Nothing puts a damper on a metal detecting vacation more than having to struggle to recover targets, the more time you spend trying to recover a target the more vacation metal detecting time you waste.
An investment in travel related recovery tools is something you should think about doing if you want to make the most of traveling to metal detect opportunities.
For beach hunters a travel scoop is an excellent option and my favorite travel scoop is in this photo, a Reillys two piece aluminum scoop with a stainless steel lip.
A stainless steel tip is attached to the front of the scoop basket to prevent the aluminum from buckling or tearing when digging along rocky shorelines.
An aluminum scoop is lighter and easier to transport than a heavier stainless steel scoop or stainless scoop basket and wood shaft, a carbon fiber two piece travel shaft is another option but an expensive option.
My favorite travel scoop checks all the boxes, it is lightweight, easy to transport, easy to set up and it can be used in sandy or rocky areas, it also probably costs less than the average two piece carbon fiber shaft designed for stainless steel scoop baskets.
In my line of work I travel frequently to metal detect and I take my own digging tools with me, in either a suitcase or a holdall type bag as checked baggage.
This photo is my modified rifle bag I take when traveling to detect inland giving me plenty of room for my long relic spade and smaller hand digging tools. I also have plenty of storage on the other side of the bag for my finds pouch, pin-pointer, spare batteries and search coils.
A canvas spade cover prevents damage to my travel bag from the relic spade, the PVC pipe holds and protects long lower metal detecting rods that will not fit in a normal size suitcase.
In my opinion, the cost of an extra checked equipment specific bag far outweighs the cost of not being able to recover a potential find of a lifetime at a site I have travelled by air or sea to search.
Before or after I return home I always clean my travel scoop and other target recovery tools ready for my next traveling adventure, this is very important when you own a travel scoop or any two piece shaft designed for traveling and metal detecting.
Sand and saltwater will cause a two piece metal or carbon fiber shaft to fuse and stick together, making them impossible to pull apart.
In my opinion, if you invest in a piece of metal detecting equipment designed for traveling keep it clean and dissembled until you are ready to use it.
There is nothing worse than getting ready to travel to detect and finding out last minute that you cannot get your long handled scoop or metal detector shaft apart.
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