Caving Equipment

Firstly, everything needed to go caving can be borrowed from the club. This page is a guide for those who have done some trips and want to buy their own gear instead of borrowing or just for beginners to look it if you're curious about what we use and why.

Caving with a club is not a particularly expensive sport. It is possible to acquire a complete set of gear for about £500 which will last you at least the length of your degree. Parts of it may well last double that length.

Other than a light, any bought gear is not readily upgradable. This reduces the constant spending on gear found in other sports. A cyclist may purchase forks with longer travel, a climber may purchase lighter cams, but a caver simply buys the best (and only) appropriate hand jammer on the market and uses it until it wears out.

However, very few would spend that on a new sport and cavers generally buy various bits whenever they need them until they have a full set.

The items below are arranged in a typical order that a caver might buy them in.

Wellington Boots - useful for keeping feet dry(ish) and gripping on slippery rocks. A lot of cavers wear dunlops as they are cheap and practical.

Wetsocks - keep your feet warmer even when your wellies have filled with water! Also known as neoprene socks or surf socks and can be bought relatively cheaply from several shops.

Knee pads - makes crawling on a rocky surface a bit more comfortable. There are essentially 2 types; flexible, (typically neoprene) or hard plastic. Can be bought relatively cheaply from several shops.

Gloves - keep hands warm and protect against sharp rocks. Many cavers just wear gardening/work gloves as they are cheap and do the job.

Thermals - if you get cold easily these can make a caving trip a lot more comfortable. Crucially, they should not be made of cotton though as this will make you colder when they get wet.

Helmet - you'd be surprised how often you often you bash your head on the ceiling!

Light - fairly crucial if you want to be able to see anything! There are a large variety of lights available with prices ranging from £50 to over £500. It's worth seeing what other people use and deciding what is most suited to you.

Undersuit - an insulating one piece suit to keep you warm while in the cave.

Oversuit - a one piece suit typically made of cordura or PVC

SRT Kit - used for ascending and descending ropes

For a keen, active, caver, buying all the above over a period of 2 years would be a fairly 'normal' timespan. However, some rent everything for far longer and others buy it all in the first year. Some will never buy knee pads, thermals or gloves. Some have multiple sets. Buy what is useful to you, rather than what those around you possess.

If you're planning to buy anything online, then please let others know (on the facebook page) as they may be about to buy something too and could split the postage costs with you.