Dipping

[+WVTim]

What is dipping and how do you do it.

[+Droo]

It involves dropping a coin/tb into a cache and retrieving it again from more than one cache for the sake of adding to its mileage and tracking history. Some owners do it with their coins to track their caching mileage or history.

[+Jackalgirl]

To expand on what Droo said, some people will take a trackable item and carry it with them for a while while they cache before dropping it off for good in another cache. For example, if I know I'm going to visit 20 caches over a weekend (I wish!) and, while doing my research, I notice that there's a bug in the first cache I plan to visit whose mission is compatable with being in the last cache I plan to visit, I will pick it up and log it in and out of every other cache I visit.

 

Most owners are cool with this and, in fact, really enjoy it -- especially if you take pictures and post them to the traveller's log. If you plan to have a traveller for an extended period of time, or you're not sure whether it's in keeping with the mission, just contact the owner and ask if it's okay. Most times you'll get an ecstatic "yes!"

 

As an example of the second possibility that Droo mentioned, I offer you Jackalgirl, which is a travel bug tag attached to my camera case. It's a running log of where I've been. Some people do the same thing with a coin.

 

Now, on to the "how do you do it":

 

Each coin (or bug) will have a tracking number on it. When you initially pick up the coin (or bug), you'll do so from its page, which you should be able to bring up via the "inventory" sidebar on the cache page. The coin's page will have a "add a log entry" option on the upper right-hand corner of the page. When you click on this, the log entry form will give you a pull-down menu of options; "retrieve it from [location]" (or something like that) will be one of the options. You'll also be required to enter the tracking code. This is how you pick up the item, and doing so will move the item into your inventory.

 

Now, when you go to a new cache page, go through the regular process of adding a log. This time, you'll notice that there is an option at the bottom of your log entry form that lets you drop off the coin that's in your inventory. Select the coin, submit the log, and the system moves the coin into the cache's inventory. Click on the coin (in the cache inventory) and go through the process to retrieve it again (which moves it back into your own inventory).

 

If you want to retroactively run a coin through a series of caches (for example, you went last weekend, had the coin on you, and now want to make sure that the coin's history reflects all of those caches), do everything I've just described. Just use the "write note" type of log (instead of "found it", if you've already found it). You'll still be able to drop off your coin with that type of log.

Edited January 27, 2009 by Jackalgirl

[+Shilo]

Geeeezz and I thought this was about tobacco.

[+WVTim]

Perfect, i got it now, thanks for that reply. Very helpful!!!

[+vwaldoguy]

I thought it was about throwing off the skivvies and hitting a local watering hole.

[+sunsetmeadowlark]

Thanks for the explanation JackalGirl! I've been packing a coin around since early December but I kept forgetting to drop/retrieve it when I did my logs and couldn't figure out how to do it retroactively. Your post explained it and I was able to get it logged in all of the caches I've actually taken it to!

[SCP-173]

I thought it was about throwing off the skivvies and hitting a local watering hole.

I thought it was about throwing off the skivvies and... well never mind.