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hydrohaven
Geocacher
Joined: 13 Jun 2006
Posts: 3
Location: Shakopee, MN
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 Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:13 am Post subject: Question for the TB vetrans... |
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I recently purchased a number of Travel Bugs and before I set them loose, I want to ask those of you with TB experience...
1. What types of TB missions have the best success?
2. What types of TB missions are not recommended?
3. Can TB's be given multiple missions? For example If I send one to a particular location and then back home, can I give it a new, completely different mission?
Thanks,
Hydrohaven
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Hydrohaven
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You know you've gone too deep when strange fish start offering you candy. |
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GeoPierce
Geocacher
Joined: 16 Nov 2005
Posts: 1657
Location: Eden Prairie, MN
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:28 am Post subject: |
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You can start it out with one mission and after it reaches that mission, like you said, change it to something else. It is best to keep it somewhat simple to make it more likely to accomplish the mission.
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Moe the Sleaze
Geocacher
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 1130
Location: Champlin, MN
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:49 am Post subject: |
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This doesn't really answer your questions but the best travel bug advice I can give you is to not get emotionally attached to them and don't be surprised if they go way off course from their missions or disappear entirely.
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"Hi, I'm Moe, or as the women know me - Hey! You in the bushes."
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GeoPierce
Geocacher
Joined: 16 Nov 2005
Posts: 1657
Location: Eden Prairie, MN
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:56 am Post subject: |
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| Moe the Sleaze wrote: |
| This doesn't really answer your questions but the best travel bug advice I can give you is to not get emotionally attached to them and don't be surprised if they go way off course from their missions or disappear entirely. |
Yes, it is recommended to print out the mission on a piece of paper and laminate it or put it in a ziplock bag with the travel bug. Even then, many people grab travel bugs without looking at the mission first and that can cause it to get off course if it has a specific destination.
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Tupperware doesn't belong in the kitchen! |
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buttonbox
Geocacher
Joined: 13 Nov 2004
Posts: 11
Location: Rosemount
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 9:11 am Post subject: |
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| Moe the Sleaze wrote: |
| This doesn't really answer your questions but the best travel bug advice I can give you is to not get emotionally attached to them and don't be surprised if they go way off course from their missions or disappear entirely. |
Too true. For example, my first travel bug, Runaway Jar-Jar went missing immediately after I dropped it in its first cache, Dilapidated Bridge. In the case of this TB, it was a case of some cachers who weren't registered at geocaching.com: they signed the log at the cache and claimed to take the TB but never bothered to sign the log on the website nor the TB page. Live and learn, I guess. I'm holding out in hope that it will pop up in the future.
It really doesn't matter if you give your bugs a mission at all because there are some cachers who will take a bug that has its mission statement with the TB and completely ignore it. I grabbed a bug last year and it's mission was to get to Kentucky, so I moved it a little farther to the southeast in Minnesota. I checked back later and the next cacher had dropped it off in Thunder Bay!
So, yeah, don't get attached to a bug or its mission. |
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hydrohaven
Geocacher
Joined: 13 Jun 2006
Posts: 3
Location: Shakopee, MN
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 10:24 am Post subject: Mission |
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The travel bug I recently moved (It's A Wonderful Life #3) was attached to a large luggage tag that clearly stated the mission. I liked that I could right away tell where it wanted to go. As it turned out, I was talking a road trip in that direction and was able to help it along. With another bug I saw, I had no idea where it wanted to go so I just left it.
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Hydrohaven
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You know you've gone too deep when strange fish start offering you candy. |
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Marsha and Silent Bob
Past MnGCA President
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 6261
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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My TB, "Bowling Green Bunny" was 50 miles from its goal after nearly 2.5 years and being missing for a good 1.5 of that.
Someone decided it would be a good idea to move it 5 hours south to an Event there where it was logged by numerous people at the event as "discovered" which I happily deleted.
I'm attached to that TB but it's because it's my first 
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Sad state of affairs. |
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Centris
Past MnGCA Chair
Joined: 27 Nov 2002
Posts: 620
Location: Southwest WY
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 2:35 pm Post subject: Re: Question for the TB vetrans... |
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| hydrohaven wrote: |
| 1. What types of TB missions have the best success? |
I like those with quests that are fun and not so strict... and are reasonable and fairly easy to fulfill, such as placing tbug in a cache that has a certain word or a certain theme or looking for certain animals or names. A general goal rather than a super specific goal. I will go the extra mile for a fun goal that is within reach.
Attach a tag with tbug instructions and the goal of your tbug, not just a note in a baggie. I believe this lessens the chance of it getting picked up and moved somewhere far away from goal (but does not guarantee it - don't freak out to find your tbug 30 miles from goal and then suddenly in Hawaii - it happens)
My best advice for a tbug is a small easily replaced item, nothing that is OOAK or rare or too big. Choose something that is not too too common either -- nobody seems to make a big effort for the 20th identical McD beanie or figurine they have seen.
I think key tags are a pretty good choice, usually small, waterproof and sturdy and won't get too banged up in transit -- lots of variety available and yet not so interesting that they get kidnapped. Matchbox cars are pretty easy to tote also.
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| 2. What types of TB missions are not recommended? |
Anything too strict or has too many "rules". People are going to take your tbug places that are not on your list and drop it at events and drop it in caches you have forbidden. It is out of your hands and out of your control no matter what you write on the bug page.
Choose something attainable.
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| 3. Can TB's be given multiple missions? |
Of course you can, it's your tbug and if it actually fulfills a mission and is available for another one -- WOOHOO!!
I honestly think that most people who pick up tbugs have good intentions to move them and place them and look for ways to do their goals, but sometimes things happen. Tbugs get lost and resurface and get lost again no matter what the goal is. |
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King Boreas
Geocacher
Joined: 16 Dec 2002
Posts: 2348
Location: Exploring Minnesota
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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| My best advice for a tbug is a small easily replaced item |
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yep. I have travel bugs that have been replaced numerous times. |
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loneeagle_24
Geocacher
Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Posts: 870
Location: Montevideo
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| Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| 1. What types of TB missions have the best success? |
I have a couple of examples of Tb's (actually ones a coin), that have had pretty good luck. One of my TB was a miniature set of lincoln logs on a keychain. It's goal was to visit anytplace or site that had the name lincoln in it. I have gotten pictures of cars, busts (heads), schools, wildlife areas, etc. http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=35025
One coin I have has a tall tale theme to it. http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=86743
I also have one that is a little santa claus on top of a house. This one is one that has surprised me. I didn't think it would go to far and it has traveled many, many miles.
http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=44980
I have several others that have only made one or two caches and then dissapear. The only way you know if it is interesting is if you send it out and it keeps going.
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King of the Jeff Gordon TB's!
They put that cache WHERE? |
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