Travel Bug hotels and containers

August 15, 2009

I really badly want to place a large Travel Bug hotel, preferably big enough to fit a few smaller Tupperware containers inside, but, despite research, I have absolutely no idea what to get. Any ideas or containers that worked well for this type of hide or might work well?

22k · August 15, 2009

Question: Why a few smaller Tupperware containers?

22k · August 15, 2009

Well, okay.

You can pick up some ammocans that are quite large. That'll probably serve your need better than anything else.

Edited August 15, 2009 by BlueDeuce

4.8k · August 15, 2009

I really badly want to place a large Travel Bug hotel, preferably big enough to fit a few smaller Tupperware containers inside, but, despite research, I have absolutely no idea what to get. Any ideas or containers that worked well for this type of hide or might work well?

I placed a larger ammo can that i got from a surplus store. It was about 20 inches tall but otherwise the same as a "regular" ammo can.

I was worried about it walking away while out in the woods so I filled it 3/4 full of concrete. It could still handle about 40 TBs and their companions.

August 19, 2009

Thanks for the info. I read about this hotel (somebody has a lot of excess cash) and got excited. I'm not trying to do the same, but I want to go for something big and to make sure it has quite a few TB's at a time.

Edited August 19, 2009 by unclefunky

3.3k · August 19, 2009

Thanks for the info. I read about this hotel (somebody has a lot of excess cash) and got excited. I'm not trying to do the same, but I want to go for something big and to make sure it has quite a few TB's at a time.

Hey unclefunky! You are likely going to bump up against a couple of challenges besides the size of your container.

Location. We live in a pretty cache rich area. If you want to place a cache like the one you referenced it is likely going to need to be placed on private property, like at your house.

How to keep quite a few TB's at a time in your cache. Don't make a Hotel California cache. Cachers won't always swap bugs and coins. Often they will just take one or more. Sometimes that hotel will have a lot of vacancies.

I am not trying to discourage you in any way. As you know I happen to be the proprietor of a fairly popular local bug and coin gathering spot and it has been a lot of fun the past few years. I would be happy to share experiences and ideas if you are interested. You know how to find me.

3.4k · August 19, 2009

I think the first step in setting up a TB Hotel is making sure there isn't already one nearby. One can cover quite a large area.

Second, make certain it's well hidden and secure - nothing worse than a full TB hotel being muggled (unless you happen to have been that megacacher who had a bag of 100+ TBs and Coins in his car when it was burgled and they all went missing at once.)

August 19, 2009

We have a cache here in Ocean Shores, WA that is in a large rubbermaid.

Mondo Cache

14k · August 19, 2009

Thanks for the info. I read about this hotel (somebody has a lot of excess cash) and got excited. I'm not trying to do the same, but I want to go for something big and to make sure it has quite a few TB's at a time.

One of the problems that I have encountered is that when a TB is put into a TB hotel that can contain lots of other trackable items it's going to stay there for awhile if it isn't as cute or clever as some of the other TBs in the cache. As new ones come in the "ugly duckling" TB will remain in the cache as finders will choose the new, cooler, TBs to move. Put that same TB in an traditional cache when it doesn't have any other TBs to compete with and it will move right away.

38.2k · August 19, 2009

Thanks for the info. I read about this hotel (somebody has a lot of excess cash) and got excited. I'm not trying to do the same, but I want to go for something big and to make sure it has quite a few TB's at a time.

A .50 cal ammo box will hold quite more TBs than it probably will ever accumulate.

That said, I'm not a fan of TB hotels. The problem with TB hotels is that for them to be successful, they need to be accessible. If they are accessible, they are more likely to go missing. Lose a regular cache and you may lose a TB or two. Lose a TB hotel and a lot of TBs can go bye bye in one shot.

August 19, 2009

Thanks for the info. I read about this hotel (somebody has a lot of excess cash) and got excited. I'm not trying to do the same, but I want to go for something big and to make sure it has quite a few TB's at a time.

A .50 cal ammo box will hold quite more TBs than it probably will ever accumulate.

That said, I'm not a fan of TB hotels. The problem with TB hotels is that for them to be successful, they need to be accessible. If they are accessible, they are more likely to go missing. Lose a regular cache and you may lose a TB or two. Lose a TB hotel and a lot of TBs can go bye bye in one shot.

