by Crockett » May 26, 2010 9:36 am
We use tape that has a logo of Texas as a "watermark". It does not seem to bleed. Some is over 7 years old. Station marking tape has the date, who placed it, and of course the location. Some "Sharpie" ink fades over time. Ink written on tape being absorbed then dispersed might give the appearance that the tape is bleeding. Depending on use or abuse it seems that the benefit of tape exceeds the impact. We are exploring the use of RFID particularly for significant cultural and biological resources. Inertness, range, robustness, and cost are all factors. RFID technology is evolving quickly and becoming mainstream. RFID adoption by cavers seems inevitable but tape, as a visual guide, will continue to have a place for a long time, just like paper. This seems like a no brainer but every piece of tape left in a cave should be marked with who, what, when, where, and why. Maybe doing that would result in more thoughtful placement.