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Caving requires different types of gear depending on the trip, the cave, and the goals of the group. Some trips may only require basic personal gear, while others may involve vertical equipment, survey tools, bolting equipment, or other specialized gear. In the Bear River Range, caves are usually cold and wet, but in other parts of Utah, they can be dry and warm; and what you wear and bring should reflect that A few pieces of gear remain essential regardless of the cave, like lights, protective gear, an emergency kit, and a few other essentials.
This page gives a quick overview of types of cave gear.
*Life-saving gear and hardware should ONLY be purchased from reputable dealers and NEVER from sites like Amazon, Temu, or other similar online shops.*
General Gear
This is gear often used for most cave trips and will be tailored more toward alpine caving, but can work across many types of caves.
Helmet: Any climbing, canyoneering, mountaineering, caving, or other similar helmet with either EN or UIAA certifications is acceptable for caving. Good brands include Petzl and Black Diamond.
Lights and Batteries: Every caver should carry one primary helmet-mounted light, at least two backup lights, and extra batteries. Fenix, Nitecore, and Zebralight are favorites among cavers. Black Diamond is a solid and more affordable option for those just starting. Waterproof lights are strongly recommended given the wet conditions of many caves.
Clothes: If not wearing a cave suit, wear something durable for the outer layer that can take abrasion from caves. Synthetic material and wool are best for under layers. Darn Tough and Smartwool are great choices for base layers, specifically. Never wear cotton in a wet or cold cave.
Cave Suit: Coveralls, a Cordura cave suit, or a PVC cave suit help protect your clothing and skin from mud, crawling, and sharp rock. Cordura suits work well for most caves. PVC suits are better suited for extremely cold and wet environments, as they retain body heat and repel water more effectively. Great options include Landjoff and AV suits, with Dickies mechanic coveralls as a budget-friendly alternative.
Footwear: Sturdy boots or shoes with good traction help protect your feet and ankles on wet, muddy, rocky, or uneven cave floors. Hiking shoes or boots work great. For alpine caves specifically, rubber boots from brands like Servus are a favorite among our group.
Knee Pads: Knee pads protect your knees during crawls and make moving through low passages much more comfortable. While knee pads are available at sporting goods or hardware stores, avoid hard plastic outer shell types, and those made from Cordura are much better. Caving specific knee pads exist, and the Howitzer knee pads or Dirty Dave's knee pads are good options.
Elbow Pads: Elbow pads help protect your arms in tight, rough, or low crawling passages. Many cavers use volleyball elbow pads or something similar.
Gloves: Durable gloves protect your hands from sharp rock, mud, cold, rope use, and protect the cave environment, including formations. Leather gloves don't hold up well underground; Nitrile or PVC gloves are a much better choice. The Hardy gloves at Harbor Freight work great. We have found the best alpine gloves to be the Showa CS720, which are waterproof, cuffed, and durable enough for rope use. Avoid latex gloves, as some cavers may have allergies.
Cave Bag: A compact and durable cave bag helps carry food, water, extra layers, batteries, and emergency gear without getting in the way. Great brands for cave-specific bags include Landjoff, Swaygo, AV, and Petzl.
First Aid Kit: A basic first aid kit is important for treating medical or trauma emergencies. See our first aid page.
Hypo Kit: A hypo kit contains emergency warming supplies to help prevent or treat hypothermia in cold or wet cave conditions. See our first aid page.
Vertical Gear
Vertical gear or an SRT (single rope technique) kit is used for caves that require rope work, rappelling, ascending, or moving through vertical drops. This may include a harness, ascenders, descenders, cowstails, carabiners, foot loops, chest harness, and other rope-access equipment. A common question is whether climbing gear can substitute for cave-specific vertical gear. For some caves, a climbing setup works fine as long as you can both descend and ascend on a single rope. Cave-specific vertical gear is designed to handle SRT techniques more effectively, such as ascending rope, crossing knots, passing rebelays, and changeovers. It's recommended to have cave-specific gear for larger drops or advanced caves.
Vertical gear should only be used with proper training and supervision.
Harness: A caving-specific sit harness from brands like Petzl or MTDE.
