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Rockhounding Precautions @ Jewel Info 4 U
By:
Ritika
Rockhounding is a term used to
describe people who like to collect
rocks and mineral samples directly
from their natural environment as a
hobby. There is enormous
satisfaction in digging through
miniature tracts of mountain land
and sift through all the rocks and
stones and mud to come up with
something of value. People have
found gemstones and beautiful
specimens which have led them to
pick up lapidary as a hobby along
with rock hounding.
But as with any other hobby or
sport, there are some precautions to
be kept in mind and this holds true
for rock hounding as well. It sounds
like an easy enough hobby - wear a
hat, take a hammer and start
looking; but it is not that simple
and you would be really foolish if
you went rock hounding minus
preparation and precautions.
Getting started
Well, the first thing you need is a
hammer. No! Not your regular nail
hammer, but a heavy duty rock
hammer. This is slightly different
in construction from a regular
hammer as in it has a flat head on
one end and a pick like point on the
other. The pick end is to pry stuck
bits and pieces of rock but don't
use it to break big rocks or it will
go blunt, the flat head is what you
use to hammer the rocks in to more
manageable sizes.
Your collection will start with that
first pretty rock you accidentally
stumbled upon and from then on
you're on a roll. Find local clubs
and groups that go rock hounding and
join up with them for fun friends
and information. Look up the
internet, visit libraries, read all
you can get on rock hounding. Learn
all there is about petrology i.e.
study of rocks and their formation,
mineralogy and even geology. Learn
about recognition and identification
of rocks and minerals - there is
really no point in being able to
spout geological facts and figures
if you cannot identify the rock you
see.
Things to know
Once you decide on the area you are
going to dig at, do some research
about it, the climate, the wildlife
and what you can expect. You don't
want to be caught on the wrong foot.
Read up on properties of minerals
like its crystal shape, hardness
factor, color etc and other rock
related information, you never know
when you may be holding what looks
like just another ordinary rock but
is actually a ruby.
It's very important to know your
colors because there are minerals
like quartz which come in a variety
of colors and you don't want to
throw away that purple colored rock
thinking its just plain old rock
now, do you?
Safety Precautions
There are some basic safety
precautions that you need to keep in
mind too. The first is to remember
not to undercut any kind of
embankment. There is danger of it
collapsing and you may get hurt.
Don't carry any more than is really
necessary or better still use a
leverage bar. Remember to wear
safety goggles while hammering
rocks. There are little pieces
flying everywhere and you don't want
your eyes to catch one of them.
Gloves are very important. Your
hands will not thank you for the
cuts, bruises, blisters and calluses
you pick up while rock hounding.
Find some which fit well and give
you a firm grip. Then find yourself
a nice good hard hat. Rocks have
this nasty habit of falling off when
you least expect it.
Even if you are out for just a day
carry loads of drinking water. You
can never get enough of water and
any going spare will help you clean
up a bit once you're done for the
day. Bug sprays, anti insect creams
- keep the whole lot with you. Out
there it is the wild and there are
sure to be insects you have never
even heard of. Take the right
precautions and you can come back
rock hounding the next day. Another
very important item is sunscreen.
The sun out in the open is strong
beating down relentlessly. Make sure
you get the highest SPF factor
suited to your skin type.
While you are digging around, keep a
sharp eye for scorpions and spiders
and other insects that hide in rocks
and mud. An inadvertent bite could
make you very sick or even prove
fatal. This is particularly true if
you are out digging in far-flung
remote areas where medical aid is
not easily accessed. Look out for
yellow jackets and wasps. If you see
a bee hive or hornet's nest keep
clear, but don't throw rocks at it.
You don't want to stir up a hornet's
nest. Yellow jackets can be observed
to see where they go so you can
avoid that area. Imagine picking up
a rock and finding a few thousand
really angry yellow jackets in your
face. Ouch!
Rattlesnakes love their rocks and
nooks and crannies so if you hear
rattlers, respect it and steer clear
of its territory. You can always
come back later if possible. They
are night creatures so wearing
proper laced up boots and jeans is a
must and keep your tent zipped
close. Catching a rattle snake is
not a good idea, you will definitely
get bitten.
Rattlesnakes can rise almost 4 to 5
feet up to hunt birds especially in
tall growth of brush or sage bushes,
so be very very alert. Yet another
handy hint about the rattlers is
that they swim, so watch out
especially if you have a passenger
on board your boat.
With all this information on insects
and snakes and what-have-you, it's
easy to understand that a well
stocked first-aid kit is very
essential too. Especially important
is to keep medication for allergies
like bee stings, bug bites etc. read
up about the plant growth so you can
tell if there are potentially
poisonous plants around especially
if you want to squat. Get some first
hand information on how to treat
plant stings etc.
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