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Travelling Cache... as a TB?


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OK before you get on your horses and prepare to read me my rights... I'm not thinking of creating a real moving geocache.

 

What I'm thinking of is pairing a static 'big brother' geocache as a mystery - with a small (slightly bigger than a micro) TB cache which would contain trade items - and travel itself from cache to cache.

 

Inside the TB cache - coords for the 'big brother' cache would be written, so those who found the 'travelling' TB cache could effectively find and log the real mystery cache.

 

I've seen at least one example of TB containing coords for a mystery in the field - but not as an actual travelling cache - like this.

 

Any thoughts on the idea?

 

I wouldn't put a limit on travel so the travelling cache could go worldwide as far as I'm concerned. I may think of creating a secondary puzzle to get the coordinates in case that happens.

 

What difficulty/terrain rating would you classify it as - obviously not difficult for a local who picks up the travelling TB cache but maybe difficult for someone who finds the travelling cache on the other side of the world who wants to log.

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I think logging caches that you do not physically find completely misses the point of geocaching.

 

Then read my OP again - the coords for the mystery would be in the TB cache - for people to "find and log."

 

:blink:

 

How do they sign the log?

 

How do you sign a log when you find a geocache?

 

---

 

To be clear - there would be ONE physical geocache and ONE TB (which I'd call a travelling cache).

 

In order to find the physical, you'd have to get the coords from the travelling cache.

 

You do not long the travelling cache - it's technically just a TB, you find and log the physical mystery cache.

Edited by _TeamFitz_
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Oh, I get it. I thought people could log a find on the cache just by finding the TB. My mistake.

 

As you now explain it, I think it's a good idea, though I think you should consider restricting where the TB could travel.

 

I had one very much like this. The cache had a combination lock on it and a TB was circulated (it was not to leave the county) with the combination to the lock.

 

It also had two other ways of obtaining the combination. There were several smaller caches in the same park with part of the combination. I also put parts of the combination in many of my other caches in the region.

 

So people could either find the TB to obtain the combination, find what amounted to a multi cache to get it, or obtain the combination by finding other caches in the area.

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Oh, I get it. I thought people could log a find on the cache just by finding the TB. My mistake.

 

As you now explain it, I think it's a good idea, though I think you should consider restricting where the TB could travel.

 

I had one very much like this. The cache had a combination lock on it and a TB was circulated (it was not to leave the county) with the combination to the lock.

 

It also had two other ways of obtaining the combination. There were several smaller caches in the same park with part of the combination. I also put parts of the combination in many of my other caches in the region.

 

So people could either find the TB to obtain the combination, find what amounted to a multi cache to get it, or obtain the combination by finding other caches in the area.

 

Yes I was thinking of a puzzle maybe on the cache page itself, of course the difficulty is assessing what to grade as the difficulty?!

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Calling your TB a traveling cache is just confusing the issue. It's a travel bug with coords for a mystery cache.

 

This design seems to work okay for a while. I'd suggest you buy a couple of tags so you can release a new bug when the first goes missing or ends up in the Czech Republic. I think you're being wildly optimist that someone who finds the stage coords at a great distance is going to do anything with them, though I suppose they might share them with a local if asked.

 

The first cache I recall of this type in my area was the Tampa Key cache - the Key TB was eventually picked up and taken to New York (in spite of being heavily labeled to STAY IN TAMPA BAY).

The cache owner wasn't prepared to replace the TB tag, and ended up archiving the cache.

 

An alternate way to get coords - puzzle on the cache page - seems like a good way to go.

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The first cache I recall of this type in my area was the Tampa Key cache - the Key TB was eventually picked up and taken to New York (in spite of being heavily labeled to STAY IN TAMPA BAY). The cache owner wasn't prepared to replace the TB tag, and ended up archiving the cache.

 

That happened to my cache. The TB with the combination was supposed to stay in my county. The attached laminated card said that in big letters and even had a map of the county on the back so there was no doubt what towns were in the county. The third person to find it took it to Connecticut.

 

I also found a TB in NJ that was the key to a cache in MA. It said so right on the tag. As soon as I grabbed it I received an e-mail from the owner asking me to mail it back to him, so I did.

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I agree, I've seen several puzzle caches where the coordinates need to be obtained from 1 or more TBs, this idea is fine. Generally there is a request to keep the TBs within some area. The fact that you want to attach something which looks like a micro cache container (and has the coordinates inside of it) to the TB doesn't change anything, it is still a TB, not a cache in itself.

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I like any of these ideas where you have to find co-ordinates by collecting info from a TB, or TBs, first of all but I'm not sure that making the TB itself into a mini cache container adds anything to the fun of the puzzle...

 

unless

 

Could you make the contents of the mini cache some sort of puzzle in itself, which would produce the co-ords when 'solved' in some way? One possibility - a collection of jigsaw pieces to be completed to create the numbers... or something.

 

MrsB

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The first cache I recall of this type in my area was the Tampa Key cache - the Key TB was eventually picked up and taken to New York (in spite of being heavily labeled to STAY IN TAMPA BAY). The cache owner wasn't prepared to replace the TB tag, and ended up archiving the cache.

 

That happened to my cache. The TB with the combination was supposed to stay in my county. The attached laminated card said that in big letters and even had a map of the county on the back so there was no doubt what towns were in the county. The third person to find it took it to Connecticut.