Having set up a TB hotel, that has not been successful. In my opinion, TB hotels in front yards work the best, but again, some people don't like to visit them. (under a bush by the driveway usually.

Edited August 19, 2009 by Unkle Fester

18.9k · August 19, 2009

I got a set of Lock-n-Locks once that had one very large box and 12 smaller ones inside of it.

19k · August 19, 2009

A while back, a new cacher that I ran into showed me some pictures that she had on her cellphone of a very cool TB hotel that she had found. It opened up in the front to reveal two "floors", each with several "rooms" (kind of like a dollhouse, I guess). I think it even had stairs going to the upper floor. I wish I had asked her to send me those pictures!

However, I must echo the comments above about TB hotels. I cringe and hold my breath whenever I see one of my trackables get dropped in them.

2.1k · August 19, 2009

Thanks for the info. I read about this hotel (somebody has a lot of excess cash) and got excited. I'm not trying to do the same, but I want to go for something big and to make sure it has quite a few TB's at a time.

A .50 cal ammo box will hold quite more TBs than it probably will ever accumulate.

I've found at least one TB that was a teddy bear. Almost filled a .50 cal box by itself.

I also picked up a license plate once. Took me a long time to find another cache large enough to drop it in.

5.6k · August 19, 2009

Biggest thing I've ever seen as a bug hotel was a suitcase chained to a REALLY large tree between an interstate and a frontage road near a busy truck stop.

GC1186D

August 20, 2009

Thanks for all the comments guys. In no way am I trying to even pull off anything like the hotel I linked other than the fact I do sort of want to go with the multiple bags/containers inside to inform cachers of the goals of TBs as all the time trackables are taken away from their goal as the person picking them up, since they paid no attention to the goal. Therefore I'm assuming I'll just go with a .50 cal. ammo can or something around that size.

August 20, 2009

Our house doesn't really have a really good spot unless we're willing to have people coming right up to the end of our driveway, which isn't a good idea. I'm thinking the only way it will work out is if I put it somewhere close by a freeway in the area by the house.

August 20, 2009

I have a TB Hotel that has been quite successful. It's a .50cal ammo can. It's big enough to hold most TBs. When I placed it, I wanted to make sure that it didn't fall prey to the trappings that most TB Hotels I've read about do. While I call it a TB Hotel, in reality it's just a large traditional cache. There are no rules on trading TBs. I did not want a TB prison. That means sometimes there are travellers in there and sometimes there are none. What makes it a good TB Hotel is locaton, location, location. It's located in right at a carpool parking lot just off a major highway. It's back far enough in the bush where most muggles tend not to wander, but easily accessible to any geocacher. It's been out for just over a year now and has 187 finds. Most of the logs have been quite positive. You can see it here - GC1DT3P

Cheers!

August 20, 2009

GC185T8 is the biggest TB hotel/gathering spot I've seen listed.

3.3k · August 20, 2009

GC185T8 is the biggest TB hotel/gathering spot I've seen listed.

Yep, we found that container when it was in the original spot as "Mine's Bigger". It was on his front porch at that location and we were pretty new. Very unsettling then. Now I would boldly march up and dig in.

August 20, 2009

GC185T8 is the biggest TB hotel/gathering spot I've seen listed.

Yep, we found that container when it was in the original spot as "Mine's Bigger". It was on his front porch at that location and we were pretty new. Very unsettling then. Now I would boldly march up and dig in.

Yeah, still on his front porch.

Eventually I wouldn't mind doing something like that. Maybe have it with a webcam so I can post pictures of the finders to the listing.

Edited August 20, 2009 by bramasoleiowa

3.2k · August 21, 2009

How to keep quite a few TB's at a time in your cache. Don't make a Hotel California cache. Cachers won't always swap bugs and coins. Often they will just take one or more. Sometimes that hotel will have a lot of vacancies.

Bugs and coins are not swap/trade items, they are travellers. Vacancies happen, do not put a trading requirement (i.e. take one leave one) those are Travel Bug prisons and there are many cachers who avoid them.

3.3k · August 21, 2009

How to keep quite a few TB's at a time in your cache. Don't make a Hotel California cache. Cachers won't always swap bugs and coins. Often they will just take one or more. Sometimes that hotel will have a lot of vacancies.

Bugs and coins are not swap/trade items, they are travellers. Vacancies happen, do not put a trading requirement (i.e. take one leave one) those are Travel Bug prisons and there are many cachers who avoid them.

