Can a travel bug be left in any stage of a multi?

[+Zekester & Simon]

Did not find anything in the guidelines on this question, which came up at a recent event.  

[+cerberus1]

I suppose you could, but why would you?

The final stage of a multi is where one finds the log, any swag, and trackables.

Surprised something like that came up at an event.  Usually there's a few around to reason it out.

[+cerberus1]

 - Though it reminded me of some new kids (that Intro app) who logged finds on a bunch of multis, first stage, even leaving NM on some because "the log was missing" .

Sheesh...

[RuideAlmeida]

2 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

I suppose you could, but why would you?

 

I have seen Multis with bigger containers in stages than in the GZ.

[+on4bam]

How would you log "dropping" a trackable in a stage of a multi? "Drop" only allows to leave a TB in a cache.

As for newbies logging Found it after arriving at the first WP, seen them too (even if it was a QTA)

 

[+TriciaG]

I don't think it'd be a problem, except as people say, you might not want to put it in the container at the first waypoint.

[+cerberus1]

1 hour ago, RuideAlmeida said:

I have seen Multis with bigger containers in stages than in the GZ.

Sure, but "the cache" is at the end.   

This thinking sounds similar to the "decoy" caches that fortunately stopped around here.   Folks were leaving paper in the decoys to sign, claiming a "find" , and writing NM on a decoy  (when they never found the cache) for "no log". 

[+dprovan]

A TB can be left anywhere, of course. You could leave a TB on a random picnic table, for example. So that's not really the question. The first question is, "Will it be safe?" On the picnic table, no. On a preliminary stage of a multi, there's no significant risk as long as any cachers that do the multi will find it. I wouldn't recommend doing this all the time, but I see no problem if there's some special reason you want to do it.

The second question is, "How do I log it?" Log it as a drop attached to your find or DNF for the multi. Edit the drop log to explain explicitly where you left it so that anyone that's interested in that specific TB will know exactly where to go to find it.

A few years ago, there was a multicache in my area that started with a pointer that was an ammo can and then had progressively smaller pointers until the nano at the end. That cache page specifically told seekers to use the ammo can at the beginning for swag and TBs. Obviously in a case like that, it would be perfectly fine.