Gold panning is a great way to spend your spare time because you are outside and you can make a little bit of cash as well.
The first thing you are going to need when you are starting out is a gold pan which you can buy on amazon for about $10. Once you get your pan, you are going to have to learn how to use it. First, go to an area that has gold if you are close to one, and if not you can buy "pay dirt" online. Pay dirt is dirt from a river that has gold added and is great for people in places like New York or other cities where there is no gold to be found. Once you get some dirt from a river or another area that has gold you are going to need a source of water so that you can get rid of the dirt and get down to the gold.
Once you get the dirt in your pan you are going to want to shake your pan sided to side and back to front without the dirt sliding over the edge to much. When you stratify the dirt (shaking the pan) that lets the gold sink to the bottom of the pan. After stratifying the dirt you are going to slightly lean the pan forward and get a bit of water in your pan and then pull the pan back towards your knees so that the top layer of dirt comes off. You are going to continue to do that until you have just about a palm full of material. Once your there you will get a little bit of water in your pan and then get the water going in a circle and then reverse it and so on, slowly letting the dirt slide down and letting your gold stay at the top. That's the basics for learning how to pan gold, hope you find lots!
