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Caving Basics
Equipment and Clothing Checklist
Suitable for most Kentucky horizontal caves.
Three dependable sources of light
Required!
Preferably one light should be mounted on your helmet. Each source of light
should be dependable and bright enough to get you out of the cave.
Helmet with chin strap
Required!
A construction helmet with suspension inside is fine. If the helmet does
not have a chin strap then make one, preferably a non-elastic one. A helmet
should stay on your head if you fall down. A climbers helmet is best. Avoid
army, football, motorcycle and bicycle helmets. Bring a bandana to wear under
your helmet. Sometimes this is more comfortable.
Sturdy boots
Required!
Old hiking boots with laces, lug soles and good ankle support are best. Avoid
rubber boots and tennis shoes. Most types of military boots are fine. Your
feet are likely to get wet. Water proofing them will not be necessary.
Knee Pads
Required!
Athletic type knee pads are fine. You can buy these in any sports store or
sporting goods department. Look for thick and flexible pads that cover as
much of your knee and shin as possible. Avoid extra thick volleyball type
kneepads. Expect white knee pads to turn permanently brown. Some cavers prefer
to wear elbow pads also.
Gloves
Required!
Regular garden or work gloves. A pair of $1 brown jersey gloves work great!
Avoid insulated, winter or rubber gloves.
| A NOTE ON FABRIC: Most cavers avoid wearing cotton clothing whenever
possible. Cotton is fine until it gets wet. Wet cotton clothing is heavy,
less insulating and does not dry quickly. Choose wool or synthetic
fabrics like nylon, polyester or polypropylene. Wool will keep you
warm even when wet. Synthetic fabrics are lighter, hold less moisture
and dry faster. |
Coveralls
A pair of non-insulated (mostly nylon) work-type coveralls are great. Try
them on before caving to make sure they fit. You should not feel any tight
spots when bending over or raising your arms in the air. Avoid insulated
or winter coveralls. They will probably be too warm. If you can’t locate
coveralls, then choose and a pants and shirt that are mostly nylon or polyester.
Most types of camping pants, work pants ( example: Dickies brand) and military
pants are good substitutes for coveralls. Don’t worry about style or color clashing. Wear jeans or sweat pants
as a last resort.
Undergarments
Wear a pair of polypropylene long underwear (tops and bottoms). They will
keep you warm and wick the moisture away from your skin. Other types of
non-cotton long underwear are fine. Hosiery works too. Choose wool socks
over cotton. Some cavers prefer to wear a thin liner sock under their wool
socks.
Cave Pack
You will need some kind of pack to carry all of your gear, food and water.
The best kind of pack is worn around your waist such as a fanny pack or a
military gas mask bag. This style of pack is easy to rotate when going through
tight or narrow places. A pack worn on your back is acceptable. Avoid small
fanny packs and make sure it has ample room to carry all the things you will
need (see below). Choose a pack that is easy to take off, easy to open but
closes securely. You do not want the contents of your pack strewn along the
cave floor because it accidentally opened and you didn’t notice it!
Recommended Items:
water bottle |
food & snacks |
spare batteries |
trash bag(s) |
candle/ lighter |
Optional Items:
compass |
yarn or string |
knife and pliers |
duct tape |
20’ of rope or webbing |
camera & film |
paper & pen |
whistle |
map of the cave |
medication |
eye care items |
cylume glow sticks |
water purify tablets |
first aid kit |
heat packs |
space blanket |
Additions, updates and corrections to this list are welcome. Please contact:
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