Winter Prospecting/Sluicing Gear?

[Prospector70]

Hello fellow gold junkies!

What kind of winter gear do you use for getting into the creeks and rivers in the dead of winter?

What do I have to watch out for (other than falling in) during the winter sluice? Do you need to V off the front of the sluice to avoid ice chunks like you do with leaves and moss?

I was out sluicing last weekend and met this guy guy with some bad to the bone panning gloves that came up to his armpits. Brilliant! I'll have to get some of those.
I have some neoprene waders and that has worked pretty good so far. Should have gotten them a lot sooner as getting in the car without sandy sneakers is FREAKING AWESOME (not to mention staying dry and not dipping my butt in the river while hypnotized by the gold)! but I haven't been out in the snow with them yet.

Any other pointers for winter prospecting?
Thanks!

 

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[mxer47]

Wool insulates wet or dry. Keep fire starter incase you do fall in. A magnesium strip starter and dryer lint in a ziplock bag works good.

 

[Fullpan]

Depending on the location,(permits, regulations, restrictions, proximity to rubber-neckers, Waco-enviros, and "the man") its wise to keep a small fire burning, smouldering nearby while working. Especially if alone, the minutes saved building a fire, after a mishap, could make a BIG difference.

 

[Fullpan]

Kevin - I'm sadly stuck in the 60's when we had the freedom to act free, lol

 

[Fullpan]

I miss the smells and sights of a the neighbors burning their yard leaves in the fall. Seems like it was on another planet.

 

[kazcoro]

And now, big brother is watching.....

 

[mcordell]

Good gear is a must, but work smart. Stay dry, work out of the water. Remember you're doing 95% of your work out of the water. Only boot deep & use a stick to work your sluice not your fingers. Dry is the key. Did I forget the Schnapps?

 

[mytimetoshine]

Just ordered my first piece of winter gear. Chest waders!

 

[SpaceJunk]

I usually wear a pair of latex or nitrile gloves under my work gloves. I find my hands stay warmer and drier during the day.

 

[Hoser John]

Good quality chest waders from Hodgman with the new style microfiber boots that STICK TO SLIPPERY SLIMY SURFACES. Best a the best and warm also. Then wetsuits and/or wetsuit heaters. Warming tents are a ez do just throw in a propane heater and toasty warm in a couple a minutes and good to go again or simply run that truck heater a bit to warm them ol'bones--John

 

[mytimetoshine]

Just got my waders in the mail from Cabelas! They fit great and feel comfortable. Now i got to go out and put them to the test! Also ordered a gold and sand hand dredge. Oh yea! #getsomegold!

 

[63bkpkr]

Staying warm

A 30 gallon cook pot simmering day and night of chicken bullion. You can drink it, warm you hands in it, stand close to it to warm up and add some vegetables to it for a change of flavor every now and then.

In Boy Scouts back in Michigan we did a winter trek, the scout master built a sledge and the troop members pulled it over/through the course. At the finish line they had several of the 30 gallon pots full of HOT chicken bullion and that stuff tasted like a five course chicken dinner prepared by the finest French Chefs. Admittedly we only had five or six cups of it and did not live off of it for weeks on end but it was a welcomed finish to the day.

In winter conditions, Sweating is a SIN! Wear layers. As you warm up remove layers or at least open up the garment. The harder you work the more you need to remove your clothes. As soon as you stop burning all that energy, btu's, start re-layering to prevent chilling. I've cross country skied with a full backpack in the Sierras for several years so I've had the opportunity to test out the above comments. Before I learned the LAW, given in the first sentence, I was one unhappy fella! Wool is good as it will keep you warmer even if it is wet. Choose your clothing to fit the type of energy burn you will be doing. Heavy work light layers. Light work heavier layers.

On one of the early ski/backpack trips I committed the sin! The moment I stopped moving, the winds blowing over the ridge line we were on started wicking the moisture from my clothing and my body heat was taken along with the moisture. In mere seconds I was shaking. With the tent finally up my finger dexterity was nearly gone. I climbed into my sleeping bag fully clothed and shook and shook till I got just warm enough to fall asleep. Sometime later I awoke to the feeling that I was on fire, I'd overheated and was sweating profusely. Worse yet I needed to use the facilities, holding onto a pine tree to keep from being blown over while trying to relieve yourself, having snow blowing into your face and everything that is exposed and trying to Not use your pants as a 'catch container' is best done while dry!

Winter conditions cause any mistake one makes to be multiplied many fold so that the time left between the situation going critical before a solution to the problem is activated becomes really short. Hypothermia will kill you very quickly!......................................63bkpkr

Cotton sucks up sweat and holds it - do not wear cotton!
Polyester undershirts and shorts, top shirts and pants only hold body odor
Goose Down is useless when it is wet

Some types of Man Made insulation are better than others, get the best! It is all plastic so it burns really hot and sticks to you so don't let it start burning. (if it burns and if it sticks to you and you try to take it off it will pull your skin off. cool it with water, let the water get under it and only after the water has gotten under it should you even attempt to get it off. If it still pulls the skin off, leave it on and let the folks at the hospital take it off)

If your feet are cold put a warm dry hat on your head!!
If you are in snow wear sunglasses as the glare will burn your eyes.

IF you fall into the river do not let it carry you down stream! Waders fill up with water, an air bubble can be trapped around your feet so now your feet want to float. This puts your head under water and you drown. Like Hoser John stated you need your wader boots to stick to the rocks!!!!! This is sin #2, slippery boots are a sin.

If you want to stay alive, don't make a mistake in the winter as Ma Nature's temperament in the Winter Sucks, she's going to try to hurt you bad!