Does anyone know where I can get bags like sandbags that WON'T rot or fall apart in a few months?  The ones you see hanging off road-works signs on the roads, or used by the council to slow down flooding, would be about the right size but I want them to last a long time.

I've seen at least two sorts; one seems to be like sack-cloth (made of natural fibre, hemp?) and the other seems to be made of some sort of nylon / polyester square weave.  The sack-cloth ones clearly rots quickly but what makes the other self-destruct?  Is it exposure to water, or to light?  If it was light it wouldn't be a problem underground!

Is there a good water-permeable strong 'sandbag' for use underground on a semi-permanent basis?  I don't want anything bigger than a sandbag size because the space to fill and move them is too small.

Thanks,

M.

What you re looking for are woven polypropylene sacks. These are the plastic ones you refer to and yes they do eventually degrade in sunlight but they last well underground, as anyone who has been to P6 will be able to testify.

They come in a variety of sizes - the ones we have been using in P6 are 18 ins x 24 ins and are (just about) handle-able by one person in a confined passage when full. I buy them from Twiggs in Matlock for GBP 20 per hundred but any good ironmongery/hardware outfit should be able to supply them. How many do you need?

Nick.

Yes Mudfords (rather appropriately named) is another place that stocks em cheap - Sheffield based.

This topic has been discussed before on the site - always worth a quick search from the home page

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,1315.0.html

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,4182.0.html

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,4572.0.html

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,6180.0.html

as mentioned in  a few of the above topics - drystone (or even mortered) walling to stack behind is a preferred option IHMO. should last for ever, is much  kinder on the eye in a cave environment. 

Thanks guys, that's the information I needed.  Should be able to get some locally here, now that I know what I need.

M

I know of a good few hundred ready filled sandbags in a yorkshire cave! I'm sure you can keep them if you collect .

smollett said:

I know of a good few hundred ready filled sandbags in a yorkshire cave! I'm sure you can keep them if you collect .

Click to expand...

Just what I was thinking!