For all your thoughts that need saying but it just doesn't make sense to start a thread on it.

FT: AHHA! I finally figured out that figure eight knot I was forgetting how to tie. I think I know the necessary knots for vertical now! Next step: get on rope again and learn changeovers better. Oh, and get my own gear. *crosses fingers for christmas and birthday that both are in the next few weeks that she'll get some*

If you're after your own gear I've got a 30 year old helmet that I don't use anymore.  You can have it for free but you'll have to pay the postage, tax, or whatever....and it's a bit smelly as it's been sat in an outside shed for ages, and I think the webbing has disintegrated.  Oh, and the lamp bracket has corroded away.  Also a large boulder once fell on it but you can ignore the bits of gaffer tape holding it together.  On second thoughts, you probably won't want it, will you?   

Haha aww thanks. Nah I have a helmet/light/backup/clothes/kneepads/gloves. I.e. basics. I mean like, vertical gear. Rack, ascender, crowl, harness, footloop, cowstails, 'biners...

I am getting some money from my father (very out of the blue since we don't talk!) that I can use towards it, it won't be enough though for all the gear. Hoping that with birthday AND christmas coming between everything I might just get enough to get the gear before I fly down to TAG on Jan. 1st. I *know* my friends want to do at least one vertical cave (apparently there is a through trip one of my friends knows, 2 drops like a 15 and 30 foot that are easy, perfect for a first vertical trip). It looks like I may be able to borrow (cave club at a university down there has gear for rent) but I'd rather use my own. I want a bit more training too first - I want to at least be comfortable doing changeovers.

I've got a krab you can have.  I found it attached to a faded sling on a sea cliff.  It doesn't look too bad apart from the grooves, pitting, seized gate and a fine coating of white powder.  I've also got a rope ladder with wooden rungs dating from about 1955.  I should add that the rope has long since expired so in reality I've only got the rungs.  Interested?  No?  Why not?

Gus you must know that no one is ever desperate enough to accept a used caving helmet that once belonged to a man.

:yucky:

gus horsley said:

I've got a krab you can have.  I found it attached to a faded sling on a sea cliff.  It doesn't look too bad apart from the grooves, pitting, seized gate and a fine coating of white powder.  I've also got a rope ladder with wooden rungs dating from about 1955.  I should add that the rope has long since expired so in reality I've only got the rungs.  Interested?  No?  Why not?

Click to expand...

When I last did the traverses in OFD, Major Glennie's rungs were still in use - so why not?

robjones said:

gus horsley said:

I've got a krab you can have.  I found it attached to a faded sling on a sea cliff.  It doesn't look too bad apart from the grooves, pitting, seized gate and a fine coating of white powder.  I've also got a rope ladder with wooden rungs dating from about 1955.  I should add that the rope has long since expired so in reality I've only got the rungs.  Interested?  No?  Why not?

Click to expand...

When I last did the traverses in OFD, Major Glennie's rungs were still in use - so why not?

Click to expand...

Must be reeeelly old then 'cos he was a Brigadier before he stopped caving

I'm just thinking what else I've got to donate to Amy to get her off to a flying start.  How's about an Oldham lamp that was contaminated with liquid mud when the biro end popped out of the filler hole.  If you don't do a cave longer than 20ft it should be ok and will produce that good old "fag-end in the dark" effect which is so nostalgic to us older cavers.  Or maybe a pair of well-used but highly servicable size 12 wellies with holes drilled in the bottoms - the tread's completely gone but you could always pack them with a year's back editions of the Michigan Daily Star or whatever your publication of choice so they don't flop about too much.  I've also got a climbing harness but it's only 20 years old so I need to get a bit more use out of it before it wings it's way across the Atlantic.

Hahaha thanks Gus I really appreciate the thoughtfulness!

...I think I'll wait and see what I get for Christmas though. I just sent my Corona light back in (wee lifetime warranty, since it got water droplets forming on the inside in a cave there, not cool!) and that should be back before my Jan 1st trip to TAG. Backup is bashed and I don't trust it but I did put an Apex and the Fenix HP10 on my Christmas list so maybe I will get one of those - if not I'll quick order the HP10. Apparently, Apexes are shit in water. The good thing is lifetime warranty but I'd rather have a light I trust especially since I like waterywet caves! I hear the Corona actually rarely has troubles, and funnily enough it was fine in every cave but GB - that is the one it got droplets in.  but when I get the new Corona back I"ll probably edit the Apex waterproofing mod and attempt to waterproof the Corona better.