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Bob Thrun wrote:I will disagree with some of the suggestionsfor a space blanket or insulating foam. I do not go into a cave with camping gear to use while waiting to be rescued.
Bob Thrun wrote:Thanks for the detailed report cavingstud19. It has been a long time since I was in the middle of the cave. It sounds like you took a different route thru the cave than what I used. The station E31 in my data is farther in than I thought you were when you got rescued, but there may have been some duplication of station names in the cave.
I would like to find out exactly where the group was. I will offer to lead a trip next year with some of the rescued and/or rescuers. I will probably be doing some surveying too. I also wonder about the 30-foot climb where a rope was handy.
I will disagree with some of the suggestionsfor a space blanket or insulating foam. I do not go into a cave with camping gear to use while waiting to be rescued.
Bob Thrun wrote:I will disagree with some of the suggestionsfor a space blanket or insulating foam. I do not go into a cave with camping gear to use while waiting to be rescued.
George Dasher wrote:Keep in mind that you can also use an empty cave pack under your butt for insulation.
And your greatest source of heat is to cuddle with the person or persons you are with. I've read that the Russians, during WWII, actually tied groups of soldiers together standing up to keep them warm. They would rotate, like penguins, during the night.
George Dasher wrote:Keep in mind that you can also use an empty cave pack under your butt for insulation.
And your greatest source of heat is to cuddle with the person or persons you are with. I've read that the Russians, during WWII, actually tied groups of soldiers together standing up to keep them warm. They would rotate, like penguins, during the night.
NZcaver wrote:George Dasher wrote:Keep in mind that you can also use an empty cave pack under your butt for insulation.
And your greatest source of heat is to cuddle with the person or persons you are with. I've read that the Russians, during WWII, actually tied groups of soldiers together standing up to keep them warm. They would rotate, like penguins, during the night.
Good point. A similar practice is taught for surviving in cold water.
Just think - a few empty caving packs and pieces of foam underneath, a space blanket or plastic bag above, and a sandwich of smelly cavers inbetween... now that's survival!
Cavingstud, you guys obviously did some things right. Glad you decided to join us here on the forum, and thanks for posting that very detailed report by your friend Heidi.
cavingstud19 wrote:Indeed we did use our cave pack to lay on. I made keri lay ontop of me to keep her wormer cause she did not have as many layers as me. We huddled together also. We slept for 15 min and then woudl wake up and keep moving. the more we moved the wormer we were. but with being so tired i was only able to move about 3 steps without having to rest for about half hr. it was pretty crazy. we huddled together all the time. it helped out alot.
wendy wrote:It's not camping gear they are referring to. Space blankets can be packed tiny, I have a mylar balnket in my cave pack that is in a zip lock 3"x4" and just a couple cm thick. Even a plastic garbage bag folded into the top of a helmet can suffice as a space blanket and keep you warm wrapped around you and a small flame of a candle under you. I thought this was pretty much standard in a cave pack along with a first aid kit, water, and a snack.
Bob Thrun wrote:The best use of a space blanket is in photography, for pictures with a sunbeam coming the entrance. It can be used as a reflector to light up otherwise dark corners of the entrance room.
Bob Thrun wrote:When space blankets first came out, I carried one. After a wet cave, water leaked into the package and all the reflective metal coating came off. I tried a space blanket outside of a cave and found that I did not notice it making me any warmer. This confirmed my experience with a fabric called Millium. It was a metallized fabric sold for coat linings. A coat with it was no better than a similar coat with a plain lining. I concluded that the main value of a space blanket was in stopping drafts. If I have to stop for a while in a cave, I try to rest in a spot with no breezes.
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