Chest Harness: Keeps the chest ascender in an optimal position during ascent. These can be made with webbing or bought from brands like Petzl or MTDE.
Ascenders: Both a chest ascender and a handheld ascender. Examples would be the Petzl Croll and Petzl Basic. Petzl and Climbing Technology (CT) both make good ascenders.
Descender: A device such as a rappel rack or bobbin for controlled descents. Petzl makes great bobbins, and the BMS microrack, featuring dual hyperbars, is a popular choice among cavers.
Foot Loop: An adjustable loop attached to the handheld ascender. These can be made with static cord, rope, or bought from brands like Petzl.
D-Ring: Used as the central attachment point. The Petzl Omni is a good choice.
3 Carabiners: Locking carabiners for secure connections between equipment. Great brands include Petzl and CAMP.
2 Safety Tether (Cowstails): Usually, these are two different lengths, with the short for attaching to anchors and the long for attaching to the hand ascender. Cowstails should be made from dynamic rope. The Petzl Adjust is also nice for the short cowstail to have adjustability at anchors.
Helmet with Headlamp: Provides light and protection. See helmet and lights recommendations above.
Gloves: Leather gloves work well for practicing vertical techniques above ground, but Nitrile or PVC gloves are better suited for use in a cave. Sandy finish gloves tend to be chewed up by rope, and so a smoother finish like the Showa CS720 glove is preferred for rope work.
Survey Gear
Survey gear is used to map and document caves. It helps cavers measure passages, record station data, sketch cave features, and create accurate maps for future exploration and research. Derek Bristol and Brandon Kowallis both have excellent free surveying resources on their websites and YouTube channels that are well worth checking out.
Survey Devices: Survey devices are used to measure distance, direction, and angle between survey stations in the cave. Popular digital survey devices include the DistoX and Bric5. Traditional sighting compasses and inclinometers are still widely used as reliable backups when digital devices aren't available.
Survey Binder: A survey binder protects notes, sketches, reference sheets, and survey paper while keeping everything organized during the trip. The Rite in the Rain Field Binder is popular among sketchers, and Cordura covers can be purchased to go over the top of these binders to provide further protection. Inner Mountain Outfitters carries the size that works best for caving.
Survey Paper: Survey paper is used to record measurements, sketches, passage details, station names, and notes while mapping the cave. This is also available from Inner Mountain Outfitters.
Reference Sheets: Reference sheets provide quick access to survey symbols, sketching standards, station information, and other helpful mapping notes. Reference sheets can be downloaded from Derek Bristol's website.
Survey Compass: A survey compass measures the direction between survey stations and helps create an accurate cave map. The best survey compass is the Cave Compass Standard sold by Final Frontier Sports. We strongly recommend attaching the compass to your survey binder with a lanyard so it doesn't get lost underground.
Pencils: Pencils are reliable for taking notes and sketching underground because they work well in damp or muddy conditions. Mechanical pencils work great.
Sharpies / Wite Out: Sharpies and white-out are useful for labeling survey stations, marking gear, and correcting notes.
Flagging Tape: Flagging tape is used to mark survey stations, leads, routes, or important points in the cave when appropriate. Rolls of flagging tape can be bought on Amazon (because it's not considered life-saving), and high-visibility colors are recommended for easy spotting in low light.
Bolting Gear
Bolting gear is used to place or maintain fixed anchors in solid rock for vertical caving and rigging. Because bolts are life-safety equipment, bolting should only be done by trained and experienced cavers. Never bolt with people below you or within range of falling debris or dropped tools, and always check land management regulations before placing bolts. A great resource for bolting is the HowNOT2 Bolting Bible.
Drill: A drill is used to create a hole in solid rock where a bolt will be placed. The best drills are rotary hammer drills, and we find Milwaukee to hold up best to the cave environment. Lower power drills that use M12 batteries will work but die faster; they are usually lighter, which is a big plus. Heavy-duty drills using M18 batteries will last longer and drill holes faster, but are usually much heavier.
Batteries: Extra drill batteries help ensure there is enough power to complete bolting work during a cave trip.
