Within a few days a few readers used their GPS units to find the container and post their experience online. Within months people were hiding their own containers and sharing the coordinates and geocaching.com was born.
Containers
Containers vary in size from Micro to Large containers.
- Micro - Less than 100ml. Examples: a 35 mm film canister or a tiny storage box typically containing only a logbook or a logsheet. A nano cache is a common sub-type of a micro cache that is less than 10ml and can only hold a small logsheet.
- Small Cache Size Icon Small - 100ml or larger, but less than 1L. Example: A sandwich-sized plastic container or similar.
- Regular Cache Size Icon Regular - 1L or larger, but less than 20L. Examples: a plastic container or ammo can about the size of a shoebox.
- Large Cache Size Icon Large - 20L or larger. Example: A large bucket.
What is in a geocache?
As mentioned earlier, at a minimum there is a log book of some type that geocachers can sign with a date/time to "document" that they found the cache. For larger cache containers people sometimes put trinkets like unique buttons or keychains. I have seen some geocachers print up business cards with their contact info and geocaching.com userid so the cache owner can contact them. Finally a unique item that you may find in geocaches are trackables which are discussed below.
Trackables
Trackables take many forms, from metal plates to coins or buttons, but what they are essentially is an item that has a tracking code on it. A person will purchase or be given one as a gift and they will register it on a web site to report it's location, a goal the owner wants to accomplish, and track it's movement. The owner will place the trackable in a geocache in close proximity to them (let's say in Virginia), then post on the site that they want to get this trackable to Paris, France and back. Someone who finds the geocache with the trackable in it may be on vacation from Florida so they take that trackable home, report on the trackables web site that they have it, then place it in another geocache in Florida somewhere and report that location on the trackable web site. This way the owner knows it moved to another location. Someone in Florida may be going to Naples, Italy - maybe they are military and getting stationed there - they pick up the trackable from the cache in Florida and report on the web site that they are transferring it to Italy. Another geocacher in Italy is taking a trip to France and grabs it from the geocache in Italy... you get the point, and so on until it gets back to the owner.
Common Terms (copied from Geocaching.com)
BYOP - 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.
CITO - 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. Learn more at www.geocaching.com/cito.
DNF - 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.
FTF - 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.
GPS - 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. For more information on GPS, FAQs.
Ground Zero (GZ) - 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.
Muggle - 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.
TFTC - Thanks For The Cache. An acronym written by geocachers in physical cache logbooks or online when logging cache finds.
TFTH - Thanks For The Hide
TNLN - Took Nothing. Left Nothing. Usually written in cache logbooks by geocachers who do not trade for material contents in a cache.
TNLNSL / TNSL - Took Nothing. Left Nothing. Signed Logbook / Took Nothing. Signed Logbook.
Why Geocache?
The hobby of geocaching has really taken off and people have begun to sponsor events where large groups of geocachers get together to enjoy each others company, share experiences techniques, as well as pass around trinkets they find unique. Often these events center around a common theme like cleaning up a beach or park area or fixing trails in a secluded area. Being the fist to find (FTF) a cache is an honor many geocachers take very seriously. Some people like to generate a coded sequence to find their caches or setup multicaches where the first cache you find is a clue to the second/third/fourth, etc.
The bottom line is it is something fun to do and a way to meet other people with similar interests.
Give it a try, I'm sure there is one in your local area that you pass by everyday and don't even know it.
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