gear
‘Mistrust all enterprises that require new clothes’
The purpose of caving gear is fourfold, to keep you warm(ish), dry(ish) and safe and to make you look like a complete fanny. Those of you familiar with caving only through the GUSA calendar might think you need only a helmet, lamp, wellies and a complete lack of decorum.
Thankfully you would be wrong; most caving takes place fully clothed.
Gear to take with you on your first trip
You only need to bring one thing (apart from obvious stuff like a towel, some dry pants and your teddy…) and that is a
Sleeping bag: we stay in club huts so you will need a sleeping bag but not a mattress. You can take a pillow if you want and if you are a light sleeper you may want to take earplugs… if you haven’t got a sleeping bag ask around; someone may have a spare*, or you could take a sheet and duvet.
*Hugh’s top tip: if you borrow a sleeping bag off someone shake it out first; you don’t know what’ll be in there
Caving-wise, you don’t need anything special as we can supply or hire all the kit you need. However, if you’ve got them take:
Wellies: Caving is the only sport requiring welly boots that doesn’t involve
killing animals and driving Landrovers. As such it is perfect for animal rights activists and vegetarians who enjoy the wearing of rubberised footwear. If you have wellies take them. You will quickly discover that cavers don’t wear wellies to keep their feet dry. They are used for their grip and hardwearing properties. Your feet would get wet even if you were wearing waders; that’s why wetsocks were invented. Wear your wellies on the outside of your oversuit so you can drain the water out. If you don’t have wellies it’s really cheap to hire them at Bernie’s.
Thermals: a quick drying baselayer or a thermal top and leggings is one of the best ways to cheaply up your warmth and comfort factor. They will wick sweat away from your skin, keep you warmer even when wet and in every way be superior to just wearing a t-shirt.
Classic Helly Hansen style thermals are good as are Merino wool garments and they don’t get as smelly. Marks and Spencer’s View From range are a good budget alternative and for the real tightwads a thick pair of tights are surprisingly effective.
Fleece: We only have a limited amount of club furry suits (more about them later) so if you have any fleece jackets or trousers then take them. A microfleece is great if you’ve got it. Don’t buy a fleece just for caving, you’ll be better off with a furry suit. If you’ve got a fleecy neck warmer or a Buff take that too.
Hat or Balaclava: You lose most of your body heat through your head so headwear is a must. Hats have to be fairly thin to be comfortable under a helmet. Fleece hats are great.
Gloves: This sounds really silly but washing up gloves are great for caving. The heavy duty ones are best because they will take a pounding. Woollen or neoprene gloves would keep you warm but would get wrecked – you can’t beat a pair of Marigolds*!
Warm socks: Take several pairs of thick socks. Wear normal socks on your first trip, see the light and buy wetsocks (more about them later).
*WARNING: Buying heavy duty rubber gloves and a pair of tights in a supermarket makes you look like a pervert. Do it in the Spar in Gretna where they are used to this type of deviant behaviour.
Gear we can supply you with
Helmets: The club has some helmets and we hire more at Bernie’s in Yorkshire. Caving helmets are similar to climbing helmets with the addition of a mount to attach a lamp to and a great deal of ingrained dirt and scratches. Helmets are absolutely essential for any type of caving. Contrary to some people’s beliefs they are not just something to put your lamp on, do them up, make sure they are properly adjusted and don’t drop them.
Lamps: The club uses several types of lamps and also hires lamps from Bernie’s. Caving lighting is a huge subject but as a beginner you will use either an old style miners lamp or an LED lamp on one of the club helmets.
Miners’ lamps consist of a lamp which you attach to the bracket on your helmet and a battery pack which you wear on a belt around your waist. They are heavy, bulky and the battery is full of acid (they don’t generally leak but just to be safe keep them away from ropes and harnesses and be careful where you store them) but provide a nice warm orange light and do the job. If you are sitting around use the small beam to save battery power. You don’t have to charge them up between trips.
