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As a part of our trip to Alaska, we went on several adventures, including searching for gold. After our excursion, we purchased a gold panning kit and other equipment to grow our skills.
While we’ve yet to strike it rich, we’ve had a great time with our new hobby. If you want to try your luck, you must have the right gear.
Today, we’re sharing our favorite gold planning kits and why we love them. Let’s get started!
What Is Gold Panning?
Gold panning can be a recreational hobby and a career. It’s the act of searching for gold particles in riverbeds, streambeds, and other bodies of water. While many often think it only took place during the gold rush, there are plenty of wishful gold panners today.
Panning for gold involves scooping gravel and sand from the water into a specially designed pan. You then use various techniques to get heavier minerals to settle towards the bottom of the pan. With some luck, you’ll find a few specks of gold.
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it looks. Much like fishing, an experienced prospector can pan for gold all day and come up empty. Sometimes luck isn’t on your side. On the other hand, the opposite can also occur. The shimmer of gold at the bottom of a pan motivates many hopeful prospectors.
Is It Worth Panning for Gold?
Gold panning can be a fun and great way to spend time outdoors. Is it possible to make money? Absolutely. However, while many dream of making big bucks, that’s typically not the case. Just like slot machines and blackjack tables, you need luck on your side to hit the jackpot.
Many who enjoy the hobby aren’t doing it, thinking they’ll make millions. They enjoy the views, connect with nature, and make a few bucks. Sometimes the thrill of finding even a little gold can make it an enjoyable hobby.
Pro Tip: Ready to take your gold search to the next level? Try a gold dredging tour in Alaska!
Can You Pan for Gold Anywhere?
One mistake you don’t want to make is to think that you can go out and pan for gold just anywhere. Rules and regulations vary based on the location, and you must familiarize yourself with them before panning.
You also want to ensure you’re not on private property or land with an established claim. If caught, you could find yourself in a tense situation. Property owners and those who hold a gold claim don’t take too kindly to people coming onto their spots. Do research before heading out unless you want to be on the receiving end of a scolding.
National forests and other public lands have some opportunities for individuals to pan for gold. However, you must research the rules for each specific area. Depending on the location, you may need to acquire a permit or follow particular guidelines. You could end up on the wrong side of the law if you fail to do so.
Our Favorite Gold Panning Kit
We’ve found a couple of solid choices that we’ve been using to find gold. They’ve made learning and enjoying our new hobby easy for us. This is a great place to start if you want to join the fun.
Our Choice: Garrett Metal Detectors New Deluxe Gold Pan Kit
- These deluxe gold pans feature a 90° riffled design that ensures safe, sure, rapid gold recovery in wet or dry…
- All Garrett pans are lightweight, green for enhanced gold nugget visibility, and virtually indestructible.
The Garrett Metal Detectors Deluxe Gold Pan Kit is perfect for beginners. The riffles on the pans are slightly larger than other models, which means you won’t lose gold nearly as easily. Once you receive them, you have everything you need to start.
The kit includes a 15-inch super sluice pan, a 14-inch prospector pan, and a 10-inch backpacker pan. You’ll even get a pair of tweezers and two vials to store your gold haul. If you need help getting started, this kit comes with the book “Find an Ounce of Gold a Day” by Roy Lagal and access to videos to help you learn panning techniques.
These are the pans we’ve been using, and we love them. We may not have struck it rich, but we’ve found enough gold to pay for this kit. If you want to start finding gold, take the first step by grabbing this set.
Runner Up: Minelab PRO-Gold Gold Panning Kit
- PAN LIKE A PROFESSIONAL. Find gold the easy way with the high-quality PRO-GOLD Panning Kit. There’s no need to shop…
- PREMIUM PANS. Comes with 2 pans: A 15″ dual riffle pan with 3 zones for efficient recovery of gold using multiple…
We also purchased the Minelab PRO-Gold Gold Panning Kit. Like the previous kit, this comes with everything you need to start immediately. You get a trio of pans to help with sifting through raw materials and sorting out everything that’s gold. There are even a couple of plastic vials to help you hold onto any gold you find.
The kit comes with a Getting Started Guide that offers inside tips and tricks for making the most of your time panning. This is the kit that Jason uses and loves. It’s an excellent set for beginners. However, the pans do require a bit of breaking in. You’ll need to scrape them up to make them most effective.
Other Items You Will Need To Get Started
While you can purchase one of the kits and start panning, you should have a few other pieces of equipment. These can help you maximize your haul and time panning.
Shovel
With a sturdy blade and handle, this shovel can help excavate the earth, unearthing sediment. Potential treasures could be just below the surface. This shovel is lightweight, which makes it easy to carry. In addition, it’s tough enough to withstand the rugged riverbeds and streambanks.
- GOLD PANNING SHOVEL – ASR Outdoor steel shovel is an ideal tool for digging and scooping while gold prospecting for…
- HARD STEEL CONSTRUCTION – Round shovel head is made of durable, high-quality 45 HRC steel that will stand up to the test…
5 Gallon Bucket
Another item you will want to have on hand is a quality five-gallon bucket. In several instances, we didn’t feel like panning for gold at a particular time. Instead, we filled our buckets with concentrate from an area and sifted through it later when we had more energy or time.
Additionally, we’re frequently collecting unique rocks we want to bring home. This can allow us to decorate areas at home and use them as decorations to remember our adventures. However, you must be careful not to take too much, as rocks can be hefty. You’ll want to be picky if you’re worried about adding too much weight while traveling.
- BUILT TOUGH – Made with durable thick plastic to resist cracks, this large pail is designed to get the job done for…
- COMFORTABLE GRIP HANDLE – Equipped with an ergonomic plastic grip on a metal handle, you can go further without…
Paydirt for Practice
You may not live in an area where gold isn’t readily available. If so, you can hone your skills to prepare for your next adventure. You can purchase a bag of paydirt to practice on and grow your abilities. This way, you’re ready to hit the ground running when you can finally travel somewhere known for having gold.
- Made from 100% Colorado Placer Gold Mining Concentrates
- OVER the Guaranteed Minimum Gold Amounts in Every Bag – All Natural Gold!
Strike It Rich with the Right Gold Panning Kit
Having the right tools can help you succeed while panning for gold. While you can invest a fortune, you don’t have to. The kits we’ve shared are inexpensive and have everything you need to start. While we purchased some extra gear and equipment, our kits paid for themselves in the first few trips. Do you plan to give gold panning a try?
Last update on 2024-09-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
