Loki
Active member
I could not find a thread dedicated to underground camping so I thought I?d put ?pen to paper? about my underground camping experiences and equipment used. I was asked by a uni group some years ago on this topic but at the time the only camping I?d done was in the Berger so not particularly representative of anything hardcore. But now I am a little wiser.
I am not saying I am any kind of expert but thought it might at least generate a discussion and some tips might come out of it to help people in the future.
Sooo
For the berger camp 1 in 1998 we had synthetic sleeping bags, goretex bivy bags, foam ?karrimats?, gas stoves, pans, carbide for lighting plus food which if I remember right was tinned as we were not carrying rigging stuff so could afford the extra weight ? plus a couple of stubbies for the successful return from the bottom. Oh and daren drums and placcy bags for toileting. Dry thermals to change into. Bivi bags essential as any draft tears through camp especially if the cave is flooding. Camp in place for whole of exped. Camping experience 5*.
What would I do different today? Inflatable thermarest, dehydrated meals (they are so much better now especially the German ones) LED helmet lighting and spare batteries.
Mainland asia 750m down wet shafts inc complete soaking in canal to get to camp approx 4 hrs from surface ? camping 4 nights at a time. Camp in place for whole of exped.Cave temp around 12C if I remember right. Camp was dry with limited source of water from a trickle. Used foam mats, cheap synthetic bags, thin tarp over top, gas stoves, german dried meals, flip flops. Candles and MYO XP?s for lighting (helmet lighting was LED by now). Best modification we made to camp was taking in a length of thin flexible tubing and drilling a hole in a small gour to capture the water supply and direct it closer to camp. The drum then filled in 20 mins instead of 2hrs. Camp clothing was shorts and thin thermals with wooly socks. Caving gear did not dry overnight. Toilet was in dugout trench. A couple of books for reading ? even the best mates can get tedious after 3 days! Camping experience 4*.
What would I do differently in hindsight? Take a MP3 player and mini speaker. Thermarest.
Mulu ? 5 hrs non vertical caving from entrance. Carried camp in and out for 2 night stay. Cave temperature 24C. Caving gear was leggings and long sleeve non thermal top. Same 2nd set for in camp. Camp dry. Thermarests, silk liner with bivi bag (no sleeping bag), gas stoves, noodles, tinned tuna, fruit cake, cheese, crackers. Candles for lighting. Caving gear almost dried overnight. Toilet in dugout trench. Ortlieb ?kitchen sinks? for collecting water, washing hands and dishes. A book and MP3 player with speaker. Good quality sandals with heel straps (eg Teva). Klik lock containers for packed lunch and protecting the cracker supply from impact and water ingress! Camping experience 5*
What would I do different? Take a kindle to read instead, for the whole expedition. Take dried food as cheese and cake are heavy. However I don?t think dried food was available at the time, and the food choice was tried and tested, it certainly gave plenty of energy for 12hr pushing trips.
Other universal essentials ? Nalgene bottles for water storage (or crushable ones) trowel for digging toilet trench, bogroll, string to hang up bogroll (try walking through a cave half asleep in flip flops with precious bogroll in one hand and not falling over or dropping the bogroll). Alcohol hand cleanser. A bar of soap if you have plenty of water. Ortlieb kitchen sink.
Maybe someone out there has been to some misery wet camps and can add to this? I cant say I have had a miserable underground camp yet even with little stuff. Main thing is don?t take anything not essential to support life unless YOU are prepared to carry it ? e.g folding camp chair or laptop for entering survey data. Also don?t take IN something you are not prepared to carry OUT.
LOKI
I am not saying I am any kind of expert but thought it might at least generate a discussion and some tips might come out of it to help people in the future.
Sooo
For the berger camp 1 in 1998 we had synthetic sleeping bags, goretex bivy bags, foam ?karrimats?, gas stoves, pans, carbide for lighting plus food which if I remember right was tinned as we were not carrying rigging stuff so could afford the extra weight ? plus a couple of stubbies for the successful return from the bottom. Oh and daren drums and placcy bags for toileting. Dry thermals to change into. Bivi bags essential as any draft tears through camp especially if the cave is flooding. Camp in place for whole of exped. Camping experience 5*.
What would I do different today? Inflatable thermarest, dehydrated meals (they are so much better now especially the German ones) LED helmet lighting and spare batteries.
Mainland asia 750m down wet shafts inc complete soaking in canal to get to camp approx 4 hrs from surface ? camping 4 nights at a time. Camp in place for whole of exped.Cave temp around 12C if I remember right. Camp was dry with limited source of water from a trickle. Used foam mats, cheap synthetic bags, thin tarp over top, gas stoves, german dried meals, flip flops. Candles and MYO XP?s for lighting (helmet lighting was LED by now). Best modification we made to camp was taking in a length of thin flexible tubing and drilling a hole in a small gour to capture the water supply and direct it closer to camp. The drum then filled in 20 mins instead of 2hrs. Camp clothing was shorts and thin thermals with wooly socks. Caving gear did not dry overnight. Toilet was in dugout trench. A couple of books for reading ? even the best mates can get tedious after 3 days! Camping experience 4*.
What would I do differently in hindsight? Take a MP3 player and mini speaker. Thermarest.
Mulu ? 5 hrs non vertical caving from entrance. Carried camp in and out for 2 night stay. Cave temperature 24C. Caving gear was leggings and long sleeve non thermal top. Same 2nd set for in camp. Camp dry. Thermarests, silk liner with bivi bag (no sleeping bag), gas stoves, noodles, tinned tuna, fruit cake, cheese, crackers. Candles for lighting. Caving gear almost dried overnight. Toilet in dugout trench. Ortlieb ?kitchen sinks? for collecting water, washing hands and dishes. A book and MP3 player with speaker. Good quality sandals with heel straps (eg Teva). Klik lock containers for packed lunch and protecting the cracker supply from impact and water ingress! Camping experience 5*
What would I do different? Take a kindle to read instead, for the whole expedition. Take dried food as cheese and cake are heavy. However I don?t think dried food was available at the time, and the food choice was tried and tested, it certainly gave plenty of energy for 12hr pushing trips.
Other universal essentials ? Nalgene bottles for water storage (or crushable ones) trowel for digging toilet trench, bogroll, string to hang up bogroll (try walking through a cave half asleep in flip flops with precious bogroll in one hand and not falling over or dropping the bogroll). Alcohol hand cleanser. A bar of soap if you have plenty of water. Ortlieb kitchen sink.
Maybe someone out there has been to some misery wet camps and can add to this? I cant say I have had a miserable underground camp yet even with little stuff. Main thing is don?t take anything not essential to support life unless YOU are prepared to carry it ? e.g folding camp chair or laptop for entering survey data. Also don?t take IN something you are not prepared to carry OUT.
LOKI