Just for fun, what's in your pack?

Discuss caving lights, packs, helmets, clothing, etc.
For rope and vertical equipment, go to the On Rope! forum.
Cave electronics enthusiasts can also visit the Communications and Electronics Section forum.

Moderator: Moderators

Postby CaveGimp » Jun 8, 2007 11:08 am

In my Lost Creek pack

30 ft of webbing
2 locking biners
1 32 oz Nalgene for water
Camera in pelican case
Spare CR123As in pelican case
Fenix P3D
Mini-Mag with LED mod
Pee Bottle
Small first aid kit
Food for the trip (mostly Cliff bars)
Small multi-tool

The list gets longer if I am leading a trip with newbies or on a vertical trip. I have recently reduced the number of lights I carry in my pack. I got a little carried away. In one cave I counted I had 14 different lights (a lighter and several squeeze LEDs included in the count). I guess you could say I am afraid of the dark. :)
User avatar
CaveGimp
Frequent Poster
 
Posts: 75
Joined: Jan 30, 2007 10:54 am
Location: Queen Creek, AZ
Name: Glenn Tooley
NSS #: 54570
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Central Arizona Grotto
  

Postby Squirrel Girl » Jun 8, 2007 11:09 am

Well, I have yet to put one in my *cave* pack... but I often keep a 4' snake whip in my camelbak when I go mountain biking. :egyptian:

Alas, though, the one time I *should* have used it, I wasn't fast enough. I was climbing a mountain in CA. I was in a cloud bank and a yappie dog came around a corner and bit me in the ankle! It deserved to have had its snout snapped! But I didn't get the whip out in time, even though it was fairly handy on my back--theoretically in reach.

The contents of my cave pack depends on the trip I'm on. How long, how far, surveying? Temp of the cave. It depends.
Barbara Anne am Ende

"Weird people are my people."
User avatar
Squirrel Girl
Global Moderator
 
Posts: 3198
Joined: Sep 5, 2005 5:34 am
Location: Albuquerque, NM
NSS #: 15789
  

Postby Komebeaux » Jun 8, 2007 2:30 pm

YuccaPatrol wrote:Apparently most folks here are poorly prepared for encounters with unfriendly cave ninjas :rofl:



That's why I always carry a shotgun....
User avatar
Komebeaux
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 245
Joined: Dec 1, 2006 2:25 pm
Location: Martinsburg, WV
Name: Danny Cumbo
NSS #: 58430
  

Postby Adam Craig » Jun 8, 2007 4:37 pm

Image
I'm spiralling down to the hole in the ground where I hide - R. Waters
User avatar
Adam Craig
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 108
Joined: Apr 4, 2007 12:05 pm
Location: Kokomo, IN
NSS #: 48556
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Shallow Grotto
  

Postby VACaver » Jun 8, 2007 7:08 pm

In my Swaygo Push:

Extra gloves
Petzl E-Light (third light source is mounted inside my helmet)
Bandana
1 Quart Forest Service water bottle
Tupperware tub with Slim Jims, Power Bars, crackers, and peanuts
Plastic box with Nikon L-3 camera and two Quantaray slaves
8 extra AA batteries
Small first aid kit with plumbers candle/matches
Trash bag
Survey tape

For trips longer than about 6 hours, I'll switch to my Lost Creek pack and double up on the food/water.
User avatar
VACaver
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 282
Joined: Sep 25, 2005 5:31 pm
Location: SW Virginia
Name: Patrick
  

Postby SpeleoRover » Jun 10, 2007 11:36 am

Whoa - go backpacking overnight and then you have to play catch-up...

I carry the pee bottle on principle - I don't leave anything in there.

The zip ties are to secure kneepads, extra lights to helmets, repair straps, etc.
Regards,

Jason
Boston Mt. Grotto
NSS#: 58276
SpeleoRover
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 113
Joined: Jan 16, 2007 3:13 pm
Location: Fayetteville, AR
  

Postby ek » Oct 7, 2007 5:29 pm

On/In my helmet:

my primary and secondary lights, and sometimes my third light also
large trash bag or emergency blanket
sometimes some food

