Bucket or tool belt

[Ricki7]

I carry a 5 gal bucket . Inside , a ziplock bag with batteries energy bar and a clean rag. Also in the bucket , pinpointer , snips , 18 inch lesche shovel ,
hand digger,a table spoon ,markers, knee pads and gloves. Most of the time I hunt the woods or beach. I mark 2 or 3 targets mark and then dig, most hunts last 3-5 hours .
I'm interested in what works for others, I watch a lot of videos and wonder about the guy in the woods with 2 little kids and flip flops finding silver . How these guys dig all day and not wear knee pads and not get their knees dirty. Let's hear some of your technique that scores treasure.
Good Luck to you.

 

[John-Edmonton]

I carry a pouch, sits on my right side from a should harness. I carry my digger, screwdriver, Pin pointer and my relic shovel when in the woods. I don't go on my knees, I just squat and stand. I get sore knees sometimes from too many knee bends, but it is fast and works for me.

 

[Ytcoinshooter]

Five gallon bucket? Your not alone but it's not me, my friend carries one with a home made screen cover for sifting. It's come in very handy. He places the trash in it and his digging tool. His pinpointer is on his belt. When I first met him I thought the bucket shtick was strange but it works for him. Since he digs nearly everything all that trash in the bucket has won him praise for "cleaning up" an area by passers by. I mainly use a commercially available relic bag with built in accommodations for my Lesche, pinpointer, probe, drop cloth, bug repellant and compartments for batteries and necessities. A small watertight pill bottle for silver coins or coppers, mace clipped to the bag complete that. Knee pads - always on land, my hips were both swapped out for bionic parts so I'm guarded with my knees.
HH - Bruce

 

[mudpuppy]

I depends upon where I'm hunting...I'd say for 90% of my dirt hunting, I'm running totlots and sportsfields, and never there for long or very far from the car...so I just wear this cheap carpenters apron and carry a screwdriver..sometimes theres a folding lockback knife in the pocket of it for any deeper targets I may have to cut through the sod to get at....if on the outside chance I'm working a construction site, I tuck my little trowel in through the apron like a sword, I just started carrying a small jewelers loupe recently, since I cant see the dates on coins anymore without it!

I dont wear kneepads at all ever...sometimes I will drop down on one knee to get a particularly deep target, and if the grass is wet or frosty, I will drop a glove there to kneel on so my pants dont get too wet...but mostly I stoop and stab with a wide legged stance, and my elbows rested on top of my legs just above the knee, back is nearly parallel to the ground....footwear is my main problem, shoes get soaked in wet grass quick, heavier shoes with higher tops or boots are just too danged uncomfortable...so I carry dry socks and spare shoes in the car, including a full change of clothes, heavier shirts, rain gear, etc.....I also carry all the needed gear in the car for whatever may come along...lots of empty plastic bags for trash and empty cans...wetsuit, waders, 2 scoops, 2 rigs, batteries, a machete, and sometimes this little boat just in case a guy needs to get someplace in it...

Mud

 

[dgruff]

One thing I have learned this summer, is go light. As light as possible. Got myself in a bind back when the temps were high 90's. Sometimes I have to walk 3/4 of a mile just to get to this one beach. It's downhill going in, so that's a breeze. But when you are hot and tired and having to walk back, it's all hugely uphill, lol. All I "try" to take is my detector, garrett pouch, pin pointer and screwdriver and whatever digging tool I decide to use. The Garrett pouch has a separate little pouch inside that put coins in. And I carry a knife with me everywhere I go, along with my magnifying glass that I've been carrying for the last 5 years (actually since I retired and no longer covered for vision insurance, lol).

 

[jim tn]

I hunt as light as possible. Cell phone and spare batteries in side pouch type pockets. Pro Pin Pointer in holster on a belt that also serves to carry a small holster for a screw driver if hunting spots where its more advantageous to use. I am old fashioned and still use a apron for trash and finds and use a knee pad on my left knee. The type and size of digger I carry depends on the site I am hunting and I carry it in my left hand along with a "dew rag" small towel. On hot days and long hunts I sometimes carry a small thermo bag with bottled water and stash it in the area I am hunting. HH jim tn

 

[togamac]

Since he digs nearly everything all that trash in the bucket has won him praise for "cleaning up" an area by passers by.

Great advertisement for the hobby! We could use more positive PR like that.

