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:
- 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?
- ideally, leave time on the surface for the exiting camping team to give info to the next team
- 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) and once out of the cave share this list (eg put a photo of it on Signal)
- Laminated cave surveys (large so detail legible) and descriptions and rigging guides prepared before Expo starts to highlight the best QMs
- Label any bags of powder - eg milk, custard, etc which are confusable
- 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
- Pack the kitchen sink - think minimal eg if you think you will use 2 x 18650 batteries then pack another 2 as spares, not 4
- 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 per camper - use for both drinks and meals
- 1 spoon per camper
- Large and medium ziplock bags
- 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
- Karrimat for every camper
- 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
- Concrete screws and appropriate small drill bit for rigging lines at the camp
- Brush to clean mud off SRT gear, bags, etc
- Main meals - we have used dehydrated expedition meals, try to maximise calories and minimise cooking time
- Instant noodles
- Custard
- Hot chocolate
- Coffee, tea, sugar - NOT TOO MUCH
- Instant soups
- Muesli
- 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, 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
C