Trackables, Geocoins and Others!
Trackable items are like little geocaching trophies. You’ll find them in caches or encounter them at geocaching gatherings. Each trackable has a unique identifier that can be used to track its travels on Geocaching.com alongside its physical journey. Some of these items have traveled hundreds of thousands of kilometers thanks to geocachers who move them from cache to cache!
There are three types of trackable items:
Travel Bugs® (TBs), also known as hitchhikers or simply trackables
A Travel Bug is a trackable tag attached to an item. Each Travel Bug has a goal set by its owner. Most often, these goals involve travel, such as visiting every country in Europe or crossing from one coast to another. Travel Bugs move from cache to cache with the help of geocachers like you. See our FAQ section for more details.
Geocoins, also known as geocaching coins
Geocoins are custom-made coins created by geocachers as a sort of trademark or signature. They work exactly like Travel Bugs and are meant to be moved from cache to cache unless otherwise specified by their owners.
Other Trackable Items
Other trackables come in various forms, including patches, keychains, and more. What all trackables have in common is a unique tracking number and an inscription indicating they can be tracked on Geocaching.com. You can find more information about trackables in our FAQ section.
What Should I Do When I Find a Trackable?
When you find a trackable, you’re not required to do anything with it. But if you want to interact with it, you have two options:
Move the Trackable
If you want to move the trackable to another cache, take it with you. You don’t have to trade anything for it as long as you’re willing to help it achieve its goal. To find out its goal, enter the tracking number at www.geocaching.com/track or search for it in the Geocaching app by Groundspeak.
When you take a trackable from a cache and drop it into another, it’s important to log the movement online.
"Discover" the Trackable
If you’ve seen a trackable but didn’t take it, you can still log that you “discovered” it. To do this, note the tracking number (the unique series of letters and numbers engraved on the item).
How Do I Log a Trackable?
Instructions for logging a trackable can be found here. If you move a trackable, it’s important to record its journey online. The logging steps for Travel Bugs, Geocoins, and other trackables are the same.
Be careful not to publicly share the tracking codes or upload photos showing them. These codes are meant only for those who physically have the trackable. If you want to show a TB publicly, use the reference code found on its page (it starts with TB or GC).
Where Can I Get My Own Trackable?
At our shop!
How Do I Activate a Trackable?
To activate a trackable, use the Activation Wizard and submit the trackable’s tracking and activation codes. The tracking code is the unique series of letters and numbers engraved on the item. The activation code is usually included on a card packaged with the trackable.
