List of prospecting tools

Prospecting Australia

Help Support Prospecting Australia:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Feb 18, 2018
Messages
1,491
Reaction score
2,865
Im looking at getting a hiking backpack setup just for prospecting. One that i can pack in the car whenever i feel like going for a hike and dig and be on my way

I need a bit of help with with a list of prospecting equipment that i can be covered for most situations.
It has to fit in or be strapped to a large backpack

I already have a panning kit and a little shovel. Im also looking at getting a little sluice aswell.

Any help would be appreciated
 
Here is a list of the contents of my backpack - this is for a detecting setup but you might be able to adapt it.

Toilet paper ( very important)
First Aid Kit
Container with bi carb soda for ant bites
Aerosol Insect repellent (tropical strength - works on leeches)
Torch - 1000 lumen LED dive torch with good throw
Head Torch - Zebralight H603FW
Water - 2L camel back
Food - Lunchbox with juice box, muesli bars, tuna etc. + a vial of those electrolyte things
Can of flying power energy drink
Beef Jerky
Pick
Plastic scoop
Backup plastic scoop
Magnet (Rare earth, on bungee)
Triangular bandage
Spare Socks
Snake Gaiters
Snake Bite Kit
SAS Survival Guide
Container for Gold
Backup container for gold
spare batteries for GPS
spare batteries for hand torch
spare batteries for head torch
spare batteries for detector
roll of plastic garbage bags/textas for storing soil samples or rubbish
GPS Garmin 62
Walkie Talkie with charge.
PLB (KTI SA2G)
Fire lighting equipment (Magnesium firestarter, waterproof matches and cigarette lighter)
Sunglasses + Sunscreen

It's often raining while I detect so all the batteries toilet paper etc. I store in zip lock bags. Backpack has a built in pull out rain cover.
PLB, First aid kit, socks and survival book are in a dry bag. Sometimes I take my phone if I'm going to an area that has reception.

*Edit - Oh also I carry a pair of ratcheting pruning shears - great for blackberries.
 
Dron said:
Here is a list of the contents of my backpack - this is for a detecting setup but you might be able to adapt it.

Toilet paper ( very important)
First Aid Kit
Container with bi carb soda for ant bites
Aerosol Insect repellent (tropical strength - works on leeches)
Torch - 1000 lumen LED dive torch with good throw
Head Torch - Zebralight H603FW
Water - 2L camel back
Food - Lunchbox with juice box, muesli bars, tuna etc. + a vial of those electrolyte things
Can of flying power energy drink
Beef Jerky
Pick
Plastic scoop
Backup plastic scoop
Magnet (Rare earth, on bungee)
Triangular bandage
Spare Socks
Snake Gaiters
Snake Bite Kit
SAS Survival Guide
Container for Gold
Backup container for gold
spare batteries for GPS
spare batteries for hand torch
spare batteries for head torch
spare batteries for detector
roll of plastic garbage bags/textas for storing soil samples or rubbish
GPS Garmin 62
Walkie Talkie with charge.
PLB (KTI SA2G)
Fire lighting equipment (Magnesium firestarter, waterproof matches and cigarette lighter)
Sunglasses + Sunscreen

It's often raining while I detect so all the batteries toilet paper etc. I store in zip lock bags. Backpack has a built in pull out rain cover.
PLB, First aid kit, socks and survival book are in a dry bag. Sometimes I take my phone if I'm going to an area that has reception.

*Edit - Oh also I carry a pair of ratcheting pruning shears - great for blackberries.
Do you carry all that on you while detecting or is the majority left in your car?
 
Outback said:
You need a portable dry prospecting device that can reduce a ton of material into a half kilo of rich gold concentrates .

jack :)

I just had a quick look and i only found dry blowers that are fairly big and would be difficult to hike with. Have you got a link to anything smaller?
I have see a youtube clip where the bloke dry pans his marital. Not a perfect solution i know.
 
madtuna said:
Do you carry all that on you while detecting or is the majority left in your car?

No I don't wear it while detecting, I just like to have all that stuff nearby. I often have to hike several kilometers through rough terrain from the car so that's my day pack. When I find a spot that looks good I'll put my backpack down, mark the spot, and detect around the place.

