Moderator: Moderators
Trog wrote:For the past several years now I use thick plastic bags for storing the used carbide when I have to load up while underground.
For swims, I still have to watch out for carbide leaks and water getting into the bags.
I'm looking for other ways to packing this stuff. Any other suggested method of storing spent carbide?
No baby bottles!
Phil Winkler wrote:Pat, et al,
I believe spent carbide is calcium hydroxide and that is toxic and slightly corrosive to metal, too.
Another use, I believe, is to help outhouses work.
bsignorelli wrote:yeah i've used double bread/newspaper bags with much success. just roll the inner bag down and then roll the outeraround it (with a twist or two).
bsignorelli wrote:Dry bag it. Either in a swaygo or a dry bag that you put in your pack when going into wet caves...you do carry a dry bag to keep your stuff dry when swimming right??!?! :)
bsignorelli wrote:Meander makes a nylon carbide bag that has a mesh filter (IMO sells it). This works well since it rolls up on itself. Also...from reading a couple of non-US caving manuals (Alpine Caving Techniques, Vertical, etc) they suggest emptying your generator more often than once. You do this about a third or halfway through a load and that Meander bag allows you to sift the dry powder out and just put the carbide back in. This seems to make the generator run better since it gets rid of all the powder that has a tendancy to turn to goop.
Phil Winkler wrote:Another use, I believe, is to help outhouses work.
Here's a story about that: Around 1978 Chuck Pease and I joined the Swiss AGH Exploration team in Holloch for the annual Xmas/New Year's trip. Most exploration is done in winter when the water levels are down. We stayed at Bivouc II for 4-5 days. ABout 150m from BII is a room with a small canyon running thru it about 2m deep and 3m wide. At the edge was a rope bolted to the ceiling. At the end of the rope was tied a stick and this was used to hold a roll of toilet paper.
You also used the rope/stick to hold on to as you crouched over the edge to do your business. You then spread spent carbide all over your business. The lime or CaHO3 kept the smell down and eventually decomposed everything.
Now, I'm sure many of you are horrified at this, but they had been doing it that way for many, many years.
Anyhow, late one afternoon we had all returned to the bivouac from the day's mapping/exploration and were enjoying some hot tea (temp in cave is about 2-3C) and discussing the day's work. AFter a while I got up to visit the latrine and walked over to the canyon.
Imagine my surprise when I noticed the rope had broken in two. I turned to look down into the canyon and saw what looked like a snow angel pattern in the carbide/compost!
I went back to the bivouac and told my story, but no one would admit to having been the victim. :)
The mystery remains until this day.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users