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Glossary of Geocaching Related Terms

10 YEARS! EVENT CACHE:  A grandfathered Geocache type.  These event caches were held to commemorate Geocaching’s 10th anniversary.

ALR – Additional Logging Requirement. These are optional logging requirements other than signing the log of the found cache.

AMIAT – Another Micro In A Tree

Ammo Can – The design of ammunition storage boxes are well suited for geocache containers and are held in high regard as quality finds.  Depending on the size of the Ammo Can, they can be the regular or large cache size.

A.P.E. Cache or Project A.P.E – Caches that were hidden in 2001 in conjunction with the release of the movie Planet of the Apes.  There were 14 caches placed initially and they contained props from the movie for the First To Find geocachers. There are two A.P.E caches left in the world. One in Brazil and the other in Washington state, USA.

AR_CacheName – Augmented Reality cache.  Requires the user to use a software app to find the cache.

Archive – When a geocache listing is permanently removed from game play.  A cache may be archived by the Cache Owner (CO), a reviewer, or Groundspeak HQ.

Attributes – Qualities or characteristics of a geocache that give the finder extra information about the hide.  Represented by graphics on the cache page listing, attributes provide helpful hints as to hazardous conditions, accessibility, and seasonal availability.

AWP – Additional Waypoint

Basic Member – The free membership option.  This type of account offers entry level access to geocaches and features on the website.  See Premium Member.

Benchmark – Survey markers as reported by NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS)

BOCP – Base Of Concrete Post

BOP – Base Of Post

BOT – Base Of Tree

Bison Tube – A brand of small cylindrical, water-tight metal containers

Bookmark Lists – A tool used to group geocaches in any manner useful to the Premium Member

BYOP – Bring Your Own Pen:  An initialism that warns finders that the Geocache container does not provide a writing instrument for their use.

BYOT – Bring Your Own Tool

C&D – Cache and Dash

CACHE: short for Geocache

CACHE ALONG A ROUTE – A feature on the Geocaching.com website that allows Premium Members to define a specific route and the resultant query provides a list of caches along that route.

CITO – Cache In Trash Out

CACHE IN TRASH OUT (CITO) EVENT CACHE:  A Geocaching type that centers around the clean-up and disposal of litter in a particular location.  Geocachers should practice CITO at every opportunity not just at events!

CACHER – Someone who Geocaches

CITO – Cache In Trash Out:  Geocachers must respect our playing field.  The Earth!  While Geocaching bring a trash bag along and pick up trash to help our environment.

CACHE OWNER – The hider of the Geocache container who also has the responsibility to maintain the cache and periodically review the caching hiding guidelines to ensure the cache meets all requirements.  You will often see this abbreviated as CO or C.O.

CHALLENGE CACHE – a type of cache that allows the Cache Owner to define a set of caches to be found as an Additional Logging Requirement.  These types of caches have a physical container to find and should be logged online after the Additional Logging Requirements are met.

CHARTER MEMBER – Geocachers who have been Premium Members from the first year that Geocaching.com started to today.

CLF – Chain Link Fence

CO – Cache Owner

COLLECTIBLE – When a trackable item is set as Collectible, the item can be kept by the finder and does not have to moved to another cache.

COLLECTION – The private list of a cacher’s trackable items.  See Inventory

COORDINATES – The latitude and longitude of a geocache or waypoint.

COTD – Cache Of The Day

CREED – Guidelines that geocachers abide by in order to promote safe, ethical, and responsible geocaching.

DATUM – Calculations used to determine the latitude and longitude for a specific location on the Earth.  These calculation sets are used to translate positions on a map to their physical locations on the Earth. Geocaching.com uses the WGS84 (World Geodetic System) datum for all of their geocache listings.

DIFFICULTY/TERRAIN – The system used to describe the ease or complexity of finding a geocache. Difficulty refers to how intellectually challenging it will be to find the cache. Terrain refers to how physically demanding the features of the land will affect the ability to find the cache.  Geocaching.com uses a 5 star system (with half star increments) to rate each type of geocache. There are 81 possible combinations of the Difficulty and Terrain ratings.