My mate who goes with me doesn't bring much at all .... He is a tough nut ... he brings his GP3500, pick, headphones, and smokes (usually white ox - rollies). If he gets thirsty he'll drink straight from a nearby creek or river. Sometimes he might bring a bottle of port :D If he sees a snake he just grabs it by the tail and throws it up a tree :D

If you have the luxury of driving straight to a spot you can detect at there's no need for a backpack.
 
What we are preparing for is not a leisurely stroll in the park, its a hike into unknown territory with an unknown outcome in the worst case scenario having to survive in the wild overnight or a few days if you get hurt, Dron's pretty well got it covered, I like to have soap to wash hands with , a life straw for drinking stream water but they are useless with any water that has salt in it, a ladies make up mirror for signalling and shaving , a whistle, you never know, firelighters on a plastic container, those little milk bottles with the screw top from a hospital are good for storing small amounts of necessaries, my letterman wave multi tool, some good quality para chord for a multitude of uses , now some of the stuff is essential to carry and some can be left back at the car .
 
madtuna said:
Dron said:
Here is a list of the contents of my backpack - this is for a detecting setup but you might be able to adapt it.

Toilet paper ( very important)
First Aid Kit
Container with bi carb soda for ant bites
Aerosol Insect repellent (tropical strength - works on leeches)
Torch - 1000 lumen LED dive torch with good throw
Head Torch - Zebralight H603FW
Water - 2L camel back
Food - Lunchbox with juice box, muesli bars, tuna etc. + a vial of those electrolyte things
Can of flying power energy drink
Beef Jerky
Pick
Plastic scoop
Backup plastic scoop
Magnet (Rare earth, on bungee)
Triangular bandage
Spare Socks
Snake Gaiters
Snake Bite Kit
SAS Survival Guide
Container for Gold
Backup container for gold
spare batteries for GPS
spare batteries for hand torch
spare batteries for head torch
spare batteries for detector
roll of plastic garbage bags/textas for storing soil samples or rubbish
GPS Garmin 62
Walkie Talkie with charge.
PLB (KTI SA2G)
Fire lighting equipment (Magnesium firestarter, waterproof matches and cigarette lighter)
Sunglasses + Sunscreen

It's often raining while I detect so all the batteries toilet paper etc. I store in zip lock bags. Backpack has a built in pull out rain cover.
PLB, First aid kit, socks and survival book are in a dry bag. Sometimes I take my phone if I'm going to an area that has reception.

*Edit - Oh also I carry a pair of ratcheting pruning shears - great for blackberries.
Do you carry all that on you while detecting or is the majority left in your car?
Dont need a bag, just your pocket will suffice :Y:
 
If you search this forum there is tonnes of old posts about crevicing tools. Here are a few of mine I use for wet crevicing (underwater with a snorkel and wetsuit).

1526647989_creciving_tools.jpg


Not pictured also I use a 20L bucket and a short crow bar with one end ground down to a point with an angle grinder.

The tools that can float away are attached to the bucket handle with lanyards so I don't end up chasing them downstream.

If you paint your tools bright orange you will be less likely to lose them underwater.

The floating styrofoam whale and turtle are location markers so I can find my way back to the crevice I'm working.

My favourite tools for working the crevices are the bent screwdriver and the tomato sauce bottle.
 
Back on the what do you take in your knapsack, a fishing mate of mine always had 6 tampons in his first aid kit. They came in handy once when another bloke sliced his leg and the tampons soaked the blood and helped stop the bleeding.
Mackka
Hey Tuna, that White Ox is very strong. I had , operative word Had, a mate that smoked it. Love ya backpack. :Y:
 
Dron said:
If you search this forum there is tonnes of old posts about crevicing tools. Here are a few of mine I use for wet crevicing (underwater with a snorkel and wetsuit).

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/7074/1526647989_creciving_tools.jpg

Not pictured also I use a 20L bucket and a short crow bar with one end ground down to a point with an angle grinder.

The tools that can float away are attached to the bucket handle with lanyards so I don't end up chasing them downstream.

If you paint your tools bright orange you will be less likely to lose them underwater.

The floating styrofoam whale and turtle are location markers so I can find my way back to the crevice I'm working.

My favourite tools for working the crevices are the bent screwdriver and the tomato sauce bottle.

Thanks dron

I will have to make one of those suckers and get a couple of screwdrivers. I have a small crowbar in the toolbox that just got repurposed :D

Also, i have been using the google to research more tools and it came up with a bunch of hits from PA :) :Y:
 

Latest posts

Top