Horizontal Caving

The following is gear recommended for a typical beginner, California, horizontal caving trip.

Note:

  • Caves around the bay can be diverse, sea caves are not lava tubes are not marble caves are not limestone pits are not mines. Ask your trip leader if you are unsure about the details of the particular cave you will be visiting! Water, mud, and temperature will be the most important and should be communicated in the trip email.
  • Often, someone may have a spare item to lend. It is always worth asking. They are not required to lend it. If you borrow gear, return it in better-than-you-received it, decontaminated condition.
  • Everything you bring into a cave that can get destroyed, will. This is not the place for your ultralight backpacking gear or bright white tuxedo.
  • Avoid Amazon – Amazon mixes fake merchandise with real gear in the same bin.
  • Avoid Backcountry – They were jerks.
  • Good caving vendors

Must-Have Gear

  • Helmet
    • Always use a helmet rated for the type of impact you expect. Industrial safety helmets and climbing helmets are suitable. Hardshell is best, either suspension or foam interior. Bicycle helmets are not suitable.
    • Recommended: Black Diamond Half Dome, Petzl Boreo or Borea, Petzl Vertex Vent
  • Appropriate shoes
    • At a minimum, close-toed, sturdy shoes
    • Hiking boots or jungle boots are a good choice for most California caves
    • If you want to invest, get a set of shoes with stealth rubber appropriate for canyoneering and these will serve you well in anything you will do in your caving career. See canyon shoes.
    • Wellies are popular among some folks, especially if it will be very muddy.
    • Recommended: Hiking boots, Tractor Supply wellies, jungle boots, 5.10 MTB shoes, la sportiva canyon shoes, climbing approach shoes, used 5.10 guide tennies from Ebay, XtraTuf wellies
  • 3 reliable sources of light.
    • A phone is not a 3rd source of light, use a cheap Energizer or similar headlamp instead.
    • Two should be helmet mounted, so that if one dies you immediately have another available
    • Recommended: Sofirn, Firefly, Phoenix, Nitecore, and Zebra 18650 headlamps
  • Knee Pads
    • Recommended: volleyball kneepads, Dirty Dave’s long kneepads, Howitzers
  • Gloves
    • Nitrile dipped gloves from your local hardware store
  • Water bottle and snacks
  • Small Pack
    • Something durable. Drawstrings may fall apart halfway through Church Cave and require Gorilla tape *ahem*
  • Personal Medication
    • Everything you need for 1 day
  • Clothing you don’t care about getting torn/muddy
    • It will get ripped. It will get muddy.
    • Dickies can be a good choice ONLY IN DRY CAVES. Cotton will make you very cold if your cave is wet. Go for synthetics or wool.

Nice to Have

  • First aid kit
    • Nothing bulky
  • Waste disposal items
    • Often, caves are short enough you can exit or not have to use the restroom at all. But if you are on a trip >4 hours consider bringing the following: an old Gatorade bottle and a wag bag in a 2gallon plastic ziploc
  • Elbow pads
    • A luxury. You will be crawling.