Steve's Rock Shop and

Miscellany

 

Equipment List For Your Rockhounding Adventure

Vehicle

       

Although there are many sites you can get to with just a passenger car, having a high clearance four wheel drive unit is optimal.  A general rule of thumb is to use two wheel drive as much as possible and the four wheel drive to get out of trouble if you get stuck.  Make sure your oil, antifreeze, and tires are all in good condition.  RVs are NOT recommended.

Below is general list of things you will need for rockhounding or prospecting.  This list in not all-inclusive and each person will have various wants and needs for their survival and comfort.  If you know of a useful item that's not here, mention it in an email with why it comes in handy and maybe it'll be added to the list. 

Clothing

It doesn't matter where you go and at what time of year, if you go in to the back country, have clothing for EVERY kind of weather.  Hat, heavy coat, gloves, thermal underwear, wool socks, and good, solid comfortable shoes should be standard items.  I have been in many areas where the daytime temperature has been plenty warm enough but it got rather cold at night - especially if you stand around looking at the stars.  In addition, I've seen rain, wind, and snow right in the middle of the summer months.  The sun can also be unmerciful so take some light long sleeve shirts and a hat to keep covered.  It doesn't take long to burn if you're at high elevation.  The bald spot on the top of my head seems to be particularly vulnerable.

Camping and Hiking

If you're going to use a tent, make sure it's waterproof and can stand up against a strong wind.  A small portable table, cook stove, fuel, nesting gear (pots and pans), plates, utensils, waterproof matches, and a light source (I use a battery powered lantern) should be in your camp box.  You'll need a cooler.  A portable toilet, with paper of course, and a shovel for digging a hole is a must.  A couple of six gallon water containers will be needed.  A day pack, flashlight, canteen, and compass should be with you when you're out looking for all those collectables.

Basic rockhounding equipment includes gloves, a small pick, collecting bags, buckets, guide books, and maps.  A shovel, gravel screen, chisels, and a hammer will be useful depending on where you're going and what you want to collect.  Basic prospecting equipment includes a gold pan, metal detector, long screw driver, collecting vial, and lots of patience.

Weather and Road Conditions

We are all at the whim of nature and it's critical you keep an eye on both the weather and road conditions.  A road that's perfectly safe when dry may turn to GOO when wet or may get washed out with the highway on the other side.  You may be collecting on a hill when a lightning storm comes flying toward you or you may be dressed in a tee shirt and shorts when you're being snowed on.  DON'T risk your life or the lives of your family and friends.  Go find a motel and live to collect another day.  Once, I was several miles down a dry, well maintained gravel and dirt road at a collecting site getting ready to camp under what had been blue skies.  All of a sudden, here comes a squall line.  The wind starts blowing really hard and kicking up dust.  I had to run back to my truck so I wouldn't lose sight of it.  Then I had to get to the road quickly while it could still be found.  I slowly moved up the road in the direction of the highway with the wind and dust blowing sideways.  When I got to a road cut, I stopped and parked to wait out the storm.  Then came the thunder, lightning, and rain.  The weather report over the radio had just cancelled a severe weather alert for a city that the storm had just hit about 150 miles away and now it was bearing down on my position.  After enduring the storm for about three hours, I got out, locked the front axle hubs to enable the four wheel drive, and started toward the highway.  It took about an hour to go six miles - slipping and sliding all the way - even in four wheel drive, for the road had turned not to mud, but GOO.  Once I got near the interstate, I hit pavement.  Before I got on the freeway, I drove up and down the paved strip to get as much GOO off the tires as possible.  I then hightailed it to the nearest town and got a motel room.  The next day, it took a whole $10 roll of quarters at the local do-it-yourself car wash to get most of the GOO off the truck.  This story was not meant to be long-winded but to illustrate the point about watching the weather and road conditions.