Archived
When a cache is no longer active, the person
that hid the GeoCache will "archive" the cache. Information
will still be available about the cache but the GeoCacher looking for
a cache to find will know that the cache is no longer active.
Benchmark
Markers
left by the United States Geologic Survey. These markers are placed all
over the United States and sometimes use existing landmarks as benchmarks.
Click Here
to learn more about hunting for benchmarks in your area.
Bureau
of Land Management (BLM)
The
Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the U.S. Department
of the Interior, administers 262 million acres of America's public lands,
located primarily in 12 Western States. The BLM sustains the health, diversity,
and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present
and future generations. Their
web site is www.blm.gov .
Cache
Pronounced
"cash" - In geocaching it is a hidden container filled with
a log book and pencil/pen, and possibly prizes. Caches were often used
by explorers, miners, etc. to hide foodstuffs and other items for emergency
purposes. People still hide caches of supplies today for similar reasons.
CITO
Cache
In Trash Out. Sometimes there are Cache In Trash Out events where Geocachers
get together to clean up areas. Click
Here to learn more.
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.
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.
Event
Cache
Frequently, GeoCaching groups will get
together at certain times and locations. The coordinates for the cache
will lead you to the meeting. After the meeting, the cache is "archived".
FTF
First to Find. Frequently used in a log
by the very first GeoCacher to find the cache.
Hitchhiker
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
Latitude and longitude create a
waypoint. Latitude is the angular distance north or south from the earth's
equator measured through 90 degrees.
Longitude
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.
Log
Book
Most traditional GeoCaches will contain
a log book. When a GeoCacher finds a cache, he/she should make a note
of their find in the log book and then leave the log book with the cache.
GPS
Global
Positioning System. This system was begun by the United States government
for military purposes. The signals from GPS used to be scrambled but the
government descrambled the signal from the satellites just a few years
ago. Many GPS receivers can lead a person to within 3 or 4 meters of any
point on earth.
GPSr
Golbal Positioning System reciever. This
is the unit that connects to the twelve satellites that continuously circle
the earth.
LetterBox
Cache
Letterboxing
started in the United Kingdom and it involves using clues instead of longitude/latitude
coordinates. Letterboxes traditionally are hidden books in which the finder
uses his/her personal stamp to leave their mark. The letterbox will usually
have a stamp hidden with it that is personal to the hider. The finder
carries a book with him/her and once he/she has stamped the book that
was found, they will then stamp their book to add to their collection
of letterbox stamps. For more information go Here.
Locationless
Cache
Locationless caches could be considered
the opposite of a traditional cache. 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. Due to the nature of locationless caches they
do not come up on the nearest cache page. You can find them at their own
location.
Micro
Cache
These
are very small caches. Most times there will be no room for anything other
than a small log book and they don't have room for exchanging items. Many
times, 35mm film cannisters are used for micro caches.
Muggles
Also
known as GeoMuggles. A relatively new term used for people who are not
geocachers but are in the area of a geocache. Geocachers must be careful
not to give away a geocache location to non geocachers who might find
the cache after seeing someone find it. Based on "Muggle" from
the Harry Potter series, which is a nonmagical person.
Multiple
Cache
Multiple
caches may require the GeoCacher to find one cache to find clues to be
able to find another cache. There will be two or more caches involved
in the multiple cache with the last cache location being the physical
cache. These caches can be challenging and a lot of fun
Mystery
Cache
The
“catch-all” of cache types, this form of cache can involve
complicated puzzles you will first need to solve to determine the coordinates.
The only commonality of this cache type is that the coordinates listed
are not of the actual cache location but a general reference point, such
as a nearby parking location. Due to the increasing creativity of geocaching
this becomes the staging ground for new and unique challenges.
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.
TNLN
Took
Nothing Left Nothing. Some people enjoy finding GeoCaches without actually
trading out objects within the GeoCache. You may see this acronym in the
log book of a cache.
Traditional
Cache
This
is the typical cache that a GeoCacher will encounter. Traditional caches
may be hidden in Tupperware® containers
or military ammo boxes.
Travel
Bug
Travel
Bugs are aluminum "dog tags" that have a six-digit serial number,
a bar code and the drawing of a bug. GeoCachers name their travel bug
and then place it in a cache. Most of the time, the travel bug will have
a "theme" and may have some object attached to it. The object
of placing a travel bug will correspond with it's theme. For example,
the "Fifty States" travel bug's purpose is to see if it can
be placed, by various GeoCacher's, in caches in all fifty states. As a
GeoCacher finds a travel bug, he/she log's their find on the GeoCaching.com
web site. When the GeoCacher moves the travel bug to another cache, he/she
makes another log at GeoCaching.com.
As the GeoCacher does this, GeoCaching.com
makes a map and keeps a record of the distance travelled by the travel
bug. Travel bugs are inexpensive and are available at Groundspeak.com.
USDA
Forest Service
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 Information
Center in the agency's national headquarters has been a Washington
D.C. Virtual Geocache since August 12, 2001.
WAAS
WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation
System, but that doesn't really describe what it is. Garmin
has an excellent description on WAAS .
Waypoint
Waypoints are named coordinates representing
points on the surface of the Earth.
Geocaching
uses a suggested waypoint for a cache, created automatically when a cache
has been created. Because most GPS units have restricted names to 6 characters
or less, we generate a waypoint name based on the ID of the cache. It
is optional, but makes it easier to locate a cache on the geocaching web
site.
Virtual
Cache
The
virtual cache generally requires the GeoCacher to find a location and
then e-mail the owner of the cache, answers to previously asked questions.
Virtual caches are used frequently where it is illegal to place traditional
caches such as National Parks.
WebCam
Cache
This
type of cache requires two people to pull off. The location for a Web
Cam is given and one of the cachers must go to that location and stand
in front of the camera while the other cacher captures the photo from
the Web Cam. This photo is then logged on the GeoCache's web page.
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