Safety & Conservation
Cave Safety Essentials
01
A helmet, three independent light sources, and the right clothes are the bare minimum needed to explore the underground. For a more in-depth breakdown of what it takes to go caving, check out the full breakdown in the gear guide.
Use the right gear
02
Before going into a wild cave, make sure to take the appropriate steps. Whether that’s talking to the landowner, filling out a permit, looking over and saving the map, or making sure you have enough rope for the drops, never blindly show up to a cave unprepared.
Know your cave
03
Caving works your body in ways hiking doesn’t. Expect crawling, climbing, canyon stemming, bending your body in ways it’s not used to, and holding awkward positions for a while. If you’re new, a structured workout plan for cardio and strength is a good place to start and is safer and faster than learning the hard way at the bottom of a cave.
Train your body, not just your curiosity
04
Turning back costs you nothing. Pushing past what you or your gear can handle is how people get hurt, and a rescue operation is born. There’s no shame in turning back and calling a trip early.
Respect your limits
05
A callout is an essential part of any cave trip. Always let someone know where you are, where you plan on going inside the cave, and the time they should expect you out by. If you miss this time, make sure they know the appropriate authorities to call to begin a rescue.
Have a callout
Conservation principles
01
Pack out everything. Wrappers, batteries, damaged clothing, and even human waste. Cave ecosystems don’t bounce back the way surface ones to.
Leave no trace
02
The oil on our skin is enough to stop a formation from growing, some of which took thousands of years to form. Keep hands and gear off of anything delicate you encounter.
Don’t touch formations
03
Cave floors and fragile fauna don’t recover from foot traffic. In virgin passage, flag your route in delicate areas and move carefully. If more explorers make it as far as you did, this will encourage them to follow the same path you did.
Stay on established paths
04
Bats, salamanders, crickets, and microbes you’ll never see all have a role down there. Don’t disturb them. Skip the camera flash unless you’re sure it won’t spook anything, especially near a bat roost.
Respect wildlife
05
We love showing people what’s in caves, but some locations can’t handle more foot traffic. Not every cave needs to be shared.
Share, but don’t overexpose
“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.”