Horizontal Caving School Notes

Horizontal Caving Gear

Helmet
- Protects your head; it will frequently come in handy
- Serves as a mounting point for your light
- Adjusts to fit a wide variety of head sizes and shapes
- Chin strap prevents it from coming loose
- Suspension system cushions blows
- Provided by ORGT
- Things to check at ORGT:
  1. Ensure that the suspension works properly and the buckle fastens securely
  2. Examine the helmet for cracks
Light sources
- Never assume that a light will work - always test it at ORGT before leaving on the trip
- Primary light source
  - ORGT provides the light, you provide the batteries
  - Choose one of the following:
    1. Petzl Mega: requires three C-cells, but can run on three AA-cells, battery pack fits on the helmet
    2. Petzl Duo: requires four AA-cells, battery pack fits on the helmet
    3. Nitelite: requires four D-cells, battery pack fits on your belt
  - All of these lights have room for a spare bulb; check to see that it is in fact there
- Secondary light sources
  - Bring two of them
  - ORGT provides one backup light source for students on official trips only
  - You must provide the second backup light source yourself
  - Example secondary lights:
    1. A cheap waterproof AA flashlight
    2. Mag Industry's Mini Mag Light
    3. Petzl's Micro
- Battery info
  - Duracells seem to last longer than Energizers
  - Do not waste your money on Ray-O-Vac batteries
  - Purchase alkaline batteries, not carbon-zinc
    - Alkaline batteries last over twice as long
    - If the packaging does not say alkaline, the batteries are not alkaline
  - Rechargable batteries have a lifetime between carbon-zinc and alkalines
  - Good places to purchase batteries:
    - Stores like Home Depot, Sam's Club and Wall-Mart have excellent prices
    - Gas stations and Mom & Pop stores charge at least twice as much as the aforementioned stores
  - D batteries last about 12 hours and C batteries about 8 hours, so bring a second set
  - AA batteries only last about 4 or 5 hours, so bring two extra sets
Cave pack
- Carries all of your stuff
- Can take a beating, which means its contents should be able to
- Provided by ORGT
- Check all the straps before leaving ORGT
In-Cave Clothing
- Avoid cotton if possible
  - Cotton loses its insulating properties and feels nasty when wet
  - It will not dry in a cave once it gets wet
- Shoes
  - Cheap boots with heavy soles and some ankle support work well (Kmart, Target)
  - Atlanta Rubber's Bata Boots are quite popular, even though the tread wears down after hard use (Bata Skis)
  - Tennis shoes will do in a pinch
- Socks
  - Wear thick synthetic or wool socks
  - For extremely wet conditions, wear Neoprene booties, as they will keep your feet warm even when soaking wet
- Shirt
  - Top choices include polyester tops by Patagonia, REI, Duofold, etc.
  - A cotton sweat shirt or t-shirt will work in dry caves
  - Bring an additional long sleeve top to wear when sedentary, especially if you are prone to get cold quickly
- Pants
  - 50/50 military fatigues are the best choice
    1. Army/Navy and Surplus stores carry a good selection
    2. Brigade Quartermaster sometimes sells factory seconds at a deep discount
  - Old jeans are okay, but only for dry caves since they are 100% cotton
  - Amazing things turn up at Salvation Army and Goodwill stores
- Gloves
  - Leather palmed gloves are best (Target, Home Depot, Kroger...)
  - Cheap cotton gloves are better than nothing
  - ORGT provides gloves for student on official trips only
- Pads
  - Knee pads: Either soft volleyball pads (Trace) or hard rollerblading pads work
  - ORGT provides knee pads for students on official trips only
  - Elbow pads: not entirely necessary but still useful
  - Look for pads with two separate straps, one piece models abrade the inside of the joint (more of a problem with knee pads)
Change of Clothes
- Your in-cave clothes will receive a coating of mud
- Bring a complete change for the drive home, including clean shoes and underwear
- You may wish to bring a towel and water for cleaning up
- Bring an extra trash bag to store your muddy clothes and gear
Food
- Do not bring food which cannot withstand crushing, e.g., bananas
- A tupperwear container typically keeps food dry and provides some protection from crushing
- Popular foods include candy bars, M&Ms, pop-tarts and granola bars
- Eating a good breakfast will alleviate many in-cave troubles
- You will need to pack out all packaging; "pack out what you pack in"
- Eat before you get hungry to keep your energy level up and stay warm
- Sugary foods provide only short term energy, lean towards complex carbohydrates and fats
Drink
- Bring enough water for several hours of exercise; this could range from 0.5L to 2L
- Do not bring containers which cannot withstand crushing
- Any plastic canteen or Gatorade type bottle filled with water will work
- Sport drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade are nice but rather strong; drink some water as well
- A headache while in the cave is generally a symptom of dehydration
- Drink before you get thirsty
- Cave water - for long trips
  - While generally clean, it should be treated with Iodine before consumption
  - You can bring powdered Gatorade to mix into the treated water
  - Empty 35mm film canisters hold enough powdered Gatorade for one liter of water
Trash Bags
- Bring enough trash bags to carry home your muddy clothes and gear
- An extra folded up trash bag will fit in your helmet or pack and serve as an emergency heat tent
- Bring a disposable lighter, as you can use it to heat the air trapped in the bag
Ziploc Bags
- Ziploc bags are good for keeping batteries organized
- They are also often used for protecting cave maps
Camera
- The camera absolutely must have a flash
- Disposable cameras make surprisingly good pictures
- Point & shoot cameras should be weatherproof
Money
- Bring some money for breakfast and dinner (or something to eat instead)

