Survival rate of a travel bug ?

[IncognitoTraveler]

Hello. I just started geocaching a couple of days ago, after receiving my own TB gear to start swapping (I'm traveling extensively in a couple weeks, figured I'd move along a few TBs while dropping my own around here). I found my first five caches yesterday. I was excited to swap some TBs, but unfortunately ALL of the TBs in the caches were no longer present!

 

I'm pretty disappointed that all those listed geocoins and TBs disappeared into thin air, and I kind of have low expectations for my own TBs which are waiting to be seeded. Is this normal? Are there certain types of caches I should focus on for successful TB swapping?

[+BCandMsKitty]

There is no way of knowing the survival rate of a TB. I have a couple that are traveling well (in Portugal and California) but the others have sort of died. That isn't to say that they might not start up again. It has been known to happen!

People take them and then forget they have them.

In my opinion, don't attach the bug to anything valuable, or too cute. Valuable attachments will get deliberately kept, and anything too cute will be attractive to a child, and to some parents, their child's wants will outweigh the TB. Or the parents don't understand what a TB is and just let the child have it thinking it is only swag.

 

Sometimes when you see a cache with TBs listed but not there, the bug just isn't logged yet.

 

The best advice I've read is don't let something out there that means a lot to you, and when you do, expect it to go missing. If it lasts and travels well, then it is a bonus.

 

Here is a link to some interesting reading

 

Snoogans' Tb Longevity Clinic

[+BlueDeuce]

Since a lot of bug and cache owners don't frequently clear out those missing bugs the numbers accumulate. It's a double-edged sword cause if they did you would think that bugs have a happy life.

 

Best thing it to release something that has a good chance to go the distance. Try for an interesting mission, not worth keeping, and a strongly secured tag providing logging instructions.

 

As mentioned read Snoogans' Tb Longevity Clinic.

Edited May 31, 2011 by BlueDeuce

[+StarBrand]

About 60% of my TBs have disappeared over the years. However, I few of them have moved continually and have been out in the wild for 7 or more years.

[+Kryten]

I've had TBs that went missing from the cache in which I launched them and others that made multiple ocean crossings lasting years and travelling tens of thousands of miles. Unfortunately in the end they all go missing.

[+briansnat]

Last time I looked about 75 percent of my travelers had disappeared from circulation. Geocoins tend to disappear at a higher rate than travel bugs, but both disappear regularly. Caches containing them are stolen, dragged away by animals, washed away in floods. Travelers are taken by "collectors" (aka thieves), sometimes lost by legit geocachers, but I think the most common end comes in the hands of new geocachers who find a few caches, take a traveler or two then never geocache again.

 

I have a handful of travelers that have been happily traveling for many years. Others never made it to their second cache and a few have disappeared, sometimes for several years, only to miraculously appear again.

 

Bottom line is that when you release a TB or GC, assume it will go missing eventually but hope for the best. And never, ever release anything that has sentimental value to you.

[+eusty]

Re-reading the original post again...do you mean you went to a cache which had a TB logged in it and it wasn't there?

 

If it is then it could be someone has taken it and hasn't logged it yet.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Hello. I just started geocaching a couple of days ago, after receiving my own TB gear to start swapping (I'm traveling extensively in a couple weeks, figured I'd move along a few TBs while dropping my own around here). I found my first five caches yesterday. I was excited to swap some TBs, but unfortunately ALL of the TBs in the caches were no longer present!

 

I'm pretty disappointed that all those listed geocoins and TBs disappeared into thin air, and I kind of have low expectations for my own TBs which are waiting to be seeded. Is this normal? Are there certain types of caches I should focus on for successful TB swapping?

Advice already given is excellent. I would add: Don't set your expectations low, nothing is worth doing if you set low expectations.....

Do expect some to go missing -- the causes/reasons are too numerous to mention. Some WILL have a good, long life. It's like life, don't dwell on the failures, be happy for the success!

 

To help with something else (noted in OP copied above): TB's and geocoins are not SWAPPED (traded). There is no requirement to trade, if you can help it along, move it.

[+Kryten]

From the moment I launch a traveller I consider it to be lost. After that every log is a bonus.

[+nekom]

From the moment I launch a traveller I consider it to be lost. After that every log is a bonus.

 

If you have that attitude, you'll never be disappointed.

 

I've had very mixed results. A couple of my geocoins still travel maybe once every couple of months. Most of my travel bugs have been stuck in a cash or lost for years. I more or less gave up on my own, though I do try to move the ones that I find, especially if I can assist it in reaching its goal.

[+ventura_kids]

From the moment I launch a traveller I consider it to be lost. After that every log is a bonus.

Great idea! Thanks!

 

Actually...if you can keep your traveller away from big cities, it may last longer. Also, My geocoins that are in Europe are still moving along safely, so they may have a different mentality than our U.S. cachers.