Frequently Asked Questions

    This FAQ is a work in progress.  If you have additional suggestions or comments, please feel free to email them to me at caver@direcway.com.  Help me make it a great resource for information on caves and caving

The Cavers Digest

    What is the Cavers Digest?

    Can I receive individual messages?

    What kinds of things can be posted to the digest?

    How do I subscribe?

    Once subscribed, how do I unsubscribe or change my address?

Caves and Caving

    Why are caves so important?

    How do I get started in caving?

    So I have done a tour, now what?

    Basic Cave Safety

The Cavers Digest

What is the Cavers Digest?

    The Cavers Digest is an email discussion list for talking about anything related to caves and caving.  Messages are sent to the email address cavers@caversdigest.com.  Once received, they sit in a queue until they are approved by the moderator of the list.  They will then be sent out in a 'digest' format.  This format contains several email messages, along with a table of contents, that were submitted by different individuals

Can I receive the messages individually?

    No.  The digest format has several advantages.  First, and foremost, it reduces the amount of traffic on my ISP.  As it is, the list is quite large in membership.  Second, the list is moderated, by myself, for both quality and content.  That is why you will never see spam and commercial advertisements on this list.  You may not receive it as often, but when you do receive it, it will be of high quality.

What kinds of things can be posted to the digest?

    Pretty much anything related to caving (even somewhat loosely) can be posted to the digest.  This includes such things as questions, announcements, and comments.  The only rules are that there is NO commercial advertising (banner ads at the bottom of your message are OK), and no dissemination of precise cave locations.

So how do I subscribe?

    Simply email cavers@tomichicreek.com with the subject 'SUBSCRIBE'.

Once subscribed, how do I unsubscribe or change my address?

    Simply email caver@direcway.com with the subject 'UNSUBSCRIBE' to unsubscribe.  To change the address, send me BOTH your new address and your old address (in the message body) with the subject line 'ADDRESS CHANGE'.

Caves and Caving

Why are caves so important?

    Caves are non-renewable resources that are very sensitive to human impacts.  These caves provide ecosystems to all forms of life, and quite often connect to our aquifers which provide our drinking water.  Further, the natural beauty contained in the caves have a high asthetic value that deserves our preservation. 

    Simply stepping in the wrong place in a cave can leave a footprint that will not go away for thousands of years.  The formations you see also take thousands of years to create.  So if you destroy it today, it will take many, many generations for it to heal (if ever).  That means that neither your kids, your kid's kids, or your kid's kid's kids, etc. will ever get the opportunity to see what you have seen today.

    Caves also have vast scientific potential for helping us to learn about the formation of life.  These ecosystems contain many unique endangered species that have specially adapted to the dark environment of a cave.  Simply dropping a small piece of food in a cave, drastically changes the area around it.

    So that is why all cavers practice the motto of 'Take nothing but pictures.  Leave nothing but footprints'.  If we want these precious caves to be around for the future, we need to be extra careful in our visitation of caves.  The first step is to learn proper caving techniques.

So how do I get started in caving?

    Well, the first step is to visit a local 'show' cave in your area.  There are many different show caves available for your visitation.  These include National Park run caves (such as Carlsbad, Mammoth, Wind, Jewel, and Timpanogos Caves), or a state or private run cave (Such as Cave of the Winds, or Glenwood Caverns).  There are many such caves all over the US and the rest of the world.

    Many of these caves offer 'Wild Cave Tours', where an experienced guide will introduce you to the proper cave safety techniques and practices.  This provides you a small glimpse at what it is really like to go into a 'wild' cave.

So I have done a tour, now what?

    Well, if you are still interested in learning more about caving, I suggest that you contact (in the US) a local grotto of the NSS.  The NSS, or National Speleological Society , has local groups who hold regular meetings.  This is a great place to meet other cavers, and to participate in trip that is designed for new cavers.  Most cavers are friendly and eccentric, so get ready to meet a great group of people.  Meetings are typically held once a month.

What are some basic cave safety rules?

    Well, first and foremost, caves are dark.  There is no natural source of light, and you will not be able to see ANYTHING if your light dies.  For that reason, cavers ALWAYS carry at least three sources of reliable light.  Further, at least one of these lights should be mounted on your head, so that your hands are free to crawl and climb. 

    Second, cavers ALWAYS wear a helmet.  Why?  Well you have rocks both above and below you.  It is inevitable that you will eventually hit your head on one.  For most people ( :-) ), their heads are a precious resource that deserves protection as well.  So please always wear a helmet when caving.  It WILL save your life someday.