New to Geocaching with TB questions

[7stouffers]

So we are not even a week into geocaching but I have done my research, watched videos, planned visits, etc. but I still have a question regarding TB's.

 

We found 3 last week, I logged them and took them with us on a journey to a state park planning to possibly drop them there. While I was researching the caches in the area, I noticed there were a lot of TB that had never been logged after being dropped in these caches. I was a little leary as it seems it might be a dead end for some of these poor TB. There was a TB dropped 2 days before our visit and only 2 people logged a visit between us but it wasn't there and the TB hasn't been logged retrieved yet. I realize this is a rural area with little to no cell service so maybe they can't log them yet. Also, once we got there, we realized some of the caches didn't have any room for a TB at the current time.

 

Anyway my question is....

 

How do you drop the TB you find? First cache you come to that can hold them? Do you look a the TB history of the cache and determine this might not be a good place?

 

We want to do right by the TB owner and don't want to set them up for failure.

 

Another thought, today I read many TO don't like the "visited" logs. OOPS! I had looked at the history of these TB and noticed there were many of them so I did it also. Should I go back and delete them? We did get one picture of the TB while there, while not the most exciting picture, it still shows they did visit the area (wish we would have remembered at the boulder field)....

Edited June 14, 2016 by 7stouffers

[+fuzziebear3]

Kudos to you for researching things and trying to do right by the trackables!!

 

I just try to do the best I can for the trackable. Can I help it reach its goal? If I can move it in the correct direction, that's great. I try not to put it in caches that I think will have a problem, but sometimes I put it wherever it will fit. Sometimes I take it to an event and hand it off directly to another cacher, especially if I know they are going on a trip.

 

Pictures are always great, I'm sure the TB owner will be thrilled by them.

 

Visited logs -- lots and lots of them can be annoying, but a few are okay. No need to delete the ones you've done.

[+cerberus1]

Anyway my question is....

 

How do you drop the TB you find? First cache you come to that can hold them? Do you look a the TB history of the cache and determine this might not be a good place?

 

We want to do right by the TB owner and don't want to set them up for failure.

 

Another thought, today I read many CO don't like the "visited" logs. OOPS! I had looked at the history of these TB and noticed there were many of them so I did it also. Should I go back and delete them? We did get one picture of the TB while there, while not the most exciting picture, it still shows they did visit the area (wish we would have remembered at the boulder field)....

We now place trackables in caches more than just a few feet from the parking lot.

You've done your research, but many don't, and a bit less traffic from beginners and folks in a hurry (I believe) might keep 'em safer.

Amazing how cache visits in logs will change just .1 mile away.

 

Some like to see "took it to" logs, others don't.

Without pics, visit logs for weeks/months on end doesn't (really) show whether you're even still in possession of the thing.

 

If I was a new person today, I'd unload the trackable in the first cache that seemed a bit far from the maddening crowd, realizing how lucky I was for actually finding what's become a rarity.

[+kunarion]

I read many TO don't like the "visited" logs. OOPS! I had looked at the history of these TB and noticed there were many of them so I did it also. Should I go back and delete them? We did get one picture of the TB while there, while not the most exciting picture, it still shows they did visit the area (wish we would have remembered at the boulder field)....

Deleting the logs is an interesting idea. But the TB Owner can do so if that's an issue. I try to include clear instructions to NOT kidnap my TB, but it seems to be a tough message to convey . The main thing I would like is, honest logs. When my TB is taken and is no longer being "placed into a cache for another person to find", I'd appreciate at least a real story about what happened to it. That is rare. Even more rare, someone on the Forum who posts that they agree that honest logs are of utmost importance.

 

I don't enjoy discovering that one person is keeping my TB and (supposedly) carrying it around for weeks or months. No story, no photos. It's weird. Plus it's awkward to produce a request to place the TB in a cache. I don't know if the person even has the thing anymore, and in some cases, they lost it a long time ago. Place it in a cache, and a log from a new finder assures me that it is in fact still in play. There's still no story, no photos. But what ya gonna do.

 

If I take someone's TB, I post photos of the area, maybe a cool one with the TB posed in some way. Maybe a couple of visits, but I already have the placement cache in mind, one of a handful of safe, local caches. And I place it and log it. I treat that cacher's property as if it were mine.

Edited June 14, 2016 by kunarion

[+Manville Possum]

Anyway my question is....

 

How do you drop the TB you find? First cache you come to that can hold them? Do you look a the TB history of the cache and determine this might not be a good place?

 

We want to do right by the TB owner and don't want to set them up for failure.

