Geocaching Glossary
Geocaching glossary
There are various acronyms and words commonly used when discussing geocaching.
General:
- Cache – A box or container that contains, at the very least, a logbook
- Geoswag – The items that can be found in some larger caches.
- Muggle – A non geocacher that is in some way preventing you from finding a cache.
- Muggled - Being caught by a non-geocacher while retrieving/replacing a cache; also, a muggled cache has been removed or vandalized by a non-geocacher, usually out of misunderstanding or ignorance.
- Smiley - A cache find. Refers to the "smiley-face" icon attached to "Found It" logs on some listing sites.
- BYOP – (Bring Your Own Pen/Pencil) The cache in question lacks a writing device for the logbook.
- CITO - (Cache In Trash Out) and refers to picking up trash on the hunt.
- CO - (Cache Owner) The person who is responsible for maintaining a cache, usually the person who hid it.
- DNF – (Did Not Find) Did not find the cache container being searched for.
- FTF – (First To Find) The first person to find a cache container.
- GPS - Short for Global Positioning System, also occasionally refers to the receiver itself
- GPSr - Short for GPS receiver
Logging a hunt:
- TFTC - (Thanks For The Cache) This is often used at the end of logs to thank the cache owner.
- TFTH - (Thanks For The Hunt or Hide or Hike) It shares the same purpose as TFTC, but can also be used when the cache was not found.
- TN - (Took Nothing) no trade or traveling item was removed from the cache.
- LN - (Left Nothing) no trade or traveling item was added to the cache.
- XN - (eXchanged Nothing) combines the previous two acronyms; nothing was removed or added.
- SL - (Signed Log) used when the participant visited the cache and signed its logbook.
Note: the various acronyms in this section are often combined in various ways, such as "TNLNSL, TFTC!"
Location description or hint:
- GRC - (GuardRail Cache) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
- GZ - (Ground Zero or Geo-zone) refers to the general area in which a cache is hidden.
- ICT - (Ivy Covered Tree) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
- LPC - (Light Post Cache) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
- MKH - (Magnetic Key Holder) used in the description on the type of container used for the cache.
- PLC - (Parking Lot Cache) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
- POR - (Pile Of Rocks) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
- POS - (Pile Of Sticks or Stones) used in the description on where a cache may be hidden.
- UFO - (Unnatural Formation of Objects) a pile of material that obviously did not form naturally and is a likely cache hiding spot.