Since the 1.18 update for Minecraft, I always use so many torches in lighting the caves.
I notice when I watch some Minecraft YouTubers, some barely light the caves, some are super safe(like I am), some branch mine and some don't even light the caves at all and just run/fly around and mine ores and ignoring mobs.
I am one of those cave explorers that slowly lights my way forward. I prioritize keeping my flanks lit up and protected. In a way I circle around the center and light it up and if there is an upper level, I light it up too so a creeper doesn't fall on my head.
I am in full netherite protection IV and on easy difficulty too. If I see Deep Dark, I block it off for later until I get night vision and wool with me.
I think because I live underground so I want to make sure nearby dark caves are secured and its a way for me to know I explored it and feel safe. Ravines.. when I see a Ravine, I prioritize lighting up the upper levels first.
I get super uncomfortable when I enter someone's cave and their flanks are not lit up and I can see mobs spawning.
How do you light up caves?
Glow lichen & glow berries have been excellent for this though they do take some time to grow. Another thing I’ve used is hanging lanterns from chains but it can be dangerous if you don’t have scaffolding (due to how high cave ceilings usually are & fall damage) but it uses a LOT of iron. If you’ve been to the Nether, glowstone & shroomlights are also great options. Sea lanterns work, too, but they aren’t easy to get.
Glowstone is the easiest to get in survival as you can also get it from cleric villagers once you level the villager up a bit, even if you haven’t been to the Nether. It also has a really high light level so it will illuminate a larger area. Overall, glowstone will likely give you the best results, especially given how easy it can be to obtain.
Normally, I just light entire cave areas with torches. When I have enough iron, I make lanterns if I’m going to stay underground and live there for a bit. But usually, it’s torches.
I have a friend who does it for me (She’s the best)
Depends. Is there a mob farm on the server and are the caves near common areas? If yes, than I use a tool, Minihud, to show light levels and I torch things.
If not, I’m only lighting what I need to see, and usually I have a torch offhand so I’m good in the dark tbh.
I used to be like you. And oddly, I’m SO SCARED of cave sounds. I turn them and hostile mobs off. I use subtitles because I also don’t have spacial hearing so I can’t tell direction without them anyhow. Spooky noises?! No thanks.
Elytra fixed my fears. Period. Unless it’s super tight quarters, we’re good. If it’s super tight quarters, I can just block off and then, we’re good. Also, I only go caving or mining for funsies. Like, I don’t need most of the crap down there, exploration is fun. But it doesn’t sound like you’re enjoying exploration. Which is the fun part.
The deep dark is cool. Caves are cool. The nether is legit my fav place. I’m an old lady, I only play on hard, we’re fighting the dragon a week, two tops from server open. This isn’t to say you should get good. I’m not good. I’m terrible! I’m just not concerned with dying. Like I’d never play hardcore. I fall off ladders ALL. THE. TIME. So just fix the scared of dying part. Why you worried about that? It’s a solvable problem if you tell me what you’re worried about!