This page is for discussing plans to camp in Dead Good Bat Chamber in 204. Feel free to contribute, even if you're not planning on camping, because we don't know what on earth we're doing!
Contents
Who's interested
Edvin
Kathryn
Nial
Djuke
Jess
Olaf (mostly stupid, but also very keen)
Wookey
Is the above the order of 'interest' or 'stupidness'? :-) (add your name if you're keen and stupid)
Ropes needed to rig down as far as the camp site
204e entrance pitch: 41m
climb in Magic Roundabout Chamber: 12m
Main Gaffered pitch: 90m
Traverse below Gaffered: 14m
Tapeworm, LX Tape and Eyehole pitches: 91m
Trihang and Cerberus pitches: 55m
Sirens Traverse: 15m
Gardner's World: 25m pitch, not found rope length yet
University Challenge: 15m pitch, not found rope length yet
Chalk and Cheese pitch: 20m rope?
It would be good to rig as many of the pitches as possible below the main Gaffered pitch with 11mm. This would help with the jammer slippage issues when everything gets covered in mud.
Also - lets not forget to take a scrubbing brush to the bottom of trihang!
Which leads do we want to push
The large passage leading off of Fat Worm Blows a Sparky (on the left between the bottom of Chalk and Cheese and Dead Good Bat Chamber). This looks like it will probably need a 20m rope to get into (possibly just a handline though).
The up-slope pitch series in Convenience - this will definitely be a drill job and will probably need a lot of rope.
Channel 5 in Convenience - this looks like a ~20m pitch possibly with horizontal stuff at the bottom. Re-rigging the route into Channel 5 would be a good first step - I seem to remember that the rig was awful!
Although it was miserable, it would be good to go back to the wet passage that is close to Subway on the survey. I can't actually remember exactly how to get there - but we can probably figure it out with a survey.
The Wares! (Esp northern end: 04-39C I think - it's much better than C)
Gear required at the camp site
Sleeping
Kathryn and Edvin have an old inner tent that will fit 3 people at a push. Olaf should have a similar one somewhere back in Germany. Djuke should be able to find one should the need arise.
Insulation from the ground is very important, consider hammocks with a carry mat and a tent system around you (personally I have never got it to work but have been told it is good.)
Everything gets damp (wet), especially sleeping bags. The zero degree layer or at least the condensation point will be inside the sleeping bag, so some way to dry the stuff will make it far more pleasant, I have used these with partial success, but got no idea how to get them nowadays
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=18981790
But I am sure it can be improvised. (I (wookey) have a tub full of silica crystals somewhere).
The alternative is to organise hot swap shifts, but then there is always a break between camps, and the first person in on the second camp.......
Sleeping Bags
Is down a big no-no or is it OK [Edvin]?
Cooking
Gas or petrol stove?
Unless you intend to spend lots of nights down there, I (Andrew) would go for gas.
Gas is easy and convenient, works most of the time, even when damp and cold, most times starts first time and the brew is on within seconds, however it is bulky, expensive and the container probably weighs 1/3 of the canister that then has to be taken back out (Sure someone will do some sums to work out the best transport efficiency for the energy density of the 2). Gas is also easier to light with just a spark (In these days of all electric caving lots of sources of ignition could be a good idea). Gas can have a problem with low temperature, most small gas is Butane/Propane mix. Butane technically works to about -2C, but in reality temperatures of about a few degrees about zero cause problems (latent heat of boiling reducing the temperature of the remainder I believe) so the more Propane the better (which works to very cold temperatures.)
Mugs
Insulated ones with lids are a worthwhile luxury
Useful links
1982 camping in Stellerweg
http://expo.survex.com/years/1982/41camp.htm
1989 camping in KH