Over-equipped ?

[+QFC]

Most times when heading out to find a cache it is worth while go prepared. Home may be a few kilometres to a few hundred kilometres away and there is not chance to go home and fetch the flash light or chop-sticks.

 

This last weekend I had the pleasure of caching with WhoStops and Bats gone mad and his Squirrel, I tagged along on a trip down the KZN south coast. The first port of call was Sanlameer Cache, which describes the cache as being hidden in a three man cave (this equating to a cave that was 2m by 3m by 2m).

 

Arriving at the parking for this cache WhoStops had to just sit and watch in amazement as Batz pulled his equipment from his bag. The man has enough light producing equipment to provide Cape Town with power for at least a week. Look at the photos below if you need evidence….

 

Equipped?

 

Who else has gone caching prepared or unprepared?

 

WhoStops and I agreed that even if this topic dies quickly we had to share our experiences with the rest of South Africa.

[+bear&fox]

Bats henceforth to be known as Batsgonemad-and-his-Squirrel-plus-Torch-plus-Camp Light-plus-GPS-plus-(probably) Swiss Army Knife.

Edited August 1, 2006 by bear&fox

[+Fish Eagle]

Yeah, we got an underequipped story......

 

We did the cache GCNDZB Piggs Peak Mine in Swaziland, and didn't quite get it right.....

 

The cache listing reads -

"When we planted the cache, we went through the mine, down a short vertical shaft having a simple previously existing ladder and out the tunnel toward the right. This passage still has some of the old ore cart rails in its floor. After planting the cache, we traversed the short mountainous peak route back to the starting point. The mine route was the fastest and easiest. Flashlights are needed for the mine route. As always in geocaching, you should exercise full safety practices when navigating the mine. There are no assurances of safety implied or suggested via the mine route."

 

So, being typical Lowvelders, we charged to the cache without a torch, and after a quick "caucus", and not liking the "vertical" part in the pitch dark, we decided we'd quickly nip over the hill - big mistake - the tunnel is only 70m long - the hill was hours of blood, sweat, tears, and near divorce, with female half Fish Eagle mainly stressed about the car keys being in male half's pocket, which she was convinced was gonna end up at the bottom of the cliff. We eventually nailed the cache, which is an enormous plastic cake container.

 

Here's our log -

November 20, 2005 by Fish Eagle (329 found)

Enjoyed the cache despite having to take the hard way in and out - why? Because we forgot the b----y flashlights, and weren't brave enough to trust the "flick of the BIC". Cache slightly damp after the recent heavy rains - dried the contents - logbook fine - ziplock bag working well. Still want to go though the tunnel, and will come back someday to do that. Took nothing, left something. Know the guineau fowl feather fell out of pocket, but there was something else, which got lost in the mind after jungle-bunnying around and over the mountain. Thanks for taking us to a spot that we would never have known about.

 

Don't know if our log put cachers off, but nobody's visited it since (only had one visit before - in April 2005)

 

Moral of the story - we now ALWAYS (that means ALWAYS) carry good flashlights!!!!

[+vespax]

Doing a multi with a 8 month old print out that contains all the wrong info on it.

 

Hence, the DNF.

 

Bats, will you ever live this one down? (Map on the way in a couple of days.)

Edited August 1, 2006 by vespax

[+Larks]

More than once, I have taken someone caving in Cape Town and after carrying thier torches for them (which are guaranteed to be large maglights) have found upon entering the cave that the batteries are flat!

So I had to give the friend my torch and I'd just use my hands and head to find all the low ceilings and sudden rocks.

 

It's all part of the adventure! But we always had a backup plan - which is VERY important!! Personally, It's really not worth the risk.

 

Hey, if anybody's keen, maybe a few guys would like to get together for a mild Cape Town Spelunking Caching day?

[+anlufu]

We attracted a few strange looks from muggles when we carried a large torch down Glentana beach in the middle of a Summers day so that we could do the cave cache!

[+batsgonemad and his squirrel]

thanks for that qfc!!!!!!!!!!

 

From the posts it looks as if i am in good company in defence i must say i did not realise it was such a small cave but i did not want to be caught in the dark.

 

As with most of you i am sure you have a bag that travelles with you with all the goddies in it you never know when a cache will sneak up on you just ask Noddy we did one last night about 19:00 FTF.