When I first got my Scurion Speleo 1500, I was a little worried about the weight. Compared to my old setup, it was about 5 ounces heavier, and when you spend hours underground crawling, climbing, and squeezing through tight passages, every ounce on your helmet matters. I thought I was going to notice it the entire trip.
What surprised me was that it was better! The battery pack being mounted on the back of the helmet completely changed the feel of it. Instead of all the weight pulling forward like most front mounted setups, the Scurion balances everything out evenly. It actually ended up feeling more comfortable and more stable than my lighter setups.
After a several full trips underground, I realized the balance mattered way more than the actual number on the scale. My helmet wasn’t constantly wanting to tilt forward, and my neck felt less fatigued by the end of the trip. That was something I really didn’t expect.
Then there’s the light itself. The Speleo 1500 is just ridiculous underground. Huge flood when you need to light up massive rooms, powerful spot beam for long boreholes and leads, and the color rendering is so good that cave detail actually pops instead of looking washed out. Once you get used to that level of lighting, it’s hard to go back.
So yeah, I started out worried about 5 extra ounces… and ended up realizing it was probably the most comfortable helmet setup I’ve used.
Here’s where I got mine! @finalfrontiersports
He’s 76 years old and still caving. He’s been exploring caves since the 1960s, and when he met his wife in college, he told her, “I’m never gonna stop caving, so if that’s a problem, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Even while teaching school for 35 years and raising children, he never slowed down. He’d organize caving trips, drive down Friday after work, spend the entire weekend underground, grab a two hour nap, then drive straight home in time to be at work Monday morning.
Some people grow out of adventure. Some people are built from it. 🦇
The SERA Cave Carnival is this weekend and I will have a booth!!!!! I am BUYING, SELLING, and TRADING gear so please come and say hello 👋
Big thanks to the Birmingham Grotto for hosting, @tag_caver for helping the vendors, and @adventuringlight for everything in-between!
This is the first venomous snake I’ve seen in a cave. I was getting ready to climb 80 feet to the top and on this giant pile of leaves and organic matter was this little guy, waiting for his ride to the top. The sun probably hits this spot for a brief moment during the day. He has tons to eat down there.
