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I’ve been into a fair deal of caves and done my share of wet muddy potholing over the years. I think I still have a carbide light laying around somewhere. Now days I don’t consider myself a caver though. Lately I’ve more or less focused on abandoned mines when venturing underground. For that I don’t really need “caving” lights. For me a caving light is a light that can withstand mud, muck and waterfalls, and I tend to avoid that stuff now days, at least crawling through it (wading pants acceptable, full on caving suite for crawling and I’m not really interested anymore).
I modded a headlamp which I’ve been using, it stands up well to the conditions in mines, and as long as a cave is dry (or at least dry when you have to crawl and squeeze) it will work fine: Project Gemini: Yet another headlamp mod. Not a cheapo this time though.
However, I am somewhat interested in making my own caving headlight. Yuval was kind enough to share some details about his host, I’d like to give it a go but I have so many light projects waiting in line that I don’t know when I’ll take the time.
For handheld lights I really do not see any distinction between a flashlight and a caving light (diving light is a different matter but I’ve never done cave diving). I’ve found that many Convoy hosts, which are not rated in any way, really can stand to be dropped in water and stay there for a while without leaking. That’s all I need really. Then what kind of light I want depends on what I am doing: exploring, photographing, SRT, or just strolling around. My two main works horses are a ZYT08: What did you mod today? - #3884 by Mike_C and a SRK “soup can” light with triple MT-G2s. However, I haven’t put those two through waterfalls or anything like that though. As mentioned, that type of caving is something I’ve somewhat lost interest in. If I did decide to put myself through that again I’d pack my workhorses watertight and hand carry my Convoy S3 triple that can handle getting really wet.
My caving experience dates back to carbide lantern days. I’d like to know how you carry batteries and how many do you carry. It’s been a while since I did any caving but who knows, now that I have some reliable light sources.
In russian there is good term “spelestology/spelestologist”(from speleo and Stollen) for this type of activity to distinguish from “diggers” who visiting not abandoned underground. I actualy dont know if there any analogy of that terms in English language.)
As for me. I alweys carry 2 18650 powered headlamps (main and backup) so I surely can not change batteries during day. If I stay in cave more than a day , than I have UBC (“underground base camp” may be there is more sutable term in english… )with spare batteries in such bags
Usualy I spend 1pcs 18650 per 1-3 days.
But the 18650 batteries are not loose in your bag, correct? It is interesting to me that you use only one 18650/day. I guess the lights are usually used on a very low setting.
I carry 3 headlamps for caving (2 of which are mounted in the helmet and one as backup) as standard for our group. For multiday trips I carry my spare 18650’s on this mecarmy case inside a dry bag or darren drum in my tackle bag.
On shorter trips I just carry an extra flashlight or two (usually an extra thrower just in case) and carry the batteries in them. I also bring my d18 or modded Manker MK34 if photography is involved. I never owned a carbide lamp but I have a few buddies who still use them from time to time (just for kicks) and I do love the tint they produce. Hence, I prefer 3000K or below for my caving headlamp. Usually 1 18650 per day is enough (running at 100 lumens and below for a 6 hour trip) unless there’s photography involved or surveying and exploring really large caves. But of course we follow the rule of thirds so extra batteries are always a must.
Of course I can use some holder for batteries, but I prefer to put them in trash bag then in warm sock and then in sleeping bag:)
When you already carry ~25-30kg you try to take minimum additional things.
Power consumption depend on many factors. While ascend and descend(SRT) about 30lm is sufficient to light on hands and rope. For walking I use about 100 lm . But our caves not very big (volume).
For 15 day trip at this august I used 11*18650.
Here carbide lamps are forbidden they are not eco friendly.
What is it ?
You see this is the kind of information you can only get on BLF! It must work well because you or your bag have not gone shooting across the cave.
I think it’s adapted from diving to estimate how much air you carry. In our case, power, water etc. 1/3 for going in, 1/3 for exiting, 1/3 extra (for emergency). So for a 2 day trip you carry enough for 3 days minimum.
I still have half a dozen carbide lamps and a maintenance kits.
I really need to clean house sometime.
They probably should be. There is no practical need for them anymore. Except maybe to show off.
Some cavers still use Carbide because of the nice color temperature (plus it can be used as emergency heat source)
Now there are hicri LED of any CCT from 1800K to 6500K.Warm clothes is not a problem too. Soot on walls and
ceiling will stay forever. and used carbide will smell and poison environment for years.
Heat awake bats and thay die if winter is outside. So as I think who love caves do not use carbide(or use it very carefuly in large room and
takes away used carbide)
I agree. In this day and age, there is just no reason. I felt the same way about casual cavers smoking cigarettes in caves. :confounded:
I smoke but never inside caves. For some reason I never get the urge to smoke when I’m caving. Even during multi day trips. Maybe I should just live in a cave.
Could be the good sense of knowing oxygen is limited down there 
In case you missed it, here is my project of building a caving light from scratch https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/59533
We have a coupla caves round here.
I use a XML 2 Headlamp with dual 18650 cells in case behind head.
With either a Astrolux S41 4 x 219b, or a Convoy C8+, Xpl hi.
on cord round neck.
Headlamp fine for normal wandering and feet.
WIth the S41 giving 7 settings from moon to niiice.
The C8’s just give a nice throw with enuff spread
combined with the headlamp for safety.
If extra wet environ, I have a 3 x led divers with magnet sw.
and dual 18650. on neck chord.
A great combination throw/spread. But a bit long, clumsy for half a day in hand.
It’s good (used to 30 mtrs, diving cage check).
This is staying in Budget mode.
There are a lot more avail. better and worse.
Ignorant ones that smoke in caves.
Should go back several days later.
They can still smell themselves. Air contamination plus burning up Oxy.
Real sensible.
From an EX smoker that saw the light back in ’79.
And still suffering for it. Cough and shallow lungs.
Any more stories about caving? It’s interesting reading them. 
I have a fun little story to share.
When my niece and nephews were young, I took them each to a touristy little cave. As soon as my youngest nephew was old enough for his mother to allow me to take him on our (his and my) first road trip, he requested we go to the cave.
There were actually three of us on this particular trip; plus the dozen or so other tourists. Our guide used the stereotypically large dry cell lantern with feeble and almost orange incandescent beam full of artifacts. She saw that the three of us had, in her words, “brought little flashlights” and announced so to the entire group. Bye-the-by, no one else from the tour brought a flashlight into a large dark hole in the ground.
My nephew did a great job listening and paying attention, you could tell he was listening to the guide because he shown his flashlight directly on her face when she spoke. I told the little guy he could shine the beam at her feet and the spill would light up the guide; which he immediately started doing.
Of course the NiteCores and JetBeam we had cast far superior light to the guide’s lantern. In fact, she asked my nephew to use his flashlight a few times when she was showing some specific detail to the tour group. Which he proudly did.