Archiving a cache removes
the listing from public view on Geocaching.com. This action is usually taken
when a cache owner does not intend to replace a cache after it has been
removed. As an alternative to archiving, the cache owner can temporarily
disable their cache if they plan to provide maintenance on the cache or replace
the container within one month.
These are icons on a cache
detail intended to provide helpful information to geocachers
who wish to find specific types of caches. These icons represent unique cache
characteristics, including size, whether the cache is kid friendly, if it is
available 24 hours a day, if you need special equipment and more. Attributes
are also a tool to help you filter the types of caches you would like to search
for when building a Pocket Query.
Using your GPS unit and/or
written directions provided by NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS), you can
seek out NGS survey markers and other items that have been marked in the
A Premium Member feature
that can be used to group cache listings in whatever way you like. You may want
a bookmark list of caches you intend to find this weekend, or perhaps an
"all-time favorite" list you can share with friends.
Bring Your Own Pen/Pencil.
An acronym often used by cache owners to communicate to other geocachers that you will need to bring your writing utensil
in order to sign the cache logbook.
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior,
administers millions of acres of
A
shortened version of the word geocache.
A Premium
Member feature that allows you to identify caches along a specific route for
quick and easy geocaching. You can choose from routes already created by other geocachers or use Google Earth to build your own unique
trip.
During the very early years
of Geocaching.com when Premium Memberships were first offered, they were called
Charter Memberships to thank those who supported the web site. Be sure to thank
the Charter Members you meet on the trail since the site would not be here
today without them.
Cache In
Trash Out is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers
have been dedicated to cleaning up parks and other cache-friendly places around
the world.
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.
Currently, Geocaching uses the WGS84 datum for all caches.
Many maps still use NAD27, which can cause confusion if your GPS unit is set to
NAD27. Always check your GPS to ensure that WGS84 is the datum before entering
a cache coordinate into your unit.
Did Not
Find. An acronym used by geocachers to state that they did not find a cache. This is
also a type of online log on Geocaching.com and is useful for alerting cache
owners of potential issues. Cache owners who repeatedly receive "Did Not
Find" logs should check to see that there cache has not been removed.
Geocaches are rated in two
categories, each designated on a 5-point scale. Difficulty relates to the
mental challenge of finding a cache and terrain describes the physical
environment. A 1/1 difficulty/terrain rating would the easiest cache to find, while a 5/5 difficulty/terrain rating would be the
most difficult.
This is one of several
unique cache types. An EarthCache is a cache that promotes
geoscience education. Visitors to EarthCaches
can see how our planet has been shaped by geological processes, how we manage
the resources and how scientists gather evidence to learn about the Earth.
This is one of several
unique cache types. Events are gatherings set up by local geocachers
and geocaching organizations to meet players and to
discuss geocaching.
First to
Find. An acronym written by geocachers in physical cache logbooks or online when
logging cache finds to denote being the first to find a new geocache.
A unique identifier
associated with every geocache listing. The GC Code starts with the letters
"GC" and is followed by other alphanumeric characters.
A
container hidden that includes, at minimum, a logbook for geocachers
to sign.
Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure.
A geocacher can place a geocache in the world,
pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache’s existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS
unit can then try to locate the geocache.
Geocoins work similarly to Groundspeak
Travel Bugs® in that they are trackable and can
travel the world, picking up stories from geocache to geocache. Geocoins are often created as signature items by geocachers and can also be used as collectibles.
GPS stands for Global
Positioning System. It is a system of satellites that work with a GPS receiver
to determine your location on the planet.
This is one of several
unique cache types. An exhibit cache represents geocaching
participation at the GPS Adventures Maze Exhibit. The GPS Adventures Maze is a
traveling educational exhibit designed to teach people of all ages about
navigation, GPS technology and geocaching.
Slang for a GPS receiver.
Equipment to receive GPS signals for use in navigation.
A specific
file format available when creating a Pocket Query. A Premium Member feature, the GPX file format has
specific geocaching information that can be used by
supporting applications.
The point
where your GPS device shows that you have reached the cache location. At Ground Zero, you are zero feet (or zero meters)
away from your destination.
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. A Travel
Bug is an example of a hitchhiker.
Latitude and longitude
create a waypoint. Latitude is the angular distance north or south from
the earth's equator measured through 90 degrees.
Letterboxing is similar to Geocaching, but you use a series of clues to find a
container. Once you find the container (or letterbox), you use the carved stamp
from the box, stamp your personal logbook and return that stamp to the
letterbox. You then use your carved stamp and stamp the letterbox's logbook.
The
original download format for the search results page on Geocaching.com.
This is one of several cache
types which are no longer available for creation on Geocaching.com. Instead of
finding a hidden container, you are given a task to locate a specific object
and log its coordinates. A scavenger hunt of sorts, it involves collecting
waypoints of various objects around the world.
Locationless caches have evolved into Waymarking.
Waymark categories are similar to how locationless caches were listed on geocaching.com, but you
can now search for the locations in each category.
Latitude and longitude
create a waypoint. Longitude is the angular distance measured on a great
circle of reference from the intersection of the adopted zero meridian with this reference circle to the similar
intersection of the meridian passing through the object.
When a
response to a new post in the forums points you to a similar topic in the past. Based on the user Markwell.
This is one of several cache
types. A Mega-Event cache is similar to an Event Cache but it is much larger.
Among other considerations, a Mega-event cache must be attended by 500+ people.
Typically, Mega Events are annual events and attract geocachers
from all over the world.
A non-geocacher.
