Packing your pack. Food, water, batteries and so on.

[ct1]

For long cave trips I like to take an MRE. They are pretty cave proof and best eaten in the dark, but they take up alot of room. I like that I can have a hot meal if I want to use the heater or just use the heater to keep me warm or both. i also like that they are like a surprize each time you open one you are not sure what is going to be inside besides the main meal. Always fun. I also usually have a few power bars with me to munch on for a really long trip (10-15 hrs.) That is what I take for a long hard trip. I do often carry a power bar in my pocket just so I have something with me incase if get seperated from my pack. You know pushing that new low crawl lead that does not go anywere a half hour later.

For a long trip that is not going to be hard (a photo trip or tour guide for some novice's) something that I can be in and out of the cave in a short time (30 mins) if I really move just a water bottle and a power bar or two will do.

The big thing to think about is keeping up energy up. Once you have lost your energy it is really hard to get it back in a cave becuase you are fighting the cold.
Remember you have to be ready if something happens.

I have to say I like the Arby's Sandwich idea though may have to try that.

Batteries what are those?? Just charge up the battery pack before the trip and good to go for as long as I can stay under ground.

[caveflower]

I've been useing these for about 3 years now. They are great for keeping all you food and other stuff dry and in good shape. I would not trust them for camras or anything like that but for food first aid and such they work great.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SB9L2M/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00068UA88&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0QTQQY81ZN0H1YCAEYWH



I put a little vaseline on the rubber gasket to make even more waterproof. I have differrent sizes I use for different cave trips.

[trogman]

As far as the water goes, if I am going to be in a cave with a reliable water source, I usually bring my filter bottle. This saves carrying extra water bottles. I do like the idea of stashing bottles along the way, and maybe will try that in a dry cave.

The filter bottle also works good for ridgewalking, depending on water availability.

Trogman

[harrym]

So, how do you pack for your time underground? Ever see a chart for how much food and water a person needs per day, or half day?

I used to spend anywhere from 2 to 5 days in a row climbing big walls in Yosemite in 90-degree heat. We had to carry everything with us, including water. My daily rations were:

2 quarts of water per day
2 Snickers bars per day
1 bagel per day
1 can of tuna per day

[NZcaver]

That's a single meal for a caver...

[Jon]

I worry about salt due to sweating. Has no one thought about the base of the food pyramid? BACON! No I don't take the greasy stuff in a cave but some salty stuff like bacon before and after a trip is good. Jerky works in the cave or just before and for sure after. As do cold Brats. In the cave ? Dried fruit such as apricots or pineapple (some sugar) is good no crumbs. Also I like a can of Eagle condensed and sweetened milk.... but Slow cook it in the can for 2- almost 3 hours at a slow boil. Me alone 2 hours ,if I have to share 2 3/4's hour cooking time (much stiffer) TONS of energy, filling (flippin rich) and again no crumbs. If you hate a can, you can double ziplock baggy it with the inner one with a missing corner to squeeze it out of. MRE.s work but I open the pack and only take what I want into the cave ( oddly enough I love the veggie ones). Water in a Gator Aid bottle or the gator juice in a medium size bottle...the empty doubles as a pee bottle. I have a complex ritual for hydration that works for me so I rarely need the pee bottle but often can be a hero by offering one up on the way out. when caving with newbie women I take several of the GEL pacs for camp stool things. Bottles are hard for women and you can make all kinds of friends offering them at the outset of the hike in. Even if no takers, I have one in the pack just in case. Talk about making a friend if someone ends up needing it. Most of the time other than snacks or water I never go in my pack for myself. For some reason, whatever someone else forgot seems to be in my pack.

By the way SKOAL Cans ( plastic) and the likes are great. Things like nitrel gloves etc can often be stuffed in them and if the paper wrapper is off the unit can all but be waterproofed with black electrical tape around the sides. Somewhat water and dirt proof plus you can write the contents on it with a silver sharpie. Also the tin Camel Snus containers work well for other shaped things. Lets not forget Kodac vials.