DIPPING – When a geocacher logs a trackable in a geocache then immediately retrieves it back into their inventory.  Most cachers do this to map their trackables’ mileage and thus create a route of their geocaching exploits.

DISABLE – When a geocache is disabled, it is temporarily not in play due to a variety of reasons. For instance, the container could require maintenance or is missing all together. Caches that are disabled for long periods of time may be archived.

DISCO – Disguised Container

DNF – Did Not Find: This indicates that the geocacher did not find the geocache.  DNF entries are valuable to cache owners since they may indicate that the cache is missing or has been moved from its intended location.  You should ALWAYS log your DNFs.

EARTH CACHE:  A type of Geocache where cachers learn about our planet.  A geological feature is often highlighted at an Earth Cache location.  You can learn more about Earth Caches here.

E-LOG – The online version of the physical cache log

EO – Event Organizer

EOW – End Of Wall

EVENT CACHE:  This type of Geocache is where Geocachers meet and discuss Geocaching.  The Event cache pulls together the local caching community and containers, Pathtags, and stories are often exchanged.  After the Event cache, participants log the cache as attended.

Favorite Point – A Favorite Point (or FP) is awarded to geocaches that go above and beyond the average hide.  Premium Members earn one Favorite Point for every ten finds they accumulate.  The Premium Member can then hand out Favorite Points as they see fit.  This tells the Cache Owner (CO) that they really appreciated the hide for whatever reason.  The hide could have had a scenic view, hidden in an unusual or funny way, or maybe the finder was First To Find (FTF).

FIGS – Found In Good Shape

Find Count – The total number of caches a geocacher has found.

FIZZY CHALLENGE – A personal caching goal to find at least 1 cache for every possible combination of the Difficulty and Terrain ratings for geocaches.  There are 81 possible combinations. This challenge is named after the cacher FizzyMagic.

FTF – First To Find: The lucky Geocacher that finds a geocache first and signs a blank log.  This is a highly coveted honor and the competition in most cities is quite serious.  Some cache owners leave rewards/presents for the FTF.

GC – Geocache or GeoCoin

GC Number – The unique code that identifies a geocache, such as GC830GX (Wildwood Library cache).  The name of a cache can be changed, but its unique identifier code (GC Number) cannot.

GEOCACHE:  A hidden container that has a logbook for finders to sign.  These containers come in all sizes and shapes.  A clever hider will camouflage the container so well that it may be right in front of you and you don’t see it.  A family favorite is the ammo can since it contains large amounts of treasure!

GEOCACHER – Someone who geocaches

GEOCACHING:  A hybrid word originating from the words GEO and CACHING.  A cache, in tradition terms, was a hiding place for keeping provisions (food, water, tools, etc) concealed for later use.  GEO means from the earth or ground.  GEOCACHING combines these meanings to describe someone hiding a container, recording the location’s coordinates, publishing the location to the public, and someone finding the container.  The original name was GPS Stash coined by the inventor of GEOCACHING, Dave Ulmer, in April 2000.  This name was changed later because of the negative connotations of the word STASH.

Geocaching HQ Geocache: This one-of-a-kind cache is located at the Geocaching Headquarters in Seattle, Washington.  If you would like the opportunity to find this cache, make an appointment at least 48 hours in advance by sending an email to hqvisits@geocaching.com.

GEOCOIN:  A metal or wooden coin which is usually trackable online and moves from cache to cache.  The first geocoin was developed by Jon Stanley (geocacher name:moun10bike).

GEOSENSE: That silent intuition that tells your subconscious where the cache is located.

Giga-Event Cache: An event cache where over 5,000 people are in attendance.  This type of cache does not occur often, but when it does geocachers from all corners of the globe converge to participate.  Similar to the Mega-Event.

