Back in the early 60's, when I started caving, you could buy carbide lamps and carbide at every hardware store here in Tennessee. And, they were cheap !!! And carbide was cheap !!!
I don't think me and my caving buddies could have afforded enough batteries to use flashlights, even it we had wanted to.
Flashlights broke very easily, but carbide lamps were almost indestructible.
It was a no brainer to use carbide back then.
Larry E. Matthews
NSS #6792-F