Backpacks The Question .....

Backpacks

Backpacks the question is do you need one! Ok lets look at why would you need one. If you had to walk any kind of distance this is where the pack comes into it’s own. Alas the days of pulling up in your vehicle right on the spot you want to work are long gone. It has now become part of the course if you want good gold you must go to where others don’t it is as simple as that. At most times you can put most of your gear in the pack and only be carrying the Banjo and shovel. I have seen guys with so much gear they need a truck not a pack. It is good to have a lot of gear with you but it is bad if you have to do a few trips into your chosen area just to get working then at days end to do the same on the way out. I can tell you the spot you were working will never see you again operating in that fashion. Always remember the kiss principle and keep it simple. Here you must give great consideration to the size and weight of your motor and pump, I have a little Oleo-Mac motor and pump which weighs 3 kg all up an runs at 7 db. This fits very nicely into my 85 kg litre pack. Exploration would be the next key, you must spend time exploring and testing the area you have in mind before you go to the trouble of taking all your gear in. this will supply you with the information on just what you need to take in, for example hose lengths what tracks to take extra.
cheers
james 101


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JB 2011

85 KG !! holy crap how do you move? :-0)

Slowly and with very deep foot prints, Hey that's James's tell sign!
I think it's time for the posty bike James.
Cheers~Chris.

The pack holds 85 litre but all up the weight I Carry is much less. A 3 kg motor & pump, a few short lengths of lay flat, pick up hose, gold pans, fuel a bit of tucker, and a few odds and ends. Now a posty bike oh man I wish but I would never get any where near the spots I venture into. It’s just too rough! But the gold is good ….. grin.

So not even the deep foot prints will give you away! I thought we were on to something too?
I mis the shoveling dirt in a sluice box, so tranquil when you stop for a breather. I would imagine when you do have a break the pump would have to be shut down fairly spot on?
Cheers~Chris.

Bugger I made a mistake I put 85 kg it should have been 85 litre not kg the packs a bit old and hard to read the tag, oh well them are the breaks. Spot on Someday there is nothing like it. Cheers mate

Classic, Not taking the ike but I'm pretty sure 85 Liters will be the same as 85 Kg, thou I think you were just messing with us! Sorry James.

Mate after a bit of walking it feels a lot heavier than 85 kg

You mean on the way back! With all that extra Gold weighing you down? Yep life can be a b#tch, but some one has to do it. Happy Days!
Cheers.

I wish ....

85 Litres .... Ahhhh that makes me feel better. Thanks James! I don't think even our soldiers in full combat gear would not be getting near that weight unless they were carrying a big Taliban removal device. If it was a big nugget I am sure you would manage it though! To fit it all into an 85KG pack you must be very well organised. Nothing you don't need and everything in its place. A good model for the mobile prospector.

Hey James,

Yep a postie bike can only go into some areas but have you ever thought of getting a quad. These little babies are great on the rough terrain, the rougher the better. plus, with they can be loaded up big time with extra gear.

I get the feeling where Jame's goes, only a person on foot would be able to arrive at his chosen destination!
I wouldn't be to surprised if ropes were also included in his pack pack?

Hence if you want to find gold in good quantity, go to the spots where 99% of people would never attempt to go! Thanks to the government's wonderful land management!
Which, on that note can be a good thing.

Cheers~Chris.

someday

someday wrote:I get the feeling where Jame's goes, only a person on foot would be able to arrive at his chosen destination!
I wouldn't be to surprised if ropes were also included in his pack pack?

Hence if you want to find gold in good quantity, go to the spots where 99% of people would never attempt to go! Thanks to the government's wonderful land management!
Which, on that note can be a good thing.

Cheers~Chris.

Spot on Chris mate. I will give advice & yack on just about anything in regards to wet water prospecting. But then there are a few points on prospecting and places I have never nor will I ever talk about. I think you know what I mean. cheers mate

xenon wrote:Hey James,

Yep a postie bike can only go into some areas but have you ever thought of getting a quad. These little babies are great on the rough terrain, the rougher the better. plus, with they can be loaded up big time with extra gear.

Xenon mate the country is just too rough for a quad. Cheers mate

Sorry about that Jame's. "I see nufing" "I hear nufing" "I no nufing".
Cheers from not someday, yeh right!

James 101 wrote:Backpacks

Backpacks the question is do you need one! Ok lets look at why would you need one. If you had to walk any kind of distance this is where the pack comes into it’s own. Alas the days of pulling up in your vehicle right on the spot you want to work are long gone. It has now become part of the course if you want good gold you must go to where others don’t it is as simple as that. At most times you can put most of your gear in the pack and only be carrying the Banjo and shovel. I have seen guys with so much gear they need a truck not a pack. It is good to have a lot of gear with you but it is bad if you have to do a few trips into your chosen area just to get working then at days end to do the same on the way out. I can tell you the spot you were working will never see you again operating in that fashion. Always remember the kiss principle and keep it simple. Here you must give great consideration to the size and weight of your motor and pump, I have a little Oleo-Mac motor and pump which weighs 3 kg all up an runs at 7 db. This fits very nicely into my 85 kg litre pack. Exploration would be the next key, you must spend time exploring and testing the area you have in mind before you go to the trouble of taking all your gear in. this will supply you with the information on just what you need to take in, for example hose lengths what tracks to take extra.
cheers
james 101


I withhold permission for this article to be cut and pasted or duplicated onto any other web site. The reproduction of this account must include the attribution of authorship and the associated copyright notice which follows the account. You may not modify, alter, add to, adapt, edit, abridge, condense or repackage this account without the written permission of the author.
JB 2011

Thought I'd add my 2-cents worth, my pack below. (I do have a separate, smaller pack for when I'm exploring new areas, and not all of this gear is necessary to carry)




Caribee Thunder Bay (85L) Backpack
Contents:
Garrett 15” Super Sluice pan (test panning & final clean up)
Black plastic pan, large (used at the bottom of Banjo to catch any blow-outs)
Sieve
Fold up stool
Pump suction hose
1 x 10mts & 20mts 1.5’ hose
Camo hootchie (rainy days, concealment of gear o'night)
2 Lt drinking water
1 Lt fuel for pump
Crevicing tools
Gerber folding bone saw (foliage trimming)
Para cord
Small container containing spare screws, nuts, bolts
2 x sucker bottles
Multi-tool
Hexamine stove, Kidney cup mess tin
Coffee, sugar, tube sweetened condensed milk (yum!)
Various snacks and lunch.
Survival tin, space blanket, flint and steel
Small first aid kit
GPS, phone, map, UHF radio
Zippy ties – various sizes
Duct tape
Notebook and pencil
Half bog roll (ya just never know!)
.45 Colt (opps, wrong forum!)

Half bog roll Yes most important indeed. Mate your pack holds as much as mine and mate do they save some walking.

This is my pack with detector included.

[img][/img]

jamie

jarrahrules wrote:
This is my pack with detector included.

[img][/img]

jamie

Nice!