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Ivtinimum-lmpact Caving Guidelines (How to Behave in a Cave)
Appears to cover everything except Flatulence.
Reprinted with kind permission from NSS News, April 2021,
Val Hildreth-Werker and Jim C. Werker (Reoised Feb 2027)
These guidelines encourage practices
that minimize negative inpacts to caves. As
more is learned about cave environments,
cavers evaluate and redefine caving conduct.
Compiled from the experiences and contri-
butions of many cavers, these guidelines
describe safe, low-impact caving techniques.
Avoid damaging cave resources-aesthetic,
cultural, paleontological, geological, hydro-
logical, mineralogical, meteorological,
biological, as well as microbial. Move gently
and be good stewards. Think safety-take
care of yourself and your team. Take care
of the caves!
. Each caver wears a helmet with a light
attached. Each caver carries water,
food, a bottle for urine, and three
sources of light with extra batteries.
. Use freshly washed cave packs,
vertical gear, boots, gloves, knee-pads,
helmets, and lint-free clothing to avoid
transfer of mud, dust, and microbes
between cave environments.
. Follow current. WNS decon proto-
cols at https://caves.orglWNS/ or
https: / /www.whitenosesyndrome. org
. Use footwear with nonmarring/
non-marking soles.
o Use soft or padded cave packs. Avoid
hard-edged boxes. Choose gear that
is smaller, lighter, and more compact.
. Protect cave location data. Never
post or publish coordinates or instruc-
tions for finding cave entrances.
Intentional vandalism and uninten-
tional ignorance destroy many cave
resources. Unauthorized sharing of
cave locations can be a prosecutable
federal or state offense.
. Never disturb bats or other cave-
dwelling creatures. Watch {or insects
and avoid crushing them underfoot.
. Avoid touching microbialmats. Do
not disturb geomicrobial communities
living in a cave.
. No smoking or use of tobacco in
caves. No campfires in caves or near
cave entrances. Smoke and fumes can
kill bats, invertebrates, and other cave-
dwelling animals.
. No recreational drugs or alcohol
while caving. Mental and physical
impairment puts the cave and the
team at risk.
' Wear gloves. Check gloves for mud,
dirt, and holes.
o Don't enter pristine areas with muddy
or dusty garments and gear. Know
which areas require clean clothes,
shoes, and gear.
Avoid isolated pools.
Limit scratching skin and hair. Tens of
thousands of skin fragments and debris
fall from each human body every hour.
Reduce introductions of new matter
into cave systems.
Remove all solid and liquid wastes.
Carry an emergency pee bottle and
burrito kit. Carry out all urine, feces,
spit, vomit, and other waste.
Avoid dropping crumbs and food
particles. Eat over a plastic bag.
Carry out crumbs and debris. Don't
eat on the move.
If you light a candle, catch the wax
drips on a suitable base such as heavy
foil.
If carbide is allowed, carry the spent
carbide out of the cave in sturdy plastic
bottles with threaded lids.
Stay on established trails. Sit inside
the trails. Keep packs and other items
within the path. Don't stray off the
most impacted pathways.
Move carefully and gently through the
entire cave-avoid kicking up dust.
Spot each other on climbs. Safety
first-maintain three points of contact.
Always spot each other in fragile
areas. Especially watch heads, backs,
hands, feet, and packs. In areas of
low hanging formations, ask spotters
to watch. Remove helmet to improve
body control. Move gently.
Maintain special care and gentle
control of movements when lingering
in a fragile area for survey, science, or
photography.
Touch as little as possible. Avoid
leaning on walls, ceilings, or speleo-
thems. Don't sit on formations. Look
and avoid trampling floor deposits.
When movement requires handholds,
look first to avoid delicate features
and use small points of contact for
balance (knuckles or fingertips) rather
than dirty open palms.
During survey and exploration, estab-
lish pathways on durable surfaces to
minimize future impacts.
Point out unsafe or damaging
behaviour. It's every caver's responsi-
bility to ensure that cave environments
remain as pristine as possible and that
every team member is safe and aware
of conservation ethics. It's okay to
speak up and say, "Keep still, don't
move, or stay away."
Take nothing from-caves. Removal
of natural or historical items is unethical
and illegal unless you have a collec-
tion permit for authorized research.
(Recently deposited trash usually
should be removed-always carry
extra plastic bags, and employ safety
precautions. First check with cave
managers, archaeologists, biologists,
and historians before making decisions
about large items or cultural materials.)
leave nothing in caves. Never leave
your mark on cave walls. No graffiti. No
signatures or drawings. No trash. No
waste. Leave no evidence of your visit.
Cave safely ... Cave softly ... and
leave no trace.
Permission is granted to share, repost,
reprint, or use these bullet points to build
protocols for specific caves or cave regions.
Access updated guidelines on Conservation
Division pages of the NSS Website at
https : / / caves. org/conservation /cavingcode.
shtml
Appears to cover everything except Flatulence.
