What equipment do you need for caving?

Answer 1

I've a funny feeling I answered this a while ago. Maybe it's from another questioner!

Basic kit:

^ Safety-helmet with bracket to hold a suitable lamp. These days both helmets and lamps made for caving are available. The lamps are now generally l.e.d. types.

^ Suitable footwear giving support to feet and ankles and good grip on wet or greasy surfaces. Many cavers, at least in the UK, wear Wellingtons (rubber boots).

^ Appropriate clothing.

For short trips in dry, warm caves old clothes under an overall may suffice, and cavers often wear T-shirts in tropical or sub-tropical caves.

In colder, wetter regions though we often wear a fibre-pile one-piece undersuit (over ordinary underwear, perhaps a thin shirt) with a more or less waterproof one-piece oversuit. Again these are made for purpose - the undersuit may look like it but it is not one of those naff "onesies" that are suddenly fashionable!

Where immersion in water is likely, or definite (diving aside - if you're contemplating cave-diving you won't need to ask the above question!), we wear either a wet-suit or a garment called a "Neofleece" under a PVC oversuit. "Neofleece" might a trade-name - I'm not sure. It's basically a cross between wet-suit and fibre-pile undersuit.

Right, that's the basic personal kit. I'd add a small bag or screw-top plastic container for a spare lamp or at least batteries and a bit of food such as dried fruit, of slow energy release. You might want to consider a space-blanket too, in case of emergencies. Keep it folded and sealed in its supplier's packet.

At one time we all carried wrapped around ourselves a sewn tape sling called a "waist-length", useful to provide a bit of assistance on short, awkward little limbs, etc. For some reason they've gone out of fashion but I think they are worth reconsidering.

Vertical caves, or even just single pitches (or 'drops'), demand particular equipment and methods.

For years cavers used, and often still use in many situations, lightweight wire ladders, with appropriate belaying hardware and one or another lifeline system to protect the climber. Such equipment tends to fall into the Club Tackle category rather than be an individual's own, but that's not a hard and fast rule.

When you start using vertical caving techniques by abseiling and 'prusiking' - rope-climbing, named after its Austrian inventor Karl Prusik - you need your own rig for that. It is personal kit adjusted to suit you. There are significant differences in approach between American and British / European 'Single Rope Techniques' (SRT) but either way calls for a set of ascenders, descender, harness, karabiners and a few other components.

And of course rope - of appropriate type and standard, for after all, your life literally hangs on that 9mm to 12mm diameter length of woven plastic... Some clubs operate quite strict internal rules to ensure proper use and maintenance of their stock of SRT ropes.

That summarises what you need underground for straightforward caving trips, ignoring any extras like cameras and flash-guns. You need also to consider surface conditions, especially if the cave is remote or in harsh terrain, and choose the appropriate surface clothing, equipment and food.

Finally you are best taking up caving with experienced friends, preferably but not compulsorily in a caving club.