Caving Equipment

The Sheriff's Cave Rescue Team is comprised mainly of cavers, but it is not another grotto (caving "club"). If you're interested in caving as strictly a sport or for scientific purposes, you would be much better off to contact your local Grotto (Chapter) of the National Speleological Society. This equipment list is provided for those search and rescue people who might be interested in the field of cave rescue and are wondering what it will take to get involved. If you are a caver, or if you're involved in SAR activities already, you probably already have many of the items listed below.

Please note, this list can be used as a guideline for equipment purchases and is not to be used as a training guide in any way. Caving, like any sport, is dangerous unless the proper training and equipment is used. Do not use this list as a substitute for that proper training and guidance.

Basic Caving Equipment

Material in this section based largely on work done by Rick Coles, British Columbia Cave Rescue, with a very little local editing. Used by permission with our thanks.

• Helmet ($45.00 to $100.00): What is your head worth? Make sure your helmet is CE/UIAA approved and fits well. It is mandatory that is has a chin strap and a three or four point suspension. Bike helmets and construction hard-hats make poor caving and/or rescue helmets.
  
• Light, electric ($40.00 to $200.00): Lights come in all shapes and sizes. There are a number of electric headlamps that attach to your helmet with an elastic strap and these are fine to start caving with or as a backup light, but they can be knocked off. There are also electric lights that use a belt-mounted battery pack; heavy but great light! Carbide is not generally a good choice for rescuers because you can have continuous close contact with a patient and they generally don't appreciate a live flame in their face.
  

Note the helmet-mounted headlights; lights should be waterproof or highly water-resistant. Also note the elbow padding and personal flotation vests. Susan Lavender and Emily Davis-Mobley contending with one of the fun spots in Juan Nieves Cave, Puerto Rico in 1995.

• Light, backup ($5.00 to $50.00): At least two backup lights are needed. A backup light can be worn around your neck or, even better, attached to your helmet in addition to your primary light source. The point is that it must be readily available if your main light goes out. Any of the smaller "AA" waterproof flashlights will do, but some carry a full-size light source such as a Petzl Zoom as backups.
  
• Gloves ($4.00 to $30.00): They come in may shapes and types; waterproof, winter, gardening, etc. You do not want anything that will impede your feel as you negotiate cracks in the rock, yet you still need some protection and warmth. A leather-palmed glove is preferred if you're going on rappel. For some of the cold, wet caves, a few members are using neoprene dive gloves with light leather palms.
  
• Boots (rubber, waterproof) ($20.00 to $150.00): You want a waterproof boot that is fairly tall and offers some protection against rocks. Steel toes and shanks are a good option, the offer some rigidity, provide ankle support and enable you to climb more confidently because of the additional support. Good cleated soles make traction easier on the wet and slippery rock. Make sure they fit snugly.
  
• Hiking boots ($50.00 to $300.00): These can be used in dry caves or with proper wetsuit socks, used in wet caves as well. Use lots of waterproofing on them. Hiking boots tend to be made of leather or suede and do not take well to being constantly wet. For one or two trips they are fine, they need to be dried out between trips. Consider them to be sacrificial. Again, good cleated soles make traction easier on the wet and slippery rock. Some of the team uses Garmont approach boots in conjunction with SealSkins, which are a waterproof sock.

Clothing

• Long-underwear ($75.00 to $200.00): Caves can be cold, damp places. Take this into account when planning for your trip. A layer or two of decent long underwear or lycra tights is great. A combination of longjohns / sweatpants (non-cotton!) is good as well. If you're wet, you'll become cold very quickly and loose energy at a very fast rate. Cotton soaks up moisture very quickly, whereas polypropolene (nylon) is great for not absorbing moisture. It is the preference of most cavers, but comes with a price.
  
• Coveralls (free to $40.00): You can start with cotton "Automotive" coveralls. Make sure that they are clean and not oily, because the oils will damage the cave ecosystem. If you don't remove the pockets, they can catch and hang up on rocks when you least expect it. Again, a disposable item.
  
• Cave Suit / Oversuit ($130.00 to $250.00): The ultimate in caving comfort. An nylon oversuit is water-resistant and resilient to abrasions and tearing. These suits are made by a number of local and international manufacturers. Features will vary from suit to suit, so shop around.
  

Important Extras

• Carabiners ($6.50 - $30.00): It is always good practice to have at least a couple of carabiners.
  
• Webbing ($6.00 - $8.00): - It is always a good idea to have at least one or two pieces of 1" nylon tubular webbing.

A small, very sturdy pack with a minimum of buckles and straps on the outside is recommended. This pack will be dropped, rolled, thrown, sat on, soaked, mashed in mud and generally abused in other ways, so it must be able to take it. Gonzo Guano Gear and Lost Creek make excellent packs for this purpose. Susan considers the best way up one of the ten waterfalls in Juan Nieves Cave, PR.

• Small Pack - $30.00 to $75.00): A caving pack is worth getting early in this game. Many to choose from, and from simple but harder to find army surplus to custom built bags. Ask questions. It will become your friend, it will hold your spare batteries, snacks, and when you start doing vertical work, your equipment and rigging gear.
  
