Posted by NinjaKlutz I think the rule about gas meters is this: if you are entering a space where you know beforehand that the air can be really dangerous, then you shouldn't be going in if you don't know what you're doing. When the GCG did that huge conduit, that's when they did some serious planning, and that involved a gas meter. Look at all the ordinary drains that have been done without gas meters or equipement, and without anybody dying. How so? It's called using common sense, being aware of potential air problems and how to spot them, and just in general keeping your wits about you. Gas meters are expensive and, i think, largely unecessary. The more gear and instruments and equipment you get, the more you'll rely on this stuff rather than your intuition, which can, in the long run, be more dangerous. Remember.....you can still die even if you have a gas meter; if you don't know how to use it properly, it's easy to screw up and be fooled by some small detail and be tricked into thinking you're safe when you're not. Common sense and knowledge of all potential risks are the best safety devices you could ever possess. Everything has a time and a place, and it's up to the individual explorer to decide what's safest. Here's some exceedingly helpful links that have info on air (somewhere): http://www.uer.ca/...sort=1&sortmode=2& http://www.infiltr...ions-approach.html Draining is not an elitist sport. The first drain i did, i saw a pipe and crawled right in on my hands and knees and had no idea where i was going or what i was doing for the next hour and a half. If someone had told me i needed a gas meter, and that the drains were impossibly dangerous, and what not, i surely wouldn't have kept my interest in UE. Gas meters can be lifesavers. But you don't need them to go draining. Take the drains seriously. But anybody can do them. I can't stress that more. NK
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