Moving Through a Cave

Maintain three points of contact
If you become separated from the group and get lost, stay put; we will not leave without you
Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time
Do not go to the bathroom in a cave
- This could destroy the cave's delicate ecosystem
- Plan ahead. Go right before you enter the cave. Don't drink lots of coffee before going caving.
- On long trips, bring a well-marked, well-sealed container for your waste and carry it out
Do not touch the formations
- Most formations are extremely fragile and took thousands of years to form The oils on your hands will interfere with the formation's continued growth
Do not disturb any of the wildlife
- The cave ecosystem is very delicate
- Check streams so you do not crush any crayfish
- Do not meddle with spiders, crickets or glowworms
- Watch out for bats
  - Bats sleep all around caves and frequently choose the spot where you're about to put your hand
  - If knocked from the wall, bats will generally hit the ground before waking
  - If disturbed during their winter hibernation, they will probably die
Watch out for loose rocks
- Do not move them when another caver passes underneath
- If you kick a rock loose and it begins to fall, yell "Rock!"
- If you drop anything else, also yell "Rock!"
Simple tips to avoid getting lost
- Take notice of distinctive formations
- Look over your shoulder on a regular basis
- Learn to use a cave map and compass
- Watch for cairns and build your own if necessary
- Place flagging tape along the trail, but be sure to remove it as you leave
- Wear a rugged wristwatch to keep track of time
- Follow elephant tracks (heavy footprints)
- Do not rely on spray painted arrows
- Blowing air may indicate an exit, although it may be too small for a human to fit through

Landowner Relations

Almost all caves lie on private land
- Exploring these caves is a privilege, not a right
- Caves on hunting property are typically closed during hunting season
Cavers should request permission to explore the cave and give an estimated time when they will leave
Pick up all trash, even if it does not belong to you
You do not look like Brad Pitt or Demi Moore - no one wants to see your bare ass, especially the landowner

Safety Information

First aid
- All ORGT trip leaders and many instructors are certified in Wilderness First Aid
- A first aid kit comes along on all official trips
- Many instructors bring along personal first aid kits
- Students may bring their own first aid kits if they would like
Notify the TL (trip leader) or an instructor if you get injured or if you have a pre-existing condition such as a previously sprained ankle or dislocated shoulder
TLs and some instructors have extensive first aid training
Hypothermia, characterized by the "umbles:" "mumbles," "fumbles," "grumbles," "tumbles," etcetera
- Aggravating factors
  - Cold
  - Fatigue
  - Dehydration and hunger
  - Sedentary state
- Methods to avoid hypothermia
  - Stay aware of your and your fellow cavers' conditions
  - Consume plenty of food and water
  - Wear adequate dry clothing
  - Keep moving
  - When resting, sit on your pack or gloves to minimize heat loss

Apropos Caving Policies

After this class and trip, you may check out horizontal gear for use on GRP (gear rental participation) and co-op trips
You must have a medical card and waiver on file to go on any ORGT trip
You must have medical insurance to go on an official ORGT trip
The use of drugs or alcohol on official ORGT trips is strictly forbidden
Smoking inside caves is also forbidden

How to Continue Caving With ORGT

Come to the meetings (Wednesdays, 6.30 PM, Caving Cage at ORGT)
Email list server
- A message sent to orgt-cave@lists.gatech.edu will be forwarded to everyone on the list
- Nearly every trip is announced using this method
- Sign up on the list by going to http://www.crc.gatech.edu/orgt/email.php and following the instructions on that page.
You can visit the ORGT caving web page at http://orgt.gatech.edu/caving/
You can email one of the people listed on the "People to Bother" page.

You receive a free gear rental for completing the beginner school and filling out the evaluation forms

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Back to the ORGT homepage

Disclaimer: Neither Georgia Tech, ORGT, the author, nor any person mentioned on these pages is in any way responsible for any injury you may receive from using the information on these pages. Caving is inherently dangerous! You could be seriously injured or killed even with proper equipment and training. If you would like more information, contact one of us or visit the National Speleological Society (NSS) at www.caves.org and contact your local grotto.

This file last modified: February 07 2007.