Drive Time VS Hunt Time?

[McKinney_5900]

Do you have a basic formula for deciding to drive a distance to swing a coil? If it takes a whole hour just to get someplace to detect, shouldn't we at a bare minimum try to literally hunt there for two hours? The round trip in drive time alone will be 2 hours.

I am in a personal discussion about this with a friend. TIA

 

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[Blackfoot58]

I have no such time ratio planned. I go to the site an begin. For me it’s like bobber fishing in a pond. If I get a few “bites” it keeps my interest and I may go all day. Same with detector hits. It also depends on the permission. If you only can go there once, I’d make it worth it.

 

[Centsless Detecting]

I know I don't like traveling more than 30 minutes to get to a day spot, but that's just me. My detecting time is mostly limited to half day hunts on weekends. I know a few places that always give up the goods so it's worth the drive. I always take my machine along on vacation however.

 

[rayoh]

Do you have a basic formula for deciding to drive a distance to swing a coil? If it takes a whole hour just to get someplace to detect, shouldn't we at a bare minimum try to literally hunt there for two hours? The round trip in drive time alone will be 2 hours.

I am in a personal discussion about this with a friend. TIA

When I was younger and able to detect for 5-7 hours, I would take a whole day and drive an hour or so to detect. Now with old age creeping in, I can only detect for two hours max. It would not be worth the drive. The last couple years, I have five spots that I hunt and can still find an occasional silver coin. These spots are all 15 to 25 minute drive. I am OK with that.

 

[TooManyHobbies]

On dry ground I'm usually beat by 2-3 hours. In the water I can detect for 4-5 hrs. Longest drive for a day trip so far is about 90 minutes, water hunting.

 

[Whynotnow?]

If Im going to detect, I usually plan to be out all day so I usually dont mind a 90 minute drive or so if I have a promising site. The only thing I hate about a long drive is if I forget something, or a piece of equipment breaks, thats the end of the day. If I'm near home I can just swing by and head back out.

 

[Gare]

What if we fly some place to detect ? How long do we detect ?

 

[pepperj]

Getting time to detect is one thing, (a couple of hours) the permissions are pretty close 5-10 minute drive.
If I decide to do the longer hunts (half day) then up to max 30 minute drive.
I have a few 1 hr drive permissions, so that is a full day away (8-10hr hunts)
If I need a quick fix-I walk my own property.

 

[Gare]

The decision to drive a distance to swing a coil depends on several factors, including the distance to the location, the likelihood of finding something valuable, and the cost and time involved in the trip.
As a basic formula, you can consider the following:
Expected Value of Findings - Cost of Trip - Opportunity Cost of Time >= 0
In other words, if the potential value of the findings (such as valuable items or historical artifacts) minus the cost of the trip (including gas, tolls, and other expenses) and the opportunity cost of your time (the value of what you could have done instead during that time) is greater than or equal to zero, then it may be worth the trip.
Regarding the balance between drive time and hunt time, it's generally a good idea to maximize your time actually searching for items rather than spending a lot of time on the road. So, if it takes an hour to get to a location and you plan to spend two hours searching, that may not be the most efficient use of your time, especially if there are closer locations that offer similar potential for findings. However, if the location is particularly promising or unique, it may still be worth the extra time and effort to get there. Ultimately, the decision should be based on a cost-benefit analysis and your personal priorities and preferences.

I do not metal detect for cost effectiveness I do it for the thrill, excitement and exercise =!!! Also WELCOME to Treasurenet !!! ENJOY !!!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I try to keep my trips close to home if I'm hunting for clad and silver rings at a school, ballfield or park. Nothing worse than driving an hour or more round trip and coming home with two bucks in change! Waste of time and gas.

Now hunting in the woods for colonial relics is a different mindset. I'll gladly drive an hour or more round trip to find one coin, button or relic from the 1700's. I never sell any of my 1700's finds, so I know I'll be losing money on gas. But if I end up with something that I view as historical, then it's a small price to pay.