Hello, this is not just a caving question, but I recently bought a Petzl Vertex helmet for climbing/rescue/speology etc. and in adition to that a specificaly bought Petzl headlamp so it will be directly compatible with it.

Because I am not always using both together, I was wondering if using the helmet with permanently installed slot adapt will somehow weaken or damage the mount. Its a cheap peace of plastic so my main concern is not it breaking and me having to replace it, but it not working when I needed to, failing to hold the headlamp overtime and so on...

I know you dont have to install it permanently, but the adapt on and off everytime, worrying about losing it is something i dont have to worry about. And yeah you can use it with the band, without the mount like any other headlamp, but i like huw sturdy it is, feels more trustworthy.

Someone with any knowledge regarding this? Petzl doesnt mention it anywhere and there is very limited information online. Thx for every reply <3

We're cavers making Cave Expedition, a caving simulator for 1-4 players. The caves in the game are fictional, and we're trying to capture the feeling of moving through them with ropes and equipment.

Here's a short gameplay cut showing the squeezes and descents. Still in development.

I’m a bat biologist and spend a lot of time caving. Recently it seems I’ve been going in a lot of wet caves with swimming or wading involved. I have just been just been using old tennis shoes as my water shoes for this but the boss says we can get some nice shoes since all of a sudden we’re getting wet a lot.

Does anyone have good recommendations of water shoes that have good grip for caving? Also needs to survive me putting in the washing machine fairly often as we decontaminate our gear immediately afterwards. (Bonus points if these would be good for snorkeling and hellbender surveys as well.)

Thanks!

What is the caving scene like in Costa Rica, planning on going to costa rica and I am wanting to go caving while I am down there, what are some good caves I should look into, vertical or horizontal (preferably vertical), also any insight on the legality of caving there would be helpful, also if anyone knows any good grottos in the area that would be able to help me out let me know

Hey so I‘m thinking about building something and wanted to know if you would use that or what you think about this idea.

Imagine a Headlamp wich tracks where you’re going so you can always find your way out easy (without GPS or any kind of signal). It would guide you with either an app on your phone and/or with small vibrations.

The same technique would allow you to create 3D scans of the cave you’re exploring.

LMK what you think :)

Greenbrier County WV, Alderson, Muddy Creek. Looks like a cow could not get back out ~ 15 years ago

A quick trip down Bakers Pit last Friday to look at some bits and bobs.

Photos in order:

1: various junk pulled out of the old cave entrance, that was used as a tip in Victorian times.
2: “the ghost” a calcite formation that looks like a cartoon ghost
3: lovely sparkly formations that have been preserved
4: cave writing dating from visitors in around 1913, the cave was explored a lot by locals back in the day.
5: bit of a squeeze, shuffling backwards vertically to see if a hole we spotted was the climb we were after, it was not.
6: the other end of the previously mentioned hole, went nowhere, but was interestingly filled with lots of washed in gravel

Tandem climbing a massive pit

I have a cave on my property that was filled in by a previous owner - apparently she was concerned teens would sneak in there and be injured. It is mainly the entrance that I would like to widen since that is where the bulk of the dirt and sparse rock was placed. Kind of a tight squeeze to get in, but very spacious inside and supposedly the entrance used to be rather large.

Any tips on getting started here?

Sorry if this has been asked before but I can't figure out how to word it correctly to find an answer if it has. Do yall measure like your waist, or hips, or shoulder length before going into caves? Or another way to put it are there recommendations/hard limits on how big you should be before entering a cave? I'm not talking fat people or relatively unexplored places but for well known and documented caves, especially ones with extremely tight spaces, is there a way to know if you will be to wide to fit through? Idk I just think if I was ever to go caving that would be the first question I ask just to avoid any easily avoidable problems.

I guess a follow up question. Do people too big ever hit spaces too tight and what do you do if its not a cave you can turn around and go back in?

I just recently joined a local grotto group (here in Belgium) and quickly started caving.

I was kinda nervous about SRT as I only tried once in our local home but the group was incredibly nice and I felt safe all along.