In my pack:

my 3rd light, if not on my helmet
1 box-shaped liter-size Nalgene for water
1 empty box-shaped liter-size Nalgene for urine (and makes my pack float when empty)
food
20' piece of 1" tubular webbing for use
-as a handline
-belaying
-to tie emergency seat harnesses or emergency lanyards
-to tie off bandages or splints or as a swath or part of a sling
-to replace a pack strap
-to dredge in pools for dropped items
Pelican 1040 micro case containing:
-emergency blanket or small trash bag
-sodium acetate rechargeable heat pack
-ziplock bag
-safety pins
-vinyl or nitrile gloves
-gauze
-small roll of duct tape
-1 or 2 benzalkonium chloride wipes
-small breathing barrier ("CPR shield")
-lighter or matches and striker
-candle
-4 AA batteries and 3 AAA batteries
-small light for utility use
-small compass
-whistle
-knife
Pelican 1030 micro case with my epi-pen, inhaler, and benadryl

If there are in-cave drops, I add:

whatever is needed to rig them
an extra ascender or prusik
small pulleys for possible use in a small-party assisted rescue

Sometimes I add:

a watch, if i am not wearing one on my wrist
a map of the cave
2nd water bottle
2nd piece of webbing
SAM splint
large trash bag
munter hitch compatible carabiner
waterproof paper and a space pen
a 4th light when I have 3 on my helmet
a Petzl Tibloc in the Pelican 1040
Eliah Kagan
NSS 57892
Syracuse University Outing Club

Fund vital White Nose Syndrome research--donate to the NSS and select the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Facebook users can also donate here.
User avatar
ek
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 1040
Joined: Apr 3, 2007 2:45 am
Location: Syracuse, NY
Name: Eliah Kagan
NSS #: 57892
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Syracuse University Outing Club
  

Postby Wayne Harrison » Oct 7, 2007 7:00 pm

I have the standard stuff, but one thing that's come in handy for me or a member of my group are a few Imodium AD caplets.
User avatar
Wayne Harrison
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 2382
Joined: Aug 30, 2005 5:29 pm
Location: Pine, Colorado
NSS #: 18689 FE
Primary Grotto Affiliation: unaffiliated
  

Postby speloman » Oct 7, 2007 11:24 pm

Hum lets see.

My helmet:
Main Light 1 Watt LED Up grade powered by 6v batt on belt
Backup Lamp 3 Watt LED 2 Cell AA Mag light
Trash bag for warmth or trash clean up

My Horizontal Set up:
First aid kit
pee bottle
Borrito Bag
Nalegene water bottle
Gloves (usualy on my hands)
Camera
7 LED stream head lamp as a back up head lamp
2 AA mag lights one LED one standard
1 Shake Light
Bussness card sized map of cave
Power Bars and MRE's
Sweater
glow sticks
Small box containing up to 20 AAA batts
Small box containing up to 18 AA batts
Spare bulbs for all sources of light
Watch

All Cramed into a Walmart Chepo pack.

My vertical Pack has all the items above with the additional vertical gear. It is alittle bigger to fit the vertical stuff but can fit through any hole I can. If it can't fit I can't fit, but it is a little heavier.
Justin Gleason 48217RE
:looking: If you can't grow it, I mine it.
User avatar
speloman
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 218
Joined: Sep 9, 2005 4:02 pm
Location: Elko Nevada
Name: Justin Gleason
NSS #: 48217RE
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Northern Nevada Grotto
  

Postby Syndam » Oct 8, 2007 1:37 am

Wow, most of you travel pretty light. Since most of my trips are to places I have never been and most require a bit of a hike to get there, I pack quite a bit of stuff. I also tend to hike alone so I prepare for the worse. (Just to clarify, my scouting trips are usually solo, I don't go caving alone... but I would be lying if I said I didn't explore a bit when I do find a cave or hole in the ground.)

My hiking pack, which I wear when I go to search for caves as well, is a 2 liter hydration pack that always includes the following in it or attached on the outside:

In no particular order:
Spare large and small zip-lock bags
Extra socks
First-aid Kit w/ Suture Kit
Roll of TP in a zip-lock bag
2 Mag lights (Stored separately)
Extra batteries
Extra bulbs (Stored separately)
1 LED Flashlight w/ extra batteries
Small LED Flashlight for when everything else goes wrong
Garmin GPS
Lensatic Tritium Compass
Applicable USGS Maps
Colored pencils
Small notebook
Permanent Marker
Digital Camera
Gorilla Pod for camera
2 small pelican cases
1/2 roll of duct tape
Zip Ties
Granola bars, Beef Jerky, Rice Crispy treats & the like
Gloves
Binoculars
Lighter
Waterproof matches in sealed container
Folding knife
Gerber Multi Tool
2-way radio
~45' 10.5mm rope
Quick draw
4 Straight gate carabiners
2 screw-lock carabiners
2 100' spools of nylon cord
9x9 Noah's Tarp and poles
3 large black plastic garbage bags
Small bottle of Purell hand sanitizer