Drill Bit: A drill bit must match the correct bolt size and rock type to create a properly sized hole. Common sizes are 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, 8mm, 10mm, and 12mm. It's important not only to get the right size drill bit but also the right length. A 12½ inch drill bit with a 10-inch flute is usually sufficient.
Safety Glasses: Safety glasses protect your eyes from rock dust and debris while drilling or cleaning holes. It's preferred to get ones with a strap.
Wire Brush: A wire brush is used to clean dust and loose material from the drilled hole before placing the bolt. The size of the wire brush depends on the size of the hole that was drilled. For example, a .45 caliber wire brush for cleaning firearms tends to work well in a 3/8 inch hole.
Blow Tube: A blow tube helps remove fine dust from the drilled hole so the bolt can seat properly. These flexible hollow plastic tubes can be found at most hardware stores.
Bolting Hammer: A bolting hammer is used to test the rock before placing a bolt and hammering the bolt into the wall. It's recommended to use specific bolting hammers because they are much lighter, designed for bolt placement, and have a spot for a lanyard. Rock hammers work as a more affordable alternative.
Bolts: Bolts are installed into solid rock to create secure attachment points for rigging. Good brands include Petzl, Fixe, and Raumer. Bolts should always be stainless steel. Non-stainless bolts will rust over time and can become a serious safety hazard for future cavers. There are many types of bolts, and consulting the HowNOT2 Bolting Bible and professionals is the best way to know what to use. We have had great success with the Fixe 3/8 Double Wedge Stainless Steel Bolt and Hanger.
Hangers: Hangers attach to bolts and provide a connection point for ropes, quicklinks, or other rigging hardware. These should be stainless steel and be the appropriate size for the bolt they are being used with. Oftentimes, the bolts and hangers can be bought together.
Quicklinks: Quicklinks are often used in place of carabiners for attaching to a bolt and hanger if the rope is permanent or semi-permanent. Always use stainless steel quicklinks from reputable climbing brands. Avoid hardware store quicklinks, as they are not rated for life-safety use, and make sure the quicklink is large enough to accommodate at least an 11mm rope.
Bolting Bag: A bolting bag holds all your bolting supplies while on the rope. Brands like Petzl and Landjoff sell specific bolting bags.
Tool Leashes: When bolting, you're usually on rope or over a vertical drop, and so dropping tools isn't an option. Using tool leashes is the best way to avoid this. Petzl and other climbing brands sell reliable tool leashes.
Wrench: This is used for tightening bolts after hammering them into the rock.
Earplugs: Repeated drilling in confined spaces can be extremely loud and cause lasting hearing damage. Earplugs are strongly recommended.
Face Mask: Face masks prevent breathing in rock dust while drilling. Respirators work the best, and cheap ones are available at Harbor Freight. It's recommended to get the P100 filters or better.
Digging Gear
Digging gear is used for cave projects where dirt, rock, sediment, or debris needs to be carefully removed. These projects may help continue a lead, improve access, or support scientific research. Always check with land management for laws and restrictions for digging in caves before attempting to do so.
Folding Shovel: A folding shovel is a compact tool used for moving loose dirt, gravel, or sediment in tight cave passages. Great options are the Rhino USA Folding Shovel or the SOG Entrenching Tool.
Pickaxe: A pickaxe helps break up compacted dirt, clay, or rocky material during digging projects. Usually, a small compact one-handed pickaxe is what is used.
Respirator: A respirator helps protect your lungs from dust, poor air quality, or fine particles created while digging or drilling. For wet and muddy digs, these are not usually needed unless drilling will take place. It's recommended to use P100 filters or better. Harbor Freight sells great respirators for cheap.
Buckets or Haul Bags: Buckets or haul bags are used to haul dirt, rocks, and debris out of a dig site or move material to a safe staging area.
Drill with Chisel: A drill with a chisel attachment can help break up hard material or rock when appropriate and permitted. The Milwaukee drills have done the best for us. Both M12 and M18 work, but it should be a hammer drill at minimum, might as well get a rotary hammer drill so it can be used for bolting too.
Mini Sledge and Chisel: A mini sledge and chisel are an alternative to a drill with a chisel attachment.