Based on "Muggle" from the Harry Potter
series, which is a non-magical person. Usually this term is used after a non geocacher looks puzzled after befriending a geocacher searching for a cache, or when a non-geocacher accidentally finds a cache. Geomuggles
are mostly harmless.
This is one of several cache
types. A multi-cache ("multiple") involves two or more locations, the
final location being a physical container. There are many variations, but most
multi-caches have a hint to find the second cache, and the second cache has
hints to the third, and so on. An offset cache (where you go to a location and
get hints to the actual cache) is considered a multi-cache.
This is one of several cache
types. The "catch-all" of cache types, this form of cache can involve
complicated puzzles you will first need to solve to determine the coordinates.
Examples include complicated ciphers, simple substitutions, arithmetical
quizzes and clues cleverly hidden within the graphics, Due to the increasing
creativity of geocaching this becomes the staging
ground for new and unique challenges.
Stands for
North American Datum 1927. The precursor to WGS84. Many maps still
use the NAD27 datum , so always check before using a
GPS unit with a map.
A Premium Member feature, a
Pocket Query is custom geocache search that you can have emailed to you on a
daily or weekly basis. Pocket Queries give you the ability to filter your
searches so you only receive information on the caches you want to search for
in either a GPX of LOC format. This feature lets you download up to 500 caches
at one time.
This is one of several cache
types. In 2001, twelve geocaches were placed in conjunction with 20th Century
Fox to support the movie Planet of the Apes. Each cache represented a
fictional story in which scientists revealed an Alternative Primate Evolution.
These caches were made using specially marked ammo containers. Each cache had
an original prop from the movie. Only two Project A.P.E. caches exist today.
Volunteers
from all over the world who publish the cache listings on geocaching.com.
Hints for geocaches are
encrypted using a simple format where each of the letters are rotated 13
characters up or down in the alphabet.
Decryption Key
A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z
(letter
above equals below, and vice versa)
An item unique to a specific
geocacher that is left behind in caches to signify
that they visited that cache. These often include personal geocoins,
tokens, pins, craft items or calling cards.
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 find.
An acronym often referred to
as standing for 'Stuff We All Get." It includes the trade items left in
caches by geocachers.
Thanks For
The Cache. An acronym written by geocachers in
physical cache logbooks or online when logging cache finds.
Thanks For
The Hide
Took
Nothing. Left
Nothing. Usually written in cache logbooks by geocachers
do not trade for material contents in a cache.
Took
Nothing. Left
Nothing. Signed Logbook / Took Nothing. Signed
Logbook.
This is one of several cache
types. This is the original cache type consisting, at a bare minimum, a
container and a logbook. Normally you will find a clear container or ammo box
containing items for trade. Smaller containers, called micro caches are usually
too small to contain anything except for a logbook. The coordinates listed on
the traditional cache page are the exact location for the cache.
A Groundspeak
Travel Bug is a trackable tag that you attach to an
item. This allows you to track your item on Geocaching.com. The item becomes a
hitchhiker that is carried from cache to cache (or person to person) in the
real world and you can follow its progress online.
The U.S. Forest Service, an
agency within the Department of Agriculture, administers 191 million acres
(77.3 million hectares) of National Forests, Grasslands, and Prairies. These
public lands are generally geocaching-friendly, with
exceptions of designated Wilderness Areas, and other specially designated
botanical, wildlife, and archaeological sites. The phrase "Caring for the
land and serving people" captures the Forest Service mission of achieving
quality land management under the sustainable multiple-use concept to meet the
diverse needs of people. The
"Universal Transverse
Mercator" coordinate system. This is an
alternative to the standard WGS84.UTM uses grids overlaying specific areas
of the Earth’s surface and divides the Earth into 60 zones.
This is one of several cache
types which are no longer available for creation on Geocaching.com. A virtual
cache is a cache that exists in a form of a location. Virtual caches have no
cache container; the reward for these caches is the location itself and sharing
information about your visit. Virtual caches are now considered waymarks on Waymarking.com.
WAAS stands for Wide Area
Augmentation System, but that doesn't really describe what it is.
A watchlist
is a list of users that are watching a specific travel bug or cache. Each user
receives a copy of each posted log via email.
A waypoint is a reference
point for a physical location on Earth. Waypoints are defined by a set of
coordinates that typically include longitude, latitude and sometimes altitude. Every
geocache listed on our website is a waypoint. Geocaching.com generates a unique
"GC Code" associated with every geocache listing.
This is one of several cache
types which are no longer available for creation on Geocaching.com. These are
caches that use existing web cameras placed by individuals or agencies that
monitor various areas like parks or road conditions. The idea is to get
yourself in front of the camera to log your visit. The challenging part,
however, is that you need to call a friend to look up the web site that
displays the camera image. You will need to have them to save the picture to
log the cache. If you are a tech savvy, you can also use a wireless modem and
save the image yourself on a laptop.
The most current
geodetic datum used for GPS is the World Geodetic System of 1984
(WGS84). The significance of WGS84 comes about because GPS receivers rely on
WGS84. Geocaching uses the WGS84 datum by default. We
also use the format HDDD MM.MM, which is a standard for GPS receivers. HDD
means Hemisphere and degrees. MM.MM are minutes in
decimal format. It is critical that
the format be correct, otherwise geocachers will be
unable to find your cache!
This is one of several cache
types. Wherigo is a toolset for creating and playing
GPS-enabled adventures in the real world. By integrating a Wherigo
experience, called a cartridge, with finding a cache, the geocaching
hunt can be an even richer experience. Among other uses, Wherigo
allows geocachers to interact with physical and
virtual elements such as objects or characters while still finding a physical
geocache container. A Wherigo-enabled GPS device is
required to play a cartridge.
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