First-Time Caver Needs Gear Advice

Caves and caving, beginning caving, joining the NSS, etc.

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Re: First-Time Caver Needs Gear Advice

Postby Scott McCrea » Mar 20, 2006 4:06 pm

Cristina wrote:I'm having a lot of trouble finding women-specific gear in this sport. Do you all have ANY recommendations for the following items?


1. TOP and 2. PANTS: Coveralls are great if the cave is muddy and not too warm. They offer good protection and hold in heat well. You can order custom fitting coveralls from some manufacturers, so women can get a good fit that way.

3.BOOTS: rubber boots are nice because they don't dry out and get hard like leather does. Otherwise, deep, agressive tread is best. Cheap boots do a pretty good job. Unisex.

4. PACK: Swaygo, of course. :tonguecheek: Unisex.

5. HELMET: Get one approved for climbing. Try them on first. They all fit differently. Unisex.

6. HEAD LAMP: Very wide array of options from a few bucks to a few hundred bucks. Carry back-ups. Unisex.

7. KNEE PADS: A necessary evil. They all seem to be uncomfortable, but crawling on rocks without them is awful. Unisex.

8. GLOVES: Just about anything will work, if they fit well. Most gloves are available in sizes for men or women.

There is not much gender specific caving gear out there. Some seat harness, coveralls, and thermal layers are. Once everyone and everything is covered in mud, they all look the same anyway.:laughing:

Trash bags are something every caver should have in their packs. And bring a complete change of clothes for after the trip.

Thanks for asking. Good luck!
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Postby NZcaver » Mar 20, 2006 6:04 pm

Cristina wrote:Thank you all for all your great input! Any great brands I should look into for each? What's your favorite boot? What's your favorite glove? What do you use as backup light sources?

Cristina - this webpage has a list of caving gear recommendations, mostly for cold and wet northeastern caves, but it should give you the general idea. It also has a list of gear suppliers. http://dev.ctcavers.org/Documents/cavelist.html

Note some information is a little dated. LED headlamps are now probably your best choice as a beginner - Petzl and Princeton Tec both make good lights, as do some other companies. Popular caving choices include the Petzl Duo, Myo XP, and Tikka (backup) - as well as the Princeton Tec Apex, Yukon HL, and EOS/Aurora (backups). There are a ton of others, but that's a start. Bright, efficient, reliable, and waterproof are the things to look for - depending on your budget and exact requirements. Your 1st and 2nd lights should probably both be headlamps, but your 3rd can be a regular flashlight.

Gloves and boots? Personally I use Wal-Mart specials. Leather-palm, nylon-back gloves (~$8) work good for me, but some cavers are happy wearing rubber-dipped cotton gardening gloves. Lightweight hiking boots with a little ankle support (~$20) are my current choice for footwear.

Bottom line - if you know specifically what cave(s) you are going to, try to find local cavers and see what gear they wear/use.

Hope this helps, good luck! :grin:
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Re: First-Time Caver Needs Gear Advice

Postby tangled_slinky » Mar 20, 2006 9:48 pm

Cristina wrote:Also, am I missing anything essential that every first time caver must have?


Mm...your readers should be aware of the (rather enjoyable) consequences. They need to be prepared to get muddy. Light colored clothing is never the same after cave mud. Knees will get bruised, even through kneepads. If it's too warm for long sleeves, their arms will get scratched up, as will fingers if fingerless gloves were worn.

Trash bags have been mentioned, a change of clothes has been mentioned. Though sometimes, even a complete change can't keep a vehicle clean. Water in a non-squishable bottle, food that is eatable even after being smushed (because it will get smushed), perhaps a basic first aid kit.

Did anyone say thick socks? Make sure they're wool. Wet cotton socks don't keep feet warm.
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Postby Steven Johnson » Mar 21, 2006 12:40 am

What's way more important than any particular gear item is several knowledgable caving companions.

There are many "outdoor" sporting activities that are great solo, but IMHO caving isn't one of them... having multiple folks along is absolutely necessary for safety, and besides, it makes things a whole lot more fun.

Seriously, if you are pitching caving to a non-caver audience, you're doing them a disservice unless you stress that this is a group activity.
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Postby Teresa » Mar 21, 2006 9:38 am

Cristina wrote:Great tips, Mgmills!

Unfortunately, I cannot disclose the name of the magazine. However, I will let you all know as soon as the issue comes out, which will be in the next couple of months.


For future reference, this statement is a red flag to me. If the woman is a staff journalist actually working on a legit caving story, she would a) tell you the name of the magazine (while perhaps waffling by making no promises about when/if the story will run) and b) ask her informants their names/expertise, so she can run attribution where she got her information.

If she is a freelance hoping to write and sell the story, she should say that as well. Anyone here ever heard of a press pass? That is their purpose.

Just call me skeptical.
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Postby Cheryl Jones » Mar 21, 2006 9:56 am

Cristina wrote:
Thank you all for all your great input! Any great brands I should look into for each? What's your favorite boot? What's your favorite glove? What do you use as backup light sources?


Christina, the answers will vary with every caver you ask, as well as with the type and temperature of cave. This is one reason why the most responsible and safest way to learn to cave is by caving with experienced, competent cavers. Equipment is only one factor to consider when going underground. Conservation, safety, and techniques are other very important elements. .

Rather than listing in your article the details about varioius pieces of caving equipment, and perhaps making it appear that with the "right" equipment anyone can go caving, you would be doing a far better service to caves, landowners, and your readers if you directed your audience to the local NSS Grotto or "wild tour" at a show cave to learn about caving. You might even prevent an accident, a rescue, and unnecessary damage to a cave and its environment.

Be sure to read A Guide to Responsible Caving and the info on the NSS Safety and Techniques and the Youth Group Information Web pages.

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Postby Ralph E. Powers » Mar 21, 2006 4:41 pm

ian mckenzie wrote:
Cristina wrote:Yup, US destinations!
Big country though, with many climatic zones and differing local clothing requirements.


In Utah you get a bit of every thing... warm dry caves, wet cold caves, and some that are in between... and yes we have lava tubes too.

My own caving wear varies with the type of cave I'm seeing. So I got a bit of everything.

I've still have the preference of wool/polypro for the cold wet ones.
Definitely not cotton. Learned that lesson the hard way in my earlier years caving here.
Without the possibility of death, adventure is not possible. ~ Reinhold Messner


http://ralph.rigidtech.com/albums.php
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