Essential Gear

[MaritLage]

What equipment do you consider to be essential gear ?

 

If you had to make an emergency helicopter trip to a dig site , what would you have in your rucksack ?

[FranzBernhard]

Welcome to TFF from Austria!

 

Not a trivial question!

 

2 minutes ago, MaritLage said:

emergency helicopter trip to a dig site , what would you have in your rucksack

- It really depends on what else is in the helicopter.

- It depends on the type of dig site.

Just to name a two .

 

Franz Bernhard

 

[Kane]

What will be the conditions at this site?

What is the main material to be worked on?

 

You would have to tell us more.

I know I couldn't imagine taking an emergency helicopter to a dig site unless it was involved in a rescue operation. 

 

[Ludwigia]

5 hours ago, MaritLage said:

If you had to make an emergency helicopter trip to a dig site , what would you have in your rucksack ?

 

Sounds a little too theoretical to me unless your hubby got injured at the dig site and you hired the copter to get him out. Then I'd take a few bandaids in my rucksack if I were  you

[jpc]

An emergency helicopter to a dig site?  Wouldn't an emergency helicopter ride involve getting out of the dig site and to the hospital?  

[MaritLage]

wow all y·all have 0 imagination or appreciation for fantasy eh

 

Sa i think that if i got suddenly called to action for really any reason whatsoever , the first things i would grab would be my scrapers and my brushes .

 

my scrapers consist of anything i could make work , like dentist·s tools , crochet hooks , even cannabis pipe-cleaning tools (it·s legal here in Canada (home of the Allosaurus!)) 

 

while for brushes i find that makeup brushes tend to be super soft and lux , so whenever i·m brushing the dust off of cool plants that i transplanted or neat artifacts i find in abandoned factories it doesn·t damage whatever i find

 

and of course , as a Nun , i·ve always got my Habit . it·s a scarf when it·s cold , a parasol when it·s sunny , and not to mention is super fashionable

[Kane]

This is a science-based forum, not a fantasy or fashion site. 
 

We asked questions about the nature of the site since different tools are required pending the nature of the material. It would be folly to assume the same tools would be appropriate for all fossil sites.

[Ludwigia]

1 hour ago, MaritLage said:

and of course , as a Nun , i·ve always got my Habit .

 

Sorry, but I think you've signed into the wrong forum for your interests. I think the Vatikan has a website, doesn't it?

[MaritLage]

2 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

 

Sorry, but I think you've signed into the wrong forum for your interests. I think the Vatikan has a website, doesn't it?

 

as it is , so far it feels like i·ve landed on a deserted island full of distrustful people who are all playing their cards too close to their chests . 

 

i·m not sure why you should believe that Archeology and Catholocism were mutually exclusive , unless you had no idea what the difference between Christianity and Catholocism is . 

 

Catholics preserve artifacts . so , that aside , i came here to talk about Trilobites and how cool they are , and maybe learn a thing or two about good gear maintenance .

[Kane]

55 minutes ago, MaritLage said:

i came here to talk about Trilobites and how cool they are , and maybe learn a thing or two about good gear maintenance .

Then that would be a good start for a conversation instead of a hypothetical question involving "gear" in general and an emergency helicopter. You will note that some of our members here asked you followup questions for clarification, which you did not answer; instead, your reply began with an absolute statement accusing members of not having an imagination or not appreciating fantasy. Hopefully you can appreciate how such a reply could be interpreted as an insult, and largely based on an assumption with scant evidence. 

 

You will hopefully discover that we do not generally operate like conventional forms of social media. We are dedicated to the finding, collecting, preserving, preparing, study, and appreciation of all that pertains to fossils. 

 

So, let's start with your query about gear maintenance since we are in the subforum for collecting gear. What sort of gear do you mean? Do you mean by maintenance how to maintain certain types of hammers and chisels through proper care? We might be able to help if you provide a bit more specificity. Perhaps you are interested to know what type of collecting gear is optimal under certain collecting conditions, with particular types of material (for example, a sledgehammer is an appropriate tool for hard dolostone, whereas a brick hammer is better for fissile shales, or a sifter looking for teeth in the rivers of Florida). 

 

With respect to trilobites, I think you will find that there is a wealth of knowledge and connoisseurs of these lovely arthropods on this forum. 

[MaritLage]

what .

do .

you .

consider .

to be .

essential gear .

in your to-go kit .

 

i started with Scrapers and Brushes . 

we all use scrapers and brushes , right ?

so for instance

you might say

well , scrapers and brushes

and a picnic basket

or whatever you consider essential

 

come on people

it·s the rocks that are fossilized not ur brains

[FranzBernhard]

27 minutes ago, MaritLage said:

it·s the rocks that are fossilized not ur brains

I think, I am getting your humor .

Will start at the end of the journey: packing material.