• Knee and elbow pads: Some people find that long crawls can reap havoc on knees, so skate boarding pads have proven to be the knee pads of choice for some cavers. (The reason being the velcro straps for easy installation and removal.)
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Advanced Caving Equipment

Vertical Equipment

Vertical equipment and training is a requirement on our team since most of the caves we visit or train in require this skill.

• Seat harness ($75.00 to $150.00): Specially designed caving harnesses differ from climbing ones. There have no accessory loops, these loops can spell trouble if your harness hangs up while in a tight passage or small crawl while you are still in it.
• Chest harness ($15.00 to $35.00): Many out there, manufactured or simple piece of 1" tubular webbing in a "figure 8" design will work , but not the most comfortable.
• Descender ($40.00 to $75.00): Quite a few to choose from. Our team required a descent device that does not twist the rope, such as a rappel rack or bobbin device. There are others as well, you will get to see a few different ones floating around on trips, talk to people.
• Croll and/or ascenders ($40.00 to $50.00): Again, quite a few to choose from. There are a few different methods to ascend a rope, some rigs use two pieces of equipment, others three. The "Frog" system onlyuses two. If you can minimize some of your gear, this is a place to start. Petzl has been making caving equipment for over twenty years and it's hard to beat their designs.
• Carabiners ($10.00 to $25.00): You'll need about six of these in addition to what is holding your climbing system together. There are many out there on the market. They are probably the most important part of your vertical gear because they hold everything together. Carabiners are subject to stress cracks and stretching if not cared for properly. Crab's can also be prone to dissimilar metal corrosion if not stored properly, don't throw your wet gear in the corner until the next trip. There are aluminum alloy, steel, and titanium. Check around.
• Rope of various kinds - Once seriously into caving, you may want to purchase your own ropes. Do not use climbing rope, it is high-stretch (or dynamic) rope, and is only used for belaying people. For vertical work, low stretch (static) rope is needed. There are various rope manufacturers that specialize in caving rope.
• Don't forget some energy food for sustenance while underground. You will be amazed how the energy gets burned up.

In some caves, wetsuits are required. When worn, they may need to be protected by wearing them under coveralls. Other caves may call for a waterproof PVC suit, still others require only lightweight coveralls.

Minimum Required Equipment List for the Cave Rescue Team

1. Helmet (UIAA-approved, with 3 or 4-point chin strap capable of release under load)
2. Head Light with spare bulb (electric required, helmet-mountable)
3. Minimum of 2 additional light sources (both electric; one of the spares should be helmet-mountable)
4. Extra batteries and bulbs, and repair kit
5. Candle and waterproof matches and/or butane lighter (recommend a long-burning candle and re-lighting gag birthday candles)
6. Paper and pencil/pen (should be sealed in a zip-lock)
7. Safety scissors or closed blade knife
8. First aid kit (personal) in waterproof container (see SAR Tech II list)
9. 2 - 20' pieces of 1" tubular webbing
10. 1 to 2 carabiners, locking
11. Compass
12. Marking tape (bright color) (also known as Trail Tape)
13. Duct tape (5-15 ft.)
14. Water bottle(s) (1 _ 2 liters
15. Whistle
16. Garbage bag(s) (sturdy, minimum size 30 gal., stored in helmet?)
17. High energy snacks such as Powerbars, etc. (non-perishable, 1 _ 2 days worth)
18. Insulated clothing of some sort, extra (polypropelene or other man-made fibers, no cotton or silk)
19. Knee and elbow pads as required
20. Handkerchief (recommend stored in a zip-lock baggie)
21. Appropriate clothing, including gloves, boots, insulating or wool socks, hat/helmet liner (for cold/wet caves a PVC suit or rain suit that can be worn under coveralls is strongly recommended and may even be required along with waterproof socks/gaiters) (a wet suit may be required in some caves)
22. Extra socks, glove liners.
23. Watch (water resistant or better)
24. T.P. and waste container (zip-lock and aluminum foil; sometimes referred to as a "Cave Burrito"- gross, huh?)
25. Whiz bottle or Brief Reliefs
26. Wet suit (as needed, strongly recommended) (will be required to enter NCRC Level III)
27. PFD (Personal Flotation Device) (as needed, strongly recommended) (will be required to enter NCRC Level III)
28. Study pack with attachment point for carabiner or snap link for pack tether
29. Other items based on personal needs (e.g., extra meds, contacts, glasses, etc.)

Vertical

1. Seat harness
2. Chest harness (with connection to seat harness)
3. Rappel device (straight feed-through, no figure 8's) (2-person rescue load capacity)
4. Gloves (leather palms) for rappelling
5. Ascending system (complete and tuned)
6. Misc Prusiks (Purcell Prusik set, etc.)
7. QAS (Quick Attachment Safety)
8. 6 locking carabiner (independent of climbing system)
9. 1 to 2 personal size pulleys (steel or aluminum sheaves)
10. 10 meters (about 32') of 8 mm accessory cord

For Extended Missions

1. Sleeping gear
2. Appropriate extra clothes (seasonal)