I see a lot of people here exploring abandoned buildings and mines which (to me) makes sense due to the wide variety of structures and history present in each location.

I am a bit confused why storm drains are such a popular location type that people explore. Maybe I haven't gone down the right drain or it might not be for me, but storm drains seem a little repetitive in nature. The two that I have been down were fun but I felt they lost most of their vanity after the second iteration. It was mostly crouching and walking with occasional graffiti.

What's been your experience with storm drains?

And if you love them, what makes them so special to you?

Personally I am with you and am curious to see what others say about this. Used to do it all the time and it just felt like once you've been in one you've been in all of them so I kinda moved on. I'd say the most fun I had in them is just knowing exactly what I am underneath and finding gutters to climb up and look at the world in a bit of a different perspective.

I think it really has to do with the region you're in. MSP and KC both have massive underground systems. I'm from MSP and we have many connected systems such as sewers connecting to utility tunnels connecting to caves. There is a well known cave/sewer combo where the cave has a haunted house in it and the sewer is a massive graffiti art gallery. Most well known sewers in MSP are walkable art galleries with miles of graffiti. On top of all this the sewers themselves are mixes of history with mishmashes of tiles and brick and RCP.

If the sewers around you are just crouch level RCP I can absolutely see why you don't see the appeal. Those are boring and hurt.

As other commenters have said I think it's location dependent how interesting these places are. I personally don't go hit storm drains because there isn't anything terribly interesting down there where I'm from and I'd rather spend that time scouting out a new site or exploring a place with friends

When I was a kid in the early 1960's, It was what my parents said. "Don't go in that storm drain down the street. There might be a vertical drop and you'll die."

Well, I knew that was total BS, like shooting your eye out. Kind of made it OK and fun to do.

The drain down the street was more fun watching it do it's thing during a major downpour, than explore...

It probably does help to have good drains in your region. I live near one that has an entrance that could fit a 747, and upper ends that emerge on a US military base and on other mountainsides.

Storm drains can be repetitive, but it's about what you can do in them. You're far from civilisation and unlikely to be found or interrupted. There's low risk of causing actual damage to the site, and you can have larger groups in them than topside sites allow. They're dark and sometimes have interesting acoustics. This presents great environment for experimenting with photography, or whatever other project you can think up. For instance, I've been thinking I kind of want to see what it's like to throw a molotov cocktail.

Posted by Dofflin I think it really has to do with the region you're in. MSP and KC both have massive underground systems. I'm from MSP and we have many connected systems such as sewers connecting to utility tunnels connecting to caves. There is a well known cave/sewer combo where the cave has a haunted house in it and the sewer is a massive graffiti art gallery. Most well known sewers in MSP are walkable art galleries with miles of graffiti. On top of all this the sewers themselves are mixes of history with mishmashes of tiles and brick and RCP.

mmmmmm. 1800's brick mmmmmmm delectable

Posted by Steed I've been thinking I kind of want to see what it's like to throw a molotov cocktail.

If you do this you should record it. THat could be really neat

I would like to enter a drain once just for the adrenaline of the scary darkness. I would also like to enter a place nobody goes, especially because I think I am out of new places to visit near my area, but I have not been in the drain.

Despite the fact that most of the drains I have gone in are bland (crouch height with the most interesting feature being the occasional broken cinderblock or manhole) I love going in drains. Having a longboard makes this type of drain a lot quicker and more fun. My friend and I have a game we often play where we try to find the newest and oldest segments of pipe of a drain as we roll along.

Part of it is the cool feeling of being able to move around the city completely undetected, but a bigger part of the appeal is how relaxed storm drain exploration typically is. You're only really in danger of getting spotted entering or exiting, but for the rest of it you can be as indiscrete as you want- playing music, loudly talking, whatever. Deep underground, nobody can hear and bother you.

Also, storm drains tend not to get altered much. Buildings are prone to demolition but barring city inspections once or twice a decade storm drains don't change much. This makes them perfect candidates for projects like hangout spaces or underground art galleries. You can get large numbers of people into drains and as long as you secure your art in some way so it doesn't get washed out, it's not going anywhere.

I suppose it's in the eye of the beholder. I've always thought that time spent "going on an adventure" was better then sitting around, and as an urbex drains are probably the most accessible. Most of the drains im my area are fairly boring, and probably wouldn't serve much better then a "secret hideout" but go to persay Seattle and the drains there are crazier then shit-some of the CSO retention tunnels are massive because we get so much rainfall and the people and environments you encounter down there are at best an alien environment. It takes a bit of time and some work to find good locations and I'd encourage you to keep working at it.

Most of my best exploring memories are from exploring underground, especially drains and sewers.

Posted by Steed It probably does help to have good drains in your region. I live near one that has an entrance that could fit a 747, and upper ends that emerge on a US military base and on other mountainsides. Storm drains can be repetitive, but it's about what you can do in them. You're far from civilisation and unlikely to be found or interrupted. There's low risk of causing actual damage to the site, and you can have larger groups in them than topside sites allow. They're dark and sometimes have interesting acoustics. This presents great environment for experimenting with photography, or whatever other project you can think up. For instance, I've been thinking I kind of want to see what it's like to throw a molotov cocktail.

Hahaha that is a brilliant and terrible idea. I've really never thought about using storm drains like that. I'm in CA and so far they haven't been nearly as spacious so it might be worth it to find one for if Im ever feeling that daring

Posted by Wowee Despite the fact that most of the drains I have gone in are bland (crouch height with the most interesting feature being the occasional broken cinderblock or manhole) I love going in drains. Having a longboard makes this type of drain a lot quicker and more fun. My friend and I have a game we often play where we try to find the newest and oldest segments of pipe of a drain as we roll along.

Aye that's another good activity for storm drain exploration. Skateboarding. Thanks for the idea!

I will say that most of the storm drains I explore are very big (at least 6 feet tall and bigger). I don't find them to be bland at all. In fact I like to concrete drains a lot more then the brick drains because they are usually not slippery and they are very bright with my lights. I don't like the crouchy tunnels but sometimes they get bigger as you walk up the tunnels. That doesn't happen very often. In Minnesota there are a lot of awesome storm drains all over the twin cities. If you haven't been to the twin cities to explore drains, then you should check it out, then you will understand why I like to explore storm drains so much. I'm used to walking in tunnels so I'm fine with doing this over and over again. A few of my favorite parts of drains are seeing how deep the shafts with rungs go and seeing how far the tunnels go. I've explored a a lot of different stuff but my favorite things will always be storm drains and sewers.

I think they are fun because they are dark, underground and a little creepy. It makes fun for a midnight adventure with some friends.

Posted by BatsandMines I think they are fun because they are dark, underground and a little creepy. It makes fun for a midnight adventure with some friends.

That's very true. You got that right.

Sometimes I'll hear weird sounds in the drains, sounds like crunching, wind, water sounds, sounds that sound like people are talking but over a waterfall sound. Not too long ago I was in a slightly crouchy drain and I heard a lady talking on her phone above a manhole cover, so I sat there and listen to her but I could make out what she was saying (LOL). I named that drain "THE DRAIN THAT TALKS" because of that moment for which I don't usually hear that very often.

Posted by hoover 2 Sometimes I'll hear weird sounds in the drains, sounds like crunching, wind, water sounds, sounds that sound like people are talking but over a waterfall sound. Not too long ago I was in a slightly crouchy drain and I heard a lady talking on her phone above a manhole cover, so I sat there and listen to her but I could make out what she was saying (LOL). I named that drain "THE DRAIN THAT TALKS" because of that moment for which I don't usually hear that very often.

That's pretty funny lol, what was she talkin about?