I never took a youth group, school or Scout, caving without a pre-trip talk.
Topics were:
Cave environment - Wet / Dry
Wildlife - Snakes - Bears - Bats - Crawfish - salamanders etc...
Formations - Don't touch or I'll kill you.
Rescue will be hours, not minutes away.
Physical aspects - How to move about - walk - crawl - belly crawling - To illustrate: I point to a typical folding chair and tell them we will encounter crawls no bigger than that chair. That usually weeds out the claustrophobic.
Clothing - wear the stuff you wouldn't give to charity. Bring an extra shirt in vacuum packed Zip Lock.
Shoes - canvas and plastic not allowed
Lights helmet plus two.
Snacks
First Aid supplies in zip lock or closed container
Canteen with WATER! You can't wash mud from an eye with Kool-Aide.
Camera in a zip lock
If you want a further breakdown of my topics, please e-mail me.
SpartanCaver 23453
Author: Venture Caving and Licking the Ceiling