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How Long Does A Tb Last In The Wild?


kbootb

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I've released 5 TBs so far.

 

One lasted for about a year before it was in a cache that got muggled.

 

A second lasted 2 months before someone picked it up and hasn't placed it since April 05 - I counting that as MIA now.

 

Number 3 is still going strong after a year.

 

Number 4 was released about a year ago. Went quiet and I had given up hope but has moved again this week.

 

Number 5 just released.

 

So, what is the longest that one of yours survived?

 

What's your longest living still current TB?

 

Any idea what your average life span is?

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My first one was released on Sep 01 2004. it is currently buried under 180 cms of snow in Germany somewhere (in a cache).

 

I have put quite a lot of work into my TBs... I send polite and enthusiatic emails to people who pick them up, thanking them for doing so and saying I look forwards to seeing where it goes next.

 

I put caches that my TBs are in on my watchlist. If somebody visits and does not take, or mention, my bug, I email them to see if they saw it in the cache.

 

I am lucky enough (touch wood) that so far non of my bugs has been in a cache that has got muggled. One was placed in a cache that the visitor said 'very exposed, will probably get muggled' so I emailed the cache owener and luckily he both sorted his cache and moved my TB on.

 

In the end though, I expect one or more will vanish. I have the copy tags however, and therefore I do not see why my bugs should ever 'die' even if they do go missing.

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We also 'had' 12 out there. We currently have two believed to be MIA one of which only managed 104 miles and less than a month before being assumed lost.

 

Of the rest the no1 mileage machine stands at 7,347 miles in 1 year, 5 months and 8 days - that one was released in the US where it still remains moving at least once a fortnight.

 

Our longest living TB is 1 year, 8 months and 18 days old but has only managed 2,183 miles and is now in an ultra hard Mongoose39UK cache!

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My first TB got 21 miles and three caches before the cache owner disabled the cache and dropped off the face of the earth.

He hasn't continued to operate under his Geocaching name and he hasn't answered any of my emails. :unsure:

 

Sorry, had to get that off my chest. :anibad::P

 

However my second TB got to Ibiza and has spent the last 4 months there! :lol:

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I have heard of TB's 'mysteriously' appearing in caches 6 months after being recorded as lost! ...

This happened to me:

 

Day 0, TB released

Day 2, a cacher found cache but no TB. Log not signed in the meantime.

Day 90 approx, gave up hope, released copy tag with different mission.

Day 380 approx, confused logs, TB seems to be in two places at once. Turns out the original B has turned up 400km from the start. Contacted holder of copy tag who mailed the TB back to me (cachers are such nice people). TB still going!

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We set off 5 Tbs from my school. Each class has one, they named him/her and set the mission. They were set off nearly a year ago.

Mine is in Switzerland, one is in S Africa, one in England, one in America and one has been lost. I plan on setting the copy off in the new 2 weeks.

I also write to cachers ansd explain what they are doing and most reply very nicely to me and make a point of adding photos to the logs.

In school we have a world map with little flags which show where the Tbs are now.

I also print out the cache info and photos for the classes every few weeks for books which show the progress.

It is really making Geography come alive for the kids and is encouraging map reading and place finding skills.

I've also set one tb off and plan on 3 more

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Unfortunately many travel bugs go missing eventually (we've lost 6/12 so far) but there are also several that re-appear.

 

BillD's Matilda Rabbit went missing for five months before completing her mission via America, Hawaii, Singapore, Australia amd Scandinavia.

 

However, my Ribena Bug went missing for 1.5 years during 03/04 but has now reappeared to capture the current UK bug long distance record at 43,268 miles.

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Crossing fingers have got eight out and still eight running, one is a fossil, one is a silver thistle and westie and all the others are out of date utilised coinage. One of the money ones is currently in Canada doing well and writing home with snaps often. It's all a matter of luck I feel. :D:D

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Ive had 3 tb's on the go unfortunately the first released was kidnapped to the US and never put in a cache over there. :D The second wanted to travel from Bristol the Birmingham, its been to Cornwall, sat in a cache for 5 months and is now on its way back, thanks very much to Plymplodders for moving it back on so far. :D My final TB is making its way up north, steadily and slowly. :D

 

Might have to release another 2 shortly.

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I too have had mixed results having released 3 TB's into the world.

 

One was released just over a year ago and has gone over the pond to the States; the other seems to spend its time travailing between Spain and Germany.

 

The 3rd is MIA. It was released in May, covered all of 76 miles and then disappeared when the cache it was in got muggled – so I don’t expect to see it again. :huh:

 

However, it's proberly par for the course and I suppose two out of three ain’t bad!

 

I plan to release two more, one of which is a geocoin, which I hope manages to survive.

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Having followed this thread some comments and possibly advice please. Does it seem to make a difference how 'attractive' the bugs carrier is? i.e. is a cute little cuddly toy more likely to be muggled than an everyday object. I'm releasing my first bug soon and had bought a cute bear to carry it, I'm having 2nd thoughts.

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Having followed this thread some comments and possibly advice please. Does it seem to make a difference how 'attractive' the bugs carrier is? i.e. is a cute little cuddly toy more likely to be muggled than an everyday object. I'm releasing my first bug soon and had bought a cute bear to carry it, I'm having 2nd thoughts.

Almost certainly, check out this pinned topic from the travel bug forum for lots of good advice

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Luck of the draw.

 

One of our first TBs is still going strong and has done close on 30k miles now (thanks KiwiGary!!) whereas one of our last ones went missing in it's very first cache and clocked up exactly zero miles :lol:

No problem guys, Nelson must be just about to become a UK record holder for all the mileage he has done.

 

We just need to get him back to the UK and then to NZ again :lol:

 

See ya...Gary

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