Editing Caving (section)

== Practice and equipment ==
{{Main|Caving equipment}}
[[Image:caving1.jpg|thumb|Caver in an [[Alabama]] cave showing common caving wear: coveralls, helmet-mounted lights, heavy boots and gloves.]]

[[Hard hat]]s are worn to protect the head from bumps and falling rocks. The caver's primary light source is usually mounted on the helmet in order to keep the hands free. Electric [[LED]] lights are most common. Many cavers carry two or more sources of light – one as primary and the others as backup in case the first fails.  More often than not, a second light will be mounted to the helmet for quick transition if the primary fails. [[Carbide lamp]] systems are an older form of illumination, inspired by miner's equipment, and are still used by some cavers, particularly on remote expeditions where electric charging facilities are not available.<ref>[http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/BushAndMountainRecreation/Caving/4/en Caving equipment and culture] (from [[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]])</ref>

The type of [[clothes]] worn underground varies according to the environment of the cave being explored, and the local culture. In cold caves, the caver may wear a warm base layer that retains its insulating properties when wet, such as a [[Wool|fleece]] ("furry") suit or polypropylene underwear, and an oversuit of hard-wearing (e.g., [[cordura]]) or waterproof (e.g., [[Polyvinyl chloride|PVC]]) material. Lighter clothing may be worn in warm caves, particularly if the cave is dry, and in tropical caves thin polypropylene clothing is used, to provide some abrasion protection while remaining as cool as possible. [[Wetsuit]]s may be worn if the cave is particularly wet or involves stream passages.  On the feet [[boot]]s are worn&nbsp;– hiking-style boots in drier caves, or rubber boots (such as [[wellies]]) often with [[neoprene]] socks ("wetsocks") in wetter caves. [[Knee]]-pads (and sometimes [[Elbow-joint|elbow]]-pads) are popular for protecting joints during crawls. Depending on the nature of the cave, gloves are sometimes worn to protect the hands against abrasion or cold.  In pristine areas and for restoration, clean oversuits and powder-free, non-latex [[Medical gloves|surgical gloves]] are used to protect the cave itself from contaminants.
Ropes are used for descending or ascending pitches (single rope technique or SRT) or for protection. [[Knot]]s commonly used in caving are the [[figure-of-eight loop|figure-of-eight]]- (or [[figure-of-nine loop|figure-of-nine]]-) loop, [[bowline]], [[alpine butterfly knot|alpine butterfly]], and [[Italian hitch]]. Ropes are usually rigged using [[bolt (climbing)|bolts]], [[sling (climbing equipment)|sling]]s, and [[carabiner]]s. In some cases cavers may choose to bring and use a flexible metal [[ladder]].

In addition to the equipment already described, cavers frequently carry packs containing [[First aid|first-aid]] kits, emergency equipment, and food. Containers for securely transporting [[urine]] are also commonly carried.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Minimum-Impact Caving|url=https://caves.org/conservation/cavingcode.shtml|access-date=2021-06-28|website=caves.org|archive-date=2021-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628022708/https://caves.org/conservation/cavingcode.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>  On longer trips, containers for securely transporting [[feces]] out of the cave are carried.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-03-26|title=How Spelunking Works|url=https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/climbing/spelunking.htm|access-date=2021-03-01|website=HowStuffWorks|language=en}}</ref>

During very long trips, it may be necessary to camp in the cave&nbsp;– some cavers have stayed underground for many days, or in particularly extreme cases, for weeks at a time. This is particularly the case when exploring or mapping extensive cave systems, where it would be impractical to retrace the route back to the surface regularly. Such long trips necessitate the cavers carrying provisions, sleeping, and cooking equipment.