Cavechat.org

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

Larry, that is so true. I remember when I first arrive in Waynesville, MO in 1969 for Army duty there, I visited every hardware store in every little town I went thru and bought lamps and spare parts. Many of the stores had all their spare parts in a cigar box. I bought as many as I could afford.

I still have many of those parts. Some things you just can't throw away.