10 Metal Detecting Tips That You Must Know

From years of metal detecting, this is a list of ten metal detecting tips that you must know. These have made metal detecting successful in my years of prospecting.

1. Check the weather

If it’s going to rain or snow, you may want to postpone your treasure hunt as most metal detectors can be harmed by bad weather conditions. If it’s going to be insanely hot, then you can take cool clothing, drinks, and have a plan if it gets too much.

2. Dress to impress the locals

Okay, it’s not necessary to impress anyone. But dress for local conditions. If you’re going to Australia, wear good boots to prevent snake bites – I learnt this the hard way. On the other hand, if you are going to Ireland, wear something very warm even if it’s summer.

3. Take lots of water

You’ll need twice as much as you think. When it’s a hot day, go even further and have reserves that you don’t expect to use. If your vehicle breaks down, or there’s some emergency, you need all the water you can get.

For every hour detecting, you need at least 1/4 of a gallon of water (1 Litre). But take 1/2 gallon per hour instead. And have a reservoir of water permanently in your vehicle for any emergency.

4. Take spare batteries for your metal detector

Nothing worse than being on location, getting in the swing of things, detecting like crazy, and then running out of battery power. It has happened to me more than once, and so I had to come up with not only a Plan B (spare batteries) but also Plan C (a charger connected to the truck).

5. What you pay is what you get

Buy the best metal detector you can afford. The better your equipment, the better chances are that you find treasure and keep the momentum going. Better to get excellent brand used equipment than buy a cheap low-spec detector. And when you buy a metal detector, learn how to keep it accurate.

6. Keep gaining knowledge

You only have to learn one small thing each time that you’re metal detecting. This really adds up over a long time. It might be learning something about the settings on your detector. It could be about the terrain you’re exploring. It might be about what other people have tried on YouTube.

7. Stay longer

Sometimes things go really well. So it’s a shame if you have to tuck tail and stop your treasure hunt because you didn’t plan to stay longer. Remember that treasure hunting is much about patience and having a treasure hunting technique. Consider buying a tent and camping equipment and spending more time onsite so you can get the most out of your hunt.

8. Check the law

All countries have different laws about metal detecting. Some U.S. states have different laws about metal detecting. Some beaches have different rules. Once you know them, it gives you more confidence to keep going.

9. Know when to stop

If you don’t find anything after really looking hard, then move on. The area might have been run over by everyone under the sun, so there’s just nothing there. So know when to call it quits and move on to a better spot.

10. Find your own patch

Treasure hunt where there’s no one else. No need to get into a situation where everyone is crowding out everyone else in their hunting. There’s always favorable times to go and search a beach or a field, or days when there’s going to be no one around. So choose those days.