Aside from the metal detector you will need a few other items to get started metal detecting. A few of the items we make note of are optional, but important items. Others are must have items, things you should have before you take your first swing with your new metal detector.

The great thing is most retailers and metal detector manufacturers know you will need more than a metal detector to get started, so most offer complete all in one packages with their beginner to intermediate type metal detectors. We will list a few of our favorites toward the end of this article. First Lets Cover the must have items you will need to get started metal detecting.

The most obvious must have item is of course batteries. Without wasting to much time on the subject of batteries I will these two things. Make sure you buy quality batteries for your metal detector and also make sure you ALWAYS have a backup set of batteries handy on each trip out you make with your metal detector!

Next on down the line of things you must have to get started metal detecting is a digging tool. Not a garden trowel! A digging tool made for metal detecting. A quality digging tool is just as important as having a quality metal detector. The targets you recover must be recovered properly and can only be done so with tools specifically made for metal detecting! Dont try to cut corners here, I promise you will regret it! Garden trowels are garbage when it comes to target recovery. For more on digging tools for metal detecting and how to use them continue reading here.

Now that we are on the subject of target recovery I should mention two small, but important items that go hand in hand with your digging tool. The first is a drop cloth, a kitchen towel will suffice. Basically any piece of cloth you can use to place soil from the plugs you dig on, until your ready to back fill the hole you just dug. The other simple but important item is a treasure pouch of some sort. Again this doesn't have to be anything special, anything your comfortable with that will serve its purpose will do just fine. It will serve two functions, holding trash and holding treasure. Your pouch should have two holding areas to keep the two stored properly until your done metal detecting for the day.

Moving on down the line we come to headphones and again a quality pair of headphones made for use with a metal detector is important! The headphones from your I-Pod will not work properly! Make sure you choose a set of headphones that will block outside noise out and keep inside noise in. While metal detecting hearing every little whisper your metal detector makes is important to making quality finds. Without them you will only hear the loudest most obvious surface targets, usually newer coins and modern garbage! For further reading on headphones for metal detecting continue reading here.

As I mentioned earlier, I am going to cover two types of items here. Must have items to get you started metal detecting the right way. The second group of items are optional, though important items that you should eventually consider buying. They are by no means MUST HAVE metal detecting accessories! With that being said lets take a look at a few of those optional metal detecting accessories.

The first that comes to mind are probes, or pinpointers. Probes and pinpointers are small metal detectors used to help pinpoint and recover the targets your metal detector picks up on. A pinpointer or probe will make digging targets easier. They also help by keeping digging to a minimum, resulting in cleaner, neater plugs, or holes. I personally do not use them, I think they are a waste of money for the most part, though some hobbyists swear by them. My metal detector has a non-motion pinpoint mode that works just as well, if not better than any probe available. Get good at pinpointing with your metal detector and you should be just fine. Though if you wish you know they exist, its mostly a matter of opinion and preference.

Optional search coils. Most quality metal detector manufacturers offer additional search coils for their metal detectors. These coils can be mini coils for hunting high trash areas, or they can be jumbo coils for hunting wide open areas. There are many different sizes and styles available for most metal detectors. My advice is this, get use to the coil that came with your metal detector,learn how to use your metal detector with it's stock coil, then start considering different sized coils for different metal detecting situations. For more information on using the right search coil for the right situation go here.

The following items I am going to mention are important. Your metal detector cost you allot of money you should try to protect it when in and out of use. At the very least you should purchase a carry / storage bag for your new metal detector. A carry bag will help protect your metal detector while in storage and while being transported. Although most metal detectors are built tough and can handle light to moderate abuse, its worth going the extra mile to keep your new metal detector in tip top shape! You will find an assortment of metal detector carry bags here.

In addition to a bag for you metal detector depending on the metal detector you purchased there are different types of protective gear available to protect you metal detector while in use. If your metal detector has an LCD display you should at the very least buy a screen cover to keep it scratch free while metal detecting. It would be worth it to you to look into dust covers and screen covers to protect your new metal detector. Again not a must have though its worth going the extra mile.

With that being said I am going to wrap things up. Hopefully this article helped you in some way. You now know what you need to get started metal detecting the right way!