Glossary

See also the Lexicon.

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.

CITO - Cache In Trash Out - When out geocaching, take a bag with you and pick up trash along the way!

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.

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.

G

GAFF - Geocaching Assistance Finding Factor.

GAxxxx - Geocaching Australia waypoint identifier.

GCxxxx - Geocaching.com waypoint identifier.

Geocache - The object for which you seek in Geocaching.

Geocaching - A hide and seek game using GPS technology.

G.P.F.A.C- 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 exremely large number of possible hiding places.

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.

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.

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.

Logo - The various logos used by Geocaching Australia.

M

Maintenance - The function of checking on your hidden caches to ensure that:

• The cache is still there
• It hasn't been eaten by The Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
• The cache container retains it integrity and is not leaking.
• Everything inside the cache container is still in good condition.

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

Neighbours - Cachers that live close to your home coordinates, as stored in your profile.

P

• Phone a friend - Calling another geocacher or the cache owner when you can't find the cache container at GZ
• PM - Private Message sent between users on the Geocaching Australia Forum.
• Power trail - Many caches placed along the one walking trail, resulting in near saturation levels.
• Cache Proximity - The distance of one cache from another.

R

Rare Earth Magnets - Made from Neodymium Iron Boron magnets.

Regular cache - Of the 4 physical cache sizes, this one is number 3 in increasing size.

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

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.

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 - TNLN + 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"