Underground camps have been established most recently in Fischgesichhoehle (2023), Heimkehrhoehle (2024) and Balkonhoehle (2024). Each camp differs but here is some advice based on those and earlier camps.
- it is crucial that everyone on a camping team shares responsibility for making the trip a success. Don't rely on somebody else to sort stuff - there is no place for freeloaders who just want to brag that they have camped underground. Do you know the route to get to camp? Do you know what the caving objectives are? Have you helped to sort the caving gear, food and other kit needed? Have you checked that everything you need has actually been packed into bags?
- before taking the Cavelink set underground check that it works on the surface then make sure everyone camping knows how to use it and somebody on the surface will be checking it
- list everything taken down to camp and share this list (eg put a photo of it on Signal) so the next team can see it
- idiot check the essentials before leaving - have you enough mats and sleeping bags? Is the toilet stuff packed? Are you *sure* the previous team has left at camp the survey kit / drill batteries / thru bolts or whatever you are relying on?
- ideally, leave time on the surface for the exiting camping team to give info (leads, state of camp) to the next team because this will influence what gear, food, etc the next team takes ... discuss this timing before the first team goes in to avoid the next team waiting ages and/or having a late start
- stove with pre-heat coil to avoid super-slow cooking due to gas burning too cold
- list *everything* left both at the camp and elsewhere (eg drills, charge left in drill batteries, rope, etc left further in the cave) plus any rigging that needs fixing and, once out of the cave, share this list (eg put a photo of it on Signal)
- make laminated cave surveys (large so detail legible) and descriptions and rigging guides. Prepare these before Expo starts to highlight the best QMs
- label any bags of powder - eg milk, custard, etc which are confusable
- do NOT overpack food ... each of the 2024 Balkon camps took in more food than they ate leading to the camp derig including a 15kg tackle bag of food that, exhaustingly, had to be dragged back out. To help with this, a) try to give time between camps so food can be adjusted based on what is already in, b) check with camp-goers if they are taking personal food so the group food can be reduced accordingly
- do NOT pack the kitchen sink - be minimal eg if you think you will use 2 x 18650 batteries then pack max 2 as spares, not 4; do not pack more clothes than you can wear at one time
- do NOT leave stuff you brought down to camp and didn't use that you have persuaded yourself somebody else might find handy - nobody wants to have to drag it out
- hammocks were trialled in Balkonhoehle in 2024; they were rigged well but all 3 who tried them found them much colder than the tent
- Daren drums for water collection (for Balkonhoehle; not needed in Fischgesicht) - 1 big, 1 small is ideal, camp First aid kit can be transported to camp in the small Daren drum then be moved to a bag; other camps may need different water collection eg a large sheet of plastic on a slope can collect small drips
- gas cannisters (or move to meths?)
- gas stove with pre-heating coil (or try trangias?) plus spare stove
- lighters
- 2 pans plus handle if needed
- 1 large mug and 1 spork per camper - use for both drinks and meals - Expo owns 4 sets of these specifically for underground camping
- large and medium ziplock bags to store food
- camp first aid kit
- Daren drums for poo collection plus toilet roll, hand sanitiser and compost bags; each camping trip brings their drum out so every trip needs to take a poo drum down
- tent (not essential but helps keep mud out and a bit of heat in; keep the doors tied wide open otherwise you get heavy condensation) - can sleep up to 5 people if sleep top to tail and this improves warmth!
- sleeping bag for every camper - there are 3 good quality Expo underground sleeping bags and a 4th which is nearly as warm; Expo goers can also use their own pits
- quality karrimat for every camper - Expo owns 4 of these specifically for underground camping
- camp notebook and 2 x pencils for writing lists and leaving a note of where you are going on pushing days
- laminated cave surveys with leads highlighted; ideally update these during expo + descriptions + rigging guides
- as many large tacklesacks as you can find; leave the really big ones at camp for the derig as they are too big for anything but fluff; the derig of Balkonhoehle in 2024 needed about 11 tacklesacks
- dry bags and bin bags to keep sleeping bags etc dry and for rubbish
- fully charged underground Cavelink set in pelicase - make sure you have all the bits, know how to use it and have the surface kit set up with someone to use it; do NOT rely on it for comms
- concrete screws and appropriate small drill bit for rigging lines at the camp
- brush to clean mud off SRT gear, bags, etc
- alarms on watches and/or phones - it is very easy to oversleep on underground camps; alarms should be checked as not audible if inside sleeping bags
- main meals - we have used dehydrated expedition meals, try to maximise calories and minimise cooking time; curries and couscous would also work
- smash - use this to thicken anything, eg soup, noodles, to add calories
- instant noodles
- custard
- hot chocolate
- coffee, tea, sugar - NOT TOO MUCH
- instant soups
- muesli
- milk powder
- nuts, seeds, coconut to cheer up muesli
- instant porridge
- flapjack
- chocolate
- nuts cheese etc for during the day
- survey kits - CALIBRATED instuments, survey phone, backup survey notebook and pencils, nail varnish, powerbank and USB leads; take at least 2 kits if 4 people, more for redundancy
- group shelters / bothies
- drill + tether + 2x krabs, drill batteries, drill bits, hammer + tether + 2x krabs, padding, dry bag - ideally this will stay down for the duration of the camp with only the batteries going up and down
- metalware - hangers, maillons, snaplinks krabs, screwgate krabs, thru bolts
- deviation cord, slings, rope
- everything you would normally pack for caving trips on Expo
- quality spare light - hopefully you already take this on all caving trips
- gilet or jacket - you may already take this on all caving trips, if so you shouldn't need another
- MINIMISE what else you take and check with others to avoid excess eg share one tube toothpaste for the team
- essential toiletries - pack plenty of sanitary products if there is any chance you will need them
- enough battery for your main light for the trip plus spare capacity
- spare socks and thermals so you have dry clothes to sleep in - I usually sleep in my furry suit etc and keep my caving socks in my pockets in the evening to dry them out
- the first team who have to set up camp will take a long time to reach camp (as many bags) then will need hours to set up camp so its best if they pack the night before and set off early
- in Balkonhoehle in 2024 the 3 night pushing camps seemed most productive - ideally these would leave mid-afternoon to get to camp in 4-5 hours, sleep night 1, full day pushing and sleep night 2, full day pushing and sleep night 3, pack up and exit
- the last team who have to remove camp will need to take down plenty of large tacklesacks and, unless many people, they will need the surface derig team to help them to empty camp, ie 2 or more people need to do a bounce trip to camp to take bags out. In 2024, the Balkonhoehle camp had around 11 tacklebags (including Cavelink, 2 drill sets, tent, 5 sleeping bags and mats, multiple Daren drums, ropes, metalware, etc) plus 2 large tacklesacks of rope derigged from Mongol Rally. The ropes on Honeycomb (1 tacklesack) and Hangmans (1 tacklesack) were left rigged in 2024. This meant there was not that much rope that needed washing (Mongol Rally plus stuff removed from below camp) but a lot of camp bags to shift