 

I also found a TB in NJ that was the key to a cache in MA. It said so right on the tag. As soon as I grabbed it I received an e-mail from the owner asking me to mail it back to him, so I did.

 

Yeah. The key mystery cache (GC1310K) I found had 7 duplicate key TBs floating around (and/or lost) and also completes the coords on the attached, laminated card.

 

The TB (TB13DEX) I found for it was one of the last ones left at the time and has since disappeared. From watching a couple of motels/hotels' interaction with local bugs, I'd recommend requesting they stay out of those as they can have high tourist traffic (not that they'll read that request either . . .).

 

Looking at the still low find rate on it, I'd recommend multiple companion TBs for yours at the same time too.

Edited by scorpio_dark
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The very smart IK nailed the initial confusion in this thread by referring to the TB with puzzle cache coords as a cache itself.

 

Restricting the location of the TB is a wise thing to do. There is a local version of this with several trackables that have the coords. In the interest of fostering interaction between cachers, the owner encourages personal handoffs of the TB's instead of merely dropping them in another cache.

 

You might want to consider posting links to the TB page(s) on the puzzle cache listing to help seekers track them down.

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I've found one like this. The Owner has three TBs that once you log them you can get the coordiants for the puzzle cache. In this case the TB was his van and the cache is his walking stick.

Both items where at the 10 year event so it was a two for one for me.

 

I rather like the idea. But be ready for the TBs to do what TBs do.

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GCHDWE

 

I live near to this one... The westing is on one TB and the northing on another... sadly one TB is 30 miles away and another is 100 miles away. The owner also puts out keyrings that contain the coordinates (separate westings and northings) at various times in local caches, which you can either keep or put in the final cache once you've found it.

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Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I will keep thinking and perhaps tweak the original idea.

 

Still want to go with a "floating" TB cache, but maybe locale restriction or some kind of other way to obtain coords (puzzle still seems the easiest).

 

I like wimseyguys suggestion of fostering interaction between cachers. I've actually been thinking of something like that for a while but wondering how I could do this with a cache or TB...?

 

Ok my brain has been ticking whilst writing this post.... what if I tweaked the idea of a travelling cache into an open source type mystery cache/TB combo.

 

In the TB I put coords and all info about the cache. Then I encourage finders to post their own puzzles/hints on their logs. Anyone seeking the cache would need to read the TB page and then pick a puzzle or work it out from other cachers hints!

 

Of course, it would mean a bit of police work - I'd have to delete/encrypt any logs that decided to just give the game away.

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...I like wimseyguys suggestion of fostering interaction between cachers. I've actually been thinking of something like that for a while but wondering how I could do this with a cache or TB...?

 

 

What about setting it up a bit like those caches which are twinned across the world?

 

e.g. You release the TB cache somewhere a good distance from the real cache location. When someone finds the TB cache and gets the co-ords they then have to contact a cacher who is nearer to the real cache and ask them to go and find the cache then ( Warning! Can of worms about to be opened!) you allow that cacher to sign the log for both parties so they each claim a find. You could ask that the chosen 'local' cacher should be a different one each time - this would mean more interaction required between individual cachers.

 

MrsB

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In the interest of fostering interaction between cachers, the owner encourages personal handoffs of the TB's instead of merely dropping them in another cache

 

I like this. As well the notion of encouraging cachers to share via email the info on the TB itself - though in that case the info might be more partial perhaps; some significant help to the puzzle on the cache page.

 

I like your notion of the TB page as repository of hints by finders, too.

 

Don't forget to add a note on the TB: "Please don't put it in cache XXXX (the final cache)" ... or you will get into a deadlock

 

YES! we had coords for such a cache. When we found it, the TB you needed was IN THE CACHE! too funny.

We removed it and dropped it another cache that day.

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One of the best puzzle caches we've done was similar to this idea. Dr. StrangeCache GC1A6EW, which was recently archived, which is a real shame, required finding three different TBs. Each contained parts of the coordinates and had a key. So you needed all three to find the cache and open it (there were three padlocks). The best part, the puzzle cache page and the TB pages don't mention the connection. I searched the entire script to the movie trying to solve the puzzle and was going no where, when we found one of the TBs in a different puzzle final. The TBs' initials provided the a-ha moment. I cannot describe how exciting it was to make that discovery. We quickly hunted down the second TB, but the third was being held by another cacher. We had to network and work out a time to get the final together, which was a common strategy for that cache. A very fun, a very imaginative cache, I can't wait to find another like it.

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One of the best puzzle caches we've done was similar to this idea. Dr. StrangeCache GC1A6EW, which was recently archived, which is a real shame, required finding three different TBs. Each contained parts of the coordinates and had a key.

 

If you like that one, check out this one: GC223VA

 

That looks cool. I'm surprised no one has found this one yet. In my area, folks would go to the ends of the earth to find the necessary TBs.

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I had a traveling TB cache at one time.

 

It was two cloth ivy leaves sewn together to form a pocket with a TB tag inserted.

 

Very realistic and tough (evil!) to find when hung in a tree or vines.

 

I took it to events and hid it, then announced the coordinates. You could log it as a cache or a TB or both, your choice.

 

It went to a lot of events and was found by a lot of cachers (including some GS staff and Reviewers at an event in TN) until someone complained and it was promptly shut down. :D

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