Guide to Caving Kit

If you're new to caving and looking to get kit together, here is a guide to the kit you'll want.

Oversuit	Used to protect the wearer from the cave environment, these Oversuits are a must have for any caver in the UK. We have a variety of Oversuits available for purchase, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.	Alp Design Bitex (Men's and Women's available): The Bitex is a lighter suit that is reinforced in the key areas with Cordura. Although less durable than the Warmbac Cordura, it comes with some additional features such as a hood that can roll into the collar and Velcro straps on the wrists. Warmbac Cordura: One of the most resistant suits available on the market. However they tend to soak up water and mud quite easily. If you have been caving before, you've likely borrowed one of these. Warmbac Expedition: Lighter than the Cordura but still very resistant. It also dries faster than the Cordura. (Something to note is that this and the Cordura can shrink after some usage, it may be worth buying a size up if you're planning on using this for a long time). Warmbac PVC: The yellow one. Very water resistant so perfect for those wet caves. Featuring adjustable wrist and neck seals, this suit is perfect if you want to stay dry. Unfortunately they are not the most resistant to wear and can tear.
Undersuit	A full body suit that goes underneath the Oversuit. Whilst not essential, it's a great bit of kit to have and keeps you nice and warm. It also gives some extra padding which can be handy in those crawly caves.	Alp Design X-Pile (Men's and Women's available): A microfibre bi-elastic undersuit. Made with a stretch fabric, it provides excellent freedom of movement. Warmbac Fibre Pile Undersuit: Lightweight fibre pile with good wicking properties. has some nice features such as neoprene cuffs and double thick knees, which provide some nice protection. Warmbac Fleece Undersuit (Junior available as well): Made from 300g pre-pilled fleece which is very tough and durable. Also contains some extra features such as elasticised wrists and ankles, extra knee padding and a raised collar to keep your neck warm. Warmbac Lightweight Fleece Undersuit (Junior available as well): Excellent wicking properties means this undersuit sheds water quickly helping you stay warm and dry on those wet trips. With a heavy duty zip and 3 thread overlock stitched seams, this undersuit is very durable.
Wetsocks	Made from neoprene, these keep your feet warm on those long wet trips. Even on dryer trips they add some nice padding inside your wellies keeping your feet comfortable.	Warmbac Double Lined Neoprene Long Socks: These socks come up very high on the calf which keeps you extra warm on long streamway trips. Featuring a reinforced sole under the ball of the foot and heel, these socks provide excellent durability. They can be a bit tricky to get on/off however, especially if worn with an undersuit. Warmbac Double Lined Neoprene Socks: Featuring multi thickness neoprene construction, these socks are designed specifically for caving. The sole has a print on that improves their grip inside your wellies.
Wetsuit	For those extra wet trips, think Swildons Hole or the Nant Newydd Streamway in OFD. Can be used instead of an undersuit.	Warmbac Speleo III: Suitable for very aqueous trips and more 'sporting' streamways. Good for swimming in and provide some extra buoyancy. Warmbac The Cavers Neo-Fleece: A unique design created by Warmbac. This suit is a combination of neoprene and fleece undersuit, it features 3mm double lined neoprene body with fleece arms and legs. Warmbac The Cavers Wetsuit: A one piece suit in 4.5mm medium compound double lined neoprene. Quite thick so very warm but slightly harder to move around in. Warmbac The Speleo Pro: An excellent wetsuit for very wet and cold conditions. Heavy duty so work in any environment with prolonged exposure.
