Getting Started With Gold Panning

If you've decided to set out into the nearby wilderness and try to do some gold panning for the first time, then you want to make sure you have a god idea of how to go about things. By educating yourself on gold panning before you set out to do it, you can cut out some of that trial and error so you can hopefully find some gold in the bottom of your pan a little sooner. The information below will help you to get started on the right track. 

Choose your location wisely

If you have an area you can go on that's on your own private property or the private property of a friend that gives you permission, then this may be best. This way, you know you are going to be panning in a location that hasn't seen a lot of previous traffic. 

If you decide to venture out to another location, you want to first make sure that it's legal for you to pan there. You should also make sure getting to that location doesn't require you to travel for too long through a rough area. If so, you risk injuring yourself and you may have a hard time finding that same spot in the future. Look for a river or stream that has areas of water that move fast and other areas that move slowly.

While many people that gold pan will give you advice on what it is they look for in order to determine whether or not a spot is good, keep in mind that if there was really a way to determine the exact spot for gold, the gold from that spot would already be gone. Giving a spot a chance for a good length of time is the best way for you to find out whether or not it will pan out for you.

Begin your gold panning adventure

Once you choose a location you feel good with, you want to take your gold pan and fill it up about three-quarters of the way with gravel. Go to an area in the stream that's about 6 inches deep and that has slower moving water and fill the pan up with some water. Break up large clumps with your fingers so you're sure nothing is going to escape.

Swirl the water in the gold pan with it slightly tilted. Allow water and top layers of dirt to go out of the pan. Gold is heavy, so you won't lose it, the gold will work its way to the bottom of the pan while the lighter soil gets washed out. By the time you get to a small amount of leftover dirt, look carefully in the crevices of the pan and you may see gold. Remove it and put it in a jar for safe keeping and repeat the process!

For further assistance, contact a local mining supplies outlet, such as Sps Mining Supplies mining equipment.


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