To be full cave or not to be, that is the question

[MORGAN]

Read the book. There's a story of a carbide lamp going through a sump. I have more details on that fiasco.

I've read the book - more than once - it's great! I've also dropped a carbide lamp in a breakdown pile and had to fish for it. Fortunately I was just a couple of hours from the surface in a local cave - instead of days from the surface, way to hell and gone beyond multiple sumps at the bottom of the world!

I still love my carbide lamps - they're nice and warm in our 48 degree northeastern caves. And good for heating up cans of Dinty Moore beef stew.

Mike

[FW]

BTW, you have an RTG??????? Kewl!

Not yet! One in a scooter would be awesome, though

[Squirrel Girl]

Not yet! One in a scooter would be awesome, though

Gad, wouldn't it! If you ever get the chance to read "Spies in the Himilayas" there's a fascinating RTG story in there. My favorite part was when the physicist armed the thing. It sprang to life. All the Indians moved in closer--ah, warmth. All the Americans moved back a bit--ah, plutonium!

There's a lot more to the RTG story, but I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone. Really interesting book. Don't know how much of it is true, since the mission was classified, but I'd bet the gist is quite true, even if some details are fuzzy.

[Squirrel Girl]

I've read the book - more than once - it's great! I've also dropped a carbide lamp in a breakdown pile and had to fish for it. Fortunately I was just a couple of hours from the surface in a local cave - instead of days from the surface, way to hell and gone beyond multiple sumps at the bottom of the world!

I still love my carbide lamps - they're nice and warm in our 48 degree northeastern caves. And good for heating up cans of Dinty Moore beef stew.

Mike

Glad you liked the book.

So.... did you get your lamp back? (Hmmmm, where is that cave? Maybe I can get myself a free carbide lamp? )

I prefer LED lamps now. But carbide has some definite good points. (Actually I prefer caving in New Mexico where it's warm and dry! I remember going through some tight squeezy stuff in Cuba and then resting wearing a tank top, and thinking, "This is great, I'm sweating in a tank top and not shivering!" )

[MORGAN]

Glad you liked the book.

So.... did you get your lamp back? (Hmmmm, where is that cave? Maybe I can get myself a free carbide lamp? )

I prefer LED lamps now. But carbide has some definite good points. (Actually I prefer caving in New Mexico where it's warm and dry! I remember going through some tight squeezy stuff in Cuba and then resting wearing a tank top, and thinking, "This is great, I'm sweating in a tank top and not shivering!" )

Yeah, I winkled the lamp out with a loop of parachute cord.

Warm caving would be different. One of my dry caving buddies went to an NCRC cave rescue course in Texas sometime in the late 1970's and is still talking about the warm mud!
None of us had any idea that such a thing existed. Though I have since heard that there are spas you can go to and pay to be slathered with hot mud.

Now my favorite caves are full of 70 degree water - I've become a complete wussy. Tracy & I have often discussed how much easier and more fun it would be if our local caves were full of water so that we could float effortlessly through them rather than do all that crawling, rigging, rappelling, ascending, etc.

Mike

[skip]

the caves of bonaire are steamy. even in a swimsuit you sweat. the rock is warm to the touch and the water is velvety warm like a fleece blanket. i suppose technically they are sumps, tight crawls in sharp rock to find the chambers with the pools of water just shallow enough around the bank to sit a small group as if in a hot tub (although it's a bit cool for a hot tub). Rest up, talk and laugh, then dive under and proceed through the labrynth to the next open air pool. 83-87 degrees F. very nice and clear - even a "silt-out" is nary more than a dusting of white particles that settles fairly quickly.

-skip

[MORGAN]

the caves of bonaire are steamy. even in a swimsuit you sweat. the rock is warm to the touch and the water is velvety warm like a fleece blanket. i suppose technically they are sumps, tight crawls in sharp rock to find the chambers with the pools of water just shallow enough around the bank to sit a small group as if in a hot tub (although it's a bit cool for a hot tub). Rest up, talk and laugh, then dive under and proceed through the labrynth to the next open air pool. 83-87 degrees F. very nice and clear - even a "silt-out" is nary more than a dusting of white particles that settles fairly quickly.

-skip

Sounds great!

I've only been to Bonaire once. We haven't been to the Carribean since 2002 - every dive trip since has been to go cave diving. But I'm more interested in Bonaire now that I hear there are caves! Especially ones reminiscent of hot tubs! What arrangements do you have to make to get access to them?

Mike

[FW]

There is a "dry" cave in WV is partially fed by a warm spring. When you go in, the water is pretty cold, but after awhile, you start shedding most/all of your clothes, until you only have knee pads, and boots (and a thin layer of mud).

[sskasser]

There is a "dry" cave in WV is partially fed by a warm spring. When you go in, the water is pretty cold, but after awhile, you start shedding most/all of your clothes, until you only have knee pads, and boots (and a thin layer of mud).

Really? I bet you get mud in some interesting places!

When's the next trip?

[Squirrel Girl]

There is a "dry" cave in WV is partially fed by a warm spring. When you go in, the water is pretty cold, but after awhile, you start shedding most/all of your clothes, until you only have knee pads, and boots (and a thin layer of mud).

I helped resurvey Warm River Cave, but I thought it was in Virginia. It has a cold stream and a warm stream tributary. Lying in warm water sketching was fun!