Glossary

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See also the Lexicon.

A

B

  • Banners - A banner is a small graphical image that you can include on your own website which contains information about your hides and finds.
  • Bonehead – getting in the background of someone else's geocaching photo, usually at an event cache.

C

  • Cache - See Geocache.
  • Cache Creep - The cumulative effect of geocachers returning a cache to a very slightly different position each time it is replaced. Over time, the cache "creeps" into an entirely different place.
  • CIH - Cache In Hand. Written in logs as a shortcut to say you actually physically found the cache.
  • CITO - Cache In Trash Out - When out geocaching, take a bag with you and pick up trash along the way!
  • Challenge Cache - A cache type that requires other geocachers to achieve a goal or challenge set by the geocache owner and then when qualified, to find the physical geocache hidden by the cache owner.
  • Compass - A low tech direction finding device.
  • Confluence - A confluence is defined as a flowing together; a meeting place (often of rivers). In our case a degree confluence is the exact spot where an integer degree of latitude and an integer degree of longitude meet.
  • Coordinates - A set of numbers in latitude and longitude that define a location on earth. In geocaching terms, this is where the cache should be located.

D

  • Datum - A datum is something used as a basis for calculating and measuring. In the case of GPS, datums are different calculations for determining longitude and latitude for a given location. Geocaching uses the WGS84 datum for all caches. WGS84 stands for World Geodetic System 1984.
  • Difficulty - A subjective rating on how difficult it will be to locate / find the cache once you get to Ground zero.
  • DIDO - Drive in, drive out. An easier cache to find as they could drive all the way to the cache location.
  • DNF - Did Not Find - a log reporting that a geocacher searched but did not find the cache.

E

F

  • FTF - First to find. Usually found in the forums or written in the online or physical log books.
  • FTF Hound - First To Find Hound. One who revels in finding a new cache first.
  • FDF - First Day Find, a cache found within 24th hours or 1 day after it was hidden.
  • FHAYMD - Fascinated to hear about your mobile device. An appropriate reply to "Sent from my mobile device".

G

  • GAFF - Geocaching Assistance Finding Factor.
  • GAxxxx - Geocaching Australia waypoint identifier.
  • GCxxxx - Geocaching.com waypoint identifier.
  • Geoart - A collection of geocaches, sometimes Traditional, sometimes Virtual laid out to form some kind of shape or symbol.
  • Geocache - The object for which you seek in Geocaching.
  • Geocaching - A hide and seek game using GPS technology.
  • GPFAC - Great place for a cache
  • GPS - A system of satellites used for geocaching.
  • GPS - Common term for GPS receiver.
  • GPSr - The device used to track the GPS Satellites.
  • GPX - GPS Exchange Format - Geocachers use GPX files to download cache coordinates into their GPS receiver or other software.
  • Great circle - A great circle is a circle on the surface of a sphere that has the same circumference as the sphere, dividing the sphere into two equal hemispheres.
  • Ground zero - Ground Zero (GZ for short). The place where your GPS indicates the cache should be located.

H

  • Haystacking - Hiding a cache in a place that has an extremely large number of possible hiding places.
  • Hint - Listed on the cache description page but encoded. Decode the hint if you need some extra assistance to locate the cache.
  • Hitch hiker - A hitchhiker is an item that is placed in a cache, and has instructions to travel to other caches. Sometimes they have logbooks attached so you can log their travels. Travel bugs and Swaggies are examples.

I

J

K

L

  • Large cache - Of the 4 physical cache sizes, this one is the largest.
  • Letterboxing - Letterboxing is similar to Geocaching, but you use a series of clues to find a container. Once you find the container (or letterbox), you take a carved stamp from the box and stamp your personal logbook. You then take your carved stamp and stamp the letterbox's log book.
  • LGA - A unit of local administration, commonly known as a "council." They can serve as an intriguing backdrop for geocaching adventures, similar to how county challenges are popular among geocachers in the USA.
  • Listing - Publishing a new geocache for others to find.
  • LOC - The original download format for the search results page on geocaching.com which is an xml file containing a miminal amount of information about a particular cache.
  • Logging - The act of writing the online log.
  • Logo - The various logos used by Geocaching Australia.

M

  • Micro cache - Of the 5 physical cache sizes, this one is the second smallest, only supplanted by a nano. Nano's are only recognised at Geocaching Australia.
  • Multi-cache - Also known as an offset cache, this cache is not found at the listed co-ordinates. The listed set of co-ordinates will generally lead you to a location where you may be required to gather additional information which will be used to find the final cache location. There may be a cache at the listed co-ordinates, but in general terms, this cache will have a puzzle or additional co-ordinates to visit which you must do in order to find the actual cache. This different from a Mystery cache.

N

  • Nano Cache - A tiny cache, with enough room for a tiny log only. - Don't...Just Don't.
  • Neighbours - Cachers that live close to your home coordinates, as stored in your profile.

O

P

Q

R

S

  • STF - Second to find. Especially disappointing if the finder is expecting to be the First to find
  • Spoiler - A spoiler is information that can give details away and ruin the experience of something. For example, telling someone the end of a movie before they see it. In geocaching, a spoiler gives away details of a cache location and can ruin the experience of the hunt.
  • Small cache - Of the 4 physical cache sizes, this one is number 2 in increasing size.
  • Stash note - A stash note is a sheet of paper placed inside the cache container indicating that this is a geocache, what geocaching is and what to do if accidentally found.
  • StatPack - The Geocaching Australia StatPack is designed to allow you to create your own statistics.
  • Status - Is a cache available, unavailable or archived? This indicates Status
  • Swag - Trinkets and goodies, usually child friendly, that can be taken and swapped with other objects of similar value.
  • Swaggie - A Swaggie is a uniquely Australian trackable hitch hiker that can be placed in a cache.

T

  • Terrain - A subjective rating on how difficult you will find it getting to GZ.
  • TFTC - Thanks For The Cache, Alt. TFTH - Thanks For The Hunt.
  • Traditional cache - A standard cache that has at a minimum, container and a logbook. The traditional cache can be found at the co-ordinates which are provided on the cache page.
  • Travel bug - A Travel Bug is a Geocaching.com Hitch hiker.
  • Trigpoint - A form of Virtual geocache, usually somewhere scenic.
  • TNLN - Took Nothing. Left Nothing. Usually found in cache logbooks for folks that enjoy the thrill of the hunt more than the material contents of the cache.
  • TNLNSL - Took Nothing. Left Nothing. Signed Log

U,V & W

  • Virtual cache - Adapted from "Virtual Reality," virtual means "nothing there." So a virtual cache means there is no cache container. It's the location that is the cache itself. Nothing is normally traded, except photos and experiences.
  • WAAS - WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System, but that doesn't really describe what it is. Not available in Australia. See Garmin About WAAS.
  • Waypoint - A Waypoint is a location on Earth defined by a set of GPS coordinates.
  • WWJHI – Where Would Jesus Hide It - geocache hider sarcasm for "I feel like being a bastard"

X,Y & Z

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