How to Decontaminate Caving Gear

By: Hope Brooks, NSS #64260

Introduction

Photo by Michael Durham. Taken from www.DurmPhoto.com.

Cavers exiting the Chestnut Ridge Cave System in Virginia. Photo by Gregg Clemmer.

Caving is an extremely dirty sport. Minutes, hours, or days of basking in sopping mud, splashing in cave water, and scrambling over rocks can transform clean caving gear into an unrecognizable, muddy mess. Almost instantly, once colorful coveralls can metamorphose into a stinking brown mass coated in peanut butter mud, and vertical gear can look more like something from an ancient archaeological dig. So, what are you, a college-aged caver, to do with your very own horrifying pile of soiled caving gear?

Why, you clean and decon it, of course!

What is this decon, and why do I care?

Decon is a way of life for the serious caver. Decon is evenings and afternoons spent cleaning after cave trips. Decon is yet another excuse to drink your favorite cool beverage. Most importantly, decon is short for decontamination, very serious business in the world of caving. Today, cavers voluntarily decontaminate their caving gear to remove spores of the fungus Geomyces destructans (G. destructans). G. destructans is the cause of White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a devastating disease that has killed millions of bats in northeastern, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest states since its discovery in 2007.

A Few Words
From excess gear in a cramped apartment to rupophobicafraid of the dirt roommates, life as a college caver is not without its unique challenges. This instruction set explains how to decon caving gear in dorms and apartments using hot water, the cheapest and most universally available decon method. All of the instructions in this set follow the June 25, 2012 edition of The National White Nose Syndrome Decontamination Protocol as produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The complete decontamination protocol can be found online at: Screenshot of USFWS Decontamination
Protocol. Taken from USFWS website.

http://static.whitenosesyndrome.org/sites/default/files/resource/national_wns_revise_fin al_6.25.12.pdf. To decon you will need: Dirty caving gear Sink/tub with a plug Washing machine Detergent Bucket Toothbrush Heavy wire (IE: a straightened paperclip) Waterproof thermometer Note: Although decon is a time-consuming pain, the Nittany Grotto is dedicated to preventing the spread of WNS in all of the caves its members visit and strongly advises its members to follow all the most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protocols as outlined in this guide.

Lets Get Started!

1. Gather your horrifying pile of soiled caving

gear.

2. Place your gear in a sink and rinse with warm

water to remove the mud. Note: At this point, you should be able to remove a sufficient amount of mud from your coveralls or caving clothes. Vertical gear will require additional scrubbing.

3. Fill a bucket with warm water.

4. Scrub your vertical gear in the bucket using a

toothbrush and wire pick. Note: Be sure to clean the crevices of your vertical gear thoroughly.

Clean here

5. Separate your cleaned gear from other dirty

vertical gear.

6. Boil a pot of water.

Gear must be submerged in water at or above 122oF for 20 minutes in order to kill G. destructans!

7. Plug your sink or tub. Submerge all of your

caving gear in hot water and measure the water temperature using a waterproof thermometer. If the water temperature is below 122oF, pour the pot of boiling water over your gear. Note: Avoid pouring boiling water directly on nylon caving gear. This may include coveralls, harnesses, rope, and webbing. Be sure gear remains fully submerged in water at or above 122oF for the full 20 minutes. The hot water can only kill G. destructans if your gear is submerged!

Taken from: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/05/kalyns-kitchenpicks-polder-digital.html.

8. Soak your gear for 20 minutes. Take the

waters temperature every five minutes. When needed, add more boiling water to keep the water temperature at or above 122oF.

9. After 20 minutes, remove your gear from the

hot water. Place your gear in the washing machine.

Congratulations, youve successfully deconned your cave gear. Now get out there and get dirty again!

10. Add detergent to your machine and start a

wash cycle.
Time to get muddy again. Photo by Dave Ader.

See you underground!