Must Have Equipment??

[Jagdpanther]

After the basics; gold pans, sluice, highbanker, mini sluice, blue bowl, gold vac and crevicing tools, what is your "must have" piece of equipment? I'm not interested in dredging at this time, maybe in a few years when I retire. Do you think a gold (metal) detector is a must have?

Thanks
Grndfisher

 

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[Needle]

A Gold Metal detector is not necessarily a must have, but it will encourage you to check places you would never check otherwise.

I purchased a Whites GMT and the instructions said to go where you know gold has been found before.

I went to this place and spent the day running up and down the hillside, I had been there before and noticed things I never had noticed before.
(Example... quartz rock with iron oxide stains)

After grinding and panning this material out, I discovered this rock had micron Gold in it.

Eventually, I traced the float Quartz to it's source and exposed it.

I am still in the process of developing this Mine.

The Metal Detector was useless on this kind of ore, the Gold is too fine for the machine to detect.

I credit the detector for helping me to locate this claim, without it I never would have been in those areas.

 

[Functional]

After the basics; gold pans, sluice, highbanker, mini sluice, blue bowl, gold vac and crevicing tools, what is your "must have" piece of equipment? I'm not interested in dredging at this time, maybe in a few years when I retire. Do you think a gold (metal) detector is a must have?

Thanks
Grndfisher

Like Needle said, can't hurt to take an MD with you.

Might also consider some other things to take with you.
1) A field test kit and pocket digital scale, like those sold by; www.wholesale-scales.com
2) A magnifying glass (I have a rectangular one with a stand and light that I like), and/or microscope.
3) A good set of maps, GPS, CB radio and/or cellphone, (don't forget the charger).
4) Ropes, tow cable and either a winch, or a really good come-a-long.
5) Chainsaw with extra fuel and oil.
6) A good first aid kit, (I have one that is so packed I could perform minor surgery, if I knew what to do).
7) Depending on how roughly your roughing it, you might consider things like a small compressor and tire patching/plug kit.

I'm sure I could fill pages with all the things a person could and should be prepared for and all they might want to take with them, but some people prefer to gamble by going ill equipped into the back country. Next lengthly trip I take into the mountains, will include my travel trailer that I'm currently restoring/renovating with prospecting in mind. I've done the sleeping bag on hard ground and on sand with plastic as a vapor barrier, (sand can get reaalllyyyyyy lumpy), but now I'm at the point where I don't want to share my bed with any local critters that walk, crawl, or slither by. I also like waking up dry and warm to a fresh cup of coffee and hot breakfast that didn't come out of a can. Having a good supply of clean hot and cold running water and a bathroom with shower are nice too.

Some of the other things I'll be taking with me next time out.
1) Bear repellent, a bear bell (actually its a sleigh bell, but it lets bears know I'm around), and air horn.
2) The first aid kit I mentioned with emergency flares.
3) Tools for emergency repairs, that might include a home built DC spool gun mig welder, (if I can get to that project soon).
4) Solar panel power source, if I can get some at a good price and have them installed in time.

Time to go do some work on my projects here now that its starting to warm up again. Strange weather we had here. Nice and warm last week, then cold and snow on Saturday morning, now its getting back up to about 10C, (50F) for the high today.

F.

 

[Eu_citzen]

A gold detector is not needed though that I'd think is a personal opinion.

Here is what I consider "needed":
1. Highbanker dredge combo (you can choose what you wanna do)
2. sluices
3. D.A.M
4. pans
5. loupe
6. Axe (fiskars has a small good one for back packing)

there are more but I gotta run...

 

[bigfish31]

A shovel.

 

[TRHunter]

A good bottle of scotch. For your mental health when you are not finding anything.

 

[Eu_citzen]

I think we got all now.
Except I don't drink at all..

 

[Jagdpanther]

A shovel.

That would make it a lot eaiser!

 

[Jagdpanther]

Thanks for all the great ideas. A few fix it tools and first aid stuff would be a great addition to the pack.

I will be getting a gold detector in a few more months. Any suggestions?

I had to give up on drinking. Doctor told me all the wine, women and song was going to kill me. I quite singing years ago. Haven't had a drink or a beer for about three years. Two out three ain't bad.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Look into the White's GMT, Gold bug II and the minelabs....Depends on your conditions.

 

[Functional]

Thanks for all the great ideas. A few fix it tools and first aid stuff would be a great addition to the pack.

