Prospecting the Sahel: a practical primer

The Sahel rewards preparation. Days are long, water is scarce, and a failed battery can end a week’s work. Before the gold, plan the logistics.

Power and dust

Carry twice the battery capacity you think you need, and seal every connector against fine dust. A blown threshold from grit in the headphone jack is the most common field failure we hear about.

• Detect in the cool early hours; rest through midday heat.
• Large coils cover open ground faster but tire the arm — pace yourself.
• Mark every signal with GPS; the desert erases footprints by afternoon.

Above all, work with local knowledge. The people who live on the ground know where water runs in the rains — and that is where the gold has always moved.