Clothing
The clothes you wear while out detecting can make a huge impact on your days out, you will soon get fed up if you are wet and cold. You can protect yourself against the elements by choosing the correct level of clothing that would be required to keep you comfortable and dry. In the summer you will require to keep cool even on rainy days so a good choice of clothing is required.
Wet Weather
Wellington boots, these will keep your feet dry but do not suit everyone as they can be cold even with thermal socks on.
Lightweight short boots, these are normally fleece lined so offer a liitle more protection from the cold.
Remember when purchasing boots that they are your interface between foot and spade so ensure you get a good strong pair.
Waterproof trousers and tops
Lightweight breathable for the summer and heavier duty for the winter to retain warmth. The trousers require a little bit of durability as they can take a bit of a wear around the knees.
Gloves
There are lots of glove choices available the common ones used are disposable Nitrile Gloves which can be purchased at low cost in boxes of hundred quite cheaply. You may want to consider the gardening gloves that are latex dipped on the fingers and palms but allow the back of the hand to breath which helps keep your hands a bit cooler in the summer.
These gloves are classed as work-garden gloves and are dipped on the working surfaces the back of the gloves have a mesh that allows the hand to breathe. They also offer a liitle more protection for the hand against small cuts and abrasions.
Dressing for Cold Weather
Layers of clothing are best with waterproof tops and bottoms over the top of multiple layers; you can always take layers off.
You may want to purchase some waterproof cyclist cloves as these seem to keep the hands a bit warmer in the winter, consider getting a size to large if you really suffer from cold hands. Oversize gloves allow you to place a Hot Hand pouch inside the glove.
Summer Clothing
Boots – Not steel capped!!!! Walking boots are good and strong.
Trousers and knee pads if required.
Hat to keep the sun out of your eyes.
T-Shirt or similar top depending on temperature.
It is not a good idea to wear shorts in country fields due to ticks and flees being prevalent on wildlife. Lyme Disease is not nice and 2,000 to 3,000 people contract this disease each year in England and Wales, this is mainly from Deer Ticks.