I will be getting a gold detector in a few more months. Any suggestions?

Depends on your budget, what sort of learning curve you can handle and whether, or not you want a more or less dedicated gold machine, or one that equally useful for coin and relic hunting. Some like MD's that find flakes, but myself, I prefer to tune out anything that small. My old Compass might lack an inch or two in depth over some of the newer MD's and it might not have a fancy digital display with little icons flashing GOLD , but it works for me, even if it is a little heavier than the newer brands and models.

I think I'm safe in concluding that the area you will be working in has mineralized soil conditions, since you wouldn't find many nuggets in soil that doesn't have black sand. So, obviously you want a machine with manual ground balance and good discrimination. You might want to read through some of the forums that discuss the various makes and models and feel free to ask questions of those who actually use, or have done comparison tests of the machines your interested in. Look in the forums for "Metal Detector Reviews - By Owners!" here: http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?board=208.0

I had to give up on drinking. Doctor told me all the wine, women and song was going to kill me. I quite singing years ago. Haven't had a drink or a beer for about three years. Two out three ain't bad.

I'll pass on the opportunity to interject a potential whine and women pun. I used to drink to meet women and sometimes ended up in places I'd as soon forget and I've forgotten some of the conquests of youth, I'd have preferred to remember. Fortunately I quit drinking while still young enough to enjoy warm summer nights with gals parked near darkened wheat fields, watching the prairie submarine races.

F.

 

[eathan]

With all the equipment out there, this may sound daft, but one of my favorites is a small shovel. They're lots easier to pack in than a #2, and they're much easier to use while wedged down in a tight spot or perched on an awkward rock outcropping, not to mention just walking through the underbrush.

On the preparedness side of things, one of those rechargeable jump starters is pretty handy, and take a cell phone as well. You might not be able to get a signal 9 times out of 10, but if something goes bad, a 10% chance is better than none... Also, a hand crank flashlight or lantern can't hurt.

Anyone know anything about those rechargeable UV water purifiers? I saw one in my recent REI catalog that included a solar charger. It sounded like a pretty neat idea it they work.

 

[Functional]

<------------- snip ---------------->
You might not be able to get a signal 9 times out of 10, but if something goes bad, a 10% chance is better than none... Also, a hand crank flashlight or lantern can't hurt.

Maybe handheld a CB radio? Does anyone still make those I wonder?

Anyone know anything about those rechargeable UV water purifiers? I saw one in my recent REI catalog that included a solar charger. It sounded like a pretty neat idea it they work.

I haven't seen the rechargable ones, but then I haven't looked for them. Are we talking the little ones you stick into the mouth of a water jug to kill microscopic vermin?

F.

 

[eathan]

Maybe handheld a CB radio? Does anyone still make those I wonder?

Hmm, haven't seen those, but sounds like a good idea.

I haven't seen the rechargable ones, but then I haven't looked for them. Are we talking the little ones you stick into the mouth of a water jug to kill microscopic vermin?

Yeah, that's the one. It's more expensive than I'd guessed, but here's a link to the rechargeable one I saw: http://www.rei.com/product/761905

 

[russau]

Life would suck without my 4 inch dredge!

 

[Needle]

Without life, my 4" Dredge wouldn't suck!

Fantastic Invention, the Dredge... I had an Air compressor one time that would run three jackhammers at once, I hooked it up to the dredge, instead of a waterpump to create a vacuum. It worked great, but you need to run the air through a de-oiler before it touches the gold.

 

[eathan]

Life with a dredge should be all about sucking. You sure you got that thing set up right?

 

[russau]

haha, probly not, but still............

 

[Jagdpanther]

Any opinions on the smaller Dredges? I see one on Ebay 1 1/2" for under $800. Most of the places in my area are smaller streams that a large dredge would not fit. Plus the state limits the size to 4" or less.

Thanks!

 

[Needle]

Using the right tool for the job is the name of the game.

The 1 1/2" dredge is a good useful tool in the smaller streams, they are a lot easier to get to the working area.

I knew a guy that dredged up 3 ounces in 4 hours with one, but he was in the right place at the right time.

There was an old chromium mine by the road, when they dug the tunnel they threw the tailing's into the creek, he dredged down stream from the tunnel and found the concentrated area where the Gold had accumulated over the years.

Evidently, who ever dug the tunnel did not have a clue there was gold being thrown away, they were looking for Chromium.