Earplugs: These are great if you are using a drill to protect your hearing.
Safety Glasses: Help protect the eyes from flying debris. Ones with a strap are preferred.
Aid Climbing Gear
Aid climbing is used to reach high leads in caves that can't otherwise be reached. It's done by vertically climbing a wall by placing bolts close together for the climber to clip in and slowly move up the wall. It can be a long process and take a lot of gear. Many significant cave passages have been discovered from aid climbs to high leads. Aid climbing in caves is an advanced skill and should be learned from other caver aid climbers.
SRT Kit: Standard single rope technique kit used for moving up and down a rope in vertical caving.
Aid Ladders: These are used to step up to move the climber further up the wall as they are placing bolts. These can be purchased from many popular climbing brands.
Bolting Kit: This will be used for placing removable bolts on a wall. The kit should at a minimum include: rotary hammer drill with sds quad tip bits, pipe cleaner, blow tube, protective eyewear, rock bolting hammer, and a thick bristle brush.
Removable Bolts: These are special bolts designed to be placed and removed over and over, unlike permanent bolts that can only be used once. Usually, 8-15 is the right amount to bring. Petzl, along with a few other brands, sells removable bolts.
Quickdraws/Alpine Draws: Used for clipping in, tethers, adjusting gear, and other functions. Many popular climbing brands sell alpine draws or quickdraws.
Adjustable Daises: This is a tether that allows the climber to adjust the tether length to help with maneuverability. Many popular climbing brands carry this equipment.
Climbing Rope: Aid climbing is done with a dynamic climbing rope as opposed to a static rope, typically used in caves. The climbing rope should be fully dry treated.
Nice-to-Haves: A few extras that are nice to have: Alfifi Skot Wall Gear Fifi Hook, spreader bar aid ladders, hooks, talons, peckers, beaks, removable bolts with dyneema cord dogbone, and safety glasses for the belay.
Cave Camping
Sometimes cavers will camp inside caves. This is most commonly done on multi-day survey trips or expeditions. Some caves are too long to travel in and back out the same day. This list is a starter list, but not all-encompassing. Every cave requires different kinds of gear for camping. It's best to check cave conditions and those you are going with for the best gear for the cave you are visiting. *Be careful using stoves in caves due to carbon monoxide buildup*
Standard Gear: Bring all the gear you normally would to go caving, including things like first aid kits, hypo kits, vertical kit if applicable, etc.
Sleep System: A sleep system will typically consist of a sleeping bag (synthetic, not down, as down doesn't stay warm once wet), sleeping pad, a ground sheet, or sometimes a bivy sack, and a pillow. Keep in mind the temperatures of the cave when planning what sleep system to use. Some cavers have also used hammocks if there are suitable anchor points at camp. It's important to have a protective barrier on the ground, like a ground sheet, but sometimes it may be needed above in order to keep dripping water off.
Camp Kitchen: This will usually include a stove, fuel canisters, pot, utensils, water filtration or tablets, collapsible bowls and cups, biodegradable soap, and daren drums for food storage. Lightweight and high-calorie food is important when camping in a cave. Make sure to have a water bottle for water, and if it's not possible to filter water in the cave, then bring enough water for the trip. Despite its clear appearance, cave water is not clean and should be filtered, treated, or boiled before consuming. Stoves should only be used in large and well-ventilated areas to avoid carbon monoxide buildup.
Waste Management: It's extremely important to never leave human waste in a cave. It is not ok to pee or bury human waste in a cave. For waste management, cavers should have a WAG bag for solid waste, wipes, pee bottles for urine, waste containment bags for human waste, food, packaging, wipes, etc, and hand sanitizer.
Misc Camp Gear: Other gear that is good to have would be dry bags, camp light, extra emergency supplies beyond basic first aid or hypo kit, extra food and water, and hygiene stuff such as toothbrush, toothpaste, feminine products, etc.
Clothing: You should bring the normal clothing you plan to wear, plus maybe a few extras to switch out from if you will be underground for days. It's also nice to have camp-specific clothing to sleep in that stays cleaner than your all-day cave clothing. For cold caves its good to bring a warm jacket or puffy.
