Basic Caving Gear Suggestions

Helmets

All helmets used for serious caving should be UIAA or CE certified for climbing. That means something like a bike helmet should be avoided and under no circumstance should a helmet with no chin strap be used! Certified helmets are also likely to be acceptable for other sports like rock climbing and canyoneering.

For an inexpensive helmet that will fit most heads comfortably, I would suggest the Black Diamond Half Dome: https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/half-dome-helmet/ The small/medium size should fit heads from 19-22.5” and the medium/large version fits heads from 22-24”. Specs for the helmet are from: https://weighmyrack.com/helmet/black-diamond-half-dome

If You have long hair that will be kept in a ponytail, I would suggest the women’s version of the Half Dome: https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/half-dome-helmet-womens/ The only real difference in design is a small cutout at the back of the helmet that allows a ponytail to hang free.

You might also want to look at Petzl helmets https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Helmets or Kong Helmets https://www.kong.it/en/products/helmets/

Lights

When shopping for a caving light I look for something that is rugged, waterproof, throws light in a roughly 90-120 degree cone (flood light instead of spot light), has a runtime of 6+ hours at medium light output (typically from 50-200 lumens of light), that has a relatively simple interface, and costs under $200.

Also, keep in mind that for safe caving You should have at least 3 independent sources of light and ideally at least 2 of them should mount to your helmet.

Some lights that fit my criteria:

https://nitecorestore.com/collections/headlamps/products/nitecore-hc30-1000-lumen-l-shaped-headlamp-edc-flashlight The HC30 is only $55 at the moment! I use this light as my backup and keep it mounted on my helmet next to my primary light.

I have no direct experience with this light but it fits the criteria: https://www.armytek.com/flashlights/models/wizard/armytek-wizard-c2-pro-max-magnet-usb-warm/It’s a little more pricy at $115.

Another light that I have not used but from a brand that I know many cavers use:: https://www.fenixlighting.com/products/fenix-hm61r-v2-rechargeable-headlamp $90 right now. Suggest avoiding any of their magnetic lights if You are going to do cave survey as they will deflect a compass.

My current primary light and what I think may be the best bang for your buck in caving lights toady: https://www.acebeam.com/h30 At almost $140 it may not be an entry level light but it compares favorably with lights that can easily cost 3 times as much!

Many cavers like Zebralights. I’m not a fan because the user interface seems overly complicated. If none of the above lights are to your taste, have a look at them here: https://www.zebralight.com/search.asp?keyword=18650%20headlamp and possibly on some of the cave vendor sites at the bottom of this page.

Extra batteries and chargers for your light are VERY important! Most serious caving lights will use 18650 or 21700 rechargeable lithium batteries. Some of the batteries may be proprietary (the Acebeam above is a good example) and therefore can only bought directly from the light manufacturer. Make sure You know about this when You buy your light. Some lights may require a minimum output from the batteries to work correctly. Read the technical details about any light You are purchasing.

Some lights will allow You to charge the light with a USB port directly on the light but I would recommend getting a dedicated smart charger so that You can charge multiple batteries for longer trips. The 21700 batteries can be especially tricky to find a charger that will work as they are very long. Nitecore makes two chargers that should charge any of the batteries used by the above suggested lights: https://nitecorestore.com/products/nitecore-i2-intellicharger-two-channel-charger-for-18650-etc and https://nitecorestore.com/products/nitecore-new-i4-4-channel-universal-charger-for-18650-16340-etc Both are under $30.

Gloves

Gloves should be made from synthetic materials, rugged, have a rough surface on the palm to give You good grip, cover your fingers completely, and be thin enough to give You decent dexterity. Many mechanic type gloves and even gardening gloves will fit this description. No need to buy gloves from a specialty store for caving.

Knee pads

I use Dirty Daves long knee pads for caving. They cover not just your knees but also your shins. This makes them good for crawling, scrambling and climbing. https://www.karstsports.com/dirty-daves-long-knee-pads/#:~:text=These%20are%20the%20best%20kneepads,they%20just%20stay%20in%20place.You can find them at a number of the other cave gear vendors at the bottom of this page.

