June 16, 2014 / Eric Schudiske /

Trackable Do’s and Don’ts

MailerImage_0616014_TravelBugEtequette_vFINAL_blog

There are literally thousands of Travel Bug® trackables bounding around the world right now. They’re powered by geocachers, traveling geocache to geocache. Travel Bugs travel in pockets, backpacks, purses and snuggle up in suitcases for long distance voyages. Sometimes though, their travels stop cold. Standby for a sad emoticon. 🙁

The trackables get stuck in couch cushions, lost in the kitchen junk drawer or simply (and sadly) forgotten.

Here are 3 tips to help Travel Bugs do what they do best: travel. First, if you find a Travel Bug® or any trackable in a geocache, you are not required to trade anything for it. But if you take it, follow some common sense trackable etiquette. It all starts by entering the tracking code here.

• Log that you have retrieved the Travel Bug or trackable from the geocache as soon as you’re able. By logging that you’ve retrieved it, the Travel Bug owner, geocache owner and all those looking for Travel Bugs will know that this one is on the move.

• Check the Travel Bug’s goal by going to its page. It’s as easy as typing in the tracking code. Then you can find out if it’s headed to beaches around the world, mountain tops in Austria or somewhere else. The idea is to place the Travel Bug in a geocache that will move it closer to its goal.

• Drop the trackable in the next geocache and log that you have done so. If you need to keep the trackable for more than two weeks, please email the owner to let them know that their trackable is taking a short rest, but will be on the road again soon.

But wait, etiquette doesn’t stop there. Share this video on Geocaching Etiquette with the new geocachers in your life.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXzIu7p82jg]

January 13, 2014 / Annika /

New Years Resolutions for…Your Travel Bug®

The beginning of each year is traditionally the time to set new goals. Some might want to shed a few extra pounds, or make more time for family and friends.

As a geocacher, you can set very specific goals to up your geocaching game in 2014. You might want to tackle a D5/T5 or finally find this tricky geocache that you just cannot spot. You maybe want to host your first CITO-Event (Cash in Trash Out) or hide a creative geocache.

Continue reading →

November 18, 2013 / Eric Schudiske /

The First Geocaching First-to-Find in Space

rick in space with Travel Bug — Rick Mastracchio with the International Space Station Travel Bug

An American astronaut Rick Mastracchio (AstroRM) enters the Geocaching history books. He logged the First-to-Find (FTF) on one of the most exclusive geocaches in existence. It’s a geocache hidden five years ago aboard the International Space Station. The geocache has orbited 260 miles above the Earth since geocaching pioneer and video game designer Richard Garriott created the geocache in 2008.

Signed logbook on the International Space Station geocache

Astronaut Rick Mastracchio’s FTF log reads, “The geo space bug (TB5JJN1) has made it to the Russian Service Module, panel 218. He traveled from Waterbury, CT to Houston, TX to Cologne, Germany to Moscow, Star City Russia, to Baikonur Kazakhstan where it launched on a Russian Soyuz Rocket to the International Space Station. He has traveled around the space station and will continue to do so for the next 6 months. When he is not traveling he will be staying with me in my very small crew quarters. He hangs/floats on my wall and waits for more adventures while I do research and perform experiments here on ISS. Thanks for getting this little guy started Cizzors. Every journey starts with the first step and you took the first step of this one. Rick.”

Mastracchio thanked fellow Connecticut geocacher Robert Cizauskas (Cizzors) who first introduced the idea of geocaching to the astronaut. More than 26,000 geocachers at nearly 1,200 events around the world celebrated Geocaching in Space during Mastracchio’s launch into orbit.

The Travel Bug with Mission 38 hitchhikers to be delivered to schools back on Earth — The Travel Bug with hitchhikers to be delivered to schools back on Earth

The Travel Bug is riding along with Mastracchio on an educational mission. He’ll use the Travel Bug as a tool to teach kids back on Earth about geography and science.

The Travel Bug is scheduled to return to Earth when Mastracchio finishes his six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

The previous Travel Bug Richard Garriott carried to the space station remained on-board the ISS for three years. It accumulated more than 350 million miles as it orbited the Earth. That Travel Bug returned to Earth by one of the last U.S. Shuttle missions to visit the International Space Station.

Watch the video of Richard Garriott’s mission to space. Leave your best wishes for Rick Mastracchio below in comments.

October 23, 2013 / Eric Schudiske

A Geocaching in Space Event Owner’s Guide to the Galaxy

(Click for German Language Version)

smaller geocaching in space image

Whether you’re watching the rocket launch live or celebrating the spirit of exploration afterward, you’re part of a global community of adventurers commemorating a big day in geocaching history. Find and share your event now through this interactive global map. We’re here to help connect your event to the worldwide geocaching community and make it a success.

When is the Launch:

November 7 at 04:08 a.m. GMT – Convert to your time zone here

Where to Watch the Launch on the Web:

NASA Television: coverage of the launch begins an hour before liftoff.

NASA TV iPhone App

NASA TV Android App

What Else to Watch at Your Event:

Join Geocaching HQ from our Geocaching in Space event with a Google Hangout, beginning approximately 15 minutes before the launch.
Tagboard.com/SpaceCaching Follow and join the Geocaching in Space community by tagging #SpaceCaching on your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, tumblr, Vine, and Google+ posts.
Geocaching’s First Trip to Space
Watch the Geocaching in Space “Galazycache” Short Film
Travel Bug Travels
2 Million Geocaches in 1 Minute
What is Geocaching?
Was ist Geocaching? (German version)

How to Celebrate:

New Limited-Edition Geocaching in Space Mission Patch

Order and show off your new Geocaching in Space Mission Patch. All proceeds from the sale of the patch will be donated to the educational charity Donorschoose.org. And of course, you should go geocaching after the event.

Who to Invite:

Reach out to the local community to join in the historic event and the adventure of geocaching. Use the text below as a guide when posting the event to local blogs, sending the announcement to newspapers, or alerting the media about your unique event.

Join a celebration of the spirit of exploration ________ night/morning. A symbol of exploration and adventure rockets into space on (insert local time). It’s known as a Geocaching Travel Bug®. An astronaut is taking the Travel Bug to the International Space Station and will use the it to teach students back on Earth about geography and science. A group of local adventurers, known as geocachers, will be hosting an event to watch the rocket launch live. They’re joining geocachers at more than 1000 geocaching events around the world celebrating the launch. Everyone is welcome to join in the celebration.

Meet at __________ at ______________ to witness a moment in history, watch a rocket launch and maybe experience the adventure of geocaching afterward.

Please go to Geocaching.com, sign-in or sign-up and RSVP to (your Event URL) so we know to expect you.

What if the launch is delayed?

Still hold your event, watch some of the other videos, earn your souvenir and celebrate the spirit of exploration from Geocaching in Space.

Questions?

Check out the Geocaching in Space FAQ

Official Blog

Tag: Trackables