ALMOST too old for this kind of thing anymore...!

[eyemustdigtreasure]

That's me almost ten years ago. (the dog? he was guarding our pit rope!)
Anyways, yeah, those PVC suits are nice, don't soak up water and mud just sloughs-off,
after a cave trip. Good vapor barrier, that you need, to manage body heat...(actually, I was over-heated
coming out of the pit....)
A hood is rolled up in the collar, and velcro cuffs. Surprisingly durable suit too! Meander - from UK
I added suspenders inside, to take up the weight of the pant legs - less fatiguing that way,
trust me!

 

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[hvacker]

I've never come out of a cave clean. It's a new look.
To warm up I knew a guy that would pee in his wet suit. Problem was he would tell anyone. It was hard to get a date when people are told where he chose to relieve himself.
I always wore my old flight suit. Had a lot of pockets etc. Today I would probably go your route but like you I'm too old for any extreme or hard core caves but maybe a Sunday walk in cave.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

I've never come out of a cave clean. It's a new look.
To warm up I knew a guy that would pee in his wet suit. Problem was he would tell anyone. It was hard to get a date when people are told where he chose to relieve himself.
I always wore my old flight suit. Had a lot of pockets etc. Today I would probably go your route but like you I'm too old for any extreme or hard core caves but maybe a Sunday walk in cave.

...walking passage, or entrance?? - THAT would be my choice, anyway, both NOW...!
That suit, by the way, I use in the cold, very wet caves, in an alpine karst area, where we work at nearly 7000' elev., where the snow melt and the mud is hard on everything, including the caver...!
I just was using this suit at a much lower elev limestone cave, that WAS very, VERY muddy, at least on my last trip in - but, with the falling water table, I miss-judged the conditions down in there...!
During this recent drought period - a new room was discovered, that was previously flooded for over the ten years that I've been visiting the cave...!

 

[hvacker]

Yes most limestone caves are underground rivers and muddy. Usually a surprise for first time cavers that were used to the trails and lights found in commercial caves.
At 7000 ' what was the cave ? Granite? You said karst and that to me is where a limestone cave roof caved in creating a depression.
Or was that 7000' cave also limestone? Curious.
The mountain in my backyard had a cave discovered way back with stuff left by a caveman. They named him Sandia Man. The cave doesn't go. just a walk around. But that's the most elevated cave I know. I guess by the trees (Ponderosa) it's about 7500'

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Yes most limestone caves are underground rivers and muddy. Usually a surprise for first time cavers that were used to the trails and lights found in commercial caves.
At 7000 ' what was the cave ? Granite? You said karst and that to me is where a limestone cave roof caved in creating a depression.
Or was that 7000' cave also limestone? Curious.
The mountain in my backyard had a cave discovered way back with stuff left by a caveman. They named him Sandia Man. The cave doesn't go. just a walk around. But that's the most elevated cave I know. I guess by the trees (Ponderosa) it's about 7500'

Marble rock. Metamorphic limestone- still soluble, especially under a glacier, when the caves were forming...!
Karst landscape, with natural bridges, sinkholes, pits, swallets and resurgences of surface water. Haystack karst in Thailand and China, you might be familiar with in pictures. Usually no surface water, it all goes underground!
Unfortunately, some people refer to rock shelters, as "caves".....

 

[hvacker]

Yes, Sandia Man Cave would qualify better as a shelter.
You mentioned it all goes underground reminded me of something in Missouri. A septic cleaning company thought they could save money by not disposing the waste at the facility and found a karst depression where he unloaded. Probably for a time.
It was discovered that the water was contaminated at a laundromat 20 miles away.
Like you, I've walked long underground rivers/streams and have seen crap from above find it's way underground. Once members of our Grotto went on a trip again to Missouri. While underground in a stream their legs developed a rash. Fortunately it didn't last but no one knew what caused it. Ya never know what you'll find in a cave.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Yes, Sandia Man Cave would qualify better as a shelter.
You mentioned it all goes underground reminded me of something in Missouri. A septic cleaning company thought they could save money by not disposing the waste at the facility and found a karst depression where he unloaded. Probably for a time.
It was discovered that the water was contaminated at a laundromat 20 miles away.
Like you, I've walked long underground rivers/streams and have seen crap from above find it's way underground. Once members of our Grotto went on a trip again to Missouri. While underground in a stream their legs developed a rash. Fortunately it didn't last but no one knew what caused it. Ya never know what you'll find in a cave.

I've caved back east, too, and was told its best to hose off, each day - ALL yer gear, if possible. I've caved in NH; VT;Minn; Kentucky;Missouri; WV; Virginia....., so a good rule of thumb, and good gesture, is simple.....the Car Wash...! ("Who wants to hose me down...?)

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

I've caved back east, too, and was told its best to hose off, each day - ALL yer gear, if possible. I've caved in NH; VT;Minn; Kentucky;Missouri; WV; Virginia....., so a good rule of thumb, and good gesture, is simple.....the Car Wash...! ("Who wants to hose me down...?)

Pollution of the ground water.
Karst, is a general term, describing a limestone country rock..., that is now taking the sewage, etc., into the caves and their underground rivers. I use this one word all too freely, I suspect... Sorry!
I'm a charter member of Shasta Area Grotto..........NSS