When: Saturday, August 20th International Geocaching Day
What time: 11Am-12 Noon
Where: Museum of Native American History 202 SW O St, Bentonville, AR 72712
Come join in on the fun as we Celebrate International Geocaching Day and Draw to a close the fun Duck Dash Trackable Race
In True geocaching fashion come find something you may have missed in your own backyard by enjoying a free tour of the museum afterwards and study one of the largest arrow head collections in the Nation.
Get your International Geocaching day digital souvenir and Duck Race badge (providing the you participated in the race) all in the comfort of nice cool air conditioning
This is a fun quick impromptu event, so no need to bring door prizes or food and drink. Enjoy sharing the stories of your travel bugs and talking with fellow geocachers in just a quick hour.
What is the HQ Duck Dash Trackable Race?
In honor of the 15th anniversary of trackables, we’re hosting a worldwide trackable race featuring the reincarnated Deadly Ducks.
What are the dates of the race?
The race begins July 20, 2016 at 12:01am PST and ends on August 20, 2016 at 11:59pm PST.
How does a trackable win?
Everyone’s a winner! All trackables who place in the following categories will win eternal bragging rights...
What are all of the categories?
Best Trackable Photo
Awarded to the trackables with the best photo from the race as decided by HQ. Photos can be submitted through this form (by the original photographer).
Most Story-Worthy Moment
Awarded to the trackables with the most heartfelt, epic and/or generally entertaining log as decided by HQ. Logs must be submitted through this form (by the trackable owner or logger) to be eligible.
Furthest Distance Traveled
Awarded to the trackables that travel the greatest distance between geocaches from July 20 and August 20.
Most Geocaches Involved
Awarded to the trackables that drop in or visit the greatest number of different geocaches between July 20 and August 20.
Most Geocachers Involved
Awarded to the trackables that are grabbed and moved by the greatest number of geocachers between July 20 and August 20.
How Do I Join the HQ Duck Dash?
1. Get a new unactivated trackable! Enter your duck-themed trackable (like these ones!) or any other trackable without prior travel history.
2. Activate it.
3. Set your trackable’s mission. (Pro Tip: Include instructions to get your trackable to a geocaching event on August 20, International Geocaching Day. See sample text below.)
4. Read the HQ Duck Dash Code of Honor (below). By entering a trackable into this year’s race, you agree to abide by these rules.
5. Enter your trackable into the race by filling out this signup form by July 17, 2016. (All official Deadly Duck tags will be automatically entered into the race.)
6. Watch your trackable race to a geocaching event on International Geocaching Day!
7. You must be 18 years or older to participate.
How many trackables can I enter into the race?
Feel free to go quackers and enter as many trackables in the HQ Duck Dash as you wish.
Can any trackable be entered?
Only trackables without prior travel history are eligible.
What is the Duck Dash Participant’s Code of Honor?
Trackable etiquette is important for (1) ensuring a fun and fair race and (2) furthering world peace. The Participant understands that this race is all in good fun and agrees to exercise, to the best of their ability, good manners such as the following:
- Never, under any circumstance, fake (aka ‘couch’) log a trackable.
- Log that you have retrieved the trackable from the geocache as soon as you’re able.
- Move other trackables along in a timely fashion, even if they are your competitors and your deepest desire is for eternal bragging rights.
- Do not bring chaos to the universe by attaching the same tracking code to multiple objects.
Participant understands that this list is by no means exhaustive and agrees not to seek loopholes of any kind.
Participant understands that violating this Code shall jeopardize (i) the existence of fun in the world and (ii) your trackable’s ability to bring home glory (aka bragging rights) of both the eternal and international kind. Given the size of the geocaching audience (millions!) and shortage of HQ drones, the participant understands that Geocaching HQ will not enforce all aspects of this Code; however, violating this Code may place your trackable at risk of disqualification (seriously).
I found a trackable in a geocache and it is entered in the race. What do I do with it?
Oooo—lucky you! A Travel Bug is a trackable that moves from place to place, picking up stories along the way. Now's your opportunity to learn all about them!
You'll want to "grab" this trackable from the geocache where you found it, then "drop" it into a new cache to continue its journey. Look for the Tracking Code on the trackable, and then check out this trackable page to log it online.
Want to learn more about trackables? Check out the Travel Bug® FAQ.
Someone picked up my trackable and hasn't moved it on - Help!
Sometimes geocachers find trackables and forget to log them. However, if time passes and your trackables is still missing, you have several options:
- Send out a replacement trackables: All trackables come with a copy tag in case the original is lost—attach the copy tag to another item and place it in a new cache
- Or, you can write/etch the TB Code onto another item and place it in a new cache
- The tracking number will still work even if it's on another item
- Make sure you "grab" the trackables from the current holder, then "drop" the replacement into a geocache of your choosing and continue its journey
You can also mark your trackables as missing:
- Go to the right side of the trackable's page
- On the right side of the page, under "Actions" Select "Mark Item Missing" and click "Go"
- This won't affect the mileage of your trackables. If it's is found, it can be placed in a new geocache and continue its journey
Unfortunately, as a geocache listing service, we are not able to make the current holder of your trackables put it back into circulation. This behavior is not mentioned in our Terms of Use, as we do not own the trackables.
Do "Visited" logs (also known as "dipping") count toward the "distance travelled" category?
Yes. "Dropped" and "Visited" logs will count towards your trackable's HQ Duck Dash journey.
Where did a Travel Bugs come from & why Deadly Ducks?
On August 30, 2001, Geocaching.com Founder Jeremy Irish activated the world’s first trackable, TB1. Jeremy says, “When we first started Travel Bugs, I released 7 Deadly Ducks in the wild.” Each of the new trackables were based on one of the deadly sins. These Deadly Ducks, with the names of Envy, Sloth, Pride, Gluttony, Lust and Wrath, headed out into the world to travel from geocache to geocache. (The Greed Deadly Duck was placed in a geocache that was never listed on Geocaching.com and may still be hidden in Virginia.) You can purchase your own Deadly Duck tag at Shop Geocaching.
When is International Geocaching Day?
International Geocaching Day for 2016 falls on Saturday, August 20th.
How do I find an event on International Geocaching Day?
You can find a list of events right here.