I live in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains in the heart of Gold Rush Country, California. I am an engineer and I prospect several times a week. I've been designing gold prospecting gear since 2015 and during this time, I've iterated dozens of original designs and tested them extensively.
This channel is the home of GoldiBox - A line of ultralight gold prospecting gear designed to help you Go Further, Prospect Longer, and Find More GOLD. GoldiBoxes are for prospectors and hobbyists who want to prospect with the lightest gear available, remain stealthy, and recover otherwise unreachable gold.
On this channel, you will find GoldiBox tips & tricks, how-tos, personal prospecting adventures, and lots of gold porn!
If you have any suggestions for future videos, please drop a note.
For more information about GoldiBox products visit: GoldiBox.com
Fola and I won your GoldBox Backpack dredge this weekend in Downieville! Would love to go out with you sometime to learn how to utilize your nice tools! Nice work on your gold recovery!
Hi I recommend the Oasis Marine 3700 GPH pump. After testing numerous pumps, over the last 5 years, this pump has proven to be the most reliable/durable. There is an extensive FAQ on the GoldiBox website covering the recommend pump, battery, hoses,etc. You can find it under the GoldiBox Backpack Dredge FAQ - Thanks for watching!
If you are referring to the "black knob" looking things, they are removable rubber plugs so you can service the internal pipes easily should they get clogged. This is a Fluid Bed Sluice. There are intake pipes that pressurize the trap and create a boil effect in the trap allowing the heavier (i.e. gold) to settle to the bottom. This makes it incredibly easy to use and makes the GoldiBox Fluid Bed Sluice Box completely field serviceable. The Fluid Dynamics/boil effect is the reason why this sluice requires no matting and excels at fine gold recovery. Thanks for asking.
I tested today with one of my old pumps 3000gph and it didnt have enough power. It did run a few times. Pretty fun little dredge! I think it will be great i just need to get a better pump. For the pressure would it benefit more to get a 4700gph or just get the 3700?
Hi Ryan, I'm glad you like the dredge. If it is a true 4700 gph pump, I would use that one. The stronger the better. But I have found many pump manufacturers over state their claims and through extensive testing, I've found the Oasis 3700 to be highly reliable while delivering very good performance. The nozzle was designed and refined over the course of several years in the field (not a bath tub), so the venturi is dialed in for pumps between 3700 - 4700 gph.
I also want to mention that you do NOT want use a lead acid battery (car battery.) Too heavy with a steep discharge curve. A lithium ion battery or LIFEPO4 battery is ideal. Overvolting the pump to 16v will yield fantastic performance. The voltage boost delivers big performance gains. I'll be doing a video on this shortly. Thanks for the kudos and your business. They are both/appreciated. Happy Prospecting!
Please visit the GoldiBox website. We are currently running a promotion through July. If you purchase a Backpack Dredge and Nozzle combo, you will get a free 12" nozzle extension and Bedrock Crack/Crevice Attachment for free.
Yes, we ship worldwide. Coincidentally, we shipped to Invercargill yesterday. You'll be able to select your country, city/state & postal code during checkout. Happy Prospecting!
I would definitely use this bro It would work great wherever there’s enough drop in the creek or river .. And I love the fact that you 3D printed Your own blue bowl 😂🤙✨🤙💯
Thanks. - They're a lot of fun to use and the gold recovery pretty much speaks for itself. - One thing to note, you don't need a drop or elevation change to use the GoldiBox. It runs off a 12v 3700 GPH pump. You can dredge pretty much anywhere. Bedrock benches, creeks, streams, feeders. It works great for dredging between large boulders, shallow bedrock, cracks/crevices, etc. If you use the optional cover, you can run it as a submersible dredge and work to any depth. It's certainly not as powerful as a gas dredge but it is ultralight, portable and silent and if the material can fit in the 2" nozzle, it will get processed. - Glad you like the Blue Bowl. That was a fun project. Thanks for watching!
@@mininhawaiian2911. Sort of. The pump forces water into the nozzle which creates the pressure in the internal Venturi jet in the nozzle. That is what creates the suction. The 12v 3700GPH pump is the pump I found to be the most effective when considering run time, performance and weight. Please see the GoldiBox website FAQ for more info on pump & battery recommendations. - Happy Prospecting!