I'm sure there's a few other items... I may toss a small pee bottle in as well, now that I've read a few post on here about them.
User avatar
Syndam
Infrequent Poster
 
Posts: 13
Joined: Sep 24, 2007 11:57 pm
Location: Left Coast, Oregon USA
  

Postby fuzzy-hair-man » Oct 8, 2007 2:27 am

speloman wrote::
Bussness card sized map of cave
:


Wow! small cave map, you forgot to put on the list the microscope/magnifying glass etc so that you can read it :nana:
User avatar
fuzzy-hair-man
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 955
Joined: Apr 6, 2006 2:09 am
Location: Canberra, Australia
Primary Grotto Affiliation: NUCC
  

Postby speloman » Oct 8, 2007 12:06 pm

:laughing: Fuzzy actually I do carry a magnifiying glass but the quality is pretty good to where I don't need it for a few. but the more complex ones I do. Sometimes I do carry a full sized print out folded up to.
Justin Gleason 48217RE
:looking: If you can't grow it, I mine it.
User avatar
speloman
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 218
Joined: Sep 9, 2005 4:02 pm
Location: Elko Nevada
Name: Justin Gleason
NSS #: 48217RE
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Northern Nevada Grotto
  

Postby Jeff Bartlett » Oct 8, 2007 6:40 pm

either i'm a minimalist, i'm too lazy to lug a heavy pack, or i really just want my swaygo sink to ride REALLY flat. for a standard 8 hour non-survey trip:

2L platypus with gatorade (usually half full)
pee bottle (empty 32oz gatorade)
backup headlamp
ziploc bag with 3 clif bars
ziploc bag with extra AAs (typically 8 rechargeables and 4 alkalines)
polypro balaclava

that's it. i wear my backup flashlight around my neck on a lanyard. for photo trips, i have a pelican 1200 that i clip to my belt. for survey trips, i have a pelican 1040 micro case that goes in my pack and holds instruments. if i'm carrying tape, i hang it on one strap of the swaygo.
"Although it pains me to say it, in this case Jeff is right. Plan accordingly." --Andy Armstrong
User avatar
Jeff Bartlett
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 948
Joined: Jun 29, 2007 12:19 am
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Name: Jeff Bartlett
NSS #: 59325
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Tennessee Cave Survey
  

Postby wyandottecaver » Oct 8, 2007 7:55 pm

Helmet has trash bag and 3 lights all waterproof
pack has
tall nalgene of water
standard nalgene trail mix
backup light waterproof
spare lightweight polypro shirt in ziplock
pen & paper(watrproof) in ziplock
10' flagging tape

if doing vertical depends on complexity

harness, micro rack and prussiks for nuisance drops

anything else I try to bring enough hardware/software for 1 extra person and small party rescue of mostly mobile patient. (spare vert system, 2 small double pulleys, a microcender, 3 extra prussiks, 2 25' webbing, 100' of 5/16 PMI makes for a big pack, but Bruce and those NCRC guys brainwashed me :)

The spare vert system, webbing, and prussiks end up being used more often than you think when caving with forgetful, unprepared, or new cavers
I'm not scared of the dark, it's the things IN the dark that make me nervous. :)
User avatar
wyandottecaver
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 2902
Joined: Aug 24, 2007 8:44 pm
Location: Indiana
  

Postby fuzzy-hair-man » Oct 8, 2007 8:52 pm

wyandottecaver wrote:The spare vert system, webbing, and prussiks end up being used more often than you think when caving with forgetful, unprepared, or new cavers


:roll: Been there. I try to get everyone put thier vertical gear on before we enter the cave (even if they just take it off again) because at least I know that they've got it and I get to see thier system before hand and can check that there is no stuff that's too out there and wierd or just wrong.

A several accident reports I've read and the accident could easily have been avoided if the cavers had thier ascending gear on thier harness and could perform a changeover.

For me my vertical gear goes everywhere as a set I never take it apart except when washing (then it goes straight back together again) so if I've got one bit I've got the lot, also there's no dropping it down a pitch.
User avatar
fuzzy-hair-man
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 955
Joined: Apr 6, 2006 2:09 am
Location: Canberra, Australia
Primary Grotto Affiliation: NUCC
  

PreviousNext

Return to Equipment Forum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

cron