Need a little better understanding on dipping

[+cgmoyer]

I think I understand dipping. Correct me if I am wrong. I would like to take a geocoin that I bought and activate it. I would put it on my keychain and every time I find a cache drop it and retrieve it. I could get mileage on it and not actually lose it.

 

Is this correct? Is it frowned upon to do this?

 

Thanks

[+Mr.Explorer3]

Yes that is correct but what would be the ultimate purpose of doing that?

When I activate a geocoin I give it a goal and send it out for others to do that for me. I also get the e-mail updates when the coin is logged and see where it goes that I cannot.

[+wsgaskins]

I've tried a stab at a definition of 'dipping' over in the thread regarding definitions of common terms:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...t&p=2913838

[+Rhaegar's Jewels]

I think I understand dipping. Correct me if I am wrong. I would like to take a geocoin that I bought and activate it. I would put it on my keychain and every time I find a cache drop it and retrieve it. I could get mileage on it and not actually lose it.

 

Is this correct? Is it frowned upon to do this?

 

In these parts there seem to be alot of people who have coins that they use to track their mileage. It's not uncommon at all to see someone has acquired a coin and decided to do this after they've gotten into caching and then they go log it through the cache with note.

 

My dog has a geodog geocoin and when I take him caching, I log it in and out of the caches. Mostly just because I like to see it get some movement, but I'm always hopeful when we're out on the trails he might be discovered!

[+The Fossillady]

The purpose is to see how many miles YOU travel while you geocache. I have travelled over 11,000 since I started tracking.

[+MustangJoni]

I have a coin I drop at events. It just seems like a pain to drop it in all the caches I do, but to each his own! I'd probably do one if I didn't have to pull it out of every cache.

[+chaosmanor]

I have a coin I drop at events. It just seems like a pain to drop it in all the caches I do, but to each his own! I'd probably do one if I didn't have to pull it out of every cache.

It's really not that much of a pain. We have one that several friends have on their Watchlist, and we have a couple of theirs on ours, as well. This way, we get to see what they are up to, and vice versa

 

All that's needed is to be sure to "copy" the text of the original log for the cache, and then "paste" that into the retrieval log for the coin. This way, whatever you wrote about the cache is posted to the geocoin, as well, and you don't have to go back and edit the drop-log. It takes very little extra time, and it's a nice record of your travels for others to see.

[+Red Otter]

My sons each have a personal coin that we dip in the caches when they come along to find the cache. This gives them a nice way to see which caches they have found.

[+nielsenc]

When I traveled a lot overseas, I used to dip one coin in each location. This one traveled with me in 2005:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=157710

[+stickerooni]

Yes that is correct but what would be the ultimate purpose of doing that?

 

I cache and release most of my coins, but I selected one that I "dip." I started this coin Jan 1 and the purpose is to track my own caching miles for one year. At the end of the year I plan to release that coin into the wild and then start another one.

 

There is no purpose except that it's fun for me to see how much caching I'm doing. And it's fun to compare to some of the coins that are wild.

[+cgmoyer]

Thanks for all the tips. That is my intention, to use a coin as a geo-dometer

[+geo_taz]

The purpose is to see how many miles YOU travel while you geocache. I have travelled over 11,000 since I started tracking.

 

Just to make sure I understand your procedure. Does this mean that you also dip the coin in a cache near/ at your home location every time you return? Or do you travel from cache to cache without returning to a home-base?

Just wondering

[+Mauison]

The purpose is to see how many miles YOU travel while you geocache. I have travelled over 11,000 since I started tracking.

 

I get this same stat (cache-to-cache distance) from itsnotaboutthenumbers.com. You upload your My Finds PQ and the page spits out your stats. My cache-to-cache distance is currently 51189.34 miles. It'll go up another 2500 or so once I find a cache here in CA since my last cache found was in Hawaii.

 

This is a lot easier than me dipping a geocoin into every cache I find. Of course, you have to be a premium member to run the PQ.

[+Eartha]

Dipping: drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it, drop it, grab it,...... rack up miles. Best for personal bugs/coins and bugs/coins taken on long trips. Lots of work if you go on one of those cache machine marathon things! But great for keeping your miles, although we all know they are just miles as the crow flies and we've all traveled a lot farther than that!

[+Eartha]

The purpose is to see how many miles YOU travel while you geocache. I have travelled over 11,000 since I started tracking.

 

Just to make sure I understand your procedure. Does this mean that you also dip the coin in a cache near/ at your home location every time you return? Or do you travel from cache to cache without returning to a home-base?

Just wondering

 

No. You don't need to do that. And they are only straight miles between caches, it is no where near what you actually traveled. I use my GPS odometer for that.

[+nielsenc]

The purpose is to see how many miles YOU travel while you geocache. I have travelled over 11,000 since I started tracking.

 

I get this same stat (cache-to-cache distance) from itsnotaboutthenumbers.com. You upload your My Finds PQ and the page spits out your stats. My cache-to-cache distance is currently 51189.34 miles. It'll go up another 2500 or so once I find a cache here in CA since my last cache found was in Hawaii.

 

This is a lot easier than me dipping a geocoin into every cache I find. Of course, you have to be a premium member to run the PQ.

 

I didnt even see that! Of course, I dont always check-in to home base. 175,061.77 miles.