There are currently not very many other knee pads for caving on the market.

Boots

Most cavers I know generally use hiking boots but there are a small number who swear by their Wellies, which are a type of rain boot. With either design, they need to have deep lugged soles for good grip, should be tall enough to provide good ankle support, and be comfortable. Boots are generally NOT purchased from cave specific vendors. Women may have a harder time finding boots that both fit them AND that come high enough to give good ankle support. If You are a woman, I would encourage you too to look at what size of men’s boots will fit You as this will give You a wider range of good choices for caving boots.

Cave packs

Most cave packs are made from ballistic nylon, heavy duty vinyl, or some similar synthetic material. They are built to be extremely rugged for the harsh environment in which they are used. They do NOT have zippers in them as zippers will fail in the dirty, gritty cave environment. You might be able to use a standard backpack for some short easy trips when You start out but a dedicated cave pack will become essential if You get serious.

Many cave packs are worn as backpacks but my favorites can be side-mounted, which means that the can fit under my arm thus enabling me to move through most belly crawls without having to remove and then remount my pack.

In my opinion, the best packs on the market are the Dirty Daves packs which are modeled after the old Lost Creek packs. You can look at the entire lineup at https://www.finalfrontiersports.com/product-category/cave-packs/ The Flint Ridge and Paha Sapa packs are fairly small but they are excellent size and shape to be side mounted. The Monster TAG and Ridgewalker packs are much larger and would likely be used for longer, more serious trips and will work best as backpacks but the straps can still be configured for side mounting. The middle of the road is the TAG pack which, if rolled down far enough, can be side mounted but is big enough for a longer trip in the backpack configuration. Prices range from $70 to

Some trips might require that items in the pack not get wet. You can get a dry bag that will fit inside of your cave pack to keep a few items dry or You can get a waterproof pack like the Swaygo. There are three sizes that can be seen at: https://swaygogear.com/product-category/packs/ Not cheap pass as they start out at $150.

Cave suits/coveralls

Cave coveralls need to cover as much of You as possible to keep You protected from sharp rocks and the cold. They should be made of a fairly rugged artificial material such as ballistic nylon or corder to be durable and to shed water as quickly as possible (cotton coveralls will soak up water and keep You cold in a cave environment). There are very few cave specific mass produced options currently on the market.

One low cost alternative is waterproof bib overalls meant for industry. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SC5C7Q2?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 These do not fully cover the torso but they are heavy nylon and typically run $50-$60. You may be able to find these somewhere besides Amazon. I have a friend who uses these and loves them.

For a true cave coverall that is mass produced, I recommend https://wvunderground.net/product/caving-coverall-cordura-extreme/ They can also be purchased directly from other vendors https://www.canyonzone.com/a-38080702/caving-suits-overalls/landjoff-caving-coverall-cordura-extreme/?srsltid=AfmBOoq170MHc2AXfopjr8dM12k78fLNXj7qd6Jar-BbHqMAycqgOB_d#description or directly from Landjoff https://landjoff.com/product/226/caving-coverall-cordura-extreme.html Note, the last two links are from foreign countries and the prices are in foreign currencies.

If You want a custom made suit, You can contact Sophie who is a member of the Philadelphia Grotto of the National Speleological Society. Her page may also have some pre-made suits. All of her suits are top quality but they start out at about $300! https://www.sophireaptress.com/category/caving-gear

Trusted vendors for cave gear:

https://www.karstsports.com

https://www.innermountainoutfitters.com

https://www.finalfrontiersports.com

https://wvunderground.net

https://onrope1.com This store carries the widest selection of cave gear of any store I am currently aware of but quite frankly, their website is awful. If You have the chance to go to Speleofest which is sponsored by the Louisville Grotto of the National Speleological Society near Bonnieville, KY every Memorial Day weekend, check out On Rope’s gear in person!