SWAG Items: The Good, Bad, and Horrible

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All of us have come across bad swag. It may have even been horrible swag. Most geoachers forget one of the most important rules of geocaching: if you take an item, you must replace it with something of equal or greater value. Don't just throw in a twig that is on the ground next to you. This could not only make the cache dirty, but it also is just stealing the experience of finding some really great swag from another geocacher. Now, the best, worst, and definitely-do-not SWAG items to put in geocaches.

The Good

There are a lot of good things to put in a geocache. One thing to keep in mind is to have swag that YOU would want to find while caching. Put interesting, useful, or funny items in the geocaches you visit. Travel bugs are also really cool if you have one. Here is a list of the coolest things you can buy to use as SWAG:
  • These sticky hands
  • Compasses
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Rubber Ducks
  • Fake bugs
  • Fidget toys/puzzles
  • Fidget spinners
  • Slinkies
  • Small stuffed animals
  • Carabiners
  • Bouncy balls
  • Extra logs or even a loaded micro for someone else to hide
These are just some ideas. Great places to find these items are in dollar stores or at online shops such as Amazon and Oriental Trading for very cheap prices. Items should always be in good condition and packaged if they are sticky or leave a residue.

The Good: Homemade SWAG

Homemade swag is a fun, easy, and sometimes cheap alternative to buying swag. There are many homemade swag items, some of them are friendship bracelets, tokens, keychains, and small house decor. (fridge magnet, mini painting, etc) Consider browsing through your local crafts store and seeing if you find inspiration. You can also look around your house for loose popsicle sticks and whatnot. Put effort into making your crafts and try to make them durable so that cachers can actually enjoy taking them.

The Bad

There can be a lot of bad things to put in a geocache. You never want to include religious, political, or rude/mean opinions and swag. Also nothing inappropriate. What not to put in a geocache:
  • Items that convey religious ideas and viewpoints
  • Items that convey political ideas and viewpoints
  • Money
  • Something that may make others feel bad
  • Anything inappropriate
  • Food
  • Beverages
  • Foliage/nature
  • Any animals, alive or dead
  • Heavily branded items or something that encourages you to go spend money somewhere (i.e flyers for a restaurant)
You should never put any of these things in a geocache.

The Horrible

These are the things that are practically illegal to put in geocaches. If you stumble upon one of these items in a geocache, get rid of them yourself, ask the cache owner to get rid of them, or contact the police to get rid of them. NEVER, EVER PUT THESE IN A GEOCACHE:
  • Firearms
  • Explosives
  • Substances/alcohol
  • Ammunition
  • Lighters
  • Knives (not even pocket knives or multi-tools)
  • Weapons

I hope you learned a lot about what to include and what to never include in your SWAG bag. We want to keep geocaching a fun and safe activity for people of all ages, opinions, and walks of life. If you are unsure if you can include something in your SWAG bag, comment below or contact me here. Have fun and stay safe!!!

-TeoPotato

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