GPS – The Global Positioning System is a three segmented, government owned system used to provide Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) for the public, business, and other governmental agencies. The three segments are Space, Control, and User.  The Space segment is the constellation of satellites that transmits one way signals to Earth.  The Control segment maintains satellite positioning and adjusts clock timing for the system. The User segment consists of the various GPS receivers (see GPSr) that receive the one way signal from space and translates it into a position on Earth. The U.S. Air Force maintains the system.

GPS Adventures Maze Exhibit: This exhibit is designed to educate people about the Global Positioning System, geocaching, and related technologies.  This is an interactive exhibit.

GPSr – Global Positioning System receiver:  Equipment used to receive positioning signals for navigation and/or location. You may use your car GPSr, handheld, or smartphone to Geocache.  I used this Nokia N95 for my first find (accuracy was 30 feet)

GPX – A common format that allows the exchanging of data between GPS devices.

Ground Zero (GZ) – The actual spot where the cache is located.  Your GPSr should indicate a distance of zero to the cache when you have arrived at GZ.  Due to variations in signal strength, bounce, and other detractors, your results may vary.

GROUNDSPEAK – The company behind the geocaching.com website. The company is located in Seattle, Washington and was founded in 2000.

GROUNDSPEAK HEADQUARTERS CACHE:  Groundspeak is the parent company of Geocaching.com and their headquarters are in Seattle, Washington.  Cacher can visit and find the cache there.  If you would like to visit, send an email to contact@groundspeak.com.

GZ – Ground Zero

HAK – Hide A Key

HIPS – Hidden In Plain Sight

HUCKLEBUCK – An verbal announcement indicating to other searchers that you have found the cache

ICP – Ivy Covered Post

ICT – Ivy Covered Tree

Inventory – The list of trackables in a cacher’s possession that are moved from cache to cache.  This list is visible to other cachers.

JASMER CHALLENGE – A personal goal to find caches placed in every month since geocaching began in May 2000. The challenge is name after jasmerb.

Lab Caches: These types of caches are experimental in nature.  Lab Caches allow the Groundspeak (geocaching.com) folks to test new ideas.

Latitude – Parallel lines on a  map or globe that run horizontal. Latitudinal lines do not intersect. The Equator is the starting point (zero degrees) which divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. If a location resides north of the Equator its corresponding Latitude coordinate will be denoted with an N (such as N 29° 31.072).

Letterbox Hybrid: A type of Geocache that is also a Letterbox.  Letterboxing is slightly different from Geocaching.  Letterboxing incorporates a hidden container along with a rubber stamp for the finder to use to log his find.  You can find out more here.

LHS – Left Hand Side

LN – Left Nothing

LOFTS – Logged Only For The Smiley

LOC – This was the first format used at Geocaching.com to download geocaching information. It includes only the fundamental data.

LOCATIONLESS CACHE:  This Geocache type was also known as a Reverse cache.  Cachers were required to locate a specific object and log its coordinates.  This is now known as Waymarking.  Find out more about Waymarking here.

Lock and Lock – is a brand name of a type of plastic container used extensively in geocaching. It gets its name from that fact that the lid locks down over the container providing a water tight seal.

LOG – When used as a noun a log is the physical or online documentation of finding a geocache or trackable, attending an event, or recording a Did Not Find or Needs Maintenance. When used as a verb it is the action of documenting the before mentioned items.

LOGBOOK – The physical notebook or strip of paper used to document finding a cache.

LONGITUDE – Lines on a map or globe that delineates East from West. Unlike the parallel lines of latitude, longitudinal lines all meet at the North and South Poles. The starting point for longitudinal lines is the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England (zero degrees). The longitudinal position locations are measure as East or West of the Prime Meridian. (such as W 098 38.521).

LPC – Lamp Post Cache. Many Muggles (see below) don’t know that the cover of the base of a lamp post slides up.  This provides a hidden spot to hide a geocache.

