My corporation is based many jumps from a trade hub like Jita. Specifically, 25 jumps through a number of nulsec systems. That's not fun. Originally I thought I was safe traversing that space with a covert ops cloak. That was wishful thinking. Bubbles and gate camps are a big problem…at least for me. Then I got smarter and set my route to avoid all nulsec systems. That produced a route of 42 jumps, including many losec systems. Bubbbles were no longer a problem, but gate camps and talented players made this approach still risky. Although I was successful many times, I lost some very nice ships. Those losses, and the time it takes to make such a round trip, warranted a different approach.
My corp mate suggesting routing thru wormholes. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that? Here's how it works…
In your favorite exploration ship, scan down wormholes within a few jumps. Warp close to each one. Make a note of their identifier and the types of space they lead to (e.g. unknown, dangerous unknown, hisec, losec, nulsec) and their condition (what size ships can get thru, etc).
While still in your exploration ship, hopefully with a covert ops cloak, enter all hisec and losec destinations. Look at your star map and see how many jumps you are from the hub of your choice. If such a route inludes losec or nulsec sites, consider if you feel safe flying thru that path. My preference is for a route that includes no nullsec systems, and hopefully only 1 or 2 losec systems. Return home, then fill cargo on your ship of choice, go thru the wormhole, follow the route to the hub, sell your goods, and return home. Don't forget to set your bookmarks!
If you're lucky, you'll find a route that's only a few hisec sites from a place like Jita. Sometimes you end up with a wormhole that leads to losec, but then it's only a few hisec jumps to a hub. You get the idea.
It does take some time to scout a route, but it's worth it. I've never lost a ship since I started using this approach. I've had to take trips that involved a wormhole, then 17 jumps, but they were all what I considered safe routes.
If you find a good route, take advantage of it. Make 2 or even 3 round trips to unload goods. Wormholes have a habit of disappearing. Don't assume that a route found this morning will be there this afternoon!
September 16, 2021
I was in a wormhole with a Tengu. Had completed a couple relic/data sites and had 35 million in loot. Went to my exit, and found it gone. Frantic, I scanned down two more wormholes. One led to low sec space very distant from my desired location. The other led to high sec space, 13 high sec jumps from Jita. Guess which route I took to get out of dodge? At least I got to sell this loot there. If you’re going to get stuck somewhere, there are far worse places.
Now for the second time I’m marooned in JIta with a valuable ship. Somehow, finding a wormhole route back home is much harder than finding a route from home to a trade hub like Jita. I will likely jump clone home, and then make it a priority to find a way back to Jita, at which time I’ll jump clone there and get the Tengu home.
September 22, 2021
Selling loot is a bit of a challenge when based far from a trade hub. Elsewhere I described the practice of finding wormhole routes. Today I scanned down a wormhole in my local system that led straight to a 0.5 system, which was five hisec jumps to Amarr. It was not nearing end of life, and very large ships could pass through it. My eyes popped open.
I gathered all my loot from two systems, and made two round trips in a Bestower to clean my hangars of virtually everything I wanted to sell. These opportunities don't come up often, but when they do, take advantage of them!
I've made many trips to trade hubs, but they've usually required jumps through a couple of wormholes, and required jumps through null or losec, so there's a higher risk of loss. Direct hisec to hisec connections are great finds!
September 9, 2021
A couple weeks ago, I got stranded near Jita when a wormhole closed up. I left a Stratios behind in a nearby system, and jump cloned back to home base. Then recently I lost an Astero. I needed to replace the Astero and fetch the Stratios. I'd been having a hard time lately finding a route thru wormholes to get anywhere near Jita. Until today.
I found a route to within a few jumps of Dodixie, and hauled loot from data and relic sites out there. I netted 434 million isk, my biggest loot run to date. While there, I picked up a Heron BPO. I made another run back that way to unload some overseer effects at a Concord bureau. Then I put a jump clone in Dodixie before returning home. Next step was to jump there and buy and fit an Astero. Great trip!
A short while later, I found a wormhole route thru losec and hisec to near Jita. Not being able to jump again today, I took a corvette from my home system thru that route, picked up the Stratios, stopped in Jita to pick up some reasonably priced ammo, and came home.
This was a whale of a good day - replaced the Astero, got my Stratios home, sold a ton of loot, picked up a BPO I've been wanting, picked up some ammo I've been needing, and ended the day up about 435 million isk!