Franz Bernhard

[Ludwigia]

1 hour ago, MaritLage said:

what .

do .

you .

consider .

to be .

essential gear .

in your to-go kit .

Geologists hammer, club hammer, sledge hammer, pry bar, pointy chisel, flat chisel, pen knife, camera, superglue, first aid kit, packing material.

[JohnJ]

Link

 

Link

 

Link

 

 

 

 

 

[MaritLage]

5 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

I think, I am getting your humor .

Will start at the end of the journey: packing material.

Franz Bernhard

see , this is why we keep u around 

 

also , literally speaking , that makes a lot of sense . see , i·m glad i asked before i left without my foam pellets and cloth scraps .

 

(i was treasure hunting today and found foam pellets and cloth scraps , which was handy , cos i also found some glass vases and a dusty angle grinder that i might be able to pull a motor out of)

 

4 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

Geologists hammer, club hammer, sledge hammer, pry bar, pointy chisel, flat chisel, pen knife, camera, superglue, first aid kit, packing material.

 

solid list , that·s exactly what i was looking for , thanks .

 

and the whole First Aid Kit . smart cookie .

 

three sizes of hammers , three types of chisels , three multi tools ... and first aid and packing . that makes sense .

[Jared C]

You may find that the attitude of the folks here is different from other forums, in that here is an oasis in the swamp of the internet where, due to the diligence of administrators and also a shared passion, there’s never drama or negativity. It’s a surreal experience jumping from a typical platform like TikTok or Reddit to here. What may sound like something that’s condescending in a more confrontational sector of the internet more often than not is innocent here 

[facehugger]

Walking stick is 100% my most valuable piece of equipment. 

[Paleorunner]

Some protective glasses for when we use certain tools, they are appreciated. 

 

On some occasions a helmet would not hurt, "but better not risk collecting in certain places" 

 

And the famous  Red Bull, to be able to reach inaccessible places. 

[MaritLage]

1 hour ago, Paleorunner said:

Some protective glasses for when we use certain tools, they are appreciated. 

 

also smart

 

So i was walking around today and found myself under the open sun . fortunately , i had my Habit to shield myself from the damaging radiation .

 

we Nuns do know a thing or two about the Great Outdoors , you know .

[FranzBernhard]

10 hours ago, facehugger said:

Walking stick is 100% my most valuable piece of equipment.

She don´t need to walk, she takes the helicopter .

Franz Bernhard

[Bobo Greybeard]

Something that most have probably not thought about , but I believe needs to be in every kit / vehicle is a first aid kit, with an additional "Stop Bleeding" kit and a CAT tournaquet.  Most of the places we go rather it is the mountains of Montana, the foothills of Oklahoma, the central Texas creeks and rivers or just about anywhere else is not what I would call close to medical aid.  Due to having to hike back to our vehicles or drive into town.

 

By a stop bleeding kit,  I mean basically an additional kit that is made to stop heavy blood loss.  You can bleed out in a matter of a couple of minutes.  You can make your own kit by picking a "Wound Treatment Kit" from Walmart, then add some additional gauze that has a "Blood Clotting Agent " embossed within it.  I would also get a C.A.T. Tournaquet to keep one in my kit and one in my vehicle.   

 

We work with a lot of "bladed" or pointy type tools.  You can go 25 years and never have even a stumble while fossil hunting.  Then one day you trip and fall and manage to put the pointy end of your Paleo hammer into your upper leg.   You must stop that blood flow or you will bleed out in a matter of minutes.  I was jumped by eight gang bangers when I was 21 and almost bled out from a head wound,  I had no idea it was happening to me as I was too busy trying to clean up and being mad about the ordeal.  I had to have 3 1/2 units of blood just to stablize .  I just remember being very mad and feeling like I was about to freeze to death.  The loss of blood was making me cold.

 

Happy Hunting to everyone and stay safe out there,

 

Bobo

[Stingray]

I carry a first aid kit with clotting gauze, 9MM Smith and Wesson and in the process of saving for a sat emergency beacon. Most places I hunt I’m in remote locations with no cell service and no hunting partner. Also water and an emergency straw for drinking unfiltered stream water and a fire starter. This is all packed before I even start on what tools I carry ,as others have said depends on the rock your working with. However rock hammer, assortment of chisel’s magnifying lens , paint brush. The. type of rock will add pry bars , shovels, screens, ETC. good luck hunting.

[Bobo Greybeard]

On 8/21/2022 at 10:28 PM, Stingray said:

 Also water and an emergency straw for drinking unfiltered stream water and a fire starter. 

 

Check out the Sawyer straw/filter system instead of a "Lifestraw".  They are rated at 100,000 gallons of use compared to I believe around a hundred gallons for the "Lifestraw".  They are I believe within about $10.00 of each other in price point.  Wally world carries both.  The Sawyer system is also a lot more versatile.  

 

Happy hunting,

Bobo