A little poison ivy is a small price to pay though. Poking around old homesites is just a temptation I can't resist, even when I know the hazards are multiplied SO much during summer! Also, this place was described as a place where Bonnie and Clyde stayed overnight after having robbed the Blue Ridge bank! I haven't researched the first detail of that story, but even if it were totally bogus, I still have an old house to hunt, with all the cool old junk that is waiting to be found! So much better is the fact that I will be getting access to several more of these old relics of days gone by! It's gonna be a busy fall and winter! Silver to be found with the metal detector, deer season, pig hunting, a trip or maybe two to south Texas for exotics, one or more trips to Oklahoma for some outlaw caches..man, I need more time and energy! All that plus family stuff, including a trip to San Diego to attend Marine Basic Graduation in December for my son. Wow, just typing it all makes me wonder if I'll get half of it done..
So let's talk about old derelict houses in the summertime, and the hazards they present to the detectorist. Naturally the high heat of summer comes to mind first, then possibly the next thought might include snakes. Both good things to prepare for because you'll encounter both...but by no means is this all you'll be working against! I have personally had to work around and deal with every one of the following hazards:
snakes
wasp and bee hives
centipedes-the big kind that pack a wallop!
scorpions
poison ivy
poison oak
black widow spiders
all of the above hazards disguised behind a thick foliage layer
sunburn
heat exhaustion
My recommendations for mitigating the above risks are simple, but cannot be overstated! Bring a cooler with about 3 times more water than you think you'll need. Some fruit juice can be good, or oranges. I carry a few Gatorades in my cooler as well as some small salt packs. The salt helps me if I'm sweating out my electrolytes faster than I can replace them. This is a personal hazard for me since I take a diuretic for blood pressure and have a generally low salt diet in the first place. If you suddenly start feeling yourself 'going down', as in beginning to feel shaky, a little sick, disoriented, etc., stop, drink some liquid, take a LITTLE salt and relax in the shade or air conditioning of the truck. When you feel a bit better-go home-you're done for the day! This same rule (and procedures) apply for heat exhaustion, or even if you don't know WHY you're not feeling good. Chances are you've overdone it and nobody can afford to find themselves in that position in summertime heat! It's only a few silver coins in that dirt, and they'll be there when you come back!
Snake boots or chaps are a great thing to have ON you, not with you. You never know when you'll encounter a poisonous snake. I've been in some of the snakiest places, where the hair on the back of my neck was standing up, and not seen a one. Conversely, I've been in areas where my guard was not up, and WHOOPS, there's a snake just waiting for me to step on it! Another argument for snake boots and chaps is that your legs will also be protected from other hazards like nails poking out of boards, lower leg protection if you go through a floorboard, that type of stuff.
If you're allergic to bees or wasps, add a bee sting kit to your first aid kit. First aid kit? There's a novel idea. Nails, sharp objects, trip hazards, falling hazards, critters, need I say more?
Notice I didn't mention skunks, raccoons or possible other animals. You're more likely to encounter these if you decide to ENTER an old house than if you stay outside! Fact is, these guys are around at all times of the year so you should always be ready to encounter a furry critter that just wants to stay hidden. When you lift a board or open a door in an old house, they may come rushing out in an effort to escape! Not so much that they want to hurt you, but they can dang sure make you hurt yourself in your attempt to escape! This risk can be reduced to almost NIL if you don't go in a house in the first place.
If you suddenly find yourself in 'flight mode', the main hazards of old houses becomes magnified! On your way in, take only a step or two, stop and look around. FORCE yourself to observe everything you can, even if means you call out what you see in order to mentally absorb it all. Your partner or partners might appreciate this too since their curiousity is maxed out or y'all wouldn't even be going into an old house to begin with. Most times animals will try to run AWAY from you, and chances are they have exits that mean they never even come your way. The second instinct they have is to freeze in place in case you won't notice them. If you proceed slowly, everybody wins.
Did you notice I said partner or partners? Take somebody with you! It's more fun with somebody else anyway, but any adventure can be made safer just by the addition of another set of eyes, a possible voice of reason, or another set of hands to help carry all the gear. Know your partner's limitations as well-do they have any medical conditions? You owe it them to know and understand how to respond to any trouble they may have. This might sound intimidating but it's not that big a deal and it's all part of being safe. It doesn't have to be complicated! A few extra components in the first aid kit, a small first aid book outlining common procedures (read it at least once before it's needed)..done.
It all boils down to common sense really. That, followed up by keeping your wits about you and not getting in a hurry. Think twice about going into any structure, some are in too poor condition to warrant taking the risk of entering. You'll be able to recognize almost every hazard if you slow down and observe. Luckily, a few extra bits of gear can enhance your powers of observation, as well as safety, without taking up too much space or weighing you down. I carry the following helpful things in a small backpack:
Two flashlights: a small, bright LED light, and a large SUPERbright LED light
headlamp
magnifying glass
monocular or small binoculars
There are other tools that can be used in multiple ways. I carry a sharpshooter type shovel (drain spade). Obviously this is a good digger, but it also allows me to test the integrity of wooden doorframes, floorboards, etc. Sometimes wood can be more rotten than it appears, and I don't mind my shovel going through to the underpinnings of a house! It's immune to all the little netherworld hazards! Plus, it makes a wicked brushcutter when you grind one edge down! Don't get a cheap wooden handled one, plan to beat the crap out of it and spend accordingly.
Finally, to close this book..maybe you should limit your activities to the surrounding fields and yards of old houses. This may be a requirement by the landowner, or at least something you should consider if entering a building or house has not been discussed. Old houses can be handy places to store things in some rural areas, and just barging in might be taken as the equivalent of poking around in the barn or storage shed of any other currently used AND PRIVATE structure. Know the rules.
Finally, not mentioned anywhere above but EXTREMELY important, is watching for and being careful around old wells! I could write another book but let's just say stay away and OUT of them unless well versed in the methods of seaching and being safe (as you can be). Wells are super dangerous and if very old, the integrity of the surrounding walls, if any, or the ground around the well itself, can be extremely compromised. Fine, I'll write another book on just those. Someday.
Oh, I almost forgot. Buy a good degreaser and hose down everything when you get back! The metal detector will likely be covered in urishiol (poison ivy oil), particularly the coil. My AT Pro gets a good bath after every trip. Do it to your shovel, machete, everything you can or you WILL suffer later after handling that stuff! OK, done.
