Necessary Gold Prospecting Tools

Necessary Gold Prospecting Tools 

A Shovel:  
A shovel is necessary so that you can dig up dirt into your pan. There are two basic types, one has a long handle and the other has a short handle. The long handled one will help you not to break your back, however the shorter one is more convenient when it come to moving around and carrying it. It is also recommended you have a hand garden trowel with you as it will help you be able to get to those hard to reach areas.


White Adhesive Tape:  
White adhesive tape is a very necessary item when it comes to prospecting because it is used for marking the ore samples. If you find a vein that you feel may just have gold in it and that you think is worthwhile examining, use the adhesive tape to mark the spot you got it from. You should write the exact location and date you found it on a piece of tape and stick it on each piece of ore you take in from the field so that it can be assayed.

Small Plastic or Glass Bottle:  
Take along a plastic or glass bottle so you can hold your findings in.

Tweezers:  
Get ahold of some pointed jeweler’s tweezers so that you can pick out the teensy flecks of gold from your pan.

Knife:  
Invest in a hunting knife. This can be used for scrapping, digging and prying.

Magnifying Glass:
Carry a magnifying glass in your pocket so you can study your gold pan etc.

Bucket:  
You can use any type of household plastic bucket. The size of the bucket depends on how much you are willing to carry along.

Brush:  
You can use a paintbrush so you can clean out the cracks and crevices that could possibly have gold in them.

Compass:  
Make sure you purchase a good compass before going out. Compasses have saved people’s lives. We all know of the stories of people that have wondered off and gotten lost and whom were never heard of again. Pick out a major landmark and write down the direction of this landmark from your campsite. Make sure to observe what direction the main road can be found.

Prospector’s Hammer:
Another good item you may want to consider having with you is a prospector’s hammer as this can then be used to split and break rocks to see if there is anything valuable in them. The end of the hammer is also useful for prying with. One end has a flat head and the other is pointed. It is important to invest in a good quality one though because the cheaper lower quality ones will not last you very long.

The tools we have mentioned are the basic tools you should consider getting to start off with. Obviously as you start getting more into this sport, hobby, or whatever you want to call it, you may want to look into getting the more sophisticated equipment such as a dry washer, sluice box, dredge, concentrator or metal detector.

Metal Detectors
Not all prospectors use metal detectors but if you decide to get one try to nugget hunt in the dry washes.

Do some research of some of the areas that have gold in them and go to one of these places. You will want to use the mineral setting to find the black sand deposits and clean it off down to bedrock. You should then place the metal detector back on metal and set it to a fine setting. Pass the metal detector over the area slowly and make sure to look at the meter needle. Headphones are also a good idea to use if you have them as they can also help.

Having a Snake Bite Kit 
One thing that should always be taken when on a prospecting trip is a snake bite kit for protection. There are many stories of prospectors that have had their lives saved for having a snake bite kit. There are additionally a great number of prospectors that have come very near to getting a snake bite. Be very careful with areas that have heavy bush in them as you could just find yourself running into a snake. Another suggestion is to be very careful about climbing and sticking your hands in holes as it is very common for people to get bit in their hands and arms. Whenever you intend to look through a hole, it is a good idea to explore it with a stick before sticking your hand straight into it.