Gold Panning Equipment

The classic tool. Most beginners start with a 14-inch plastic pan with riffles on one side and a smooth surface on the other. Riffles help trap heavy material during the initial wash.

A classifier is a sieve that removes large rocks and gravel before panning. A 1/4-inch or 1/8-inch mesh is standard. This speeds up panning and reduces arm fatigue.

A small plastic bottle with a pointed tip used to suck up visible gold flakes from your pan. It is far more precise than tweezers and keeps fine gold from blowing away.

A small glass or plastic vial with a secure cap stores your gold safely. Some prospectors add a few drops of water to keep fine gold from floating.

Alaska gold is often very fine. A 10x loupe helps you confirm that yellow speck is actually gold and not mica or pyrite (fool's gold).

A long-handled tool like a screwdriver or specialized crevice pick helps dig packed gravel from bedrock cracks, one of the best places to find concentrated gold.

A 5-gallon bucket is useful for carrying pay dirt, classifying material, and transporting water if you are panning away from the stream edge.

Alaska streams are cold, even in summer. Wear quick-dry pants, waterproof boots or waders with felt or rubber soles, and layered clothing. Neoprene gloves help keep hands warm.