Lost and Found. Pointless.

Flotsam

Active member
With certain exceptions, reuniting found items with the losers is pointless. When I used to cave years ago, one found a few things and lost a few things. The losses and gains balanced out without the help of an internet forum, the internet didn't exist then anyway. It amuses me to see found crabs and slings listed where previously they would have been added to the collection.
 

alastairgott

Well-known member
Not all lost and founds find their way back to their owners. I might still have a SUSS broken pixa found in giants a few years ago, or maybe it did find its rightful place in the scrapheap.

I had some NPC mallions for 6 months till I gave them back to one of their/our members who had “tidied” them out of a cave into one of our bags.

I also have a few unmarked crabs.
 

andrewmcleod

Well-known member
Somewhere in the world (possibly Bull Pot of the Witches somewhere) is a DMM Aero screwgate which probably still has my details on its ToughTag. It's loss means that instead of 4 sets of 5 carabiners each, I have 3 sets of 5 carabiners each and one set of 4. This is, of course, deeply saddening. It's not a disaster, because I have 6 DMM aero screwgates on slings, and when I get some money I can replace all of those with 6 new screwgates, and fill out the set of 4 and make another set of 5, but until then I have to deal with the bad numbers...

Getting that screwgate back would make me happy. I hope that should I find some gear and be able to return it to its rightful owner, I can give them the same joy.
 

A_Northerner

Active member
With certain exceptions, reuniting found items with the losers is pointless. When I used to cave years ago, one found a few things and lost a few things. The losses and gains balanced out without the help of an internet forum, the internet didn't exist then anyway. It amuses me to see found crabs and slings listed where previously they would have been added to the collection.

Back in the days before internet forums, people used to brag about stuff they'd stolen to their mates in the pub. Nowadays people like you can boast about all the stuff you've "added to your collection" for the whole world to see.

I imagine the system you're describing probably leaves the honest people out of pocket, and the dishonest ones feeling pretty flush for krabs and slings.
 

Flotsam

Active member
Back in the days before internet forums, people used to brag about stuff they'd stolen to their mates in the pub. Nowadays people like you can boast about all the stuff you've "added to your collection" for the whole world to see.

I imagine the system you're describing probably leaves the honest people out of pocket, and the dishonest ones feeling pretty flush for krabs and slings.
I haven't "stolen" anything thank you!
I haven't caved for decades either. Perhaps people should be more careful with their gear and they wouldn't need the help of the forum to be reunited with it
 
Last edited:

hannahb

Active member
It's nice to get stuff back, and it's even nicer to be able to return things to their owners.

Flotsam, you said that it balances out (or words to that effect), so it seems like you lost things as well as found them, just like people who use Lost and Found on the forum. I am careful with my gear and still I occasionally lose things.

What would you call taking something someone has lost, if it's not stealing?

If you're just trolling, then maybe you could do it elsewhere.
 

andrewmcleod

Well-known member
I am careful with my gear and still I occasionally lose things.

Moreover, quite often I lend out my personal gear so that other people (and my student club) can do caving, practice rigging and practice derigging and occasionally stuff does not get returned (very occasionally because I'm quite rigorous in my counting, but still happens). So the 'lost' gear may not even have been lost by the person it belongs to.
 

mikem

Well-known member
Also, is it lost or abandoned? UK law stipulates that a reasonable attempt be made to contact the owner of lost property (but doesn't go into any detail) & what if it has no identifiable markings...?
 

paul

Moderator
I haven't "stolen" anything thank you!
I haven't caved for decades either. Perhaps people should be more careful with their gear and they wouldn't need the help of the forum to be reunited with it
It's not a new thing. 'Descent' has had a lost and found section since Bruce Bedford's days as editor. I remember once where the item which was reported as 'lost' was also in the 'found' section in the same issue many years ago (I think there was an offer of beer as a reward so that was a benefit as opposed to pointless). I'm pretty sure with the cost of gear these days cavers are careful with their gear but things get dropped or left behind accidentally.
 

Brains

Well-known member
Last item I found was a sling in Long Churns. Left it at Inglesport to be reunited with its club, clearly marked as from the Halton (?) Camp caving services group...
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Hannab said: "I am careful with my gear and still I occasionally lose things."

I'm also careful but still sometimes lose stuff.

Several years ago I emerged from an underwater cave, cold and exhausted after a bad drysuit leak. It was going dark and raining sideways; in my urgency to get dekitted I left my helmet (with four expensive lamps attached) on the wall next to the main Chapel-le-Dale road. Didn't realise until the following afternoon, when I drove round, forlornly, just in case it hadn't been noticed. It was still there, having been in full view of every vehicle passing only metres from it! Couldn't believe my luck / stupidity.
 
Last item I found was a sling in Long Churns. Left it at Inglesport to be reunited with its club, clearly marked as from the Halton (?) Camp caving services group...
If it belonged to them I’d have kept it… as a taxpayer, why shouldn’t it get some free kit too? 😂
(I’m joking, I’d have returned it to them. Eventually.)
 
Top