Baker's Achers

Just curious. I found at least 6 caches in Israel in 2008 and a few in 2017. I found caches in Honduras around 2007. I found caches in St Thomas-Virgin Islands in 2010. I found caches in Gibraltar in 2016. Why don't I have stickers for those countries? I do have stickers from 2016 when I was in Spain and Turkey. Thanks. I plan to travel to Wales in the not too distant future and would love it if there is a sticker for there too. Even just a sticker for Great Britain would be ok. Gibraltar should count.

Why is Israel not given a stamp? Ok, politically, I can understand, but the location is given as Israel on the geomap, so.... I try to find a cache in every state, even if driving through and then also cache internationally when I travel. Fun!

I did a pb jar hide by a favorite fishing hole. Away from the river itself, I tangled up some fishing line in a tree and had a bobber tied to another bit of line, with a counter weight on it. You had to raise up the counter weight to the bobber height. From there, the line went to the pb jar, which was higher up in a different nearby tree. You had to pull up the counterweight and then the jar would lower so you could get it to sign. It worked for about a year before lazy people tore up the system. Now it is just in a crotch up the tree.

On the other hand, I had a TB Hotel at a truck stop. Someone dropped a bag with 8 TB's in it, each separately bagged, and the very next visitor, within hours, took the entire bag! Come on, really! So I understand the take one/leave one but also the desire to keep something in there for the next cacher. Keep the bugs moving!

Thanks for the responses. I've been a bit frustrated by the loses and keep hoping the one with 12k miles shows back up. It sounds like I was fortunate in that I did receive a duplicate tag when I bought my tbs, so I will make some new and get them started again. Appreciate the input!

I have started 8 travel bugs and all are lost now. Some have been lost since the first person picked it up from the cache. Some disappeared after going around for a year. Seven have been inactive for 1-4 years. One just went inactive in March of 2014,after logging over 12k miles, so I am trying to track it down still. I have made attempts to contact cache owners, and cachers who logged that they picked the bug up but have never had response. My question is this: since I still have my copy of the tb code, can I buy a blank dogtag, engrave the code on it and start the tb again? I mean, after 4 years, it isn't going to show up. What do you think about this? I'm sure those who sell the tbs don't want anyone to do this, as I realize it "could" result in multiple travel bugs with the same id if someone were to do this too quickly. Or do I just do it and not say anything?

How do I find caches along my trip route? Is there an easier way than getting into mapquest from a listed cache and then using that to follow along my 600 mile route? I hope so!

My issue with one that long, or any over 2+final is that you spend all that time and effort and only come out with 1 find. Yes, the fun is in the find and I do like that aspect, but still the numbers are fun too. Plus, what if you get 30+ into it and then can't find a stage? I already hate it when I can't find, so a case like that would just send my over the top! My 2 cents for what it's worth.

Yeah, I had the bug in my possession then, so I had the number. It was logged as 'grabbed' from my friend. When you went to the bug's page, it was placed in Az, even when I had it in hand in MI. I got that straightened out, but I just wonder why people would do that or if it serves any kind of purpose. (It was my Riverside Bed & Breakfast Hotel, the Philadelphia Experiment bug).

I recently had someone place a bug in my 'hotel' that they then could not log because someone else had 'grabbed' it from them and logged it in a different cache. (I'm in Michigan, the bug was logged in Arizona.) I finally just 'grabbed' it back and logged it into my hotel. Why do people do that? Is anything accomplished by doing that? Does it add miles on the bug or something? All I know is that it was a pain in my ....um, hotel!

Okay, I see your points about not 'holding them hostage'. I guess I didn't look at it like that. I was thinking that if it is called a TB hotel, there should be some TBs in it. I'm not sure that my 'See the USA' is in that person's hands. I know that putting them out is the risk of them disappearing, I guess I just didn't expect it. I am also thinking about one's that I placed in other caches, or in mine that haven't been logged. I know for a fact that as of this afternoon "College Try" is not in the cache. Someone signed the logbook on 10-20-07 that they took it, but never have logged in the cache visit or the TB pickup. That name is Team Fluffinator (Fluffinater?). Should I keep a log of my own that includes id numbers on the TBs that I have passed? Certainly the ones I own, but also the ones that I have placed or moved along? I will go edit my TB cache as just politely ask for TBs to be dropped. Thanks for the pointers.

I have only been caching since this spring. I will be finding #100 this week. I have started 3 TBs. One is supposedly in a cache, but subsequent logs for that cache say it is not there. I went to it today, and the logbook says that someone removed it on 10-20-07. However, that person/team never logged their visit on the cache page, never logged on my TB and I did a name search and it said no such name. So how do I find my TB now? Another TB was picked up by someone, also in October who logged to say that they would give it to someone traveling to another state. Now the TB log says it is 'retrieved' by someone, but how do I know if they actually have it or are cyber-swiping it? I think my 3rd TB is in a cache in mid-state Michigan, but I don't know for sure. This reminds me to check on its status. Now, I made my own first cache, a TB hotel. I started it with 7 TBs. It is down to 1 because people take but don't leave. Even though it clearly states that request in the description. Also there is one that was never logged. When I looked it up, it was supposedly in Arizona (I am in Michigan) so, after a month, I just cyber-swiped it so that it could appear in my cache where it actually was. As to my missing TBs, I have e-mailed the persons who are supposed to have them, but have not gotten responses. Should I expect response? Am I being too controlling on this? Are there guidelines for me on how closely to manage my caches (tbs and coins) and my own tbs? Thanks for advice for this new cacher.