Reprinted with kind permission from NSS News, April 2021,
Val Hildreth-Werker and Jim C. Werker (Reoised Feb 2027)
These guidelines encourage practices
that minimize negative inpacts to caves. As
more is learned about cave environments,
cavers evaluate and redefine caving conduct.
Compiled from the experiences and contri-
butions of many cavers, these guidelines
describe safe, low-impact caving techniques.
Avoid damaging cave resources-aesthetic,
cultural, paleontological, geological, hydro-
logical, mineralogical, meteorological,
biological, as well as microbial. Move gently
and be good stewards. Think safety-take
care of yourself and your team. Take care
of the caves!
. Each caver wears a helmet with a light
attached. Each caver carries water,
food, a bottle for urine, and three
sources of light with extra batteries.
. Use freshly washed cave packs,
vertical gear, boots, gloves, knee-pads,
helmets, and lint-free clothing to avoid
transfer of mud, dust, and microbes
between cave environments.
. Follow current. WNS decon proto-
cols at https://caves.orglWNS/ or
https: / /www.whitenosesyndrome. org
. Use footwear with nonmarring/
non-marking soles.
o Use soft or padded cave packs. Avoid
hard-edged boxes. Choose gear that
is smaller, lighter, and more compact.
. Protect cave location data. Never
post or publish coordinates or instruc-
tions for finding cave entrances.
Intentional vandalism and uninten-
tional ignorance destroy many cave
resources. Unauthorized sharing of
cave locations can be a prosecutable
federal or state offense.
. Never disturb bats or other cave-
dwelling creatures. Watch {or insects
and avoid crushing them underfoot.
. Avoid touching microbialmats. Do
not disturb geomicrobial communities
living in a cave.
. No smoking or use of tobacco in
caves. No campfires in caves or near
cave entrances. Smoke and fumes can
kill bats, invertebrates, and other cave-
dwelling animals.
. No recreational drugs or alcohol
while caving. Mental and physical
impairment puts the cave and the
team at risk.
' Wear gloves. Check gloves for mud,
dirt, and holes.
o Don't enter pristine areas with muddy
or dusty garments and gear. Know
which areas require clean clothes,
shoes, and gear.
Avoid isolated pools.
Limit scratching skin and hair. Tens of
thousands of skin fragments and debris
fall from each human body every hour.
Reduce introductions of new matter
into cave systems.
Remove all solid and liquid wastes.
Carry an emergency pee bottle and
burrito kit. Carry out all urine, feces,
spit, vomit, and other waste.
Avoid dropping crumbs and food
particles. Eat over a plastic bag.
Carry out crumbs and debris. Don't
eat on the move.
If you light a candle, catch the wax
drips on a suitable base such as heavy
foil.
If carbide is allowed, carry the spent
carbide out of the cave in sturdy plastic
bottles with threaded lids.
Stay on established trails. Sit inside
the trails. Keep packs and other items
within the path. Don't stray off the
most impacted pathways.
Move carefully and gently through the
entire cave-avoid kicking up dust.
Spot each other on climbs. Safety
first-maintain three points of contact.
Always spot each other in fragile
areas. Especially watch heads, backs,
hands, feet, and packs. In areas of
low hanging formations, ask spotters
to watch. Remove helmet to improve
body control. Move gently.
Maintain special care and gentle
control of movements when lingering
in a fragile area for survey, science, or
photography.
Touch as little as possible. Avoid
leaning on walls, ceilings, or speleo-
thems. Don't sit on formations. Look
and avoid trampling floor deposits.
When movement requires handholds,
look first to avoid delicate features
and use small points of contact for
balance (knuckles or fingertips) rather
than dirty open palms.
During survey and exploration, estab-
lish pathways on durable surfaces to
minimize future impacts.
Point out unsafe or damaging
behaviour. It's every caver's responsi-
bility to ensure that cave environments
remain as pristine as possible and that
every team member is safe and aware
of conservation ethics. It's okay to
speak up and say, "Keep still, don't
move, or stay away."
Take nothing from-caves. Removal
of natural or historical items is unethical
and illegal unless you have a collec-
tion permit for authorized research.
(Recently deposited trash usually
should be removed-always carry
extra plastic bags, and employ safety
precautions. First check with cave
managers, archaeologists, biologists,
and historians before making decisions
about large items or cultural materials.)
leave nothing in caves. Never leave
your mark on cave walls. No graffiti. No
signatures or drawings. No trash. No
waste. Leave no evidence of your visit.
Cave safely ... Cave softly ... and
leave no trace.
Permission is granted to share, repost,
reprint, or use these bullet points to build
protocols for specific caves or cave regions.
Access updated guidelines on Conservation
Division pages of the NSS Website at
https : / / caves. org/conservation /cavingcode.
shtml