I guess my reference to "hotel California" didn't work for you so you felt compelled to post a generic response. What in the World were you responding to? My post was stating that TB hotels shouldn't have restrictions and that sometimes there won't be any travellers in them. Am I somehow not understanding your point as it relates to my post? :anibad: :mad: :blink:

3.2k · August 21, 2009

How to keep quite a few TB's at a time in your cache. Don't make a Hotel California cache. Cachers won't always swap bugs and coins. Often they will just take one or more. Sometimes that hotel will have a lot of vacancies.

Am I somehow not understanding your point as it relates to my post?

Apparently not. Easily fixed by reviewing your post prior to hitting add reply.

August 21, 2009

Here's the biggest cache I have found -

GCNWBC; And there are several images in the gallery that best describe it's size.

Very well done by the CO.

Edited August 21, 2009 by tnt4utvols

3.3k · August 21, 2009

How to keep quite a few TB's at a time in your cache. Don't make a Hotel California cache. Cachers won't always swap bugs and coins. Often they will just take one or more. Sometimes that hotel will have a lot of vacancies.

Am I somehow not understanding your point as it relates to my post?

Apparently not. Easily fixed by reviewing your post prior to hitting add reply.

I am fairly certain the intent of my original post and that of my response to you were pretty clear. For some reason you are choosing to quote portions of the text and trying to turn my words into something other than my intent. That's the beauty of the forums. One person can decide to argue with another person who is essentially saying the same thing.

Why not pick a fight with someone who disagrees with you? :mad:

22k · August 21, 2009

3.3k · August 21, 2009

It is too early in the day for popcorn. I am only on my second cup of coffee!

22k · August 21, 2009

darn. :mad:

14k · August 22, 2009

Thanks for the info. I read about this hotel (somebody has a lot of excess cash) and got excited. I'm not trying to do the same, but I want to go for something big and to make sure it has quite a few TB's at a time.

A .50 cal ammo box will hold quite more TBs than it probably will ever accumulate.

I've found at least one TB that was a teddy bear. Almost filled a .50 cal box by itself.

I also picked up a license plate once. Took me a long time to find another cache large enough to drop it in.

There was a rather infamous TB around here a couple of years ago called Barry It was a 4 foot long piece of steel railroad barricade (made from a track). It somehow found it's way into a geocachers TB hotel that he had on his porch. It was taken to events a few times, and a few people grabbed it but it reappeared a couple of times at the TB hotel on the porch. The owner of that hotel moved to Western NY a couple of years ago and I think ended up taking Barry with him. It's now someplace in Ontario, CA. I suspect that this is one TB that won't ever get stolen or lost.

2k · August 22, 2009

I generally take all the bugs and coins out of a hotel to help them on their way. I hate when I see a coin or bug of mine get stuck in a hotel, because usually it stays in a hotel 5x longer than a regular cache, and is much more likely to end up missing. So I try and liberate these poor fellows who have been stuck.

38.2k · August 22, 2009

Thanks for the info. I read about this hotel (somebody has a lot of excess cash) and got excited. I'm not trying to do the same, but I want to go for something big and to make sure it has quite a few TB's at a time.

A .50 cal ammo box will hold quite more TBs than it probably will ever accumulate.

I've found at least one TB that was a teddy bear. Almost filled a .50 cal box by itself.

I also picked up a license plate once. Took me a long time to find another cache large enough to drop it in.

There are exceptions, but 96.3 percent of all TBs will fit easily in a .50 cal ammo box and in most cases you can fit quite a few TBs in one of these larger ammo boxes. Of course you can't accommodate them all

August 22, 2009

I saw this lock n lock container at the supermarket today and I thought of your travel bug hotel idea. It has 3 compartments. I think it would also be great for keeping geocoins, bugs and swag separate. Not sure if that would work in the practical, but it's a nice idea anyway.

August 25, 2009

I saw this lock n lock container at the supermarket today and I thought of your travel bug hotel idea. It has 3 compartments. I think it would also be great for keeping geocoins, bugs and swag separate. Not sure if that would work in the practical, but it's a nice idea anyway.

That's cool! That's what I was thinking, and would fit nicely in a .50 cal ammo can. Thank you!

I'm still waiting for the WRASTRO/Baloo&bd movie to continue .

