Nailed It

Travel with Sleippner.

I got this Mega Thor Hammer to celebrate the fact that I managed to log a geocache every day for a whole year, which earned me my first two diamonds: one for the one year streak, and the other for a full calendar.

What is a trackable?
Trackables are souvenirs with a six character code that want to travel from cache to cache. They may also have other goals, such as traveling to a specific country. You know it is a trackable if it says "Trackable on geocaching.com".

The six character code is used to log that you have discovered the trackable, or picked it up, or dropped it off in a geocache. This enables the trackable's owner (or anyone) to follow its path towards its goal. Owners of trackables love to see photos of their trackables, especially if they reach a goal.

If possible, add the photo to the log of the travelbug rather than the log of the geocache. Most geocaching apps only allow you to post photos to the log of the geocache. To add a photo to the the log of the travelbug, you need to visit the travelbug's web page, in a web browser.  

Trackables are not items for trade. This means that you do not have to leave something in return when you pick up a trackable, but if you do pick it up, you commit to moving it to another geocache that is closer to its goal.

What do I do when I find a trackable? 
You can either leave it in the geocache or take it with you:

1. Leave it: If you leave it where you found it, you can log that you have discovered it. Geocaching apps have features for this, and you can also log it here: https://www.geocaching.com/track/ . This lets the owner know that is still there (and not missing). It would be great if you could include a photo in the log.

2. Take it with you: If you take it with you, you can log that you picked it up. Geocaching apps have features for this, and you can also log it here: https://www.geocaching.com/track/ . Then check what goals the trackable has and place it in another geocache that is closer to its goal. When you log a find on a geocache, you can also have the option to select a trackable that you have dropped. This lets the owner know that you have dropped the trackable in that geocache. It would be great if you could include a photo in the log.

Which geocache should I drop the trackable in?
- The best geocaches are Travelbug Hotels. They are large enough to accomodate several trackables, and they are often visited by geocachers who enjoy moving trackables. They usually have the words "TB Hotel" or "Travelbug Hotel" in the name. Example: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC37G41_heathrow-tb-hotel. Find more hotels on geocaching.com by clicking Change filter, and under Geocache Name Contains ..., write hotel.

- You can also visit an event and hand it over to another geocacher. Example: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC6D576_australian-visitors

What if I can't help the trackable reach it's goal? 
Don't worry. Just place it in any geocache (preferably one where there usually are not a lot of muggles around), and later another geocacher will pick it up.

How long can I hold on to a trackable?
It's OK to hold on to it a few weeks, but if you visit a cool cache while you are holding on to it, make sure to log that the trackable visited it. Geocaching apps have a feature for logging trackables, and including photos of the trackables in the log. The important thing is that you include it in logs regularly so that the owner knows that it is not missing.

If all this is confusing, find a geocaching event near you and ask a fellow geocacher. Happy traveling!

More about trackables:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjSbSsSSTIM

Text: https://www.geocaching.com/track/travelbugfaq.aspx