In 2020, USA Today reported that hobby mining for gold was becoming more common since it adhered to the social distancing rules at the time. Maybe you became interested in gold mining during the pandemic, or maybe you have been thinking about doing it for some time now?
Whatever the case, if you want to go gold mining, you need to become accustomed to some of the basic and maybe more advanced equipment options. We’ve put together this short guide to introduce you to some gold mining tools you might want to use.
So, without further ado, let’s jump into this beginner’s guide to gold mining equipment, and hope you “strike it lucky” as the Brits would say! We’ll start with the traditional mining tools used for placer mining.
Table of Contents
Gold Pan
A gold pan should be one of your first gold mining gear considerations when starting out. It’s a simplistic piece of equipment and cheap, but tried and tested for success over the years. And now might be the perfect time to use this simple tool, given the price of gold is set to rise due to big inflation!
Just make sure to pick a color like blue or green. The reason for this is you will have good contrast between the pan and the rocks and potential gold that you may find in there.
Shovel
Another simple tool you will need when mining for gold is a shovel. A number 2 blade shovel is always a good option.
You can opt for a cheap shovel if you are on a low budget. We recommend that you get the most durable option you can find so it’ll last you a lifetime.
Classifier
Classifiers are basic screens that help you separate the larger stones from the finer material you wish to pan. There are different sizes for wet and dry material which you can learn about later down the line.
To begin with, we recommend you get a half-inch classifier for panning dry material. For wet material, you can go for a quarter-inch classifier.
Large Bucket
An ideal size bucket for gold placer mining on your own is about five gallons. These are super cheap down at local hardware stores.
You may even be able to grab a free one from a friend. You use this bucket when you classify large amounts of material.
Advanced Gold Mining Equipment Options
Now we take a look at some next-level gold mining gear options. These are optional but should help you find any gold lying around much quicker!
The first piece of equipment you could get is a gold high banker. With a powered gold high banker, you can shift a lot more material in a shorter timeframe when you’re mining for gold. To find out more about this type of equipment, check out sunnymountain.net.
You may also want a gold detector. These are helpful when you start out as they can indicate the potential for gold in a specific spot when you don’t know what good prospecting areas look like.
Get Into Gold Mining
Gold mining is fun, gets you outdoors, and connects you to our nation’s gold mining heritage. Plus, there’s always the potential of hitting the jackpot!
Get loads more free advice on many topics like this by checking out our blog.
