What do you wear to stay warm underground?

[David Rose]

I find when it gets really cold underground there is nothing to beat a one piece suit made from beaver fur. It's expensive, but worth every penny. I know a tailor who will run you up one in Yellowknife. PM me if you want her details.

 

[Fishes]

Make sure you eat a proper meal before heading underground. Something that takes a while to digest like the classic fry up is ideal.

Take something non-alcoholic (doesn't need to be hot) and some easily to digest high energy snacks to top up energy levels as you go.

I find PVC oversuits keep me much warmer than others to the point where they are too hot for many trips. A pair of those Beaver gloves with neoprene and a leather? palm is also great.

If you are hanging around for some time then a fleece balaclava is easy to carry and great (get one that covers your mouth and breath through it if you are cold) for larger groups or if you feel really cold then take a group shelter rather than space blankets. Heat candles (or even tea lights) and a source of lighting them will add an extra source of heat to keep you really toasty.

I've been unfortunate enough to be inactive for 51/2 hours while waiting for the rescue team to arrive. I was wearing a thin fleece undersuit, PVC oversuit, gloves and a fleece balaclava while sheltering under a couple of space blankets with some tea lights and I was still quite warm when help arrived.

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[Canary]

On a side note, what do people use to carry bothy bags in? I have tried in a tackle sack but it is not ideal; as i end up drying it after every trip.  I also tried 1L naglenes but the opening is just a bit too small (at least for the bothy i tried).

 

[Pete K]

On a side note, what do people use to carry bothy bags in? I have tried in a tackle sack but it is not ideal; as i end up drying it after every trip.  I also tried 1L naglenes but the opening is just a bit too small (at least for the bothy i tried).

I store mine in a small Darren drum in the base of a tackle bag. Room for a small shelter, basic first aid supplies and spare batteries. No need to dry after each trip!

 

[Minion]

On a side note, what do people use to carry bothy bags in? I have tried in a tackle sack but it is not ideal; as i end up drying it after every trip.  I also tried 1L naglenes but the opening is just a bit too small (at least for the bothy i tried).

A 2 man bothy and a jetboil fits perfectly in a BDH. No room for anything else though.

 

[Fishes]

On a side note, what do people use to carry bothy bags in? I have tried in a tackle sack but it is not ideal; as i end up drying it after every trip.  I also tried 1L naglenes but the opening is just a bit too small (at least for the bothy i tried).

A 2 man bothy and a jetboil fits perfectly in a BDH. No room for anything else though.

A jetboil is quite bulky compared to a micro esbit stove (unless you are planning to camp) non toxic fuel, some drink. food and micro first aid kit can be fitted in the same space.

Even the small Darren drums are too bulky for most fast trips unless the passages are large. I've previously used a 1 litre BDH container to carry a mini first aid kit, spare light, 2 mars bars, balaclava, 2 large space blankets, 2 tea lights and a roll of duct tape. Unfortunately these don't seem to be available any longer and my old ones have become too brittle to survive any longer. Its quite OK to carry a shelter in a tiny tackle sack (they are designed to get wet) but pack them in an inner dry bag if you want to keep then in out of the store condition.

If everyone carries a very small kit with some variety then you can deal with most situations that are likely to happen without carrying an excessive amount of kit. Carrying too much kit can slow you down too much and create bigger problems.

 

[Canary]

I was trying to avoid darren drums. I find that although they fit in tacklesacks they seem to make the tacklesacks jam easier in rifts etc.

I was hoping someone had a source of naglene like bottles with full neck opening.  The closest i have found is the curtec packo which seems to only come in industrial quantities (and not sure how good the closure is).

 

[nearlywhite]

I wear a dive skin instead of a furry now, there are quite a number of varieties of thickness (read: warmth & weight) but they also generally cost about a quarter to a third of the price of an AV furry (which I used to have). Really nice to have a fresh dry furry each day of a caving trip.

Knee high wetsuit socks make a big difference too.

For emergency warmth on a wet trip I have a wetsuit jacket, a recommendation from Paul Fairman who is always cold - I normally don't take it because I normally have issues with overheating.

 

[Pitlamp]

Thanks - could you just elaborate on what a "dive skin" is? Cheers.

 

[JoshW]

Thanks - could you just elaborate on what a "dive skin" is? Cheers.

I assume a rash vest?

 

[Pitlamp]

Thanks - could you just elaborate on exactly what a "rash vest" is? Cheers.

Seriously - I've never seen one. I've heard of them but  can't fathom out what they're actually for.

 

[mikem]

Rash vest is a lycra top worn under a wetsuit to prevent rubbing.

However, nearlywhite may be referring to divers' thermal one-piece, worn with drysuits.

 

[Pitlamp]

Ah thanks - sounds like an item invented to expand the market . . .

Yes, I think you're on target with what nearlywhite was referring to.

 

[maxf]

Rash vest is a lycra top worn under a wetsuit to prevent rubbing.

However, nearlywhite may be referring to divers' thermal one-piece, worn with drysuits.

They were originally used surfing without a wetsuit so that the wax on the surfboard didn't irritate the skin, henc what name.

Seem to be hijacked now to be worn under wetsuits which should be close fitting and next to the skin

 

[mikem]

They were originally used surfing without a wetsuit so that the wax on the surfboard didn't irritate the skin, henc what name.

Seem to be hijacked now to be worn under wetsuits which should be close fitting and next to the skin

They obviously weren't surfing in the UK 

 

[Pitlamp]

. . . and there's me thinking an old T shirt is perfectly adequate . . . .    :-[

 

[hannahb]

Another vote for merino thermals, but I do find smooth synthetic ones better for the leggings because the weave gives me sore knees when I'm crawling otherwise (I know, big softie). I sometimes push the sleeves of my thermal top and furry up, under my oversuit, if we're crawling through a wet section, to keep them dry longer. That seems to help.

I also wear a fleece buff round my neck and a thin one under my helmet, and I sometimes carry a balaclava too.

Neoprene cuffs make a big difference, and long wetsocks with wool socks underneath.

Some types of gloves (the blue plumbers ones) whip heat away - I like the dipped-in-rubber woven type.

A bivvy/bothy bag of any kind is really effective - the clear plastic over-the-head type are pocket sized and work really well (can you still get those?).

A friend wears two furries because they frequently get cold otherwise.

I've worn Rab Power Stretch salopettes/bib (not for caving) and they're amazing. I think they would be great under a furry for really cold trips.

A bit of bioprene certainly helps!

 

[alastairgott]

I was hoping someone had a source of naglene like bottles with full neck opening.  The closest i have found is the curtec packo which seems to only come in industrial quantities (and not sure how good the closure is).

Canary, maybe something like a flare box, still BDH though, at 33cm high it's at the higher end of what you're looking for, but a lot narrower. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143518025005?ViewItem=&item=143518025005

Yes, I think you're on target with what nearlywhite was referring to.

I've done a google search and can confirm that there are pictures of full body rash vests which call themselves dive skins, [shudders!]  :blink: at the image of nearlywhite in a dive skin. Gouge my eyes out 

 

[Brains]

A bit of bioprene certainly helps!

I have plenty of that...

 

[caving_fox]

Meander plastic oversuit makes a lot of difference to me (boil in a bag). Other than that I may take a hood fleece or Neo. Occasionally it's worth buying a new undersuit! It's surprising how much thinner they get over time.

Fur lined riggers boots with long wetsocks help keep the feet warm. And as above, keeping the wrists warm and covered helps a lot in maintaining hand temperatures.

But the best advice is the first comment about party size and planning to keep the waiting to a minimum.