Reprinted by permission at http://theweekendminer.com

THE WEEKEND MINER

Rediscovering American Mineral Resources

THOUGHTS FROM THE “OLD MINER”

Going Into the Field – or Desert – or Mountains, in Search of Your Interests

Part 2

Now that you have the basics from the first column – water, food, maps, compasses, matches, signaling devices and medical supplies – what else do you need.

Flares: Something I probably should have included in signaling devices was flares, but I always associate them with my vehicles emergency kit. I guess that is natural for “road flares”, which you see around damaged or distressed vehicles, which I always carry 3 to 6 of (the ones I have come in 3-packs). However, what I am referring to here are “signal flares”. There are two primary types that I use, both of which are projected. If hunting, I carry a few that can be fired from my 12 gauge shotgun, which really gives you a lot of altitude, but they aren’t very bright and can be confused for fireworks at a distance. The “flare-gun” type, with a longer barrel, gives more height than the “naval type” flare gun. I think this is important for use on land, as the higher you get the flare the further it can be seen and the less likely it is to fall back to earth while still burning and start a fire. If I am in a dry area that is a fire risk though, I usually leave the flares at home.

Auto Emergency Kit: I carry two kits in my vehicle when in the field. The first stays in it all of the time, the second is added for rock hunting excursions. The first, contains road flares (3 to 6); reflectors and small, wire reflector stands; fuses (a - collection of various old and new styles, with at least 2 of each amperage for my current vehicle), a roll each of black electrical tape and duct tape, jumper cables and a tow strap. The tow strap could probably pull an 18-wheeler out of a ditch. I had one part a few years back trying to pull a pickup out of a snow bank. You wouldn’t think a nylon strap would do much damage – but a part of the buckle punched a hole through my roof. It scared me pretty good and I swore that it wouldn’t happen again. It hasn’t. I do get a few “overkill” comments though. By the way, it is also great for towing fallen trees and other debris out of the road.

The second kit is used for off-road trips. I keep it in a plastic tub, which makes it easy to store in my garage and quick to get when I need it. It’s pretty simple; 4 quarts of oil, a quart of transmission fluid, an additional tow strap, a couple of heavy-duty rock climbing ropes, a military-issue entrenching tool, an auto tool kit, a small propane torch, a tire-patching kit, an electric tire pump, a can of compressed air, and a spare engine air filter and a spare cabin air filter. The cabin air filter is a relatively new thing on many cars. It is usually located under the hood, just below the windshield. It can get pretty dirty on off-road, especially desert, excursions. Most can be removed and the dirt blown out and reinstalled. Cleaning them makes it a lot more pleasant, both on the trip and afterwards.

Bicarbonate of Soda: Here is another item that could be included elsewhere, in with the medical emergency kit. The problem is the bottles I carry of Bicarbonate are too big to fit in the medical kit. I always carry at least an 8-ounce bottle or an old, plastic 250-count, vitamin bottle full. It is good for a “bad stomach”, making a paste to relieve insect bites and stings or neutralizing and acid wash before disposing of it.

Sunburn or Suntan Lotion: Bring lots, especially in the desert or mountains. Get about 10 SPF more than you think you need - in the long run you need more protection than you think at the time.

Hard Hat: Speaking of things coming down, you need protection from falling stones and other items also. Always take head protection with you and use it wherever there is a rock higher than your head. The one I use, although I take a lot of kidding about it, is an old, oil field hard helmet. I like it because it has a nice wide brim, that doubles as sun protection. It’s different, it’s old, it’s beat up and it’s practical; much like yours truly.

Clothing: I can’t say much here. While we all wear what is comfortable and fits our individual tastes, a couple of areas are critical. Boots – Get a good, comfortable and durable pair. I happen to prefer a higher boot as it protects the ankles and gives you a little more snake protection. If your chaps or leggings ride up a little, it doesn’t leave your ankles exposed. Boots are probably one of the best areas to let yourself splurge a little in. Buy what you need, even if it is a little more; you won’t regret it later.

The other item I recommend is snake-proof pants. I guess I may be a little “viper-phobic”, but I have been hit three (3) times by snakes – twice by small rattlers and once by a very large Diamondback when I was digging around on the old AMT property (now Red Hawk), at Copper Creek (near Mission) Arizona. He hooked a fang in the lapped seam of my moose hide leather leggings and at one point curled around my leg. I still remember it vividly today. Both the snake and my blood pressure ended up the worst for wear that day. I emptied my .357 into it (3 “snake shot” rounds and 3 hollow points) and then reloaded before moving. My friends still kid me about it today; I picked up the nickname “Quick Draw”. I think I got less harassment because I hit the snake with all 3 hollow points and a lot of the “snake shot”; like I said, it was a big snake.

