logs into their account on geocaching.com and records the trackable is now in the cache, using the unique tracking code.

Once the trackable has been logged into a geocache, it appears in the cache’s inventory. When a trackable is removed from a cache in the real world, the finder should also log online that they now have the trackable. Once that happens, the trackable is removed from the online inventory of the cache and is listed as “In the hands of” the geocacher who has it at the moment.

Why?

Most trackable items have a goal or purpose. Some are in a race with another trackable to reach certain destination, others want to be placed in caches with a theme, etc.

ESP Boss has a trackable geocoin dedicated to his final Search & Rescue dog, Kodak. I have a trackable that wants to visit campgrounds.

Some Of What I’ve Encountered

Our very first encounter with trackables actually was a pair of them. They had been in the cache for MONTHS. We were very excited to pick them up and take them along for the ride.

This little guy, (technically found by ESP Boss) wants to have its picture taken at different caches. Boy, is THAT ever easy since he’s very photogenic! He is the Mechanical Man travel bug.

Once, while out for a day of geocaching, I placed a trackable. By the time I logged our cache finds the next day (I got home VERY late) the trackable had already been scooped out of the cache and had been re-hid. Very cool!

For all you experienced geocachers:

What is your favorite trackable item you’ve ever encountered? What happened when you found your first-ever trackable?