fuzzy-hair-man wrote:Maybe the poll needs the option: "What's carbide smell like?"
I've never been in a cave with someone using a carbide light or seen one going in fact the only one I've seen was in a museum. No one uses them here.
Here in the UK carbide caplamps (affectionately known as "stinkies") were still often to be seen when I started caving back in the 70's.
They gradually disappeared and then it was fairly common to see carbide lights with waist-mounted generators "ceiling-burners", especially when on trips abroad where electric charging facilities were not easily available.
Nowadays, LED lights seem to have taken over.
I occasionaly use my old Premier "stinky" if I lend my usual light (electric LED) to someone on their first caving trip and have even been known to get out my old Petzl Laser "ceiling-burner" on the odd occasion while I still have a supply of carbide.
I still think that carbide light provides the best light overall but for convenience, I now mainly stick to LED light now that they are bright enough and don't need as much "fettling" as carbide.
While on trips abroad I always stick to LEDs since I have the option of running them on AA batteries which are available practically anywhere and less hassle with weight and having to carry carbide on flights.