LTF – Log To Follow

LWF – Log Will Follow

NAG – Not A Guardrail

MKH – Magnetic Key Holder

MKS – Magnetic Key Safe

MEGA-EVENT CACHE:  An Event Cache that has 500 or more attendees.  These can have a few days of planned activities (Such as GeoWoodstock) or be as short as 15 minutes (Flashmob).

MICRO – The smallest size of a geocache. Cache sizes are classified by volume.  A Micro sized cache will hold less than 100 milliliters.

MTT – Multi Trunked Tree

MUGGLE:  Someone who is not a GEOCACHER.

MUGGLED – When a cache has been disturbed, broken, or removed by someone not playing the game.

MULTI-CACHE:  A Geocache type that leads you to two or more locations.

NANO – A size not officially recognized by Geocaching.com.  It is the smallest sized caches usually a bit smaller than your pinky fingernail.

NA – Needs Archiving

NIAH – Needle In A Haystack

NM – Needs Maintenance

NON-COLLECTIBLE – Trackables that are ear-marked to travel from cache to cache, or geocacher to geocacher.  When you log a non-collectible trackable, you will have the options to drop, grab, and discover it.

OCB – Original Can of Beans

OFTN – One For The Numbers

OPS – Obvious Pile of Sticks or Stones

P&G – Park and Grab

PAF – Phone A Friend (see below)

PATHTAG:  A type of Signature Item that is similar to a Geocoin but is traded.  Pathtags can be personalized for Geocachers and have become hot commodities.

Phone A Friend or PAF: When geocachers can’t find a cache they sometimes look at the logs of the cache to see if someone they know has found the cache.  They then call that person to get a slight nudge, hint, or exact location of the container.

PI or P.I – Poison Ivy (I found out the hard way)

PO – Poison Oak

PMO – Premium Member Only

POCKET QUERY:  A customized file (.zip or .gpx) that can be downloaded and used with a GPSr or software to show a selected set of GEOCACHES.

POSTED COORDINATES – The actual coordinates of a Traditional or Event cache, or the starting point for a Multi-Cache. The posted coordinates for Puzzle or Mystery Caches are usually a moot point (not sorry for the pun) since the final resting place of the container has nothing to do with the coordinates given to you. Occasionally a Puzzle Cache will be at the posted coordinates.

POWER TRAIL – A series of caches placed close together and easily found. Power Trails are designed to greatly increase your total number of finds in a short period of time.

PQ – Pocket Query

PREFORM – A container made of polyethylene terephthalate normally used as soda bottles. The preform is the stage of the bottle before high pressure air is used to expand it into its final size.

PREMIUM MEMBER – The paid membership offered at Geocaching.com.  It offers many features and tools not available to the Basic Member.  Is the Premium Membership right for you? Check here

PROJECT A.P.E. CACHE:  Originally, a set of 14 Geocaches were hidden in conjunction with the 2001 movie Planet of the Apes.  Props from the movie were put in specially marked ammo cans for the First To Find.  There are only 2 Project A.P.E. caches remaining in the world.  They are located in Brazil (Mission 4: Southern Bowl GCC67 ) and near Seattle, WA (Mission 9: Tunnel of Light GC1169)

PUZZLE or MYSTERY CACHE:  A type of Geocache that usually involves solving a puzzle.  This type of cache is also used when a unique Geocache does not fall under another cache type.

QEF – Quick Easy Find

RAF – Replaced As Find

REVIEWER – Volunteers who vet geocaching listings to ensure they abide by the guidelines. Notice the word Volunteers. Reviewers spend hours reviewing cache listings for content and location issues. Please be respectful of your local reviewer!

RHS – Right Hand Side

ROT13 – ROTATE by 13 places:  A simple substitution cipher that replaces a letter with the 13th letter after it (i.e. A=N, B=O, etc.).  You will find HINTS to GEOCACHES coded by this method.

