No time for a summer splunk

[Dekay]

I just can't seem to get into a cave during the summer, there is always something which I must pay attention to instead it seems, from chopping wood to farming spiders, and when I do drop into a cave there are something like 6 Depth Worms poised and ready to attack me equipped with my silly Pig rucksack the second I drop in.

 

I mean it's hardly fair, I can't imagine setting up a base down there what with the constant fighting, earthquakes, and perpetual blackness. I hardly have a moment to think and so I end up exiting the cave every dusk to wormhold warp back to my base, barly managing to grab a couple percious stones beforehand, because the danged bats won't leave me alone otherwise.

 

I have a decent base established I just am fustrated that I can't seem to stay underground for so much as a night without risking my health.

 

Does winter effect you in caves?

Do any splunkers out there establish bases in caves, if so how do you determine site?

What do you equip yourself with before juming in?

[SallyMcT]

I equip a miner's hat but with a first time sinkhole, i use a torch to find a lightbulb source and use that to refuel the miner hat. I grab non meat foods like dragonpies and taffy for sanity purposes. I get my walking cane to outrun the depth worms and almost every mob down there. I bring "LTG" (Logs, Twigs and Grass.) I also sometimes bring my Tam O Shanter for better sanity regen. Also, armor and only one is log suit. That's about it.

 

No, winter doesn't affect you inside the caves. It's basically Only Summer down there. 

 

For camps, I think the little dead end paths around the edges of the cave make good camping spots since no monsters really spawn there and you are pretty much isolated there. There is only one opening where monsters can come from so you won't be hit from all around or something like that.

[GuGonce]

No, winter don't affect you in the cave.

 

As for making a base, i don't find reasons to do it underground, it makes more sense to build a small one near the sinkhole as you won't need to keep making light. The most i build underground is some chests near the ruin sinkhole or near the pseudoscience station.

 

That said, when i go to the caves i usually equip my Miner hat, Log suit and Walking cane so when i reach the bottom i can escape the worms quickly. I leave some rock lobsters very close to the cave entrance so i can lure worms to them and it works quite well.

 

If you want to make an underground base but don't want rock lobsters nearby, tooth traps can kill worms too but there has to be plenty of it or the worms won't die, because they have A LOT of health (900 hp, i guess)

[Dekay]

Thanks for the info, no winter in the caves will make my splunking much easier as I have lots of time during the winter above ground.

 

I guess I figured most players established a base down there because you would want something to go back to and rest/cook food before going deeper into the ruins.

[AurigaNexus]

Sometimes having a base down below is helpful, but I'd honestly get more use out of a base next to the sinkhole. In fact that's my current plan for cave exploration, build a base with crock pot, bee boxes and other necessaries, so that I'm not having to forage so much after every spelunking expedition.

 

Of course since I have my world set to "Day Only" I can't use a sleep tent except inside the cave. Right now I use the tent to help with sanity, but I'm waiting to resume until the next winter - now that I've finally found a walrus hut just gotta wait to ambush old Tusk & Son for the walking cane and Tam hat...

[XirmiX]

To you it was just touch luck. I was coming near Winter and all tho Winter still affected caves before the latest uldates I still had nice time in caves! I got myself some new stuff, lerned new stuff and came out iust when winter had started during the day. Just make sure you have all the resources and get ready for caves during the night.

[Soopakoopa]

Winter weather does not effect caves, at least not in vanilla DS. I heard that it does

in the upcoming Reign of Giants DLC though.

[emerphish]

I Just go down with a spike, logsuit, and miner hat+magluminescence/life amulet if I have them. Works fine for me, since I use RPG HUD and have a neck slot. Down there get hat fuel and then go to the tentacles-and-spiders-galore area to pick up some glands and a spkie or two. Then I get the slurtle armor and shellmet for an upgrade. Then I head deeper and gear up even more so I can own good 'ol clopsy. Also you can use the hiding in shell thing to wait out the nightmare time in the ruins. I may have to revise that If I spelunk in the winter.