Can I create my own trackable?

[LuchaLibre19]

I'm curious. I've done some lite reading about trackables, but I'm not clear on this: can I create my own trackable without going through an outside/third source, and if so, what would I use as an authorization number? Ultimately, are all trackables required to be purchased through an "official" venue recognized by geocaching.com / Groundspeak or their affilitates? I was just wondering as it would be nice to make the trackable personal. Thanks!

[YAYALEC]

I'm curious. I've done some lite reading about trackables, but I'm not clear on this: can I create my own trackable without going through an outside/third source, and if so, what would I use as an authorization number? Ultimately, are all trackables required to be purchased through an "official" venue recognized by geocaching.com / Groundspeak or their affilitates? I was just wondering as it would be nice to make the trackable personal. Thanks!

 

You could register a dollar bill to wheres george.com and track that

[LuchaLibre19]

Alec, seriously? I appreciate the quick post, but I think my question is a legitimate one that deserves a legititmate (and helpful) answer. I'm new at this (hence it being posted in the "getting started section" and not the "would like a post from someone sarcastic" section, but thanks for playing anyhow.

[+patned]

Unfortunately, you need to get a tracking number from a valid source, usually GC.com

 

You can create any object you like to have it as personal as you want, but without their official number, there is no way to list the item and have it tracked.

[+kunarion]

my question is a legitimate one that deserves a legititmate (and helpful) answer.

You can buy a tracking number from Groundspeak. So yes, you can make your own item with a tracking number on it.

 

But since you're buying a tracking number when you buy a Travel Bug, that's also an available tracking number you could use. In theory, you can keep both dogtags, and inscribe the tracking number directly onto anything. Here's an issue: When people finding something in a cache that's neither an official "Geocoin" nor a dog-tagged Travel Bug, it's going to confuse them (and it's likely to vanish). You'll need a tag to designate its trackability. So you might as well have just hooked a Travel Bug dog tag to whatever item you're making.

 

You need to use Groundspeak-related tracking numbers if you'd like them to be tracked here. If people need to log into a separate site to log your traveler, it won't get logged much.

 

YAYALEC's suggestion is a viable alternative (if you consider what I've already mentioned). Free tracking sites come and go, but you can make hundreds of unique items and track them, without buying tracking numbers, using a separate site.

Edited July 9, 2010 by kunarion

[+niraD]

I make my own signature tokens, and they're trackable at http://sigitem.com/

 

I don't know whether Marky is still creating new sigitem.com accounts though.

 

Another option would be to set up your own site. IIRC, Marky does make the source for his sigitem.com site available to others.

[LuchaLibre19]

I make my own signature tokens, and they're trackable at http://sigitem.com/

 

I don't know whether Marky is still creating new sigitem.com accounts though.

 

Another option would be to set up your own site. IIRC, Marky does make the source for his sigitem.com site available to others.

 

Nira, this is partly why I write this. I actually found a sigitem.com item and could not cross reference it here to note that I had found it. I reported it there, however, which got me thinking about trackables in general.

[LuchaLibre19]

my question is a legitimate one that deserves a legititmate (and helpful) answer.

You can buy a tracking number from Groundspeak. So yes, you can make your own item with a tracking number on it.

 

But since you're buying a tracking number when you buy a Travel Bug, that's also an available tracking number you could use. In theory, you can keep both dogtags, and inscribe the tracking number directly onto anything. Here's an issue: When people finding something in a cache that's neither an official "Geocoin" nor a dog-tagged Travel Bug, it's going to confuse them (and it's likely to vanish). You'll need a tag to designate its trackability. So you might as well have just hooked a Travel Bug dog tag to whatever item you're making.

 

You need to use Groundspeak-related tracking numbers if you'd like them to be tracked here. If people need to log into a separate site to log your traveler, it won't get logged much.

 

YAYALEC's suggestion is a viable alternative (if you consider what I've already mentioned). Free tracking sites come and go, but you can make hundreds of unique items and track them, without buying tracking numbers, using a separate site.

 

Thanks for the information and reply. Although Alec's suggestion is feasible, it isn't practical; I could imagine that dollar spent, and not logged, hence me not taking the suggestion seriously, besides, I was attempting to get information along the lines of your reply, which was helpful in answering my initial question. Thank you.

[+Bear and Ragged]

If it isn't a recognised trackable -Geocoin or TB- most cachers can't be bothered to go and find another site to log a traveller and its journey.

Look at the problems there are with people not logging travellers properly on this site!

 

Yes, there are other ways to get trackable numbers, but if you want your traveller to stand a reasonable chance of surviving you are better using Groundspeak tracking methods.

 

IF you don't want to use the dog tag itself on your trackable, at least try to use the bug image:

which most cachers will recognise as a trackable.

 

Unfortunately the only way to get the number is to buy the dog tags.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

I'm curious. I've done some lite reading about trackables, but I'm not clear on this: can I create my own trackable without going through an outside/third source, and if so, what would I use as an authorization number? Ultimately, are all trackables required to be purchased through an "official" venue recognized by geocaching.com / Groundspeak or their affilitates? I was just wondering as it would be nice to make the trackable personal. Thanks!

You could register a dollar bill to wheres george.com and track that

 

The wheresgeorge.com site officially discourages placing bills in geocaches.

 

http://www.wheresgeorge.com/wrapper.php?page=top10bills_dgc

 

They are interested in tracking natural circulation.

[+vw_k]

Another site worth looking at is http://geokrety.org/

[+Brooklyn51]

We have a sig item that we leave in the caches we visit. Each one has a number on it and we ask in a note that we include along with the item, that the finders leave us a quick note on our website telling where it was found. While compliance certainly hasn't been 100%, we have gotten some very interesting and complimentary comments from many cachers. Some people keep the item (which is perfectly fine) but others have passed them along and a few have traveled around quite a bit.

[YAYALEC]

Alec, seriously? I appreciate the quick post, but I think my question is a legitimate one that deserves a legititmate (and helpful) answer. I'm new at this (hence it being posted in the "getting started section" and not the "would like a post from someone sarcastic" section, but thanks for playing anyhow.

 

That was not meant to be sarcastic

[+lbmiller]

Check this link out. It tells you how to buy them, and if you are gifted enough, how to make them

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Geocoin

[+T.D.M.22]

Aside from the last post being from 2 and half years old...Don't know who wrote that but it says Travel Bugs cost less than Coins-Someone must be finding some cheap coins.

[+WarNinjas]

I would go with a regular TB then when it goes missing as they seem to do make what ever you want with that number.

[+T.D.M.22]

.

Edited February 11, 2013 by T.D.M.22

[+T.D.M.22]

Aside from the last post being from 2 and half years old...Don't know who wrote that but it says Travel Bugs cost less more than Coins-Someone must be finding some cheap coins.

[+J Grouchy]

Aside from the last post being from 2 and half years old...Don't know who wrote that but it says Travel Bugs cost less more than Coins-Someone must be finding some cheap coins.

 

There are decals available in the GC store that you can stick on items to make them trackable