SBA – Should Be Archived

SIGNAL – Short for Signal The Frog.  The official mascot of Geocaching.com

SIGNATURE ITEM – Personal items left in caches for trading.  These can be wooden coins, GeoCoins, playing cards, poker chips, etc.

SL – Signed Log

SOOP – Something Out Of Place

SPOILER – A description, photo, or any information that reveals the hiding place of a geocache or the experience of finding a specific cache.

SPOR – Suspicious Pile Of Rocks

STF – Second To Find

SWAG – Stuff We All Get:  An acronym for the trading items left inside GEOCACHES.  Usually small trinkets, kid’s meal toys, or signature items.  If you take a piece of SWAG from a CACHE, it is customary to leave something of equal or greater value.

TAF – Text A Friend

TB – Travel Bug (see below)

TB Hotel – Travel Bug Hotel, A geocache that is earmarked as a place to exchange Trackables. These caches are usually placed near high traffic areas (airports, tourist spots, etc.) and encourages cachers to move trackables along their journey.

TFTC – Thanks For The Cache:  A quick log entry that barely acknowledges the trouble and effort put into hiding a geocache.

TFTE – Thanks For The Event

TFTH – Thanks For The Hide

TN – Took Nothing

TNLN – Took Nothing Left Nothing

TNLNSL – Took Nothing Left Nothing Signed Log

TOTT – Tools Of The Trade, tools that are used by cachers to find, reach, or retrieve geocaches. These may include (but not limited to) ladders, grabbers, magnets, and climbing gear.

TP – Telegraph Post

TRACKABLE – an item assigned a unique code that is tracked on Geocaching.com. These include Travel Bugs, GeoCoins, T-shirts, tattoos, or vinyl clings on vehicles.

TRACKING NUMBER – The unique code assigned to a trackable.  This number is not advertised and is used to prove that the finder actually found the trackable.

TRADITIONAL CACHE:  A GEOCACHE type where the posted coordinates designate the container’s actual location.

TRAVEL BUG:  A trackable tag (usually a dog tag) attached to an item that allows the owner to track its location from GEOCACHE to GEOCACHE, or  person to person.

TTT – Triple Trunked Tree

SIGNATURE ITEM:  A personal “I was here” token that is left behind in a cache or traded at events.  This can take the shape of a business card, wooden nickel, Pathtag, or a log stamp.

UPR – Unnatural Pile of Rocks

VIRTUAL CACHE:  This grandfathered Geocache type is a discovery of a location instead of a physical container.  Cachers may be required to take a photograph, answer a question, or accomplish a specific task.  There are many Geocachers that would like to see this type of cache brought back for new locations.

WATCHLIST – A user specific list of geocaches and trackables that update the user to the status of items on the list. Users receive notifications via email when list items are found, not found, moved to another cache or cacher.

WATERMELON – An verbal announcement indicating to other searchers that you have found the cache

WAYMARKING – Waymarking is when a location on the Earth is marked and information is provided for that location. Waymarking.com provides tools for you to catalog, mark and visit interesting and useful locations around the world.

WAYPOINT – A defined point on the Earth using coordinates (latitude/longitude). These can be the location of a geocache, place to park your car, start of a trailhead, or an intermediate stage of a Multi-Cache.

WEBCAM CACHE:  This Geocache type uses public or private webcams to record the cacher at a location.  This is another grandfathered cache type.

WGS84 – The most current geodetic datum used by GPS receivers.

Wherigo Cache:  A Geocache type where the finder uses a “cartridge” (strange term for software that leads you through the adventure) to interact with real and/or virtual objects or characters.  The cacher is rewarded by finding an actual cache container at the conclusion of their adventure.

XNSL – Exchanged Nothing Signed Log

YAPIDKE – Yet Another Place I Didn’t Know Existed

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If you have a question about a geocaching related term or word, please feel free to contact us.  Just ask your question and include the phrase “Glossary of Geocaching Related Terms” so we know which web page to update.

NOTE: Cache type icons from Geocaching.com