CAMPING & METAL DETECTORS

If you've camped with children of any age, you've probably been faced with the dilemma of finding outdoor activities that are fun, easy, entertaining, and inexpensive.  What makes a family trip attractive, adventurous, or potentially memorable for one, doesn't hold true for the next; especially when you are battling age gaps.  Bikes are great if you have the packing space and a safe place to ride.  Board games and puzzles usually don't survive the great outdoors. Getting everyone to put down their phones is a chore in itself! Stop fighting the fight!  The solution has been found...and its called a metal detector. Who wants to sit around the campfire and tell their own real-life tale of discovering treasure? I DO!

Based on my own experience, you are probably thinking to yourself, "How much are those things anyways? Expensive right?"  Wrong! You can find plenty of detectors that work just fine for $40-$100. The first detectors my own children owned were about $15 each. They were so basic, emitting the same beep whether the treasure was a quarter or a soda can.  But they really worked, and my kids were ecstatic. Many hours were spent beach combing for coins and jewelry left behind in the easy to dig sand. They were compact enough to travel with and even accompanied us to the Dominican Republic. The locals watched in amazement as my then 7-year-old found more money in an hour, then many of them regularly earned for a day of manual labor. Whether it was a gesture of compassion, or the opportunity for financial gain, my son actually sold his "toy" detector to one very old gentleman on our last day of vacation. Valued by one, but invaluable to another. If I remember right, he used his profit on an upgraded detector.

1805 draped large cent found within 5 minutes in a corn field

Again, speaking from experience... never discount the appeal of treasure hunting to any age. In fact, do yourself the favor and acquire multiple affordable units from the get-go.  After a person experiences their "first find", sharing ceases to exist. Don't subject yourself to watching a 5-year-old and a 50-year-old throwing similar hissy fits after treasure is found when it was supposed to be their turn five minutes ago.

Searching independently, but within earshot of each other, promotes a sort of friendly competition.... and eliminates pushing/shoving.  I immediately want to retract this knowing that by the 20th time I've dropped everything and ran over to the area of someone wailing "GOT SOMETHING" only to discover they've unearthed another old bottle cap. Two people taking turns while one detects and the other digs also usually results in arguments over ownership of the treasure found, and if you only one thing...just saying. 

Rhode Island beach finds

Young children delight in finding absolutely anything, so whether you secretly pre-plant some pennies or a matchbox car, it's all as good to them. Preteens/teens know the value of money, so cold hard coin is always cool to find. Watches, sunglasses and jewelry can convince them quickly to continue the hobby. Before they know it, they are hooked... and then they get their friends hooked. And they are outside!! I do recommend finding a trusted pawn/jewelry shop that will provide fair trades/sales. Adults? I've found more jewelry that I could wear on ten hands, but I never can bring myself to get rid of it.  I have returned many items to owners and given a few as gifts once cleaned up, but usually I just spend the usable change and hoard the rest to show it off to interested parties.

The good news is that hobbyist metal detectors are now pretty affordable, built lightweight, with easy features and factory settings which target items like coins and jewelry. National Geographic has a very popular junior model and This Bounty Hunter model (and often on sale) is one of the most popular on Amazon. This Bounty Hunter model is a great choice and still under $90 on sale.(https://amzn.to/3iNNbZR)  Peek at the metal detector category on the B4B Amazon Storefront to see which detectors are affordable and highly reviewed. https://a.co/1B6dwtJ

After some experience, you may want to experiment with other features which discriminate against junk. Normally, detectors give off different tones for different metals like gold, iron, tin etc. and you learn what is what quickly.  I'm too paranoid, so I still dig 99% of tones up if it sounds even remotely like a good hit. What is worth noting is that I've compared finds that I've made with a $75 metal detector against a $500 detector, and they were very much the same. I don't really want to dig 5 feet down, or wear a scuba suit to detect. So, despite the fact I could at any time use my own treasures to invest in a bigger/better unit, there's no need.  I find plenty with what I have. Don't waste money on features you won't use.

Purchase a set of headphones (especially for use at beach), an apron (for treasures AND garbage), and a digging apparatus or two (depending on soil type).  I prefer some DIY tools to store bought. When I first started, I used a small planting shovel and a colander both from the Dollar Store...and it worked fine. Later, I made a handheld sand scoop (pictured, or look here to purchase similar) by drilling holes into a grain scoop. Some people glue a magnet to the bottom inside as well.  Many people invest in a pinpoint locator, but I don't own one. If you enjoy the hobby, invest in what makes it easier for you to enjoy. Search tag sales and Facebook marketplace for your items. You can get some unbelievable deals.

