Difference between revisions of "Expo 2008/Gear review"

Revision as of 04:41, 24 May 2008

This page is copied from the 2007 wiki. If you have a piece of gear that is not listed on this page, then add it!

See Expo 2008/What do I need for Expo? for an overview of required equipment.

Caving Gear

SRT Kit

As well as the usual srt stuff, it's a good idea if everyone has a 13mm spanner, even if they're not doing any rigging. Spits and Hiltis can occasionally wiggle themselves loose so it's a good idea if each person checks them before putting their weight on them. (However it important that bolts are not over-tightened, especially over scary pitcheads. If it can be undone with fingers its loose, otherwise don't tighten it more). It's also important that everyone carries a whistle, knife and pulley - all of which are invaluable in the event of a rescue.

A few spare krabs are a very useful thing to have as well.

Balaclava

Invaluable, especially in austria which is a few degrees colder than yorkshire. I like fleece ones but fiberpile is good to, tight shiny black rubber ones are avilable off the internet, these are popular in Germany it seems. Your helmet will need adjusting, when not adjusted correctly mine rides down and over my eyes... A good place to keep em is in your helmet.

Lights

Please see Custom light construction for information on building your own lights and battery packs.

Boots

Strong pair of boots for wandering about on the plateau, at some point you will be carrying a heavy rucksack so ankle support is important.

Some people swear by a full rigid pair of mountaineering boots, others like a soft pair of lightweight's with ankle support. Basically there is no horizontal rock on the plateau everything slopes roughly at 30deg, however the rock is quite sharp and grippy. Some people like to be able to feel what they're standing on some don't. The only guarantee is the sharp limestone will tear chunks out of what ever is in contact with it, especially if it's not your boots.

Landmarkt in Bad Aussee (near the station) have a selection of inexpensive walking boots. I bought a pair for around 40 pounds in 2007 which are still in regular use. Duncan.collis 05:41, 24 May 2008 (BST)

Oversuit

PVC is good simply because it's warmer (less evaporation) however it can wear out significently quicker. One meander oversuit died in two trips, but that was very exceptional, and some people ware stuff out much quicker than others. New PVC is shiny too...

Cordura A new warmback wouldn't be bad but you might want to invest in a good thermal top and some thermal pants.

Undersuit

New furies (inside out teddy bears) are warmer than Fleecies. They're less good in the wet. But you also have to think of the cost in terms of cute cuddley teddy bears reared in tiny cages and cut up in their prime so you, you hartless caver can stay warm.

Fleecies drain better, but Austria isnt wet. I don't know what fleecies are made of but it feels nice when new, so its probably cute and died horribly.

The warmback neofleece thingies, well they're warm, especially when its wet, I use one when I'm feeling a bit nesh, not as practical for Austria, but for wet in yorkshire they're the business.

Clothing

Spare long sleeved fleecy top, this will come in very useful when you realise just how cold you can get when surveying the miles of passage you find.

Miscellaneous

Everyone should have a dangley bag, size in this case is not everything. The bigger the bag the more ballast you will invariably put in it.

It's nice to have a small 'dry bag' (for inside your dangley bag) to put a spare top in. Alternativly simply use a tesco bag, caves are not too wet in Austria.

Camping Gear

Stoves

Underground stoves

I have a Mini Trangia which I use for taking underground. I wouldn't want to cook a meal on it, but it's the business for cup-a-soup and tea; and it's enormously robust -- it's been through Razor Dance in a dangly bag several times. So if anyone else has one lying around, bring it along.

Sleeping

Things to sleep on

While at base camp your favourite choice of thermorest, airbed or just a roll mat will do, at top camp you need to choose wisely. The ground is quite uneven and made up of small stones, so for comfort you probably want to be well away from it. The two obvious options are camp bed and air bed. Last year I opted for a cheap camp bed from argos - plus sides: cheap £5, comfy - down sides: cold back, heavy to carry up. I suggest having a roll mat to put on top for insulation to eliminate the freezing cold back problem - there are some already at top camp but I won't guarantee that you'll get one (It's likeley the owners will be back this year). The air bed alternative has only one big downside - risk of puncture. The solution here is something (roll mats?) to place under it, and also to use a cheap one (some people use a lilo instead of a proper air bed) so there's no worries if it pops (unless its the middle of the night!) Personally I think camp bed + roll mat wins hands down.

