Evan wrote:Over, kneepads are cheaper than oversuits.
The one thing I love to do when I get out of a cave is get my kneepads OFF as fast as possible. Hiking in kneepads can sometimes be more painful than crawling. I had gypsum under my pads once and didn't feel it till the next day, you can imagine.....
Add one more for "over" - I also agree with Evan.
Other than brief experimentation, I've always worn my pads on the outside. My standard caving uniforms are a Meander suit with long Bomber Gear pads (cooler climates), cargo pants and hard-cap construction kneepads (warm climate lava tubes), and shorts with tights/thin polyprop and my long Bombers (warm climate limestone/gypsum).
Choose your kneepads and clothing carefully! I've found that some hard-cap kneepads with the "sock" type design can bunch up your pants underneath and cause nasty rubbing at the back of the knees. I also had the same problem with regular kneepads a few times, until I figured out that my wearing an old pair of worn-out polyprops under my suit was a dumb idea - they were surprisingly abrasive.
And yes, hiking in kneepads can be a pain too. I usually slide my Bombers to the outside of my legs and let them slip down a little. Much more comfortable for hiking, and much quicker/easier than whipping them off and on.