Arizona Gold Prospecting Hazards

My own personal opinion on prospecting is that almost every inch of the desert has been covered by the old timers.

Now, with that said, their technology was nothing like our technology now, so, I believe there’s still a lot of gold in Arizona and California and Nevada that’s yet to be found.

Arizona Gold Prospecting Hazards

Arizona gold prospecting area - Arizona Gold Prospecting Hazards

But, to find gold you have to go to really remote and isolated parts of the desert. Most times when we’re out gold prospecting we’re in locations where there is absolutely no cell phone coverage and usually just one dirt road in and out.

Therefore, it would be prudent upon weekend gold prospectors to think about their safety when planning their gold prospecting trips. Many times, here in Arizona I’ve been out in the Sonoran Desert with the temperatures well over 100 degrees! So, not only does the prospector have to be in shape, but, their equipment and vehicle should be in top shape as well. No prospector wants to end up stranded in the middle of nowhere.

So, besides all the basic safety gear such as a spare tire jack, air compressor, battery jumper and fully charged up cell phone. Naturally, I’d also bring plenty of water and a good first aid kit along with a modern snake bite kit.

Here are a few other items that you may wish to consider. The first one of these would be a good GPS with backcountry maps. Secondly, you might want to look into a satellite phone. There is also another satellite GPS emergency device that’s relatively inexpensive but, there is a yearly service fee involved. Lastly, and perhaps most common sense prospecting safety tip, is to plan your trips with another prospector who has a separate vehicle. Just in case one vehicle breaks down, you’ll still be able to get out.