Basic Prospecting Equipment

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

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.

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.

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.