 

I find a nice PMO cache that is not visited often. I have had the worse luck dropping TB's into TB Hotels in tourist areas.

[+cerberus1]

I have had the worse luck dropping TB's into TB Hotels in tourist areas.

+1

Same here.

[+sporfrog]

 

How do you drop the TB you find? First cache you come to that can hold them? Do you look a the TB history of the cache and determine this might not be a good place?

 

Another thought, today I read many TO don't like the "visited" logs.

 

To drop the Tracking Bug using the website, you will enter a "Dropped Off" log at the same time you log the cache find. The trackables in your inventory that you can drop off are automatically listed for you when you start the found log for the cache.

 

Feel free to screen the geocache and select a good one to drop off the trackable. I like to check how often it is visited and if there are other trackables listed in the cache but not likely there. I don't like to drop it in a heavily trafficked cache if it looks likely to go missing. I also don't like to drop them in a cache that rarely gets visited. It's a balance. Of course if the mission is to visit as many caches as possible it may be best to drop it in a high visit cache and hope for the best.

 

For my trackables I like visit logs to a point. I would rather know it is active in the game while a geocacher is waiting for the perfect spot to drop it. Further if you find a TB in California that wants to visit all 50 states, there is nothing wrong with visiting it in Oregon on your way to Washington.

 

Good luck and welcome to the game!

Edited June 14, 2016 by sporfrog

[+NanCycle]

Others have given good responses so I just wanted to add my thoughts on the visit logs. When I have someone's TB in my possession I try to drop it as soon as I can, but meanwhile I'll visit it to a few caches. When someone has one of mine, I'm not sure which of the following two scenarios irritates me more: 1-Logging 14 pages of visits to caches in the same area, or 2 - taking the TB on a long multi-state trip and logging no visits at all.

[7stouffers]

Can I help it reach its goal? If I can move it in the correct direction, that's great. I try not to put it in caches that I think will have a problem, but sometimes I put it wherever it will fit. Sometimes I take it to an event and hand it off directly to another cacher, especially if I know they are going on a trip.

 

Thank you! Question though, since you mentioned it, how do you find events?

 

 

We now place trackables in caches more than just a few feet from the parking lot.You've done your research, but many don't, and a bit less traffic from beginners and folks in a hurry (I believe) might keep 'em safer.Amazing how cache visits in logs will change just .1 mile away. Some like to see "took it to" logs, others don't.Without pics, visit logs for weeks/months on end doesn't (really) show whether you're even still in possession of the thing.If I was a new person today, I'd unload the trackable in the first cache that seemed a bit far from the maddening crowd, realizing how lucky I was for actually finding what's become a rarity.

 

Yes, my kids were super excited to find some the other night, they do seem to be rare. I too think they might be safer in places a short way off the beaten track. It seems the ones we find "in town" that are big enough to fit a TB are stuffed with lots of swag (and sometimes junk) because they are in such a high traffic area and anybody with the app can find them.

 

Deleting the logs is an interesting idea. But the TB Owner can do so if that's an issue. I try to include clear instructions to NOT kidnap my TB, but it seems to be a tough message to convey . The main thing I would like is, honest logs. When my TB is taken and is no longer being "placed into a cache for another person to find", I'd appreciate at least a real story about what happened to it. That is rare. Even more rare, someone on the Forum who posts that they agree that honest logs are of utmost importance.I don't enjoy discovering that one person is keeping my TB and (supposedly) carrying it around for weeks or months. No story, no photos. It's weird. Plus it's awkward to produce a request to place the TB in a cache. I don't know if the person even has the thing anymore, and in some cases, they lost it a long time ago. Place it in a cache, and a log from a new finder assures me that it is in fact still in play. There's still no story, no photos. But what ya gonna do. If I take someone's TB, I post photos of the area, maybe a cool one with the TB posed in some way. Maybe a couple of visits, but I already have the placement cache in mind, one of a handful of safe, local caches. And I place it and log it. I treat that cacher's property as if it were mine.

 

Treating it like my own - Yes, exactly! Since we are so new, we have't found any that we feel are "safe" caches (and one that is big enough, so many smalls or micros). We hope to do some more hiking this week, so hopefully we'll find one.

 

I find a nice PMO cache that is not visited often. I have had the worse luck dropping TB's into TB Hotels in tourist areas.

 

Yes, haven't wanted to drop in any (2 ish) of the TB hotels we have found they are so full of toys and junk that I'm almost certain they'll go missing. We're not PM yet, we've talked about the 3 month membership since once school starts our time will probably be taken with school, sports, and other school related activities.