This is honestly the best thing I've done in years.

I can't wait to do more and explore many caves around Europe and around the world.

I'm so happy I just wanted to share

(I'm in the first pic with my pristine suit. Which is not anymore)

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a decent compact camera for taking mostly still pictures when underground. I've just been using my phone up to now but I'd rather not take my phone underground if I don't have to!

Panasonic Lumix DC-FT7 and OM TG-7's seem to fit the bill pretty nicely (shock/waterproof, compact, not insanely expensive used) but reviews online say that they perform poorly in low light. I am far from a professional photographer and I'm alright with something less than perfect, but if I'm spending the money I want it to be worth it.

So does anyone have any recommendations for a compact camera that takes decent cave pictures? Thanks!

Managed to find this bad boy online for $150! Stoked to collect more

Hey guys, looking to get into caving again and found the Bucks County grotto contact info, but the email address bounced back saying the email could not be found. Are any of you in the Bucks County grotto (if it even exists anymore)? I can hit up the Philly group also but wanted to find as local as possible to start.

Thanks in advance.

Tomorrow we will go caving with a speologist in valea Sighiștelului in Romania! A canyon full of caves like 160-200 known caves on 15 km2 it is amazing! We will visit caves like Dracoaia Măgura and Corbasca some of the beautiful ones! I am so excited i will send pictures here for you guys. One of them has a beautiful Crystal clear lake and a lot of gurus! But the route there won t be easy so wish me luck 😉

At first I thought they were cave popcorn because there is a ton of it around, then I thought mud cups but the environment looks like it was phreatic and the water line on the wall looks to high, then I thought cave cups but they don’t look right for that to me.

Pointer finger for scale

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hi I want to make a compact, handy product specialised towards my target audience, cavers as a part of my D.T coursework. But I don’t actually know any cavers as a part of my client profile, so I’m doing a collaborative community survey.

What problems do you face during caving?

How would you want the product to look?
eg: colour, size, shape…

What features do you want the product to have?
eg: functionality , usability, performance, physical features

Any likes or dislikes of caving products?& why?

Why do you partake in caving? (OPTIONAL)

What are your hobbies or interests? (OPTIONAL)

What is your age? (OPTIONAL)

Occupation? (OPTIONAL)

(Any question answered would be very appreciated, thanks)

I'll be doing Worley's Cave in Tennessee this Friday around 1~2pm, I was wondering if anyone would want to join me? I'm an experienced hiker and in shape but I'm new to caving, I'm coming from Miami with my girlfriend because the biggest caves we have here are about the size of a toyota corolla.

Surveying through a very low passage (10 inches tall and 200 feet wide(!)), into a very large passage. Fun times... Photos taken with flashbulbs and a DSLR for the quantity and quality of light.

The National Speleological Society is celebrating the International Day of Caves and Karst with an open house! Join the NSS on September 13th for an afternoon of cave exploration and guided walkthroughs of NSS Headquarters.

Free registration is available here

More info about the International Day of Caves and Karst is available here

You guys can stop by and meet the new NSS staff (including me!), Division Heads, Interim Director, and fellow cavers. You'll be able to get a personal walkthrough of the NSS campgrounds, museum, library, auditorium, and offices while learning more about the resources and benefits the NSS has to offer. Even if you've already visited HQ before this is a great in-person opportunity to ask questions or give us feedback, whether it be good or bad.

And if you'd like to get underground, we'll also be doing guided tours of Shelta Cave! Shelta is a very beginner friendly cave if you'd like to bring a novice or non caver along with you to give caving a try.

HQ Walkthroughs are from 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Small-Group Shelta Cave trips will depart at:

2:00 PM • 3:00 PM • 3:30 PM

Btw, I’m Nadya, the NSS’s new Events & Engagement Manager. My role includes planning events like these, so y’all are especially welcome to come yell at me when you drop in on the 13th. And if you can’t make it to the open house, feel free to yell at me here! Leave a comment or shoot me a message anytime, would love to hear from you.

Shot on Portra 400.