Hi, thanks for watching - The recommended battery is an Eco Worthy 50ah LIFEPo4 battery. - amzn.to/3SqGRJl If you use the recommended Oasis 3700 GPH pump - amzn.to/3ympjU6 you should expect a little over 3 hours of continual use. That's the actual run time. Of course, I unplug it when I am not dredging (clearing big rocks/having lunch, etc.). I've tested many different battery/pump combinations and found the Eco-Worthy to be a good-performing battery at an excellent price. They are also very light. The Oasis pumps are workhorses and durable. I hope this helps. Happy Prospecting!
Ive got a jeep too and will be going on a trip across north america for a few months this year and have been looking for a compact dredge system i could pack without too much hassle. This looks ideal. Very cool
Thank you for watching and the kind words. It was fun developing the GoldiBox Backpack Dredge. - There were a lot of iterations and testing but it's my full-time job so I consider myself lucky and now GoldiBoxes are in use worldwide. My studio/workshop has evolved since I started designing gold prospecting gear back in 2015 and the GoldiBox production 3D printer farm (another location) is constantly growing/scaling to meet demand. I may do a video on the printer farm as I think many people will find it interesting - maybe even cool. Stay tuned - we're about to release something big very soon. Again, thanks for watching and the feedback.- Happy Prospecting
Bruce, thanks for the kind words and support. I am glad you are happy with your GoldiBox Backpack Dredge and high banker. It's been a few years since we offered the highbanker so I am glad it is still serving you well. Thank you for your suggestions/emails about your experiences with your GoldiBox Backpack Dredge and the feature requests. - we'll be releasing a few new accessories for the backpack dredge soon. Also, stay tuned for a major product announcement in the coming weeks. It's pretty darn cool. - Happy Prospecting!
Hey they buddy, great video, and I had fun when you came out and visited with me. Taking my GoldiBox box out today to a new little creek while it still has water. The water is dropping fast here. So try and make another trip, and you can stay in the cabin. ⛏️🇺🇲💪😎🍀
Christian, thanks! It was an interesting year. Lots of highs and lows but in the end, approx 2 oz isn't too bad. I always have fun with you and your Canyon Creek claim is beautiful. I'd be stoked to come back up. - Thanks! - Good luck. Hope you do well today. - Happy Prospecting.
Dan, thanks. When you find it incrementally you never think it's a lot. But it adds up. I was pleasantly surprised at the total. Re: legal dredging. You should move :-) - Just kidding. I hear that a lot. Quite a few customers say they use the GoldiBox due to its stealthiness and silent operation. - But of course, its best to be aware of your local mining laws. - Thanks for watching. - Happy Prospecting!
Hey brother, kit arrived nicely and packaged brilliantly. Finally just got my hose sorted just need to plan a stealth mission now. Curious do you run 2 different lengths of hoses ? what length would you recommend as a minimum for doing real stealthy backpack in work for doing crevices as you walk the stream so trying to maintain being mobile? Also just setup some anderson plug kits for my 18v drill batterys for quick short sessions.... will let you know how i go
Hi Ben, I am glad the GoldiBox and everything else made it to Australia ok. Yes, I run the same lengths of hoses. Typically 6'. That's mostly for convenience and to keep things light. Sometimes, I will change the lengths of the input hose depending on where the best/cleanest water source is. For your ultra stealthy request, I would say at least 5' on the input. You always want the pump to be able to access water. For the discharge side, you can go as little as 3-4' Your 18v drill batteries should provide some good punch but don't expect each one to run very long. The recommended pump pulls 16A so your 5A battery will run for approx 20 minutes but probably a little less. But the added voltage will increase suction considerably. Just make sure the batteries are capable of pushing 16. Not sure what their BMS is rated for but typically it's 20A. Please let me know how it goes. Feel free to shoot me any questions or concerns. - Happy Prospecting
Thanks! I'll be posting a year in review/compilation from 2023 in a few days. I have a lot of video that never got posted so I thought it would be good to do a compilation video with the year's gold total at the end. Thanks for watching. Happy Prospecting!
@@HumboldtDitchSkater It can be run as a submersible with the optional cover. Then it can be placed anywhere below the waterline. The bottom would be the simplest placement or on a big flat submerged rock. You could suspend it, but that may be a challenge depending on location.
