GETTING READY FOR RALLY SEASON
The dirtiest season of them all.
Rally Season is only just beginning! With Spring Detectival coming to a close the summer season is winding up ready for the big boys. So who's going to Summer Detectival? And how can you be the best prepared to get the most out of these digging events of the year?
Well Roman Found has been lucky enough to have some experience in this area when it comes to the big metal detecting rallies. After being thrown in last year we have been there and done that, especially when it comes to the dos and don'ts, so read on for the three most important things to prepare for.
THE TRANSPORT
Starting to write this article a few days before Detectival and we can alarmingly say that this is one section of the list we still haven’t sorted out yet. Life has been conspiring against us so three days to go there is still no way of getting to Detectival or of getting back. The situation is rather bleak, we would not recommend it. A Roman Found Travel Rating of 1/10.
Some of you may know (and fear) our previous yellow peril, the iconic Roman Found 2004 Fiat Panda. Well she was getting on her last legs, had been for a few years now, and since a flooding problem a few months back it was starting to get to the: Will this be the day we get stranded? Everytime stepping foot in the car.
So a change was made, a new car bought and Roman Found had an upgrade, a bright red 2010 VW Polo and it was the height of luxury … for two weeks, until it savagely broke down 11 days before Detectival. It’s currently been at the garage a week now with some tricky (and expensive) diagnosing of an intermittent fault that kept stranding Ellie across Lincoln and Newark. There was a very bleak moment involving an underground Morrisons Car Park, a one way system, and a struggling bump start.
So Plan B was initiated, Ellie sold her soul to her brother and borrowed his little whip, a 2008 Mini. Things were looking up, it wasn’t the luxurious wagon we had before but it was transport. Then … 8 days before Detectival … that one broke down as well, something rather alarming to do with the drive shaft. Is Ellie cursed?
So here we have the current situation. Two cars at the garage with various life threatening faults, surely one has gotta be fixed before Detectival right?
THE GEAR
Metal Detecting is one of those hobbies that you can have endless stuff for, it’s a shopaholic's dream, different types of metal detectors, pin pointers, outdoor gear, shovels, (camo, you got to have the camo), there’s a whole world of equipment that you need.
Now we have already covered the basic equipment that you need for getting out there in our previous article: The Roman Found Gear List. But what about the rallies where metal detecting is at the extreme, what could you possibly need then?
The rallies are essentially metal detecting on the feral, it’s up to three days in a field in most likely a tent with no power source. So problem no 1 is that the metal detectors require charge, and potentially the pinpointers and headphones depending on your set up. Luckily we have found that a full charge setting off to the rally should be enough to get you through, our Equinox 800 does claim to hold 12 hours of charge. But as well as this most metal detecting equipment can be charged through a USB cable so it is possible to charge from a portable power pack (these are absolutely essential, we normally take three but that is to support us out all weekend filming so maybe one would suffice) or car battery in an emergency, provided that you bring the charging cables with you …
Problem no 2 that you could face at the rallies is equipment failure, it does happen and if you are as unlucky as us it’s bound to happen when you are at one of the biggest digging events of the year. This year's casualty at Spring Detectival was the Equinox arm cup! If you are lucky enough to have a spare / back up metal detector (or parts) then it is absolutely a good idea to have this with you just in case the worst happens.
However, one very handy thing that we have found out about the rallies, as we may have been the victim of some equipment losses in the past (RIP The Garrett Edge Digger lost in Field 14 of the 2022 RCM Rally), is that you are surrounded by the whole contents of several metal detecting stores. LP Metal Detecting came to our rescue this time round (and every time round the lifesavers) with a new arm cup for us. So if you have any problems they are there with the replacements. Maybe not very handy on the bank accounts but handy in keeping you out in the field.
And finally, not really a problem but point no 3 when it comes to the digging gear is to bring more than just your handy finds pod or case to keep your finds in. What if you have such a good weekend that finds are practically spilling out! Like at this year's Spring Detectival, the land was mega, finds tins were full to the brim! We often take some coin capsules and artefact cases as well as small zip lock bags to keep everything safe and together. Plan for success!
THE CAMPING
The final note that we would have to say about these extreme digging events would be all about the camping situation. A situation that we can honestly say we aren’t always thrilled at!
They do say when planning a camping trip that it is best to be prepared, but we have certainly learnt that it is possible to be too prepared. On our first ever digging rally we rocked up with a full car boot of food prepared for Michelin star chefing every night when in reality after a full day of digging and socialising we simply went to our favourite Mexican Food Van for dinner. The most important thing that we had in that boot and consumed was the crate of beer.
This brings us to our Roman Found Rally Survival Shopping List which, get ready to be alarmed, is everything that we are taking to survive off for Spring Detectival.
Porridge Pots
Chocolate
Water
Salty Popcorn
Wotsits
Bananas
Snacking Cheese
IPA and Lager
What more do you need than snacking cheese and beer? We were spoilt for choice on the food front at the latest Spring Detectival consuming Sausage and Egg Rolls, Hearty Beef Stew with Boiled Potatoes and Sourdough, all singing all dancing Mexican Burritos, Freshly Made Coffee and of course the essential Lager on tap. Rally survival is certainly much better with these excellent food facilities at hand. We will happily take a freshly poured pint and freshly made burrito over struggling with a camping stove any day of the week. Roman Found Dig Scran Rating of 10/10.
When it comes down to the actual sleeping situation itself and speaking from lots of experience in a 3 man pop up tent we can certainly confirm that it simply isn’t worth it and you are much better off investing in a campervan, or at least a bigger tent.
Oh and we can very firmly report that after this Spring’s experience setting up the tent in the biblical rain, at Summer Detectival you will be finding us in one of the glamping bell tents, Roman Found is getting an upgrade.
So there you have it, everything you need for a successful rally season.
Is there anything we have forgotten?
