Appropriate or way too freaky?

[eyeluvmikyds]

I'm new to Geocaching, kind of. Hiking, discovering, and scavenger hunts in the woods is something I have been passing onto my kids from my dad for a while, so really this just adds to it. Anyway, I have an idea for a travel bug but I'm curious rather or not people would appreciate it at all. To explain, my dad passed away when I was 12, before I was born he was a backpacker before it was cool (lol). He had been to 49 states when he died, Alaska is the only one he never made it to, he used to look at Alaskan travel mags for hours. I wonder if it would be possible to put some of his ashes in a sealed container, with a travel bug and some kind of explanation, with the hopeful destination of Alaska. Being passed through different places, in the woods and everywhere else would have been a journey he would appreciate, but do you think people might get upset knowing the travel bug contained remains of a person? I'd hate to upset anyone, maybe the idea is just bad?

[+stijnhommes]

This is bound to upset someone along the way. Instead of making a travel bug, I would make this a family trip and take his remains to Alaska yourself. It might take some serious saving up, but in the end, I believe the experience would be more gratifying for you.

[+JohnCNA]

Remains? Creepy! I wouldn't touch it and I'm not squeamish.

 

Just pick a cute toy to represent your Dad, attach a travel tag to it and include your story. I would move it along in a heartbeat.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Not a new concept, and I think this has been tried a number of times. I haven't a clue as to whether those attempts were successful.

 

But... believing that your father and you had a good relationship, I think you may be missing the boat.

Would not your father have preferred that YOU make the trip FOR him? You... making the extra effort to get his remains to that last piece of "uncharted" territory is what a father would dream of.

 

Not sticking him in a tube and relying upon complete strangers to do it for you -- assuming that he actually made it there.

 

Sure, send him out and about like you suggested. I would have no objection to moving remains about, however, not all feel as do I.

But, I truly think you should make it YOUR responsibility to take HIM to Alaska. The cost or hardship of that would only be a testament as to your relationship with your father.

 

 

Just my 2¢ as a father...

[+The Blorenges]

It has already been done:

 

Uncle Elwyn

 

And there are one or two others out travelling.

 

Have a look through the links here which mention "ashes"...

 

"Ashes" search

 

MrsB

[+Scratch Ankle]

That wouldn't make me squeamish but a lot of people probably would be. Telling about Uncle Willy's ashes made several folks give me that look. There are also folks who have a religious objection to cremation. I wouldn't recommend it on that basis.

 

Additionally, I would be concerned about the cremains disappearing. A "favorite" complaint on this forum is disappearing trackables.

 

I see that someone posted that this is being done already while I was composing my original post. I had included a bit here about checking on the legality of this. When it comes to the dearly departed, some people have some serious concerns about what happens and they sometimes make it into law. Let's hope for all concerned that there is no issue with what is happening or at least no one gets in trouble since no disrespect is meant. Some places make the scattering of cremains illegal.

 

Better to make the trip yourself but still check the laws. There shouldn't be a problem traveling with them but there may well be restrictions on how they are carried for the way you will travel as well as what you do with them.

Edited June 16, 2013 by Scratch Ankle

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I can absolutely hear someone start throwing around the term, "abuse of a corpse". In my state, that term is part of the criminal code. Whether cremains would fall under it other than as a result of a crime I don't know. It might cover storage, possession, and disposal of ashes.

 

In all locations (that I am aware of), cremation is considered as final disposition of a (human) body. What happens to the ashes thereafter is of little concern to the state (as in -- state, country, province, kingdom).

 

Although I believe this concept is universally accepted, I cannot guarantee it.

[+luvvinbird]

Even if no one objected to the TB contents, there's no guarantee it'll ever get to it's destination. Trust me, it might just end up in someone's possession for another eternity.

[eyeluvmikyds]

I figured being lost would be one problem, I figured just some ashes, sealed into a keychain that cannot be opened, sewn into a pouch inside a stuffed animal etc... As to the other posters, yes I would love to make the trip, but I have a different life and different plans and that may never happen.

[+terrkan78]

If you had a securely attached laminated tag indicating that this was a special TB with remains, etc., I think the people who don't like it will leave it be - I don't see a big problem there. I think plenty of people will take it and move it along.

 

The big problem is the odds of it disappearing en route. You have to be ok with that (even expecting that). Personally, I think that some stranger keeping your dad's clearly marked remains in their backpack, or the trunk of their car, or their kid's toy box, or wherever it is that all the lost TBs end up...now that's freaky. But I don't doubt that it would happen. You'd increase the odds of actually getting some remains to Alaska by releasing multiple identical TBs, but that might be a little over the top.

[7rxc]

Perhaps try to recruit a Geocacher that IS going to Alaska locally. They are going to be caching anyways, and would likely be willing to pick one to take it to. Just make sure to do a drop in your local area to set the mileage counter before it goes. An old style 'dip' will do it. Drop the TB and then retrieve it out, not sure if they made 'visit' serve that function so do the dip to be sure. Visits didn't do that at last time I tried it. They are fine for 'visiting' in lieu of 'dipping'.

 

Make sure the seal is secure for sure, don't just trust screwed on... don't want to lose them enroute.

That clear casting resin has been used to protect a capsule of ashes before for example.

 

As for creepy... well... I placed a few of my mom's favourite small items directly into her ashes before interring them. It was not at all creepy or distasteful. The consistency is more like sand if you haven't touched them at all ever. I found it comforting to touch her one last time in fact.

 

Anyway that was my experience, but that was before Geocaching by several years...

 

Doug 7rxc

[+ipodguy]

If I found it, I'd move it.

[+stijnhommes]

Apart from the fact it might upset some people, I too would be worried about the chance of the remains disappearing en route.

[+The_Incredibles_]

Travel bugs go missing.

 

How about getting a keychain made with your dad's photo on it, then attaching it to travel bug tags.