By the way Sten folks, your back-up 9 volt battery (with velcro attached) and it's cable fit perfectly in a Snus tin. Another Snus tin will hold your one meter extension cable. I can't look at anything with a reuseable disposable package without thinking what might be protected by it in a cave pack. The trick is to find something different shaped or sized for everything. Then you can grope find it rather than look for it.

[TAG caver]

I tend to over pack and I'm not sorry and it doesn't slow me down. Here goes:
Atleast 6 chemical lights, 72 hours of spare batteries for each light (all 6 or 7 of em), a Med kit that contains a combat application tourniquet, assorted bandages and dressings, a saline lock kit, IV drip set with both a bag of normal saline and a bag of hextend, and other assorted equipment for treating just about anything from a tension pnuemo to simple cut. I also carry an survival kit with stuff like waterproof matches, a candle, a couple of space blankets, the good stuff out of a couple mre's, about 20' of 2" webbing, a roll of duct tape, a couple of bottles of water, compass, etc in a waterproof stuff sack. Then, depending on the mission ill also have my vert. kit, camping gear, anything else. It might seem like a lot but I'm used to it.

[JR-Orion]

These guys showed up-

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Case-Char ... 058&sr=8-4

Five battery cases for 12 bucks.

The plastic that makes up the case looks to be fairly strong. The plastic that makes up the hinge doesn't seem that great. The clip / closure mechanism is also plastic, but looks OK. When closed and loaded with batteries, they feel fairly solid.

I'm not 100% sold on these, but will try them out underground. Gotta be nicer than my current system, which involves AAs wrapped up tight with rubber bands in a ziploc bag. :)

We'll see how they do.

For what it's worth, the first reviewer on Amazon (Richmix) indicates that his cases are still going strong after a year in his camera bag.

[Chads93GT]

I personally use the small size otter box, the one that will fit a compact digital camera. It is just big enough too hold 4 sets of AA's in it and nothing else. It is extremely durable and its waterproof as well as all otter boxes are. It is all I have ever used since I decided it wasn't ideal for my camera due to not having any rubber padding like the pelican case has.

[Scott McCrea]

I don't understand why you would put batteries in a container. Zip-lock baggie--sure. But, a container is just something else to carry.

[cavemud2]

I like the idea of bagels and the can meat thing. Maybe some potted meat or vienna sausage? i hate tuna so that is out of the question. Someone said something about bacon? If it where to be cooked would it be ok to take that in your pack without spoiling or going bad? A bacon chedda bagel sounds like some fine cave food to me if the bacon wont make ya sick.

[cavemud2]

I don't understand why you would put batteries in a container. Zip-lock baggie--sure. But, a container is just something else to carry.

I carry 2 baggies. One for used and one for the new. as they fit right into the front pocket. Yeh the case seem like it would just take up more space in your pack. And why would you not want them touching each other? As long as they arent powering anything how would they lose charge?

[JR-Orion]

I've always heard that batteries that touch each other in a certain way (from just floating around lose in a pack or bag) can dischrage. Now I'm going to have to see if this is actually true or not.

edit

Found this. The third post makes sense-
http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/ar-talk/81 ... -grip.html
Poles touching do nothing unless there is a path to complete a circuit. A multi-cell flashlight "stores" its batteries touching with no problems, until you turn it on there is no drain. You are good.

[cavemud2]

Cool yeh thats what i thought. You dont happen to shoot a XD do you?

[GroundquestMSA]

Oh dear. I hope to spend enough time in a cave to want to eat some day.
Usually I spend no more than 4 or 5 hours underground (due to the geographically depressed location of my efforts, not by choice) and have never once felt the need to eat. Never even thought of it. Sometimes I bring water but I've never opened it. Caves are too interesting for things like sustenance. I'll likely happily, and ignorantly, drop dead if I spend too much time caving...say four days.
I suppose one must count on being stuck, injured, and lost though, and I must change my attitude.