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Preparing Time Capsule Retrieval Folders
is an indispensable part of your time capsule adventure. This will present a paper trail of your adventure with written and photographic detail so your future family explorers… whether returning in one week, one year, or much later…will be able to confirm the exact placement of your cache. A hard copy backup will probably outlive your computer many times over.
The folder is not deposited with the capsule. Instead, it stays in safekeeping with you or is given to the intended recipients when ready for their wilderness treasure hunt.
We recommend preparing two-time capsule Retrieval Folders with duplicate GPS data forms to identify the precise drop site location.
You also should consider backing up your data to a disk or thumb drive. Why? Because if you leave that data on your computer, it will get lost inside or you will forget where you put it, or the computer will be replaced. This is the value of having independent sources of backup (hard copy or disk or thumb drive) that can be stored separately from your computer.
On our Downloads page, you can download our free Data Sheet (in PDF format) that prompts you to identify any details that will help your descendants to plan their own future excursion to the drop site.
Data entries include GPS coordinates, people in attendance, capsule contents, time, weather, altitude, trail information incident to the time capsule placement, special instructions for retrieval, comments by those in attendance, and more.
1. The Time Capsule Data Sheet
2. A large selection of photo prints from the drop site (including photos of some or all of the contents)
3. Topographic maps to the location when available
4. A close-up GoogleEarth aerial map (see link on References page, which is available on the Internet; optional but helpful)
5. Detailed recollections of the terrain and drop site
6. And general advice about trip preparation, landmarks, and other incidental data.
After you return from your adventure, you need to print your photos and then enter them into both Retrieval Folders.
Why two separate Retrieval Folders? If this is a generational adventure for your family, your young children, or grandchildren, you will keep one folder for yourself. But you need a fail-safe backup too.
You will want to give a copy of this folder (or hard disk or thumb drive) to a relative you can expect to trust with the goods. This is most important for longer duration adventures. People die, forget, lose files, change their minds…whatever. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty common to forget important facts about time capsules and their placement. So make duplicate copies as soon as you return from your trek and resolve this future problem quickly.
You may want to place your drop site GPS coordinates on file with the International Time Capsule Society. Their latest form can be downloaded from our References page. The Society will retain the detail of your time capsule placement and ensure that the data is made available to your descendants if other retrieval information is lost. Keep the link and contact information of the International Time Capsule Society with your most secure possessions, in a safe deposit box, or with your legal files.
Because redundancy is the best protection for ensuring your data can never be lost, we advise another protective measure. Leave your retrieval information with an on-line archive to be delivered to your descendants years into the future. You can link to this service from our References page. When you return from your wilderness drop site, create an email for future delivery (which includes your backup retrieval information). Address it to someone…or some-two…in the family that you anticipate will have the same e-mail address in future years. (Email addresses can always be updated at the site.) This is simply an additional method to lock-in a successful time capsule adventure and leaves your descendants marveling at your good planning.
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