 

To drop the Tracking Bug using the website, you will enter a "Dropped Off" log at the same time you log the cache find. The trackables in your inventory that you can drop off are automatically listed for you when you start the found log for the cache.Feel free to screen the geocache and select a good one to drop off the trackable. I like to check how often it is visited and if there are other trackables listed in the cache but not likely there. I don't like to drop it in a heavily trafficked cache if it looks likely to go missing. I also don't like to drop them in a cache that rarely gets visited. It's a balance. Of course if the mission is to visit as many caches as possible it may be best to drop it in a high visit cache and hope for the best. For my trackables I like visit logs to a point. I would rather know it is active in the game while a geocacher is waiting for the perfect spot to drop it. Further if you find a TB in California that wants to visit all 50 states, there is nothing wrong with visiting it in Oregon on your way to Washington.Good luck and welcome to the game!

 

Thanks for the link, I did actually know how to log the drop off, I was just wanted to know how others handled dropping them off. You can't have the instructions posted too many times though since another newbie might actually come across this post.

 

How you drop them is exactly how I was thinking would be a good thing. I might start writing a few more lines if we log a visit than just saying "visit". Just to let the TO know why it wasn't dropped and it just visited.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who gave insight. Willing to take what I can get.

Edited June 14, 2016 by 7stouffers

[+mesillywoohoo]

You are very sweet and kind to worry about tbs that aren't yours! That's how it should be! For me? I look for long standing caches. I've got two TBS in my possession that I am taking to Virginia Beach with me. There's a nice cache there that has never been muggled and I watch it's contents to see if things don't get logged lol

[+fuzziebear3]

Finding events:

 

A couple different ways, but here is the easiest.

Go to the geocaching.com opening page (find a geocache page). In the lower section of 'most popular searches', there is 'Find Nearby Events'. Click on 'Search Now' and you should get a list of events that are nearby.

 

You can also do the same thing by using a filter in the search, for events; or you can look on the map for the icon that looks like a text bubble.

 

Your area might have a facebook group of geocachers that also help let everyone know what is going on.

[+justintim1999]

I tend to drop travel bugs in one of my own caches. It's easier for me and I know that the cache is at least maintained. If for some reason the travel bug doesn't move I can swing by and grab it and move it to another known cache.

 

As far as visited logs go I'll use them but sparingly. If I'm on a trail that has 8 caches I'll only "visit" one of them instead of all 8. With any travel bug I usually only have 1 or 2 visited logs before I drop it off.

[+Goldsmith]

So we are not even a week into geocaching but I have done my research, watched videos, planned visits, etc. but I still have a question regarding TB's.

 

We found 3 last week, I logged them and took them with us on a journey to a state park planning to possibly drop them there. While I was researching the caches in the area, I noticed there were a lot of TB that had never been logged after being dropped in these caches. I was a little leary as it seems it might be a dead end for some of these poor TB. There was a TB dropped 2 days before our visit and only 2 people logged a visit between us but it wasn't there and the TB hasn't been logged retrieved yet. I realize this is a rural area with little to no cell service so maybe they can't log them yet. Also, once we got there, we realized some of the caches didn't have any room for a TB at the current time.

 

Anyway my question is....

 

How do you drop the TB you find? First cache you come to that can hold them? Do you look a the TB history of the cache and determine this might not be a good place?

 

We want to do right by the TB owner and don't want to set them up for failure.

 

Another thought, today I read many TO don't like the "visited" logs. OOPS! I had looked at the history of these TB and noticed there were many of them so I did it also. Should I go back and delete them? We did get one picture of the TB while there, while not the most exciting picture, it still shows they did visit the area (wish we would have remembered at the boulder field)....

[+Goldsmith]

As far as the visited logs, as a tb owner, I would rather have someone visit my tb to each cache they visit than to simply leave me hanging as to whether they still have it at all. I always assume if they are still logging it, they still have it. I would prefer if they visit it that they include a photo or at least a little story about their adventures. It isn't much fun to simply see page after page of "visited blah-blah". I personally don't visit tbs I have picked up to each cache I visit, but I hit one now and then with a photo and a little story to keep the owner aware of what is going on. I currently have in my possession a couple of tbs that need a bigger, visited cache than I am finding to place them in so they have traveled with me a bit. I visited them to a cache a couple of days ago so the owner knows they are active and I included a group photo of tbs I have with me including my own that is looking for a cache. I keep up with the tbs I find and move on and it makes me sad when they disappear. Due to that fact, I try to take care where I leave them.