Best Way To Carry A Pick

[Jin]

4 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Detector in one hand, pick in the other, that’s the way I roll.

Unfortunately, both of my hands are full. One hand holds the zed and the other the swing arm. Oddly, swinging the Exinox with one arm tires me out yet the zed/swingarm/hipstick combo doesn't. I need that swingarm to help guide the coil under bushes and to control the coil.

2 hours ago, RONS DETECTORS MINELAB said:

I once broke my one belt mounted holder due to carrying 34” handles

I'm starting to see the benefit of using my small pick a lot more now. For small gold most holes are shallow. Why lug around something that is overkill 90% of the time? I even cut the handle down on my small pick to make it shorter and easier to use. Where I detect the car is often not far away to retrieve a larger pick/crowbar if needed. On my 1km - 10km hikes I'll take a larger pick.

56 minutes ago, dig4gold said:

If swinging the Zed I have used the minelab harness & just tuck the pick off my hip through the harness waist belt.

Have been doing the same for years but I've changed over to a new style of harness that doesn't allow that anymore. Not sure if it will be better or worse but I wanted something more organized to hold my gear.

[Gold Ryder]

With my 6000 I run a 36" long pick (dont gotta bend over much that way?) and the 6 swings easy.  With my 5000 and the battery on the side now  and a 15 or 19" coil and a swing arm. Im in the same quandry.  Im gonna re-rig my reciever, booster on a back pack now.  So Im thinking Im gonna run a shorter pick and rig something similar to what ice climbers use with loops on the side. 

[GotAU?]

Steve’s and others carrying their picks are good ideas and I do too when traversing hills- I also sometimes use mine when climbing up a slick dirt hill to help pull myself up, but I usually holster it when walking flats while not detecting. To carry it, I use a $10 Harbor Freight holster because it has a couple extra smaller tool holders on it that I use for my pin pointer and my scoop.  I also attach the connector end of two retractable key reels to it to attach to the pin pointer and scoop - keeps me from losing them and even pulls them back up if I don’t holster them.

[kingswood]

On 3/8/2024 at 3:55 AM, Jin said:

I'm starting to see the benefit of using my small pick a lot more now. For small gold most holes are shallow. Why lug around something that is overkill 90% of the time?

Yep thats me too. I dropped the larger pick a few years ago and now detect with the small pick hanging thru a tool belt pouch belted around the waist. If I need the larger pick, will just walk back and get it. I havent had to do that yet ha ha.

The tool pouch is awesome as it has a slot for the pick to slide into, a spot for the scoop and 2 pouches for GPS, gold jar etc.

[geof_junk]

9 hours ago, kingswood said:

Yep thats me too. I dropped the larger pick a few years ago and now detect with the small pick hanging thru a tool belt pouch belted around the waist. If I need the larger pick, will just walk back and get it. I havent had to do that yet ha ha.

The tool pouch is awesome as it has a slot for the pick to slide into, a spot for the scoop and 2 pouches for GPS, gold jar etc.

If the hole is too big for the little pick, it is worth while going a mile or two to get the big pick. ☺️

[kingswood]

3 hours ago, geof_junk said:

If the hole is too big for the little pick, it is worth while going a mile or two to get the big pick. ☺️

I would send the mate back ? ha ha

[MSC]

Steve, I have the very same pick holder, no metal, inexpensive, I too never use it, carry the pick over my shoulder. 

[lostmypassworddude]

I still carry my large handled pick. I use it as a cane at times , at times I hook it around a branch of a tree or bush to get me up. I do have to admit it's heavy and my shoulders feel it. I usually swing it over my shoulder and keep it there while swinging detector with my right arm, at times I drag the darn thing when the shoulder starts to ache. I tend to put on a back pack and wander far from my vehicle so you got to have a longer handle pick for the 2 to 3 foot holes you can end up digging using PI detectors. If your not digging the deep ones you never know what your missing.

[Jin]

I ended up buying a leather hammer holder ($20) from eBay. The measurements looked to fit the size of my pick handles.

My main concern was that the pick fits snuggly and doesn't move around too much when walking. This holder fits well, although it's slightly tight and requires holding the holder while removing the pick. I think after a few weeks of use it will be perfect as the leather should stretch a little.

I'll carry the short pick for patch hunting and the larger one when the ground requires deeper digging.

I have also ordered a tactical belt with a nylon buckle as the leather one shown has a steel buckle which isn't great when using big coils. 

*Thanks for everyone's input as to the way you carry your pick.