go to walmart, i got a 4 LED headlamp made by energizer for 15 bucks. has 4 settings, narrow, wide, full and red. just as good or better than any other ive seen out there(aside from being slightly more heavy)
go to walmart, i got a 4 LED headlamp made by energizer for 15 bucks. has 4 settings, narrow, wide, full and red. just as good or better than any other ive seen out there(aside from being slightly more heavy)
This is where we are going:
http://www.showcaves.com/english/usa...PettyJohn.html
we are not climbing up or down. we are staying on the main floor and going to the waterfall. We have two narrow spaces that we have to squeeze through and thats it. we don't want to get hurt or be a hero~!
Energizer (Yes, the Pink Bunny folks) makes several headlamps with LED bulbs that run on 3 triple A's. They sell for less than $20 and I got mine at Lowe's. They work just as good as any other I've come across and even have red light options. They are lightweight and weather resistant if not waterproof (the micro is listed as waterproof).
Be the change you wish to see in the world...gandhi
Nice cave, not as "wild" as the others I have visited. Spare batteries mean more than a fancy light. Cave On!
This is a easy call SE, I am going to guess that this is your first time and I agree with the rest of the folks - go with what you can get and take three. Its on all the caving boards... If you are hooked you are going to need something far more serious, and a seperate battery pack and/ora chemical light.
Redeye and Trailbender? I use the E light while crawling in basements and Attics... It's OK....burning out in a rainstorm can happen to anyone and any product. Stuff Happens.
(Cost doesn't Matter - Its almost all made in China anyway....)
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
WOW, you called it right. This is my first time. I'm not going to lie, I am apprehensive, but I'm also excited. My brother appears to be quite confident even though he has never been spelunking. He sent me a map, although I cant imagine these cave passages are marked. Does this map make sense to anyone??:
http://www.hucosystems.com/Pettyjohn%20Cave.pdf
When you get out of there I would like to understand how the 2d map is made.... Might be some interesting discussion.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
We are going Thursday. Tomorrow I'm hiking out to the Len Foote Hike Inn. When I get back on Wednesday, I'm going to stop by wally worlds and get my equipment. I need a chin strap for my trail maintenance hardhat, but I would assume I would have to go to home depot for that.
You said you'd bring a spotlight if you could? Why are you even considering cheap dim Walmart lights? Get nothing less than the HP10. Next step up in the HP20. Or the Magicshine 900 lumen setup and mount it to a helmet, although it doesn't have any low settings so it will die within a few hours of use unlike the Fenix headlamps that will run for hundreds of hours. You can spend hundreds more for lights that are several times brighter if you wish.
It seems like the cave you are entering is quite busy so that's going to lower the risk factor. I have the 4 LED and 2 LED EverReady Head Lamps that some are mentioning. They are cheap and available at places like Wally World for $20 or less. I feel the 2 LED EverReady headlamp which runs on 3 AAA's(I use EverReady Lithium AAA's w/ this headlamp just fine) w/red light w/ swivel base for light positioning is fine for thru-hiking. Despite having more expensive Princeton Tec and Black Diamond headlamps I'll often reach for the 2 LED EverReady for hiking. To each their own but I would not depend on this headlamp for spelunking! It is not WP. It can short out. IMO, I would want something more durable(tougher for the conditions you might encounter in a cave when crawling around or entering tight passages, think wet and muddy!, oops the light went out!) If you rely on this headlamp when spelunking DEFINITELY bring along other dependable sources of light!
I'd love to hear what you think of caving, once you get back. Who knows, you may have a new obsession, er, hobby.
no one can suggest a good headlamp. headlamps dont exist. neither do caves or spelunkers. wake up now. ur just an embryo in a tube haveing a dream. stop dreaming of risky sports. spelunking is death. spelunking kills. spelunking will cause you to die. no one has ever come out of a cave alive after spelunking. all spelunkers die. dieing while spelunking. if you choose to continue to belive that in fact you wish with all or most of your heart that you want to spelunk,..sorry,...i mean die spelunking to death,..go ahead. say high to my upside down rotting stuck corpses of friends if you see them.
matthewski
I got a black diamond spot. With my 20% off REI coupon and my gift card, it only cost $8~!
we go in tomorrow so wish us luck!
Good Luck!!!
I have heard nothing but good about the BD Spot.
I know if I was going into a cave, I would want a light I could depend on, Buying a cheap light is fine on a trail where you at least have moonlight, But in a cave, If your light fails you are in complete darkness.
Thanks Mountain Wildman! I'm excited!
this is what I'm taking tomorrow:
camera
hard hat/headlamp
flashlight with spare batteries
candles and waterproof matches
gloves
knee pads
first aid kit
glow sticks (to hang from the back of our packs)
snacks and water
and a spare change of clothes for when i get.
sound good?
I count four separate sources of light; good for you! Nice idea with the glow sticks, too, I hadn't thought of that. Should give you long-lasting general lighting. I'd say you're set.
Regarding the aqua mira, it's up to you. Tiny and light enough to be negligible, so it certainly couldn't hurt. But most water in a cave (if there is any. I'm not familiar with this one) is groundwater that's been filtered through a lot of sand and soil, and in a pinch should be pretty much OK to drink.