There's really no limit to where you can detect. Respect private properties and prohibited lands.  It only takes a minute to ask permission if you are unsure. Start at your campsites and the areas around them (Unfortunately, you'll find trash irresponsible campers have left behind). State parks, recreation fields, forests, beaches, fields, ski areas, golf courses, farmland are all great spaces. Starting young children off in areas that is easier to detect/dig items (like a beach) will give you a far better chance that they will like/continue the hobby.  Trudging through the woods to an old, abandoned property should be left to adults. **TIP** When treasure hunting in the woods, move your detector along the base of stone walls and around the very large trees that surround the property.  Early settlers often hid valuables in these places.

I hope you find metal detecting as enjoyable as I have through the years.  It gets the family outdoors and you really never know what you may find.  It's the perfect complement to camping and honestly, I've spent much more money on items that I use far less.  I have been fortunate to find enough treasures that my machines have paid for themselves many times over.  Wouldn't you like to sit around a campfire showing each other the treasures you've each unearthed that day?  ...and actually have the proof of your adventure!

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Great metal detecting finds:

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WHITTLE A LITTLE

I'm not sure if my parents even actually knew that we girls had our own jackknifes; even I can't remember where we got them. My guess is that we inherited these "dangerous" weapons from our Vermont male cousins. The same cousin that once whittled an arrow so sleek and fast, that like lightning it shot clear across our town sandpit... and struck me smack in the corner of my eye. I inexplicably survived, but his prized homemade bow did not. He smashed it over his knee mere minutes after the misguided missile hit its unintended target. Inevitably, its fate would have been similar after us six scared cousins (one with a sharpened stick extending off their face) trekked our way back home already knowing that our grand (half-truth) explanation would most probably NOT be believed by my father. One of the few things we were right about as kids.

I never ever remember any of us whittling anything else besides arrows. No whistles, no animal shapes, not even one small carving worthy of sitting on the window sill. The satisfaction and gratification of taking a hand picked rough stick and transforming it a smooth piece of pure art was good enough for us. We probably could have outfitted every student at Hogwarts Scool of Witchcraft and Wizardry with our mystical sharp wands.

Reflecting now, I realize the true skill we were mastering during those whittling sessions, was the art of conversation.  Brilliant insights, teasing banter, heated debates, and boastful achievements flowed effortlessly between us.  Its almost as if those sticks actually were performing magic of their own.

When you whittle, you let your guard down. At first, your concentration is on that which is in front of you. Your hands quickly master the repetitive dance across the stick and then your mind relaxes. Then the words of wisdom start to spill forth from your mouth. OK, often not wisdom. And more often than not, you'll talk about stuff that you won't want to remember past the next day (especially if there's adult beverages around). Another great thing about whittling (especially with kids) is when you have a knife in one hand, and a stick in the other, there's no room for a cell phone. Unless your whittling yourself a selfie stick. We can definitely make an exception for that.

So, let's cover a few basic tips for beginners:

1. Get a pocket knife.  You aren't aiming to create a masterpiece yet, so a basic multi-blade pocket knife is all you need.  Keep the blades sharp and you'll be just fine. You can find a "How to sharpen a knife" video here. There's no need to spend a lot of money on this...Keep an eye out at local tag sales.

2. Find a branch/twig.  You want soft wood, like pine. Later, you can try Balsa or Basswood. Start simple, make an arrow or a drumstick. Once you've mastered that, select thicker branches and carve a utensil set, or at least a knife to impress your friends.

3. Whittle.  Start with the basic sweeping straight rough cut to give your piece a general shape. Keep with the grain. Then progress to the pull and push strokes to detail the piece.  These cuts give you the best control over the knife.  Other types of cuts may come into play and you can learn how to master four basic cuts in this video.


Its that simple. I wish I would've remembered this when my kids stopped being happy to see me volunteering at their school each day, and became secretive and moody prepubescent teens.  Instead of primordial groans with a few "none of your business" comments mixed in, I could have saved myself a whole lot of time and effort. I opted instead for more then a few gray hairs/sleepless nights whilst contemplating the meaning of motherhood.  My now adult kids are lucky I didn't have the thought of whittling up a big ol' paddle stick! I can chuckle at those memories present day.  Or is it that I suspect some day soon enough, they will have offspring of their own?  I'm torn between stockpiling jackknives/twigs or letting them learn parenting on their own... "cue evil laugh".