Read this before you enter a cave.

[risban]

The National Speleological Society


They are a fragile environment without the correct equipment they can be dangerous. So for your sake and the cave’s sake please do some research before you enter into the underground world.

By the way it is called Caving. Spelunkers go into the cave with out the right equipment or knowledge. The cavers are called in to rescue them after they become trapped or lost. Don't be a Spelunker!

 

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[hvacker]

The National Speleological Society


They are a fragile environment without the correct equipment they can be dangerous. So for your sake and the cave’s sake please do some research before you enter into the underground world.

By the way it is called Caving. Spelunkers go into the cave with out the right equipment or knowledge. The cavers are called in to rescue them after they become trapped or lost. Don't be a Spelunker!

I was a member of the NSS and worked out of the Windy City Grotto in Chicago. Joining a Grotto is not only the safest way to cave it's also the most fun. Your with others of a similar interest who's range of experience is huge. Some had been caving for 30 years.
And it's been shown many times that cavers should be the ones to rescue those that get trapped or hurt in a cave. Often caves are simply underground rivers. While they might seem safe, if it begins to rain they can fill up and someone in the cave will have no where to go.
Sometimes its like rock climbing in the dark.

 

[RON (PA)]

Good Advice. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Gold Maven]

I was a member of the NSS and worked out of the Windy City Grotto in Chicago. Joining a Grotto is not only the safest way to cave it's also the most fun. Your with others of a similar interest who's range of experience is huge. Some had been caving for 30 years.
And it's been shown many times that cavers should be the ones to rescue those that get trapped or hurt in a cave. Often caves are simply underground rivers. While they might seem safe, if it begins to rain they can fill up and someone in the cave will have no where to go.
Sometimes its like rock climbing in the dark.

That sounds like good advice, but isn't a grotto a small cave, or a watery cave? Is it also a group of cavers? thx.

 

[gunsil]

The NSS members call their local clubs or groups "grottos".

 

[TnTom]

I take my hat off to those of you who can venture into these holes in the ground but its a fear I dont imagine I would ever attempt to face as much fun as I can imagine you are having. Be safe, please.

 

[gollum]

Hey Risban,

The idea for this thread is nice, but maybe you should have been a little more specific about equipment.

The first and most important piece of equipment anyone needs before heading into a cave/mine is a friend that stays OUTSIDE! If something happens, they can run for help. If something happens the OUTSIDE friend should NEVER enter the cave/mine. Here's why:

The biggest killer in caves/mines is BAD AIR. A person wanders/climbs down into an area with low oxygen content (One breath of hydrogen cyanide will kill anybody), they will usually be unconscious before they take a second or third breath. They fall where they stood and asphyxiate. The biggest mistake their friends make is run to their collapsed buddy to see what happened, and they drop as well. It happened in the Oak Island Digs.

On 17 Aug 1965, the water filled up the shaft, and the Restall Group ran a gasoline pump to get rid of the water. Dad started climbing down, and his watched as he fell off the ladder into the water at the bottom of the dig. His son Bobby ran to help him and dropped in as well. Cyril Hiltz was the next to try and help, but he too fell victim. Andrew Demont was right behind, and like the others he started climbing down and fell off the ladder into the pit. Leonard Kaizer was next to fall.

A fireman from N.Y. named Ed White understood what happened and stopped anybody else from entering the pit. He tied a handkerchief around his face and a rope around his waist. He was lowered in and managed to save two (Demont and Kaizer) that hadn't fallen all the way to the bottom. Four men died that day, and it was the end of that particular expedition.

If you are going to spend any time in caves/mines, I HIGHLY recommend getting one of these babies:



This is a "four gas confined space detector". It has up to four different sensors for different types of gasses. I use: Oxygen, Combustibles(flammable gasses), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN). Since cyanide leaching was so popular here (SoCal), then the prospect of running into it is very possible. It constantly samples the air, and if the O2 gets too low, or the other gasses gets too high, a VEEEEERRRRY loud alarm goes off letting everybody within a mile know. These things need to be calibrated every year (or more depending on use), and they aren't cheap ($1200-$1400). The replaceable sensors are over $100 each..................... buuuuuuuuuuuuuuut ...............what's your life worth?

Always have more than one source of light (easily accessible in complete darkness), with spare batteries. Wear gloves because handholds can be slick or sharp.

Another BIG thing to worry about when exploring caves/mines is a little ditty we call HISTOPLASMOSIS. It is a fungus that grows in the dirt where there are bat/bird droppings. If you breathe in enough while underground, you can get what is best described as a sort of Fungal Pneumonia. You just feel like you got a bad case of the flu. THAT is the dangerous part! If not identified, Histoplasmosis has a high kill rate. When underground, wear a respirator (or at least a gauze mask).

Also invest in a good form of communicating with your outside buddy.

Those will do for a start.

Best - Mike

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

having been an active caver over fifty years (NSS), charter member in two grottos of the West, all I hope for,
is that people entering caves legally, do it in safely and in respect for the resources in the cave...!
Cavers Rescue Spelunkers...!
enjoy, but don't destroy!

 

[hvacker]

Unfortunately the gas detector mentioned doesn't pick up the most common problem gas, carbon dioxide. CO2 is a product in limestone caves and they are the caves most will enter. Acidic water acting on limestone creates CO2 and often collects in low spots or terminal sumps.
There are detectors for CO2 but real portability is fairly recent.
The safest caves are caves that breathe. If you feel air coming in or out at the entrance your probably ok as that represents air changes happening.

Interesting about histoplasmosis is a lot of kids in farming states will test positive for anti-bodies for histo. Being around chickens and other animals expose them w/o problems. On the other hand some British cavers went to Mexico to a cave there and several came down with histo even though they had been caving for years. Ended up a serious 2 week hospital stay. You just never know. I've been around a lot of bats w/o a problem. No real protection but I always took care not to linger around droppings. Maybe just lucky.
Don't stir up the guanno.

 

[Marisa_Schmidt]

I was passing through Marissa, Illinois and stopped at a restaurant. The owners said there are hidden caves in the area that they explored as kids that no one knows about. I'm definitely going to check it out this summer and get into caving!

 

[hvacker]

I was passing through Marissa, Illinois and stopped at a restaurant. The owners said there are hidden caves in the area that they explored as kids that no one knows about. I'm definitely going to check it out this summer and get into caving!

All through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Ky, Tenn are riddled with caves. As when looking at the landscape you can see what's called Karst. It's when a cave ceiling collapses and appears like a dent in the earth.
Consider joining a Grotto. The net has listings in different States. Lots of fun. They also know have special access to some that are protected.