On Sat, Feb 20, 2010 at 7:16 AM, Rod Goke <rod.g...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Or you could just walk backwards and equip your helmet with small rear view > mirrors, like those used by some bicyclists. Better keep that BC inflated > with this technique, too. ;-) > Yes, Rod. I think it was in 1981 that, after much friendly encouragement and blatant social pressure, I finally drew up the plans for a 180-degree-coverage segmented mirror array (complete with those small bubble mirrors to cover the all-important 'blind spot') which mounted on the carbide lamp bracket on the front of a helmet and greatly improved the visibility factor that had always plagued back-walking cave exploration in the past--whether wearing flippers or not. But it was, alas and ironically, the victim of electrical innovation. As people began using electric lamps instead of carbides, the helmet-mounted lamp brackets fell into disuse and the 'back-walking device' fell into near oblivion. Given all this renewed interest thanks to Locklear and his techno-friends, the time to resurrect it may be close at hand. As far as the BC goes, I remember at least one trip in those days where several poor Aggie cavers came equipped with plastic soda bottles duct taped around their chests in lieu of an expensive BC, resembling (in retrospect) the vests now worn by those participating in the growing sport of suicide-bombing. I respect their ingenuity. --Ediger