There are some really light and far more comfortable “snake-proof pants” available today, which I have a couple of pairs of. I still find myself wearing the hot, old leather pair though, if I am in an area of high snake-contact risk – I know they work. Sometimes that is enough to offset the discomfort.

Gloves: Gloves are another item whose importance is often overlooked. A good pair or two of leather or leather grip area gloves in your kit can make your activity less painful. This is especially true if you are working with sharp rocks or turn over a rock that happens to be the roof of a scorpion’s or spider’s home. A pair of heavy kitchen or rubber, electrical-type gloves allows you to handle samples suspected to be high in toxic elements like arsenic, selenium or tellurium, or to prepare samples in an acid wash.

“Leatherman”: I love my “belt toolbox” and, like my Swiss Army Knife, it goes with me everywhere. I got the first one from my brother-in-law who was a guide in Montana and have found it indispensable over the years. Besides, it sort of separates you from the yuppie crowd with their cell phones on their belt.

Extra Batteries: Take extra batteries for everything, especially GPS units, radios, metal detectors and cameras. Do the world a favor though, and carry your old ones back and dispose of them properly.

Binoculars: I always take a good pair of binoculars; if, for no other reason than watching the stars at night away from the bright lights of the city. They are also good for spotting coloration or strata lines at a distance and watching wild animals.

Digital Camera: Carry a good, high-mega pixel, digital camera with you, if you can afford one. While they are great for pictures of the group they can also be used to record photos of mineral formations you can’t move or even get to. A good zoom comes in handy when taking pictures of a formation across a ravine you can’t get across.

Also, when taking pictures of samples, put something of known size in the picture of the sample or formation. I have always use my pen – which has become a “bit famous”, having appeared, albeit uncredited, in at least 4 annual reports and more than 20 bankable feasibility studies.

Geiger Counter: I happen to own one, which was originally a gag gift from a friend of mine, now teaching in China. I think he had it, but didn’t want to take it with him, as the Chinese Authorities might have considered it suspicious.

This is not a critical item, but it is nice to carry if you have one. I carry it in my vehicle, even though it is rare to find dangerously radioactive mineral samples. I usually flip it on to check my sample box before taking it home or to check suspicious areas. It is one of those things all my friends like to borrow for the same reason. It only takes a few seconds to check their samples so one is fine for the whole group.

Construction Plastic: I think it is called visqueen, which a friend of mine, who is a building contractor, carries a big roll of it in his pickup. He uses it as temporary roofs and walls when building commercial buildings to protect the workers inside from rain or wind. It has saved a number of our trips, when it rained. We use one or both of my heavy duty climbing ropes to make a tent to wait out the storm. If trees are available, we use them. If not, we hook it to the roll bars or roof carriers of the two tallest vehicles. A lot of good camaraderie has taken place under that plastic and saved tips that would have otherwise been lost to the weather.

Old Carpet and Heavy Scissors or Shears: Pieces of old, preferably dark, carpet can make fair collectors of fine gold for a sluice. You can cut them to size, in advance, or bring a pair of heavy scissors or shears to cut the pieces to size in the field. Your friends will likely thank you if you take the second approach and cut the pieces to size at the site; who knows, they may be in need of some too.

Again I am beginning to carry on a bit too long, so I will cut it off here. By the way, I have not included the obvious in this list such as GPS units, metal detectors, rock hammers, and standard cameras. I am guessing that you will automatically include these. I would recommend your checklist cover everything you will use. If you group things and store them together in plastic tubs, packing is a snap. You do have to remember to replace the things you use however. I put red Christmas tape on the tubs from which things have been used, as a reminder.

You can always use the tubs you carry consumables in, as sample tubs for the trip back, so get extra heavy-duty ones for things like food. Your friend may consider you a bit extreme while unpacking, but probably a genius when packing for home. One major caution; wash these tubs thoroughly before using again. Some of the most common mineral forms are arsenates, and you don’t want arsenic getting into the food for your next trip.

If anyone has any “hints” they would like to share, send them in and we can make a third column from them. If you do, please include your name and group, so I can acknowledge the source.

Good hunting, good-bye for now and thanks for your time.