Pack: You'll want to bring your normal cave pack to take while caving, but also another for transportation of all the camp equipment. A good example would be the Petzl Transport bags. Depending on the trip and cave, it can be common to bring more than one bag per person.
Nice-to-Haves: A few other things can make camp more comfortable or nice to have, but are not always necessary: battery pack, charging cables, chair or sit pad, folding shovel to create a flat spot, and reading material.
Miscellaneous Gear
Miscellaneous gear includes additional equipment that supports cave trips, rigging, cleaning, maintenance, and small problem-solving needs. These items may not be needed on every trip, but are used for various situations.
Rope: Rope is used for vertical travel, rigging, handlines, and other technical cave movement. Only static or semi-static ropes should be used in caves if they will be ascended. Ascending on dynamic ropes in caves can be dangerous and cause excessive wear on the rope against cave walls to the point of failure. Typically, static ropes will be nylon or polyester, or both. The more static the rope, the better for ascending. Great brands include PMI, Cancord, Sterling, and Beal. Popular cave-specific ropes include PMI Pit Rope and Cancord Greenline. Cave ropes are usually 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, or 11mm. A thicker rope will usually be more durable but heavier. Usually, the choice of rope size depends on its use inside the cave. Ropes that have Unicore are a huge plus and add additional protection to the rope.
Rope Pads: Rope pads protect rope from sharp edges, abrasion, and wear where it contacts rock or other surfaces. These can be homemade with appropriate material or purchased from brands like Petzl, Landjoff, or PMI.
Webbing: Webbing is used for anchors, slings, redirects, and other rigging applications in caves. When rigging with webbing, only tubular webbing that is rated for climbing should be used. 1-inch tubular webbing is the industry standard. It's preferred not to be less than 1 inch.
SPAR Kit: A SPAR (small party assisted rescue) kit contains small personal rescue items that can help in a self-rescue attempt underground. A minimum SPAR kit generally includes everything to build a 3-to-1 haul system. If interested in building a SPAR kit, look to the NCRC for official reference and training.
Rope Scrubber: A rope scrubber helps remove mud, grit, and debris from the rope after cave trips. Brands like PMI sell rope scrubbers. Cleaning ropes is extremely important for safe maintenance and care.
Rope Conditioner: Rope conditioner helps clean and maintain rope when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Brands like PMI sell rope conditioner.
Cleaning Bin: A cleaning bin provides a dedicated place to soak and wash muddy caving gear after trips to keep all gear properly maintained.
Waders: These can be nice for cold caves with a lot of water that must be walked through. Since caves are hard on waders, cheaper disposable options work fine here. It's best to purchase from places like Amazon (because it's not considered life-saving) for cheaper options and wear them underneath a cave suit.
Wetsuit: Wetsuits are great for cold caves with a lot of travel in water. Some alpine river caves require a wetsuit, along with a lot of caves in the North East.
Crampons or Micro Spikes: Some caves are full of ice or so muddy that additional traction is needed, like crampons or micro spikes. It's important to be extremely careful when using rope while wearing crampons or micro spikes. Brands like Kahtoola sell great micro spikes. Petzl has some good crampons along with other brands.
GPS: A GPS is critical when going into the field, either to cave or to ridgewalk and find new caves. A GPS can hold cave coordinates to help navigate to cave locations or points of interest. Our favorite free GPS app is Gaia GPS. On Gaia, folders can be made to organize waypoints; they even have a cave symbol for the waypoints. Gaia GPS works offline as long as you have a GPS signal to your phone.
Approach Bag: An approach bag is what you put all your gear in as you hike up to the cave. Some cavers use the same bag they plan to take into a cave, and others use backpacking bags like an Osprey. It is all personal preference. For long and hard approaches its best to have a sturdy bag with good support, like a backpacking pack. Approach bags are usually left at the cave entrance during a cave trip.
Small Misc. Items: A battery pack for charging electronics, charging cords, patch kits for gear, a caving knife, glue for repairs, zip ties, needle and thread, a lighter, tape, and extra flagging tape are all worth keeping on hand. Reference Derek Bristol's Repair Kit Contents sheet for additional recommendations.
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