Newbie Tb Question

[Mr and Mrs T]

Ok we are new to geocaching so try not to laugh at my question.... If you take only a TB from a cache do you still leave a trade item? I mean you are not really trading anything, right? I just didn't know what was proper geo-etiquette in this case.

[+Thot]

No. Travel bugs are not trade items.

 

Edited to add:

 

This note accompanies each of my bugs and is on thier webpage:

Travel bugs are not trade items, you don’t have to leave anything if you take me.

 

Please don’t put me in a travel bug "hotel," "depot" or "resort" that requires you leave a bug if you take a bug. Sometimes they're more prisons than a hotels -- I might have to stay there a long time until someone rescues me.

Edited July 29, 2005 by Thot

[+EraSeek]

No. You certainly may if you wish, but TB's are a seperate entity and simply have a mission to move on to their goal. I have TB's and a TB cache and I specifically state on both the TB's and the cache trading is not needed nor meant to be part of travel bugs.

 

Perhaps you've heard of TB hotels. Many of these (not mine) require you to trade one TB for another. This slows the TB's progress as well as assumes the cache owners ownership of the TB's. Not good policy.

 

Thus if you can help a TB along it's way, feel free to do so.

[Mr and Mrs T]

Thats kinda what I thought, just wanted to make sure. How long is too long to hold onto a TB? We are planning a trip to Hawaii and we wanted to take a bug or two with us. Thought I'd go grab a couple a week or so before the trip.

[+Thot]

Thats kinda what I thought, just wanted to make sure. How long is too long to hold onto a TB? We are planning a trip to Hawaii and we wanted to take a bug or two with us. Thought I'd go grab a couple a week or so before the trip.

As far as I know there's no rule on how long before placing one. I'd suggest a maximum of a month, less if practical.

[+Miragee]

Thats kinda what I thought, just wanted to make sure. How long is too long to hold onto a TB? We are planning a trip to Hawaii and we wanted to take a bug or two with us. Thought I'd go grab a couple a week or so before the trip.

I think you get an asterisk (or something) next to any TB in your inventory after you have had it for longer than two weeks.

 

If you are planning a trip and are holding it for a while, you could email the TB owner as a courtesy. so they don't get worried about the TB's status.

[+EraSeek]

Just want to add this:

 

~Posted by Jeremy (founder of Groundspeak, and Geocaching.com) "It's a silly rule. Travel bugs are meant to travel. Adding a restriction like trading them out doesn't make sense."

[+Kai Team]

The Geocachers' Creed is a good source of information on geocaching etiquette, e.g.:

 

If you pick up a traveling item with a tag describing its goal, move the item toward its goal if possible. Contact the owner if you hold a traveling item for more than a couple of weeks or so.

[+Wacka]

In October I found a TB that wanted to go where I was going last Xmas. I e-mailed the owner and told him I was going to hold it and the reason. He was fine with it. As long as you let the owner know, most will be fine.

Edited July 30, 2005 by Wacka

[+Kite and Hawkeye]

Ok we are new to geocaching so try not to laugh at my question.... If you take only a TB from a cache do you still leave a trade item? I mean you are not really trading anything, right? I just didn't know what was proper geo-etiquette in this case.

You don't have to, but it's nice to. I think the other side of the coin is more important, though -- if you leave a TB in a cache, it's really not quite right to take an item in exchange for it. Unfortunately, many people do this, and then if the next person takes the TB without leaving anything for it, the cache has less swag in it than it did before. Because of that, I prefer to leave stuff in exchange for TBs, to make sure the cache isn't suffering from poor TB-related trades.

 

However, if you don't have any swag or something, and you see a TB that you can move, I say move it and don't worry about a trade. Nobody wants their TB sitting around twiddling its figurative thumbs longer than necessary.

[+Newfiezedder]

Just a quick question on TB etiquette since we are on the topic. As a a TB owner, should I send a "Thank You" message to a cacher who helps the TB towards its goal. I do not want to add to the amount of junk email in the world.

Thanks

Greg

Edited July 30, 2005 by newfiezedder

[+Miragee]

I have a friend who does that and she seems to think her TBs have been moving along more consistently. I think she only sends it when the person picks up the TB.