Geocoin as personal mile tracker

[+DJ$Money]

I'm new to geocaching, but totally addicted and feel like this will be permanent hobby of mine. A friend of mine gave me a 'geocoin,' and I want to use it as a way to keep track (loosely) of my own miles logged while geocaching. First, I checked some other threads, and as far as I could tell, it is acceptable to utilize a geocoin in this manner, if not, please let me know! Also, I only have about 100 finds, but what would be the best way to go about logging those, should I go back and edit my logs to include the coin, or should I revisit the cache page and write a note to dip the coin? (I know I shouldn't log another find.) Does it matter one way or another? Thanks for any help, I just thought I'd ask before I edited 100 logs and then found out I did it wrong!

[random_incoherencies]

the best way would be to edit your 'found' log on each cache and have your coin 'visit' - This way the cache owners won't receive a notification of your coin 'dip' if you were to write a new log.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Umm... I started mine the beginning of 2011. I had almost 3000 finds before that. So I didn't bother trying to log it into those. 100 I might consider. But it does have 22000 miles on it!

[+DJ$Money]

the best way would be to edit your 'found' log on each cache and have your coin 'visit' - This way the cache owners won't receive a notification of your coin 'dip' if you were to write a new log.

 

Awesome, thanks for the input…gonna get started now!

[+Droo]

It's your coin to do with as you want. If you want to log mileage accumulated from cache to cache just "dip" it each cache you've visited. You may have to write a note to each of the old caches to log the visit with the coin's tracking system but then delete the note at the cache so it doesn't clog up their list.... not a biggie but a courtesy to the cache owner. You can even post pics with your visits of each cache for a better recollection of the time there.

 

If you want to log mileage from home to each cache or for every cache outing you may have to create a "home" cache, publish it and archive it. It will serve as your home base from which you leave for every cache outing and return your coin after visiting the caches of the day. It's more work than really necessary and you'll all those "home" entries between each cache outing. But you'll accumulate plenty of miles without that extra step each time.

[+DJ$Money]

Umm... I started mine the beginning of 2011. I had almost 3000 finds before that. So I didn't bother trying to log it into those. 100 I might consider. But it does have 22000 miles on it!

 

I'm going to go ahead and edit my past logs while it's still a manageable number. I feel if I don't, I'll always regret it. 22,000 miles is amazing! That's 22,000 miles of memories! Very cool.

[+DJ$Money]

It's your coin to do with as you want. If you want to log mileage accumulated from cache to cache just "dip" it each cache you've visited. You may have to write a note to each of the old caches to log the visit with the coin's tracking system but then delete the note at the cache so it doesn't clog up their list.... not a biggie but a courtesy to the cache owner. You can even post pics with your visits of each cache for a better recollection of the time there.

 

If you want to log mileage from home to each cache or for every cache outing you may have to create a "home" cache, publish it and archive it. It will serve as your home base from which you leave for every cache outing and return your coin after visiting the caches of the day. It's more work than really necessary and you'll all those "home" entries between each cache outing. But you'll accumulate plenty of miles without that extra step each time.

 

Dang, nice tip on the home cache! I had already thought that it wouldn't be entirely accurate since it wouldn't include trips home, but making a home cache would totally do the trick! I've never hid/created a cache before…do I just go through the motions of a real cache, and let the reviewer know what my purpose is?

[+Bear and Ragged]

Dang, nice tip on the home cache! I had already thought that it wouldn't be entirely accurate since it wouldn't include trips home, but making a home cache would totally do the trick! I've never hid/created a cache before…do I just go through the motions of a real cache, and let the reviewer know what my purpose is?

 

Just create it, then archive it. No need to get it published.

[+Chief301]

I have a coin that I received as a door prize at the first event I attended, and I use it in this manner. I didn't backtrack and have it visit caches found prior to that, though. Something about that just doesn't seem right to me... I mean, how can the coin have visited those earlier caches when I didn't even own the coin yet? I started visiting it to all caches after that, though.

 

That's just my take on it, though...it's your coin, log it as you see fit. There are very few "rules" here, only guidelines

[+nevadanick]

We also have a trackable that goes with us. It is only a few miles short of 22,000 miles also.

 

It's actually a lot more than that since we did not use a 'home base' to return to after each caching trip. Another factor is that all logged mileage is 'as the crow flies', not actual miles driven - but it gets you a 'close enough' number.

[+s.f.g.]

I was basically in the same boat as you. I got an ftf coin at 150 and decided the same thing. I went back and "wrote note" and dipped in all past caches in order that I had done them. Though doing it again I would have just edited the logs so all the owners didn't get multiple emails about some random trackable dip. Now I keep it in my wallet so it's always with me when I cache.

[+DJ$Money]

I have a coin that I received as a door prize at the first event I attended, and I use it in this manner. I didn't backtrack and have it visit caches found prior to that, though. Something about that just doesn't seem right to me... I mean, how can the coin have visited those earlier caches when I didn't even own the coin yet? I started visiting it to all caches after that, though.

 

That's just my take on it, though...it's your coin, log it as you see fit. There are very few "rules" here, only guidelines

 

Well, I activated the coin back on July 16, and actually it was given to me awhile before that. I just hadn't decided what to do with it, and as I'm new to this, had no idea that this was even possible. Regardless, *I* visited all of those earlier caches, and I'm only interested in finding an easy way to keep track of my miles travelled. I promise I won't brag to anyone that *the coin* has travelled X amount of miles.

Edited August 14, 2014 by DJ$Money

[+DJ$Money]

We also have a trackable that goes with us. It is only a few miles short of 22,000 miles also.

 

It's actually a lot more than that since we did not use a 'home base' to return to after each caching trip. Another factor is that all logged mileage is 'as the crow flies', not actual miles driven - but it gets you a 'close enough' number.

 

That's a ton of miles, and I'm betting a ton of 'smiles!'

[+DJ$Money]

I was basically in the same boat as you. I got an ftf coin at 150 and decided the same thing. I went back and "wrote note" and dipped in all past caches in order that I had done them. Though doing it again I would have just edited the logs so all the owners didn't get multiple emails about some random trackable dip. Now I keep it in my wallet so it's always with me when I cache.

 

Awesome, glad I'm not the only one! I keep mine in my geobag

[+DJ$Money]

Went back and edited all my old logs and it amounted to 889 miles, not including trips home. It's a start, thanks for all the help. If I ever get to 22,000 miles like some of y'all, I'm gonna find this old thread and bump it, lol!