Pyrite, or iron pyrite, also known as fool’s gold, is an iron disulfide mineral containing iron and sulfur. The name fool’s gold comes from novice prospectors commonly mistaking it for gold. Pyrite has a brassy sheen, and unlike gold which Read more…
Historical Mining News of the Southwest Old newspaper clippings and mining journal reports from back issues of Desert Magazine. I’ve consolidated some snippets of historic mining activity that may help in your research of places to prospect for gold and Read more…
This post is a practical guide to help you understand how to read topographic maps. I’m also going to discuss how to use them both at home and in the field. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has created a Read more…
Online research tools to find gold How to find gold by doing some online area research. In this post, I’m going to outline the steps I use to research areas to find gold. By following the steps in this guide Read more…
Inventor of the First Aid Kit Robert Wood Johnson co-founder of Johnson & Johnson developed and released the first aid kit in 1888 to treat railroad construction workers, who, when injured, were often many miles from treatment. Soon after that, Read more…
Free camping on BLM lands This post is a guide to help you find places to park your RV, go boondocking and camp for free. What is Dispersed camping Called dispersed camping, most BLM lands (Bureau of Land Management) and Read more…
9 essential prospecting hand tools This is a listing of gold prospecting equipment hand tools for the most efficient removal of rock and ore samples. The idea here is to have a minimum number of tools that can do a Read more…
Every southwestern topic imaginable is contained in the back issues of The Desert Magazine. A huge archive of forgotten knowledge. Mining, prospecting, lost mines and much more. Free PDF downloads on my shop page. Enjoy The Desert Magazine of the Southwest
This section will briefly describe the Gila Monster and some of the southwest’s other venomous desert creatures. not to try and scare you, but rather to let you know what to be aware of in your desert travels. Gila Monster Read more…
First off you’re going to need a well built, rugged pack to carry your gold prospecting equipment and samples. So let’s start there. Here’s an overview of pack styles, sizing and fabrics most suitable for the prospector and desert explorer Read more…