@@HumboldtDitchSkater You're welcome and thanks. I am going to be posting a "year in review" of me using a GoldiBox in a variety of locations with the season's gold weigh at the end. I have many days of video running in various locations that have never been posted. Frankly no one wants to watch the same content over and over (run dredge, cleanout, show pan -rinse and repeat). Plus there are times where I forget to film, the batteries run out or I am focused on testing and operating the camera becomes a nuisance. I am a much better designer and prospector than I am a content creator but I think a good compilation video will give people a good idea as to how portable the GoldiBox is and how easy it makes accessing harder to reach places. That video will drop very soon. Thanks for watching! Stay tuned for a MAJOR announcment in March Can you say game changer? 🤯. Happy Prospecting!
I don't recommend it. The system was designed for a 3700 gph or greater sized pump. I've tested it extensively with a 2000 GPH pump and I wasn't satisfied with the performance. I did overvolt the pump with a 20v battery and then it performed very well, but in doing that you risk burning out the pump. Most pumps can handle a little overvolting (I like to overvolt my 3700 gph pumps to 16v) and it makes a big difference. But a 2000 GPH pump on a 12v battery is not enough power.
Built like a tank and super easy to extend the rope out vs a normal come-along with a wire cable. With the Wyeth Scott More Power Puller, I can pull the release pawl back and gravity pulls the shackle to the ground. It unspools that easily. I can't tell you how many times I've had a wire cable bind in a come-along rendering it almost useless. I have arthritis in both hands so the WS puller is like butter.
Wow, I never thought of it like that. I enjoy the excercise in a magnificent setting - it's totally decompressing and tranquil. Don't discount the thrill of the hunt. The gold is a bonus. Think of all the video gamers who just spend their time trying to accomplish a virtual quest. - that's a lot of work for nothing. Doing this, I stay fit, my rewards are tangible, and I get to share my adventures that very few others get to experience. But to answer your question, the gold I found, in pure weight alone, would fetch a little more than $150. Given that the biggest nugget found in the video is a jewelry grade specimen riddled with quartz, it would be worth approx 3x it's weight so it would be closer to $400+. So no, it wasn't work. It was an absolutely awesome day in the best recreational setting I can think of with a trophy from Mother Nature. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for your response. I totally understand I too have the fever and do enjoy the hunt. I would consider myself a novice at most. I prefer working dry creek beds moving aside rock gathering up the dirt and gravel and cleaning out the cracks once I hit bedrock. Moving it to running water or waiting for the creek to flow again. Unfortunately I no longer live in California, i moved to Illinois when I became disabled and could no longer afford to have a home there plus physically I would have a hard time prospecting. I have some significant kyphosis from an injury, hoping to improve my condition so I'll be able to hunt gold occasionally again one day soon😊. Maybe find some young fit help. Packing buckets of gravel around in the wilderness is strenuous stuff. But not a day goes by without me contemplating on a manner in which I'm able to get back out there somehow. 😊
Thanks for the kudos and the feedback. You're right. I am an engineer & prospector first and foremost and a content creator a distant eighth. 😢 I'm working on my editing skills, but I still have a ways to go. I'm glad the gear I design works 10,000 x better. HAPPY PROSPECTING! (shouting so you can hear me🤣 )
From personal experience with his fluid sluice and his goldibox dredge (which i have been using for 3 years now), they are amazing. Super light and extremely effective. I have tested them and re dumped my findings through them to see if i loose anything. I did not. It catches everything and somehow more must have been in the material i re mixed. I cant say enough good things. The weight savings alone are worth it. This fluid sluice weighs less than a tenth of my keene a52s and processes material just as fast.
Thanks for the kind words and compliments and of course, watching. We're glad that after 3 years your GoldiBox has treated you well and you're happy.👍👍👍👍 I just want to clarify to viewers that yes, this fluid bed sluice box can process material like a larger sluice( i.e. an a52), but the water flow should be increased/stronger. The GoldiBox Fluid Bed Sluice Box can process unclassified material in MEDIUM TO FAST FLOW. The water flow in the first demonstration is on the slower end due to the composition of the material (muddy). In the second demonstration the water flow is faster as the material is not as compacted. The sluice box could process even faster if the water flow was stronger. Again, thanks for the sub & support! - Happy Prospecting!