Kneepads	Your knees will thank you for getting these, absolutely essential for any caves with lots of crawling. We would recommend soft and padded ones as opposed to hard plastic ones as they can catch on things and be awkward in tight spaces.	Warmbac Cavers Adjustable Knee Pads: Made from 6mm neoprene, with a durable nylon face fabric, these add padding to your knees. These kneepads feature adjustable velcro straps that can be fitted very easily. If you find that the straps are too long and dangle, they can be cut down to size. Warmbac Cavers Knee Pads: The same as previous, except they feature 3mm straps instead of the adjustable velcro ones. Warmbac Kevlar Cavers Adjustable Knee Pads: Hard wearing Kevlar laminated to 6mm neoprene. Heavy duty SD nylon on the back of the pads. Same velcro straps as the Warmbac Cavers Adjustable Knee Pads. Warmbac Kevlar Cavers Knee Pads: Same as above but with 3mm neoprene straps instead of velcro. Warmbac Warmtex Cavers Adjustable Knee Pads: The most durable kneepads available to cavers. The Warmtex material is rubbery and will not clog up with mud. Very comfortable but can be slightly slippery if relying on the knee for support when climbing. Have the same velcro adjustable straps as previous. Warmbac Warmtex Cavers Knee Pads: Same as above but with neoprene straps instead of velcro.
Footwear	Typically cavers will use wellies, however we also stock Bestard Canyon Guide's which have received positive feedback from people who have used them.	The wellies we have in stock are the: Dunlop Acifort, Dunlop Dull Junior and the Dunlop Sport. Bestard Canyon Guide: A versatile pair of Canyoning shoes, these are suitable for a number of different sports, including Caving. The vibram sole provides fantastic grip and traction on wet surfaces.
Helmet	Essential piece of kit for keeping your head safe. Any hardshell helmet that can cope with the cave environment is suitable, however we would recommend a half dome rather than a full dome as it will dry quicker and hold less water against your head.	We have a wide range of helmets in stock. There is no 'perfect' helmet for caving and it mostly comes down to personal preference. However the Petzl Panga, Petzl Boreo and Black Diamond Half Dome are popular with Cavers.
Caving Belt	A Caving belt is useful for attaching various items to, such as a lanyard for connecting a bag to yourself. Although they are not PPE, they are often used in conjunction with a ladder and lifeline for belaying, however this would be classed as improper use...	Warmbac Cavers Battery Belt: Available in two lengths and made from 44 webbing. Lyon Polyester Lamp Belt: A tough belt made from Polyester. This is also available in two sizes. Slings are also used for this purpose on occasion such as the Lyon 30KN Nylon Sling. I would recommend roughly a 120cm sling for this purpose for the average caver.
Gloves	Gloves are used to protect the hands more than to provide warmth in Caving. We would not recommend spending much on these as they will get demolished fairly rapidly, so some cheap builders gloves will do.
Headtorch	Caves are dark...	For your main light, there are two main brands that are the most commonly used. These are Petzl and Fenix. More expensive, high end options exist such as Scurion however we do not stock them. There are a range of Fenix models available that would all be suitable for a main light. We would recommend the following models: HL60R, HM50R V2.0, HM61R Magnetic, HM65R (and all variants), HP30R V2.0 and the HM70R. These models all sit on a headband at the front/center of the helmet. Other models such as the E35 V3.0 can be side mounted.

There are some other pieces of kit which can be used to make life a bit easier for you, however these are not required.

Tacklesack	A hard wearing bag designed to carry ropes. However it can be used to carry all sorts of other items such as first aid kits, emergency shelters and water.	We offer a range of tackle sacks from Petzl and Warmbac. There are a variety of sizes available here.
Emergency Shelter	Used to stay warm if something goes wrong, or if you are expecting to sit around for a long time - such as at the bottom of a large pitch.	We sell various sizes of emergency shelter, ranging from small two person shelters (Rab Superlite 2) to huge 8-10 person ones (Rab Group Shelter).
First Aid Kit	Useful in case of any minor injury.	We have several different types of First Aid Kit offered by Life Systems, such as the Waterproof First Aid Kit, Exped First Aid Dry Bag and the Pro First Aid Kit. We have a larger range in other sizes as well.
Daren Drum	A hard plastic drum that fits in most tackle sacks, they have the added advantage of being waterproof as well. Often used to carry snacks and valuables on trips as well as spare batteries.	We have the Curtec Daren Drum or the Curtec Daren Jar, both of which come in a range of sizes.