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What does everyone bring to eat in a cave?
So far I've been bringing Cliff Bars, Beef Jerky, and Almonds.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Marshmallows, watermelon, and cupcakes.

But, seriously. Whatever "bar" is on the clearance rack at Target or Big Lots. Snickers if there is nothing else. On longer trips, I take a tuna wrap, pepperoni, or some sort of sub-sammich.

I thought Chef Boyardee ravioli in a can was a cavers staple.

Cuppa coffee

Go to the grocery store and get meat and cheese on manager's special. Works every time I go wetsuit caving. I load up on carbs the day before and drink a lot of water over two or three days leading up to longer trips. Really it should depend on the cave you're visiting.

I just eat cave fish. Dead ones.

We eat the small cavers first.

DawgsgoCaving wrote:Go to the grocery store and get meat and cheese on manager's special. Works every time I go wetsuit caving. I load up on carbs the day before and drink a lot of water over two or three days leading up to longer trips. Really it should depend on the cave you're visiting.

Sandwich meat/cheese?

I'm just trying to find something that doesn't take up much room in a pack, and isn't going to get completely destroyed from throwing the pack around in crawls.

I've brought these little lunch things where you make your own tuna salad. It's got crackers and mayo and a little spoon to mix it up.
It's a little stinky in close quarters.

PEANUT-BUTTER-JELLY-TIME wouldn't be the same without a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.... so long as nobody has peanut allergies. I also bring gorp, builders bars, and whatever else I have in the house that I think could withstand a caving trip.

On the topic of eating in caves, check out this Facebook post, which we produced as part of our Minimum-Impact Caving Code campaign: https://www.facebook.com/NationalSpeleologicalSociety/photos/pb.121735721240687.-2207520000.1430312543./823907861023466/

Dehydrated fruit, little packets of almond butter, bacon jerky, cliff builders bars (the mint chocolate ones are the best!). I've not done it yet, but I think Cliff Shot Bloks would work great. I find it best to go with higher sugar, less massive items for the quick energy from the sugar and not having a mass in my stomach (like the MET-RX Big 100, nice amount of calories, but I felt like someone "rocked" my gut!).

See this too if you want. It's Brits talking about the same thing.

Dawgs' answer was very good. Including the last sentence. For a lot of trips, bringing food is only an emergency measure, so think about what food might be helpful in an emergency. Food can lift the spirits of a reluctant survey crew (which is why I bring myself coffee), so think about the psychological effects of whatever food you bring. Only on long (multi-day) trips is food needed as physical sustenance (unless someone has special health needs), so those folks have other things to think about. The whole argument can be quite simplified in lots of cases; don't bring food. If I, for example, can work all day without a meal, why would I need to bring one caving? If this is considered a safety risk, ask yourself: How likely am I to be put in a situation where my life would be saved by a packet of almond butter and a watermelon

A lot of our discussions as cavers are more cultural than practical, this is one of them.

I think people go over-kill on lightening their pack. I eat food (at least) every 6 hours, otherwise I get grumpy and don't notice (but my teamates do).

Year ago, I used to carry canned Vienna Sausage and canned Date Nut Loaf. You can't find the canned Date Nut Loaf anymore, at least not here in Nashville.

Canned Mandarin Oranges are also a wonderful treat.

But my All-Time, Must-Take staple was...................M & M's !!!

Larry E. Matthews
NSS #6792-F

I remember those Vienna Sausages. Can't remember ever eating them outside of a cave, but inside I recall them being pretty tasty. The cans were fairly small and could survive quite a licking, as I recall. I can't count the number of cavers who had baby bottles of M&Ms, it was indeed a favorite.