Going to Morocco - beginner question

[cayosusa]

We are newbie meteorite hunters - only been out to Gold Basin about 6 times.  We are heading out on a tour to Morocco.  Have several free afternoons.  Sahara is calling my name!!!  Can't take detectors, anyway everybody seems to use a magnet stick.  We can find sticks there or take folding canes and can take a few neodymium magnets in the suitcase.  How can we attach them to the sticks/canes????  Is tape OK??? or does that reduce the magnetic pull?

Thanks in advance.  If we get anything - will post!

[frank c]

Pickup a roll of the plain ol black electrical tape then roll em up like coins with the tape to the stick.
Better check local legalities better than foreign prisons .

[hardtimehermit]

yep some black electrical tape works for me. Frank is right, check your path ahead of time to avoid the college of the bars! 

[Morlock]

3 hours ago, cayosusa said:

We are newbie meteorite hunters - only been out to Gold Basin about 6 times.  We are heading out on a tour to Morocco.  Have several free afternoons.  Sahara is calling my name!!!  Can't take detectors, anyway everybody seems to use a magnet stick.  We can find sticks there or take folding canes and can take a few neodymium magnets in the suitcase.  How can we attach them to the sticks/canes????  Is tape OK??? or does that reduce the magnetic pull?

Thanks in advance.  If we get anything - will post!

We had a forum member who hunted meteorites in Oman and was jailed for a few weeks...then fined substantially before he was released to go home. Check the laws first like the previous  two posters stated.

If you can't hunt the Sahara, your next best option might be  to buy from the nomads or dealers if you can locate them. I'm told meteorites are much cheaper than in the USA. But again, check to see if you can export them.

[cayosusa]

Fortunately in Morocco the meteorite belongs to the finder and can be taken out of the country back home.  BUT thank you for the words of advice.  They are not taken lightly.

 

[Morlock]

12 hours ago, cayosusa said:

Fortunately in Morocco the meteorite belongs to the finder and can be taken out of the country back home.  BUT thank you for the words of advice.  They are not taken lightly.

 

Hope you have success. Post photos of your finds...if any.

[cayosusa]

Will do.  You never know!!!!!

[chrisski]

Since your profile says you're a female, I wonder what our plan is to wander through the desert in an area who's system of law includes Shariah law?

I may be totally off base, and Morocco seems to be one of the safer of African countries even though its the worlds largest producer of Canibus, but my experience with traveling in Southeast and Southwest Asia tell me that when people tell me things like "Any Meteor can be taken," It usually means that whenever a local does it, no problem; but a foreigner, as Morlock mentioned the fellow forum member, can be a totally different story.

[BMc]

TYVEK HomeWrap 2 in. x 164 ft.  Excellent tape for indoor/outdoor use, it is strong, weather resistant and will stay in place. TYVEK - HomeWrap Installation Tape, It is waterproof, impact resistant, conformable and is good for a range of temperatures variations.

Highly recommended !

[billpeters]

3 hours ago, chrisski said:

Since your profile says you're a female, I wonder what our plan is to wander through the desert in an area who's system of law includes Shariah law?

I may be totally off base, and Morocco seems to be one of the safer of African countries

Morocco is listed at a moderate level of crime, but safer for both violent crime and moderate crime than in the USA. Bribery and corruption, though, are much higher. It is actually listed much safer to walk at night in Morocco than in the USA. There is no problem taking meteorites out of Morocco and putting them in your checked bags for international flights. As everywhere hunting land that locals control without permission may get you in trouble, but otherwise you should be okay. Sharia Law includes not eating pork, nor drinking alcohol, tithing for the poor, and visiting Mecca once in your life. If you break all of these they'l just think your a typical non-Muslim foreigner.

Finding meteorites is difficult everywhere, even in the Sahara, buying them is easier. Euros work best. Barter for everything and pay low Euro pennies on the gram, low Euro dollars on the kilo.

I've been there,

billpeters

[Idriss]

I'm from Morocco and i can assure you that the desert in Morocco is safe and you may find its habitats welcoming you. and about The Sharia Law nobody cares eat, drink, and wear whatever you want no one will tell you a thing.we are not backwoods savages.

[Bedrock Bob]

I get neo magnets with a hole in them. I use a screw to fasten the magnet to the pole.

Here is mine. It is on an old ski pole. I have used it for 20 years.

Here is the magnet that I use. 

You can get them in all shapes and sizes and with different hole sizes. These are perfect for a pole. They are about 3/4" diameter, 1" long with a 5/16 hole. It will pick up about 12 lbs.

Here is a pole I built many moons ago. It integrates a little claw to free the rocks from the ground. I used a piece of copper pipe to join the magnet to the pole and an old rifle case for a brass "digger". It works sweet. 

It does not really matter how you use the magnet as long as you can get it near a suspect rock and observe the reaction. The pole and the digger make it less effort to pick up a rock without bending over. The copper protects the magnet from chipping. But none of that is really too important.

Taping it to a stick works about as well as anything.