Cold Weather Detecting

[Bell-Two]

With the coming...or already here...cold weather a discussion of metal detecting in the very cold would be helpful for those that do not have the experience of much cold weather hunting.

1. How does the cold effect your detector?
2. Does the cold ground effect your signals?
3. How do you dig in ground that is semi-frozen?
4. Do you change your digging tool ie. small shovel as well as hand digger?
5. How do you dress properly, allowing for movement but warmth?
6. What type of gloves work best to keep you warm as well as dry?
7. Site selection, woods instead of open ground?
8. Head warmth while wearing ear phones?
9. What type of footwear for warmth without extreme weight?
10. What conditions do you feel preclude winter detecting?

There are probably many more questions that could be asked if you have any or suggestions we would like to hear of them.

 

[UtahRich]

I'll address one of these.


#9 - What type of footwear?

When I am hunting in the very cold weather, Depending on how cold it is, I typically wear insulated worktype boots or my Sorel's with some comfy wool socks. MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE STEEL TOE PROTECTORS IN YOUR BOOTS or everytime you swing the coil in front of your boots, you will pick them up.


Rich -

 

[Hotcz70]

With the coming...or already here...cold weather a discussion of metal detecting in the very cold would be helpful for those that do not have the experience of much cold weather hunting.

1. How does the cold effect your detector?
2. Does the cold ground effect your signals?
3. How do you dig in ground that is semi-frozen?
4. Do you change your digging tool ie. small shovel as well as hand digger?
5. How do you dress properly, allowing for movement but warmth?
6. What type of gloves work best to keep you warm as well as dry?
7. Site selection, woods instead of open ground?
8. Head warmth while wearing ear phones?
9. What type of footwear for warmth without extreme weight?
10. What conditions do you feel preclude winter detecting?

1) I feel the screen slows up some...but it's probably just my frozen imagination
2) No
3) I don't in parks because I don't want to damage the turf. The plug usually comes out in little clods and chunks...so it causes too much damage.
4) I use the original Lesche because of the sharp point to break through the initial frozen top layer.
5) 2 coats...2 pairs of sweatpants...$35 arctic gloves...stocking cap...headphones over stocking cap...hooded windbreaker over everything.
6) Arctic extreme cold condition work gloves
7) Mostly private property where the owner isn't concerned about some "loose" plugs as mentioned above.
Thin Stocking cap....headphones over said cap...then hooded windbreaker over the whole 9 yards
9) My Harley boots
10) Once the ground freezes to about the 4" level....I'm done

 

[Dave-IL]

The first hunt I had with Bryce when he was teaching me to use the Se I forgot I had on my steel toed boots on and it was a nightmare. It then got worse when I forgot to switch the probe off. When the probe was off I was picking up my workboots and when it was on I was picking up the coins in my pocket. I didn't find much until we figired those two problems out...lol.

 

[dmitchstevens]

#8 balcava