This is kind of a rookie question and an area question, so I just put it here. I live in a small town near the Bowling Green and Mammoth Cave, and I've never been urban exploring, but I am very keen on the idea. I have been for about a year, but I just never managed. I'm a bit nervous about going alone. I go spelunking, but drains are...just different, I think, but I really want to try...and I don't even go spelunking alone.

I just recently got a boyfriend, and I've been showing him the ropes of spelunking for a while. He wants to come with me when I finally go (he's also my ride), but I'm still a bit nervous with neither of us having any experience. We are both in good physical condition, do you think we'll be okay, or should we find someone else to go with us? Is there something we should be aware of/take caution against? Gear we should pack? Laws we should be aware of? I've done some research, but there's really not a lot of information.

Also, the drains are the only thing I know of around here. Does anyone know of some abandoned building/great photography sites? I've noticed a few, but it's hard to tell what is abandoned and what has a trigger happy redneck with pit bulls guarding it.

I'm hoping I can get going into this. I'm an artist and amateur writer (I'm a lot better than what this post would lead you to believe), so maybe I can post some thing we see.

Drains can be a lot of fun. If you already go spelunking, you know a bit about being underground. The biggest difference about drains is that they are manmade and a lot more uniform than caves. A few safety tips:

1.No Drains when it rains. They can very quickly fill up with water and potentially suffocate you. Always check the weather report before entering one.

2. Don't open random manholes from the inside to get out unless you know EXACTLY where it comes out. A lot of manholes are in the middle of the road and you can be seriously injured if you pop out when a car is coming.

3. Bring extra everything: lights, drinking water, batteries, food, etc..

4. If you get lost, follow the flow of water. It should lead to an outflow in a lake or river.

I'm not familiar with the laws in your area, but its usually illegal to go in them. But if you make sure you that no one sees you enter or exit the drain, once you are inside you should be safe. Cops don't randomly wander storm drains.

A good reference about draining with a lot more detail is http://sleepycity....proach-to-draining

Have fun and don't be too intimidated. Just go for it.

Used to visit a lot-there's a few nice abandoned things at Mammoth Cave/Park City if you're into more rural stuff. I'd second being careful though, and should bring up that I was once threatened at gunpoint by a park ranger for acting suspicious at an isolated part of Mammoth Cave.

For general tips regarding drains, gear, general safety, etc, take a look at some of the threads linked from here:
http://www.uer.ca/...=1&threadid=118368

The main thing when it comes to drains is, "When it rains, no drains!" ie. You should have both a clear sky and a good weather forecast before going in.

Honestly, if you're an experienced caver, draining will probably seem like child's play once you get going with it. Much less belly-crawling through ridiculously small spaces, huge chasms and death-pits to climb over, etc. Do hold out for a good-sized drain though. Don't waste your time with back-breakers. And stay away from actual sewers - you want storm drains. Sewers introduce a lot more safety concerns regarding air quality.

As far as finding others to explore with on this website, you may or may not get any responses here, but if you don't, stick around with this community. It's a largely trust-based community, so as you post more and people get to know you, it'll become easier to meet fellow explorers through this site.