Your Recommendations On Nugget Hunting Field Gear

[Gold Catcher]

I try to pack as light as I can but this depends on the "mission". In river canyons I always carry a foldable shovel and rock hammer next to my pick and crevice tools since I usually do some raking and digging first at strategic places to get close to bedrock and also to remove all the surface trash before I start detecting. This sounds labor intense and has no guarantee that you actually will find gold then, but if you just go to a river here in Northern California Motherlode country and start detecting, even at the higher up benches, you will just pick up the trash of the 10.000's of miners who have been there before. This is especially true for the large and "famous" ones, like the American River, Merced and Yuba river. And the miners were messy...! In the desert however with long detecting walks I am very minimal since everything remains on my body while detecting/digging. Camelback (3 l), wallet, keys, first aid, extra sun screen, pick, scoop, pin pointer, crevice tool, sometimes extra light jacket, headlamp (!), salt tablets, 2 energy bars (that won't melt!), small battery for re-charging the WM12 (if needed), SP01, hipstick, small belt bag with jeweler's loop and gold container, belt pouch for trash, dust mask with high filtration (!). The only "luxury" item I always have with me is a Garmin Inreach Explorer+ with GPS and dual satellite communication/SOS feature. Never go without it. For longer missions I also take my Iridium Extreme Sat phone. I always like to call my daughter and wish her good night when I am away 🙂

[afreakofnature]

The Garmin inReach mini is a new item I recently got like Gold Catcher said.  Gives you excellent peace of mind.  I Now don’t have any worries because my wife can find me even if I don’t communicate as long as I have it on, but i always check in and out.  And if you have a serious emergency you can always press the $50,000 button LOL.

[Gold Catcher]

4 minutes ago, afreakofnature said:

you can always press the $50,000 button

Get the GEOS insurance and they will cover all emergency rescues. Small annual fee but peace of mind.

https://www.geosworldwide.com/

[Gold Catcher]

This is actually a better link, it shows you how it works

https://my-geos.com/

[klunker]

10 hours ago, Cascade Steven said:

a small plastic bottle for nuggets.

 Change to "peanut butter jar".  In this area things can change in less time than it takes to dig a deep nugget. My detecting style can best be described as "flappin' in th' breeze". I am also shamefully lazy so my prospecting tools are kept to a light minimum - detector, pick, a folding pruning saw and sometimes a scoop. However I do carry a backpack with some items to get me by if I really screw up (Just think about what you would need if you were stuck out overnight). Cell phone coverage in this area is probably less than 30%. 

[Jim McCulloch]

Steven, aside from what you have already listed, I suggest the following: good hand shears, small stiff-bristled paint brush, small crevicing tools, quality headphones, a second searchcoil and cover, a jewelers loupe or magnifying glasses, several plastic Ziploc sandwich bags, good quality tweezers, a 24-inch section of vinyl flex hose 1/2 inch diameter. I would choose a good 10 pocket belt pouch over a backpack. And, last but not least, a copy of "Advanced Nuggetshooting with the Goldmaster 24k." 😊 HH Jim

[Redz]

In the desert mountains in winter or other mountains in summer, i am normally a ways from the car so a headlamp and extra batteries are essential for when you underestimate how long it takes to get back because you wanted to find just one more. I also carry a sam splint and leucotape for if things go wrong

https://www.amazon.com/SAM-Medical-Products-Flat-Splint/dp/B001PSZ7XG/ref=asc_df_B001PSZ7XG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167133770849&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1198669352353024508&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031563&hvtargid=pla-308438770042&psc=1

And if they go really wrong, i have a firestarter to stay warm

[Steve Herschbach]

11 hours ago, geof_junk said:

That is some gorgeous gold. Just saying. 

[Gold Catcher]

Stunning indeed. And so clean!

[cudamark]

All the high tech communication and locating devices are great, but, when plan A fails out in the desert or middle of nowhere, I like to have a good old fashion compass with me. In an arid region, I also like to carry a large sheet of plastic and a good knife. Must be my Boy Scout days nagging at me.....