Their reasoning seemed to be: carbide pieces last ages, and you often find water inside a cave, so if you have a lighter, you're all set.

Caving was a lot of fun for me. I do not suffer from claustrophobia and I'm slim enough that I could climb into galleries and not worry that I might get stuck further on, as some others did (worry, not get stuck, I mean ). Carbide or no carbide, it was a great experience.