gold pan and sluice

Gold Panning Kit with Sluice Box

Gold Panning Kit with Sluice Box

gold panning and sluice boxWe love to combine our outdoor adventures, and what better way to do that than to head out prospecting or pan for gold when we are camped in the wild.

Gold has drawn in people for centuries and today is no different.

There is still plenty of gold out there.

You just have to find it…

What kit do you need for Gold Panning

In reality, all you need is a gold pan but if you have the room in your pack then bring along a small sluice box, a bucket and a folding shovel. Armed with these things you so be good to go.

We started prospecting a long time ago for fun ways to entertain ourselves when we camped out for more than a few days but nowadays we always bring at least a pan with us on every trip – just in case gold fever hits…

If there was just one make or kit I could go for it would have to be the Garrett Gold Pan Kit. This setup has everything you need to get started.

A nice large 14″ Gold Pan with the Garrett riffles for easy classification and gold collecting. These really do save you from firing gold out the end of your pan when trying to clean it.

A Smaller 10″ Gold pan is also included in the kit. This is great for sticking in your rucksack when you are tight on space but want to have a go at prospecting anyway.

There is a mesh classifier included in the kit and this fits nicely onto the top of a 5-gallon bucket for collecting your fine material. Pan for long enough and you will really appreciate this. Just remember to check through the larger gravel in case you have a big nugget hidden in there – don’t want to go throwing those out…

You get a small plastic sucker bottle which is great for collecting fine gold in from the pan. This comes in very handy when you are starting out because it saves you from losing gold when removing every last grain of black sand from the pan.

There are two glass gold collection jars included for holding all that wonderful colour. Fill one of these and you will be hooked on prospecting forever.

Portable Sluice Box

The next thing you need to consider is investing in a sluice box. Now we are not talking about anything too heavy duty here, but more of a lightweight model you can strap to your pack without weighing you down too much.

We really like this one from Royal. Now there is a compromise to using this piece of kit. It’s a bit heavier than the cheaper plastic sluice boxes you see advertised but you get a serious piece of kit for gold collection.

The Folding Backpack Sluice by Royal is ideal for the more serious prospector because you get the same quality and features of any larger professional sluice in a small compact form.

It folds up nicely so you can fit it into a backpack or if you have a 5-gallon bucket with you for classifying then it will fit neatly into that for transporting to your dig site or stream.

It also has a handy carrying strap if you just wanted to carry it over your shoulder as you hike.

It comes complete with rubber matting and miners moss already set up so you just have to find a stream and away you go. You will often see these particular sluices when you find a prospector because they are so handy and are pretty much indestructible.

All in one Gold Prospecting Kit

If you are looking to get your hands on a complete kit that has truly changed prospecting for beginners then you should take a look at the Nugget Bucket. This setup is everything you need to find gold that fits nicely into a supplied 5-gallon bucket.

Very different from traditional gold panning and sluicing it is designed as an all-in-one system to collect gold. Now, granted you still have to pan out the fine concentrates at the end but the collection system takes a lot of the work out of getting to this stage.

I particularly like the fact that everything fits into the bucket and its light enough to throw over my shoulder. Heck, you can even use it for a seat when you are finished and are showing off all that lovely gold you found…

If you bring kids out with you camping or bush crafting then this is a great family activity you can do to start explaining a bit about geology, prospecting, or just have a bit of family fun.

You get everything in the kit:

  • Gold collecting system
  • 2 classifying screens
  • Folding shovel and small spade
  • Gold sucker and glass gold vails
  • Good instructions

There are also a couple of great videos over on YouTube that show you how it all works and you can check them out below.

The first video is on how to use the Nugget Bucket. You will see how easy it is to get started and even the kids can have a go.

The second video goes into more detail on how to pan the concentrates to retrieve the gold. If you ever though to yourself “how does gold panning work” then this video alone is great because no matter what way you hunt for gold you are going to end up with a pan in your hand at some stage.

Final Thoughts

Have you a go-to piece of kit you use for prospecting and gold hunting. We are always interested in hearing our readers stories and if you travel lightweight and like gold hunting then let us know in the comments what kit you use and a bit about your experiences.

Happy Camping (and gold hunting)