The LED lamps consist of a lamp and a battery pack attached to the helmet. They are less bulky but have a cold white light. When you use an LED lamp you must note how long it has been on for and charge it each night accordingly. Ask a committee member if you are unsure what to do. The lamps are incredibly expensive. If you have been given one for a weekend then don’t just throw it in the van with the rest of the kit, look after it well.
It is always a good idea to take some form of spare lighting.
Oversuits: The club has oversuits that you can use. Try and wear one small enough that it isn’t baggy but so that it doesn’t restrict your movement. Oversuits will keep you dry to a certain extent but the best way to stay dry is to move in such a way that you keep as dry as possible. Actually I lie, the best way to stay dry is to sit in Bernie’s drinking tea all day.
Furry suits: Furry suits are like giant fleecy babygrows. They provide fantastic insulation for caving. The club has a limited supply. Buy your own and go to fancy dress parties as a Tellytubby for the rest of your life.
Stuff for the keen to buy
These are the first things that you will want to start buying if you get into caving. They are cheap but make you so much more comfortable.
Wetsocks: Another piece of diving equipment that has proved invaluable for caving. Wetsocks are made of neoprene and are supremely warm. They work in the same way as a wetsuit. Water trapped between your skin and the neoprene is warmed by your bodyheat and keeps you toasty warm. The difference between normal socks and wetsocks is unbelievable. Once you buy wetsocks you won’t know how you managed without them and they cost about £12. They are worth every penny and should be the first thing you buy.
Kneepads: Crawling through rocky passages is a fantastic way to mess up your knees. Protect them with a pair of kneepads. There are various types available and they all go on your knees. A budget option is to cut the knees out of an old wetsuit. It doesn’t work. An even cheaper option is to use the now legendary GUPA kneepad. It goes on your knee. If you only have one leg this is the best option.
Wellies: the footwear of choice for cavers, Suretreds are probably the best as long as you get a good fit. These can be bought in Bernie’s for about £15.
Beards: you will notice that many older cavers sport beards. If you haven’t got your own they can be bought or hired at Bernie’s. They come in a variety of styles and are suitable for males and females.
Buying more of your own caving gear
Buying caving gear can be expensive. However there are lots of little bits you can get over time and this makes it a little more manageable; if you want to buy caving kit then ask someone in the club for help – there are lots of places to get it cheap and we can give you advice about what to look for. Bernie’s in Ingleton serves us breakfast when we’re in Yorkshire, they also do us good deals on kit so that is the best place to start, alternatively if you know what you want or are feeling brace then scour ebay.
Start with wetsocks, kneepads and wellies (see above); then you may want to get the following:
Furry suits - £40-£80 depending what you get; the club has a small supply of these but it is best to get your own for lots of reasons, especially if you are either very big or very small.
Oversuits - £50-£100. The club has a few more of these but it’s still best to get your own if you’re keen so you get one that fits you well. The one on the right is waterproof and warmer (though sweatier) than the club ones.
Wetsuits – £50 -£100. These used to be worn a lot for caving; now they are used only on really wet miserable trips! (preferably under an oversuit so they last longer than about half a trip). You want one with a zip at the front if you can, or long johns. There are lots of options but a wetsuit is rarely absolutely necessary; get a furry first.
Things get more expensive now:
Helmet and lamp, again there are lots of options but you are looking at about £90 upwards. Bernie’s is good, or you could risk a second hand one from ebay.
SRT kit – £150, but a very good idea if you want to do lots of caving. The club only has two kits to lend and they are a big pain to adjust the size of. You can get lucky and find a second-hand one but make sure it’s from someone you trust not to have abused or spilled acid over the soft bits, or dropped the metal bits down a shaft which can cause tiny fractures…
So, as you see it can mount up. Buy bits and pieces as you go along; get wetsocks, kneepads and wellies as soon as you can. Suits are fairly easy to come by cheaply. If you are at all unsure what to look for then ask someone in the club.
