Smokers in a cave

[graveleye]

I dont see how anyone would enjoy being stoned in a cave but thats just me. I sure wouldnt enjoy it. I would either freak out, or become so lethargic I would have to fall asleep somewhere.

That being said, if I have a choice, I would much rather be in a cave with a stoner, than someone who's been drinking. To me, the joy and accomplishment of completing a cave trip would make the beer taste better afterwards.

About smoking, I guess if everyone else in the party was smoking I would, but its not a problem for me to go hours and hours without it.

Intoxicants... well, if you cant wait til you get back to camp to drink or get high, then you may have a problem.

[Dane]

As you know, I am new to caving, but not to LIFE!
I went to the TAG cave-in, and enjoyed meeting and socializing with folks I had only met on-line.
To your point, when we cave, we cave hard. When we socialize, we socailize with the same abandon.
While the two don't go together, I certainly enjoy the company of cavers when doing either.

[MUD]

To your point, when we cave, we cave hard. When we socialize, we socailize with the same abandon.

[NZcaver]

To your point, when we cave, we cave hard. When we socialize, we socailize with the same abandon.

Certainly both common traits amongst cavers.

However there's a subtle difference between socializing with abandon, and caving with abandon. Perhaps some substances are best left outside the cave...

[MUD]

Actually, Dane wrote that....I was just agreeing! While I'm a hard core caver, I do it safely! That means...NO SMOKING in the cave! Afterwards...that's another tale!

[Dane]

Thanks Cavemud. My point is that there is nothing wrong wth socializing hard or caving hard - just not at the same time. And the cavers I have met are great people to do both with - but not at the same time.
What I failed to mention is that I am a smoker - 2 packs/day for 30 years. Not proud of it and wish it wasn't true, but there it is.
Having said that, I have never taken my cigarettes in a cave with me.
I'm certainly not going to haul in a keg or a kilo!
You may not want to park or change next to me, because I wil light one up then, but not when I am "almost out" or standing over the entrance.
I am new, but I take the NSS motto and guidelines very seriously - so I don't smoke to minimize my impact and I don't do anything else that would jeopardize my own safety or the safey of my fellow cavers.
Seems pretty simple.

[hardcorecaver]

i FOUND A FIRE REMAINS IN A CAVE. it WAS BAD AND THE PEOPLE SPRAY PAINT THE CAVE. around CARLSBAD NM. I cleaned it up for my eagle project. But what i was getting at was the cave smelled like smoke for a week afther it happend. aslo the fire was by the entrance.

[kvgrits]

I am a smoker and I have never smoked in a cave. I don't agree with smoking in the caves. What about the bats & all the other things in caves??

[MUD]

I don't think bats smoke in the caves either!

[GroundquestMSA]

I read this old thread just a few days ago, and had to deal with the issue in a minor way today.
I dug open a little sink and found an 8' vertical slot. Since I was alone I decided not to jump in right away. I told the landowner what was up and he wanted to check it out with me. He brought a handline and I went in first, finding only a 8' x 15' passage, plugged with mud at one end and way too tight at the other. The owner wanted to have a look so he came down and squatted in the entrance, cursing in amazement and smoking two cigarettes. After recovered from his initial surprise, he became very excited over the prospect of growing weed down there, or hiding stuff, or hiding from the cops .

Of course there wasn't anything down there he could harm, except me. The smoke filled that little hole up entirely and I couldn't get past the guy to breathe. It's pretty amazing how much a little smoke can effect people who are never around it. I'm miserable still, and that was a few hours ago.

[SuckinOnSodaStraws]

I read this old thread just a few days ago, and had to deal with the issue in a minor way today.
I dug open a little sink and found an 8' vertical slot. Since I was alone I decided not to jump in right away. I told the landowner what was up and he wanted to check it out with me. He brought a handline and I went in first, finding only a 8' x 15' passage, plugged with mud at one end and way too tight at the other. The owner wanted to have a look so he came down and squatted in the entrance, cursing in amazement and smoking two cigarettes. After recovered from his initial surprise, he became very excited over the prospect of growing weed down there, or hiding stuff, or hiding from the cops .

Of course there wasn't anything down there he could harm, except me. The smoke filled that little hole up entirely and I couldn't get past the guy to breathe. It's pretty amazing how much a little smoke can effect people who are never around it. I'm miserable still, and that was a few hours ago.

That's terrible! On one of our cave trips, someone had just peed in a crawlway... And was obviously in a group just feet away smoking cigs. Luckily there was a bypass, and after a few very very dirty looks we proceeded. Of course they were no where to be found when we returned.

I quit about half a year back now, motivated almost entirely by hiking and caving. Boils down to: A)Respect for the cave B)Respect for the caver

If the cave is obviously active, I would not smoke. If the cave was primarily dry, I don't see too much harm. But then again, even a hardcore smoker would probably not enjoy a cloud filled cave chamber. It certainly is hard to breathe.

It's obvious if the group you are caving with are not smokers, you may offend them. I'd just be sure to get my fix around the corner before the cave.

Either way, it's gonna hurt your caving! Don't do it!

[Chads93GT]

Dry caves have life too. Why should the presence of moisture dictate your smoking habit underground.

[Jon]

As an ex smoker I am not one of those "I'm allergic" (read that I just don't like) people. I find smoke in a confined area tempting. I carry around what is often called "Chick dip" those cute little tea bag like pouches. The drool is swallowable (think time released nicotine) and the little do-hicky is pocketable. The answer is CARBIDE. Take a hip flask half filled with carbide in the cave. If you encounter a smoker simply pour some water in the flask and then offer him or her a swig. Seriously, smoking in a cave is about as inconsiderate as going to a chile cook off before leading a trip in a LONG crawlway. Nicotine is a hard habit to kick, but there is "chick dip" (so named because you can kiss your girlfriend without giving her flavor bits....not some sexist reason), there are also patches you can use, in this day and age there is no excuse to light up in a cave unless you own a super primo cave and everybody who begs a trip knows you are an inconsiderate boob.

[SuckinOnSodaStraws]

Dry caves have life too. Why should the presence of moisture dictate your smoking habit underground.

It def should not! I don't condone smoking. I don't smoke. And I'm no professor of geology, so I actually thought of dry caves to be dead/decomposing. Not that it means it's a better place to be neglected either!! Good point though, I mean just smoke outside jeeez...

Sometimes I'm having so much fun with caving I begin neglecting food and water intake. But I suppose if you will be underground a long time and know you'll be craving a ciggarette, bring some nicorette gum. A patch. Both. There is even "spitless" tobacco pouches that can be discarded into your cave pack to be brought out later.
But I don't smoke anymore Haven't in months, never goin' back to it. So plz don't paint me with that brush, ya know?

[Mudduck]

My first smoker in cave experience was at Tumbling Rock in suicide crawl while coming back out from climbing Mt Olympus. It was in the first little"room"/ junction u come to after entering suicide crawl. There were two guys in there puffing away. Just seemed to me like something that could've waited. Stunk up the whole crawl.