The Physical Demands of a Professional Treasure Hunter
When people learn that I am a professional treasure hunter, responses are mixed. Most don’t understand what this means. Many hold an image of some guy swinging a metal detector around playgrounds and beaches in search of coins. Others want to relate what I do to the entertaining but highly dramatized and unrealistic Indiana Jones and National Treasure movies. I use a detector from time to time, but for the most part I undertake research for and expeditions to go in search of lost and hidden gold and silver coins and ingots. When something is located, there often follows what can be a challenging recovery process.
I am contacted on a weekly basis by people who want to accompany me on my next expedition. In some cases, they want to assist in financing it. The callers envision a treasure hunt akin to a hike or outdoor vacation. They don’t understand that one reason many valuable caches have gone undiscovered for so long is because they are located in remote, rugged, seldom traveled and often dangerous places. Few understand that there are specific requirements for success relative to land-based treasure recovery. They include physical condition, attitude, temperament, and experience. During extended expeditions into far-flung and isolated areas in this country and others, challenges abound that test poise and reaction.
To be successful in such pursuits, it is important to understand that the physical demands can be daunting, so conditioning is crucial. Most of my major expeditions have been in the Sierra Madres of Mexico and the deserts and mountains of the western and southwestern United States. I backpack long distances into rough, roadless terrain for six weeks at a time or more, climb mountains, ford swollen streams, explore caves, sinkholes, and mine shafts. During the years when I was involved in two or three major expeditions a year, it was imperative that I remain in optimum shape. I worked out regularly, incorporating weight training, stretching, yoga, and martial arts. In addition, I was running ten kilometer and half-marathon races and competing regularly in karate and kick boxing.
If a hopeful treasure hunter is inclined to undertake a major expedition, here is something to consider. A standard I employ to determine if I am in good enough condition for an extended trek is to run seven miles at a good clip with a twenty-five- pound pack on my back while carrying a rifle. If I am able to accomplish this, I’m confident in my physical abilities to undertake an extended and demanding expedition.
I regularly turn down requests from others to accompany the team on our searches. When they want to know why, I most often tell them that I don’t think they are in good enough physical condition. On hearing this, many became angry or upset, interpreting the comment as a slight. I explain that one’s fitness and stamina in challenging country can mean the difference between life and death, not only for them but for others on the team. I don’t want anyone who cannot perform at a high level at all times. When I ask them if they can run seven miles with pack and rifle, not one ever said they could.
If we are to be placed in a position of depending on someone, it is imperative that we have the utmost confidence in their physical abilities.
I am contacted on a weekly basis by people who want to accompany me on my next expedition. In some cases, they want to assist in financing it. The callers envision a treasure hunt akin to a hike or outdoor vacation. They don’t understand that one reason many valuable caches have gone undiscovered for so long is because they are located in remote, rugged, seldom traveled and often dangerous places. Few understand that there are specific requirements for success relative to land-based treasure recovery. They include physical condition, attitude, temperament, and experience. During extended expeditions into far-flung and isolated areas in this country and others, challenges abound that test poise and reaction.
To be successful in such pursuits, it is important to understand that the physical demands can be daunting, so conditioning is crucial. Most of my major expeditions have been in the Sierra Madres of Mexico and the deserts and mountains of the western and southwestern United States. I backpack long distances into rough, roadless terrain for six weeks at a time or more, climb mountains, ford swollen streams, explore caves, sinkholes, and mine shafts. During the years when I was involved in two or three major expeditions a year, it was imperative that I remain in optimum shape. I worked out regularly, incorporating weight training, stretching, yoga, and martial arts. In addition, I was running ten kilometer and half-marathon races and competing regularly in karate and kick boxing.
If a hopeful treasure hunter is inclined to undertake a major expedition, here is something to consider. A standard I employ to determine if I am in good enough condition for an extended trek is to run seven miles at a good clip with a twenty-five- pound pack on my back while carrying a rifle. If I am able to accomplish this, I’m confident in my physical abilities to undertake an extended and demanding expedition.
I regularly turn down requests from others to accompany the team on our searches. When they want to know why, I most often tell them that I don’t think they are in good enough physical condition. On hearing this, many became angry or upset, interpreting the comment as a slight. I explain that one’s fitness and stamina in challenging country can mean the difference between life and death, not only for them but for others on the team. I don’t want anyone who cannot perform at a high level at all times. When I ask them if they can run seven miles with pack and rifle, not one ever said they could.
If we are to be placed in a position of depending on someone, it is imperative that we have the utmost confidence in their physical abilities.
Read or make comments for this article