Buy These Items to Try Gold Prospecting for the First Time

If you're interested in a new outdoor activity that has the potential to pay off, gold prospecting might be a good choice for you. Whether you live in an area in which this pastime is popular, or you're taking a vacation to such a location, you might want to try your hand at gold prospecting. To do so, you'll need to buy some gold prospecting equipment. Don't worry about making a huge investment in this gear. For a novice, you can buy a handful of items without spending much money, and they can be instrumental in helping you to search for gold. Here are some basic items to buy.

Gold Pan

Perhaps the most essential piece of gear that you'll need for a gold prospecting outing is a pan. Typically made of plastic, this pan looks like a shallow dish. However, instead of having a smooth inner surface, it often has a number of ridges on it. You use this pan by placing a small amount of earth in it, adding some water, and moving the pan back and forth to allow you to assess what the earth might hold. If you're fortunate, you'll notice some specks of gold that you can quickly retrieve and store in a safe place.

Tweezers

While it's technically possible that you might encounter a large nugget of gold, it's more likely that any gold you find will be in a small amount. Some pieces may be so small that they're difficult to handle with your fingers. The last thing that you want is to be pulling a piece of gold out of your pan and drop it in the water. To avoid such an issue, you'll want to buy a pair of tweezers. This simple tool is instrumental in allowing you to handle small pieces of gold with ease.

Vials

If you find gold, you need a safe place to store it. That's where a couple of small vials will come in handy. Should you be able to retrieve a small nugget from your pan, you can place it into one of the vials, secure the top of the vial with the stopper, and place the vial in a zippered pocket of your coat. You can then continue to pan for gold, stopping to repeat this process whenever you encounter something that is worth keeping. You can buy these products online or at a retailer that specializes in outdoor activities.