Edited August 25, 2009 by unclefunky

3.3k · August 25, 2009

I saw this lock n lock container at the supermarket today and I thought of your travel bug hotel idea. It has 3 compartments. I think it would also be great for keeping geocoins, bugs and swag separate. Not sure if that would work in the practical, but it's a nice idea anyway.

That's cool! That's what I was thinking, and would fit nicely in a .50 cal ammo can. Thank you!

I'm still waiting for the WRASTRO/Baloo&bd movie to continue .

Hey, I am still here. I guess Baloo & bd went caching.

August 25, 2009

Hey, I am still here. I guess Baloo & bd went caching.

Who knows? Maybe Baloo got scared off. The Astro pic IS a bit intimidating .

Edited August 25, 2009 by unclefunky

3.3k · August 25, 2009

Hey, I am still here. I guess Baloo & bd went caching.

Who knows? Maybe Baloo got scared off. The Astro pic IS a bit intimidating .

He is a very friendly puppy. Just because he holds an ammo can and a GPS doesn't mean he would ever whack anyone with either item. Even Baloo...

August 25, 2009

He is a very friendly puppy. Just because he holds an ammo can and a GPS doesn't mean he would ever whack anyone with either item. Even Baloo...

This is becoming an awesome thread .

Edited August 25, 2009 by unclefunky

22k · August 25, 2009

I saw this lock n lock container at the supermarket today and I thought of your travel bug hotel idea. It has 3 compartments. I think it would also be great for keeping geocoins, bugs and swag separate. Not sure if that would work in the practical, but it's a nice idea anyway.

That's cool! That's what I was thinking, and would fit nicely in a .50 cal ammo can. Thank you!

I'm still waiting for the WRASTRO/Baloo&bd movie to continue .

Hey, I am still here. I guess Baloo & bd went caching.

I was helping the kids with their homework (read: cracking the whip)

I'm only here for the popcorn.

or was it ice cream? I forget.

3.3k · August 25, 2009

I saw this lock n lock container at the supermarket today and I thought of your travel bug hotel idea. It has 3 compartments. I think it would also be great for keeping geocoins, bugs and swag separate. Not sure if that would work in the practical, but it's a nice idea anyway.

That's cool! That's what I was thinking, and would fit nicely in a .50 cal ammo can. Thank you!

I'm still waiting for the WRASTRO/Baloo&bd movie to continue .

Hey, I am still here. I guess Baloo & bd went caching.

I was helping the kids with their homework (read: cracking the whip)

I'm only here for the popcorn.

or was it ice cream? I forget.

Posting correction: baloo&bd seem to have gone caching. BD seems to be involved with raising chinlrden and consuming carbs and vitamin D.

Popcorn and ice cream are my two favorite vegetables! Just not together. At the same time. In the same bowl.

3.9k · August 25, 2009

OK folks... if you cannot assist with answering the question in the original post, then please stay out of it.

Thank you

Edited August 25, 2009 by Moose Mob

3.3k · August 26, 2009

Good point Moose Mob. I was actively involved in responding to the topic when baloo&bd decided to try to start an argument.

Sorry for letting the discussion be sidetracked.

And now back to your regularly scheduled topic. :mad:

August 26, 2009

A while back, a new cacher that I ran into showed me some pictures that she had on her cellphone of a very cool TB hotel that she had found. It opened up in the front to reveal two "floors", each with several "rooms" (kind of like a dollhouse, I guess). I think it even had stairs going to the upper floor. I wish I had asked her to send me those pictures!

However, I must echo the comments above about TB hotels. I cringe and hold my breath whenever I see one of my trackables get dropped in them.

This TB Hotel Aloha is an example, funny as heck to find...

August 26, 2009

This is my favorite TB hotel ever. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...55-cac404deb257 I am so sad to read it is GONE. Hard to believe. Check out the photos for inspiration.

1.8k · August 26, 2009

I saw this lock n lock container at the supermarket today and I thought of your travel bug hotel idea. It has 3 compartments. I think it would also be great for keeping geocoins, bugs and swag separate. Not sure if that would work in the practical, but it's a nice idea anyway.

Only problem with the compartments is that the dividers will restrict the larger TBs from fitting.

As to hotels, I have been known to empty one or two just because I saw the cache owner had put "If you don't leave a TB don't take one" on the page. I am not done growing up, and they ain't the boss of me!

Travel Bug hotels and containers

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Join the conversation