What To Do In An Caving Emergency:

Caving basics 101

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.

The clothing used for caving should be durable and warm. Fabrics such as cotton are not really suitable for the cold wet environment commonly found in caves in this area. Fabric recommendations would lean toward synthetic fabrics and natural insulators such as wool. Options of reasonable cost would be things like polypropylene long underwear available at your local department or discount store.  A variety of suitable used military clothing items are available for a reasonable amount at local military surplus stores. Items of interest would be military long underwear and military coveralls or flight suits.

Wal-Mart: polypropylene long underwear

Polypropylene/wool socks

Polypropylene socks

Dickey's coveralls

Heavy polypropylene long underwear

Tanker coveralls Heavy weight

Flightsuit lighter weight

Equipment used for caving should be lightweight and durable. Certain things must be considered when choosing gear for caving. You must think about where you will be and what you will be doing. One thing you can be certain of is you will need your hands for safety. That pretty much limits where and how you can carry lights. The best bet is to use a headlamp. There are a variety of them available in a lot of different price and quality levels. Primary lights are best to always be head mounted, as well it is acceptable to have your secondary and backup lights hand held if a head mounted option is not available.

The bags used to carry your caving equipment should be extremely durable and easy to carry comfortably. It is important that you be able to carry your bag into any hole you may slither into. It’s also important that the bag carry all of your gear in the bag. Excess straps and buckles should be removed or stowed away so as not to get in the way. The bag itself should have a secure closure method. Unless the bag is totally waterproof and buoyant there should be drain holes put in the bottom of the bag to drain the water from the main compartment. This will be of extreme interest as the less you carry the more comfortable the trip. Zipper closures should be avoided, as these tend to get clogged with mud and can give out at the worst possible time. (Like when you’re main light dies) Bags are cheap and available at local military surplus stores.

Bags:

1. Military butt packs (not worn on a belt - Shoulder strap is preferred)
2. Military cargo chute containers (to be modified with a shoulder strap)

 

1. 3 forms of light, at least one being helmet mounted. (2 or all 3 recommended)
2. Helmet w/chin strap (climbing type best)
3. Extra bulbs and batteries
4. First aid kit (personal - To be used on you)
5. Water 32oz
6. Gloves with thick palms
7. Notepad and pencil

1. Flagging tape
2. Chem-lights
3. Snacks (Power Bars, Granola Bars, etc.)
4. 20’ x 1" tubular webbing
5. 2 locking "D" Carabineers
6. Emergency blanket
7. Trash bags (55Gal.)
8. Candle and waterproof matches
9. Personal medications
10. Knee pads with plastic caps

Anything you take into the cave will never be the same. Expect the clothes to remain a brown of some shade. Also expect whatever polish may be on your boots to be worn off when you come out. Caves are a hostile environment to equipment, and to you if not properly prepared. Kneepads are an excellent idea, especially the ones with the plastic caps over the patella. They tend to make long crawls more enjoyable. Thick palmed gloves are also highly recommended, as they perform the same function as the plastic capped kneepads. The more protection you put between you and the ground the more comfortable you will be.

Temps in the caves will generally be somewhere in the range of 55-65 degrees. You can expect to be anywhere from slightly damp to totally soaked. Some caves will require you to be in water up to and in some cases over your head. Always be prepared to get you and your equipment wet. Always pack everything in waterproof containers. Ziploc bags tend to work well, as do the commercially available dry bags. Listed on the next page is an idea of what to carry and one way to pack it to protect it from the cave environment.

Ziploc ‘A’:

1. Notepad & pencil

2. Chem-lites

Ziploc ‘B’:

1. Power bars, snacks

2. Ibuprofen

3. Toilet paper

Ziploc ‘C’:

1. Trash bags

2. Space blanket

3. Candle & matches

4. Lighter

5. Nylon cord

6. Extra Ziploc bags

7. Zip ties

Ziploc ‘E’:

1. ‘AA’ batteries [3 sets]
2. Any other size batteries you may need for secondary lights.

Nalgene ‘A’:

1. First aid kit (Personnel - For you only)

1. 4x4 gauze pads
2. 3x3 gauze pads
3. wire splint
4. ace wrap
5. 2" roll gauze
6. band aids
7. butterfly closures
8. Tylenol, ibuprofen & or aspirin
9. Anti-Diarrhea Med's
10. anti-acids
11. surgical tape
12. large Band-Aids
13. alcohol prep pads
14. disinfectant pads
15. latex gloves
16. tongue depressor
17. q-tips

Nalgene ‘B’:

1. Water

20ft x 1’ tubular webbing

2 locking ‘D’ carabineers