If you go the airbed route, there are a bunch of roll mats (and popped airbeds) up there in the storage cave already which you can put under your airbed to keep it from puncturing. Pete is wrong about camp beds, it's all about flopping into an airbed after a hard day's caving.

Most the airbeds that have been holed resulted from people walking along side the bed when inflated and pinching the bed against the sharp rock with your foot, this could easily happen in the night when your going for a piss in the dark. Basically even with something covering the sharp rock protecting the air bed, you have to be careful.

Things to Sleep In

Enough Warmth

If you are worried that your sleeping bag wont be warm enough for Top Camp use, but cant afford a new one getting a silk/fleece/sheet liner is a fairly cheap option. Also has the bonus of keeping your sleeping bag cleaner and therefore making it last longer. An even cheaper option is a hot water bottle - less good if there is a water shortage, but usually when it is cold enough to want a hot water bottle it has rained enough to provide water.

In times of drought you could get up early and return the water to the kettle. Nice!

Bivi Bags

It's fairly important to have a bivi bag on expo. The stone bridge is far from waterproof, especially if we do as shoddy a job of rigging the tarps as usual, and there is nothing worse than a wet pit.

A gore tex bivi bag adds at least a season to any sleeping bag, especially if your not actually sleeping in the rain (Stone Bridge). However this donen't allow you to take your Millets scout/zip together to top camp.

MOD Gortex bags are still avilable new and second hand from most army surplus stores. If your looking at second hand check for holes and rips as some have lots more than others. The MOD ones do not have hoops poles and guys, which I for one do not miss, however they do come in a amazing array of colours, all centered closely on olive!

Terra Nova bivi bags, whilst expensive, are good gear. Having the single pole to keep the bag away from your face is a good feature. Not only does this cut down on condensation, it also means you can sleep with just the insect net closed - keeping cool without being eaten by bugs. If you intend to use your bivi bag for stuff other than expo (i.e. you're actually planning to sleep outside in it), then Terra Nova is worth the extra money. Otherwise, I would go for the cheaper alternatives. Bivi bags are GREAT! If you're planning to go long distance walking then I highly recommend them as an alternative to a tent (as long as you don't mind getting damp when it rains).

Last year I used a Rab bivi bag [1]. I've never used any other type but I thought it was great - cheap, light and it seemed to do the job fine. Kathryn 11:59, 22 May 2008 (BST)

Other Stuff

Walking Poles

Very useful for walking with heavy pack, and for providing comedy moments when you trip over them with a heavy pack on. A rubber foot for the end of the pole is great for grip on the limestone slabs.

Water Containers

I hold the controversial (but correct) opinion that there is zero sense in owning rigid water bottles. I vote for platypus / camelbak above ground and reusing soft plastic drink bottles underground. These are in fact quite robust. Its true Platypode and Camelbaks will puncture if they touch something sharp while under pressure. You can either just be careful, wrap them in canvas, or buy one of those jacket things for them. Metal water bottle waste space when empty, are always heavier, and lose capacity as they gain dents. The water bottles with drinking pipes are good for walking accross the plateau with a heavy loads, I was surprised that they do make a diference. However I wouldn't call them essential. Ps theyre a bugger to clean although fungus does have a interesting taste.

On the other hand: Nalgene bottles are completely indestructible, screw neatly onto MSR water filters, have handy measuring marks on the side, and can be used as a pee bottle! Wasting space when empty is a poor argument, since your water bottle will be full when you first pack your rucksack. Unless you are planning to gather rocks as you walk across the plateau, there seems little point in having extra space in your rucksack after you have finished your water! -

2 liter pop bottles are good as well, and they come with a free drink, avilable in a multitude of flavours.

GPS

Having a GPS can be useful, but is certainly not essential.

I can definitely recommend my Garmin eTrex Vista HCX GPS. The colour screen is readable in sunlight, it has a little joystick to make inserting waypoints easy, an SD card slot for lots of maps... and doubles as a car GPS. The high sensitivity antenna also means it works in pretty much any weather conditions too.

If you're buying a GPS make sure you buy one on ebay from a seller in the US, the exchange rate at the moment means it'll probably be less than half the cost of buying in the UK (My Vista HCX was about £120, I've seen it advertised in the UK for £300). The only drawback is you get American basemaps, but basemaps are very low detail anyway and I don't use them. Ollie s