How often should a trackable be logged?

[Mattishall Marauders]

When should one log a trackable? My personal view is generally when you pick it up in one cache and drop it off in another. Occasionally, I have logged them as visiting a cache when it is relevant to its mission. For instance, I had a TB with a mission to visit bridges, so I logged it as visiting a cache on a bridge – I could not drop it off there as it was a nano.

I’ve noticed recently that some cachers are logging trackables as taken to a cache every time they visit one. For instance, every cache in a series, although they may be only few hundred metres apart. One TB which has passed through one of our caches was logged as taken to 44 caches in August before being dropped off.

To my mind this creates a “can’t see the wood for the trees” scenario, with a very long list of visited caches, but difficult to see where it’s actually been left. Also it clogs up the map.

What do others think?

[Bear and Ragged]

I'm with your thinking.
When you pick it up, when you drop it off, and if it visits a cache as part of it's mission.
(I will sometimes 'visit' a TB if the caches I'm finding at the time are Micro's, or I feel are TB unfriendly, just to keep the mileage going.

But every cache I visit? :

However... Some cachers have a personal TB that goes around with them, and it visits every cache with the owner. It records the mileage. (There are other ways to get the total mileage you have done, cache to cache!)

[Palujia]

My GAGB coin is in a mileage race - so it visits every cache I do. I don't expect to win as some are thousands of miles ahead but we are in the race for the fun of it - sorry if it seems a bit daft but every yard counts !!

[border caz]

I have a GAGB coin which visits every cache I do as it's in the race.

My dog is a TB and he visits every cache I do when he's with me.

Other people's TBs and coins I log in and out, also if they have a mission which fits they may "visit" with me if for some reason I don't drop them there (usually cache too small to take them).

I also "visit" them sometimes if I've had them a few weeks and haven't found anywhere suitable yet, especially if I'm caching in a different area, to add to the mileage and show the owner that I haven't forgotten I have it. But I wouldn't log it in every cache I did, just once a week at the very most till I found a cache to suit.

I have a TB out in the wild and the previous finders sat on it for 6 months, it was frustrating not knowing if they'd forgotten about it or even lost it, and I didn't like to keep hassling them with e-mails asking.

[Mattishall Marauders]

Thanks for the comments in response to my original post.

What got me thinking about this was that we have recently placed our first caches and have been surprised at how many trackables have been for a visit, without stopping. In the first month at one cache there have been 20 trackables visiting brought by 16 cachers, only one of which has stopped.

Looking at these, at least one is a personal TB belonging to a cacher which travels with them all the time, visiting every cache with them. This seems a good idea as it records personal mileages and routes. I may even try it myself next year. Also I totally understand logging them every time when they are in mileage races etc.

I think really it depends on what the mission is, and to log them accordingly. My main concern was that I was doing it one way, but most others were doing it another. So I shall carry on as I have been doing, but being more aware of the mission of each individual trackable.

[geralduscwmbrensis]

If I pick up a TB or GC I carry it with me on all caching trips and log the mileage, until I find a suitable place for it to continue it's mission.TBs are TRAVEL bugs after all.I would much rather this was done with any of my personal TB's rather than as has happened with someone retrieving one and holding onto to it for 6 weeks before placing it in a cache 1.03 miles from where he found it.It's now been in the next finder's clutches for 4 weeks and even though they have visited suitable caches it has travelled nowhere. :wacko: How diplomatic do you have to be when writing to these people? I make a point of writing after 4 weeks, very politely, but have never so far received a reply.

[border caz]

I've actually changed my thinking a bit since my post above because recently I picked up a TB who was in a race with another TB to visit as many caches as possible - so I've been dipping him in every cache I've been to.

This didn't seem fair on other TBs and GCs I had so I've dipped them in at least one cache every day I find one so their mileage grows.

Also now I have an entry in the West Mids TB race to the Mega 2013 - 1st place is for most mileage, but 2nd is for most caches visited, so I'd like that dipped in every cache too, to get the mileage and number of caches up as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately the cachers who've had it since it was released a month ago haven't read the cache page and aren't doing it!

[Bear and Ragged]

...
Unfortunately the cachers who've had it since it was released a month ago haven't read the cache page and aren't doing it!

Handy if you attach a tag to it, with the mission printed on it.
Useful to know a TB's mission when you find it in a cache, so have to option of Retrieve, or just Discover and leave it for the next cacher, who may be able to help with any mission.

[border caz]

Oops, meant TB page not cache page.

There is a tag saying the TB is in a race so they were aware of that.

When you log that you have picked up a TB you get taken to the TB's page, and most cachers will see then what the mission is and act accordingly!

[Mrs Blorenge]

... and then there are some TB races where the rules are "No visits allowed", so it really does vary quite a bit.

Racing trackables aside, I go along with the idea of not visiting trackables into every cache if you're doing a long circuit or trail. I'd be very happy to have one of mine visit the first and last cache on a long route, rather than have 20, 30, 40+ identical logs saying "XCacher took it to WhateverCache#". That's pretty boring!

But it doesn't bother me enough that I'd ever complain about it - it's better to see them moving around rather than just sitting 'in the hands of' doing nuffin'.