 

[Ricki7]

I can see how health , environment and tools determine how you hunt. The soils in the woods ( wny) have 1-1/2 inch of compost with tons of small roots to get through.
The Lake Erie shores are have a lot of stone and make sifting hard . I was a plumber and use to carrying a bucket of tools and digging . The biggest pain for me is protecting the headset on a hike through the woods and when I have to lay the AT down and dig. I dig all signals from mid 40's that repeat consistent and seem smaller. Are wireless head set in the future. I don't use the carry bag going to locations because I'm always checking trees and large rocks. One other thing I do is tape the wire close to the hand hold and run it through the arm rest strap, it helps from branches snagging the wire. I found I don't need my arm strapped and don't like undoing it every time I dig. Very interested in all your tips .
Good Luck

 

[fongu]

I used to carry an orange mop bucket around with me so I could find it when I walked off and my finds pouch, pro pointer, bottle of water in the mop bucket, digging tool, screwdriver and probe. Kneepads and gloves and I'm set. I keep spare set of clothes and shoes in the car and a towel, extra socks and underwear, flash light if I'm out late in the evening and spare bolts and batteries. Now I leave everything in the car I can and just carry the finds pouch, probe , screwdriver and digging tool if on land and just the finds pouch and scoop in the water with my detector. HH. Before I got my pro pointer, I carried a classifier on land to help speed up my recoveries in the woods and a small shovel. I carry a small home made sifter that works great and I'm going to put some cup hooks on it to hold my mask and snorkel when I carry them in the water, but not using them.

 

[xwyokid]

I mostly carry my, "stuff" in a small back pack. The Lesche and the pin pointer are on my belt. And a small fanny pack for the finds and trash.

 

[Canine]

I use a pouch that has two pockets: one for garbage and one for goodies. Along the outside are numerous loops for my screwdriver, Pro Pointer, etc. If I find something of great value, I stick it in my pocket. I also carry bear spray. The dog carries a small flashlight, but I rarely use that. Water, binoculars, spare batteries, etc., are in a back pack stay in the truck unless it takes a bit of a hike to get to my destination. If I take a shovel, I carry that in the opposite hand of the MD. I also have a pick and need to try a hammer loop and see if I like it. Knee pads are my friends.

 

[WaterWalker]

As a water detectorist, I do not carry may items on a belt or in the water. However we do pack the car with extras from batteries, scoops, clothing, tools, detector, you name it we probably have a backup. My belt in the water has tethers for the scoop and detector (for very rough surf), my two pocket treasure/trash bag has tethers for a plastic tube/cap for sharps and a carabiner for rings. That's it. Go prepared but you don't need to carry everything, depending on where you hunt. Not shown in the picture is the bag of extras sitting on the rear seat. The car was paced for a 3 person, 4 hour tide hunt 10 minutes form home. Even being so prepared I did make it to the water's edge one day before discovering I did no have my battery pack in the detector. I could have used the backup detector, but 15 minutes later I was home and back and in the water. Now I always check the detector before putting it into the car.

 

[Ricki7]

I like Muck boots with the smooth thread , easy to clean ,Warm ,Dry ( no laces). A lot of the hikers from area clubs recommend them. Higher ones for creeks.
My problem hunting the woods now is all the leaves stealing my tools.
I'll be getting some highly visible tape for the handles. Although the knee pads keep me dry most of the time I'm in the market for some duck back pants.
Keeping the car stocked with extras is smart, I have paid the price for forgetting the bug spray. I'm also going to get a longer shovel and try the tool belt style hunting for
Grass and fields . With this kind of weather a lot less people out , time to practice pinpointing and small hole technique
Tips always welcome thanks
Good Luck

 

[fongu]

You need to throw two or three more scoops and detectors in the back of your van, waterwalker. lol

As a water detectorist, I do not carry may items on a belt or in the water. However we do pack the car with extras from batteries, scoops, clothing, tools, detector, you name it we probably have a backup. My belt in the water has tethers for the scoop and detector (for very rough surf), my two pocket treasure/trash bag has tethers for a plastic tube/cap for sharps and a carabiner for rings. That's it. Go prepared but you don't need to carry everything, depending on where you hunt. Not shown in the picture is the bag of extras sitting on the rear seat. The car was paced for a 3 person, 4 hour tide hunt 10 minutes form home. Even being so prepared I did make it to the water's edge one day before discovering I did no have my battery pack in the detector. I could have used the backup detector, but 15 minutes later I was home and back and in the water. Now I always check the detector before putting it into the car.

 

[Ricki7]

I'm evolving, now carrying a craftsman tool bag , made the switch from the bucket because we used the 4 wheeler to get around the hills in Salamanca today.
We checked out some celler holes without any finds but trash , disappointed as we found a Indian cent on the last trip there. My wife did most of the detecting and
I was the digger. Today had to be one of the best days to be in the hills , best weather and great visibility we walked a lot as half way up is state land and ATV are not allowed.
Now that I think about it a Great Hunt.
Good Luck

 

[ohiochris]

I rarely ever hunt far from my car so I only use a homemade pouch with multiple pockets , my digger in a sheath on the same strap as the pouch , and the detector. No point in carrying anything else if I am within sight of the car.