Day Zero Project: Completed No. 7

A Day Zero Project goal of P.J.’s has been completed!

Goal completed: Create and produce three new pathtags

Date completed: March 19, 2015

Number: 7

Description: Pathtags are small, coin-like items that are used as signature items in geocaching. There is also a very active community that trades, so people’s collections can grow quickly if you do that with your tags. Pathtags, unlike geocoins, that are found in the wild are able to be traded for like any other swag and kept. When you find or trade for a tag, you log it on pathtags.com and it remains in your collection. These tags can have a lot of detail to them and are quite cool. They look like a medium-size coin and have a hole in them, so people can attach them to items, such as a keychain.

Why I wanted to do it: I have had several pathtags made over the years and have always loved them, as well as the community that trades. I have a large ammo can full of these tags (eventually, I am going to take photos of my tag collection, all signature items I’ve collected, and all coins in my personal collection and put them into a coffee table book – hint on a future Day Zero Project goal). I hadn’t had a tag made in several years (remember the whole unemployment thing?) and I wanted to get some new ones done so I could get back to gifting and trading.

How I did it: Since this project started and the time of me writing this, I actually have five either produced, in production, or submitted and awaiting the final blueprint. The designs were either done by me, or by Chris Mackey – an amazing coin and tag designer. The tags are as follows: One in memory of my cat, Molson; my 2015 tag (Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes), a tag for the ASP Geobash Mega, a tag for Geowoodstock, and one to celebrate my 4,000th find, which I hope will be Geowoodstock.

The design process – whether I do my own or have somebody else do it – is the same for the most part. I have an idea, I try and get it down to get an idea and then the final version is made. It’s sent in to get a blueprint, which is then approved or rejected (with notes and what needs to be fixed) by me. That repeats until it goes into production. Then, 4-6 weeks later, the tags come in the mail.

I have a few more in the pipeline and I look forward to having them made.

About P.J.’s Day Zero Project: Day Zero is a project where people come up with 101 things to do over 1001 days. I started the project on August 1, 2014 with an anticipated finish date of April 28, 2017. Goals will not be revealed until they are completed. A private list is at the Day Zero website and the list will be made public upon completion of the project. It’s my thoughts that if things are kept private, should I not do them, change or find a way around it, I’d only be cheating myself.