Budget Caving For The Everyman/Woman

Editor: zztrout

This guide will hoepfully assist you in safely exploring low-impact, low skill level caves on a budget.

Introduction

Caves are fascinating places. The darkness, the silence and the sense that you are in another world, can captivate the imagination. Caving does not need to be expensive or dangerous for the beginner if you follow a few simple guidelines. This guide is intended for "budget" explorers of beginner level caves and should not be used for any caving experience that would require ropes or access to gated caves. For access to gated caves, you will need to become a member of the National Speleological Society, and follow their rules and guidelines.

Choosing Your Cave

Finding a good beginner cave can be somewhat difficult. Contacting the N.S.S. is one way, but you can also check with local Boy/Girl Scouts as many troops visit caves for their outings. A somewhat circuitous route would be to visit the Public Lands website and look for campgrounds that feature cave access. I live in Utah and found two campsites; Oaks Park Campground and Kaler Hollow Campground, both outside of Vernal Utah with access to the Big Brush Creek Cave. This is a prime example of a beginner level cave. It has easy trail access and it is roomy and visually spectacular. I have also seen many families exploring the caves. Check local websites and forums as well, but keep in mind that many posters may not have safety in mind.

Equipment

Since this is a guide for caves with a low difficulty, you can probably dispense with ropes, ascenders and other climbing gear. You will want to make sure you have warm clothing that will not restrict your movement. Wear comfortable shoes (I personally prefer Converse high tops for flexibility and comfort).

Some other equipment you will need:

• Flashlights: Bring a headlamp if you can to keep your hands free, but also bring at least two other flashlights to make sure you have back up in case of loss or damage.

• Gloves: I like the ‘fingerless’ variety, you can usually pick these up ant any large department store or sporting good outlet. ( I like to take a mini flashlight and duct tape it to the back of my glove to assist in finding handholds, or for scanning around corners)

• Batteries: Make sure you have enough to replace the batteries in all of your flashlights. I recommend taking enough to refill your lights at least twice. I have never been in a cave longer than six hours so you will want to bring more if you plan on staying down for a longer period.

• Knee and Elbow pads: You may need to do a lot of crawling depending on the size of the tunnels that run between cave chambers. The pads can be purchased at large department stores or sporting good outlets. I recommend the cheapest as they are likely to get very dirty. I use volleyball pads for the knees. I have also used soccer shin pads for my fore arms; it makes the belly crawling much easier.

• Backpacks: You will want one of these to hold your extra batteries, water and even some high calorie snacks. Make sure you have a separate compartment to put your used wrappers and water bottles.

• Water/Fluids: Bring plenty of water and at least one extra empty bottle for urination. Leaving body fluids behind in a cave ruins the experience for the next explorer and will seriously damage the ecosystem within the cave. The darkness inside the cave can distort your sense of times passage and you do not want to find yourself without water as you return to the surface.

• Additional items: Bring a camera, some of the rock formations are completely unlike anything you will find on the surface. Caves can be gritty, dusty and/or wet so put the camera in a zip-lock bag when you are not taking photos. You won’t want to bring an iPOD or other music devices; you will need to listen for possible rock falls or animal noises. A first aid kit is mandatory for any safe outing so bring one with you.

Safety Tips

Environmental Concerns

Categories: Recreation