Be careful of caves

When my sister and her husband went on a vacation in the island of Palawan, there was an incident when the rains came and their only refuge was a cave. It was a small cave but quite dark inside so they just stayed near the opening. While talking about the possibility of staying in that cave for the night since the rains looked menacing, they notices a snake slithering in the rocks. There was a also a big spider that looked harmful plus some other insects.

When she told us that story, it was a neat lesson for us not to trust caves unless there is some locals or natives with us who knew the cave otherwise keep away from caves because more likely there are harmful creatures there.

 

I think that caves are a good and bad place to stay for shelter. The reason it is bad is for the reasons that you already mentioned, the bad creatures. I know that cavemen stayed and thrived in caves so they cannot be all that bad. I think it depends on where you live and the cave you are in. I would definitely be cautious of surroundings. I live in the Tennessee Valley and there is a cave nearby called "Russell Cave". This cave is the oldest in the South East, over 10,000 years old. It has the most history of nearby natives living here that date back to 10,000 years ago. I think that is is absolutely incredible that mankind was able to survive that long in this area just from that cave!

 

Before dashing into a cave for shelter you need to actually ascertain that it isn't a the lair of some animal or there's nothing lurking in there already. In some circumstances though [if you know a place well enough, know there are no wild animals or snakes in that area] caves can be an ideal place to seek shelter.

 

This advice honestly depends on where you live. I mean if you live in a country like Australia then this advice is pretty solid. But for countries like England and most parts of Europe then I'd say use caves at your will..

Not sure about america though but I do know you guys have mountain lions and stuff.

 

This is a great tip. I am a firm believer that no matter what you do, you have to be super aware of your surroundings and not let your guard down. In the event that you need to seek shelter in a cave, it is definitely advised that you check for paw prints, insects, spiders, snakes, etc. When it rains, other critters like to seek shelter as well. I have only encountered a cave that was unoccupied at the time, but based on the prints that were in the dirt surrounding it, there may have been a family of coyotes or wild dogs that lived there and may have been out hunting. Needless to say, I didn't stick around long enough to see for myself.

 

As others mentioned already. It really depends on the location of the cave. In many countries not many animals or insects can harm you and a cave would be a perfectly fine option. In many other countries there are plenty of critters looking for the exact same easy shelter as you and you may end up sharing it with them. But this goes for many nature made shelters though, such as hollow trees or fallen logs and so forth. Just make sure everything is empty and secure before you decide to stay.

 

An additional concern is that the cave might collapse especially when the soil above it increases in weight due to absorption of water. Another thing is that even if the cave is not occupied, there is the danger of a wild animal returning to its hamlet catching you unawares. My default position is that one should have a sleeping bag at hand when going out in case of any contingency.

 

In my area there are many people who go cave exploring. I have heard of them crawling through small openings and even swimming through areas. Hearing the stories terrifies me. I can not imagine if I was in a cave and saw a scary animal. I don't know how they would be able to tell if a cave is safe before entering it..