A Ghost Hunter's Toolbox
Basic Equipment
First Aid Kit:
A basic first aid kit is a good thing to have with you when your out doing a investigation.
You or another team member may fall and get a boo boo and need a band aid or something.
Anything can happen, so be prepared.
Flashlights:
A flashlight is another piece of equipment that you will need. Often there are sudden power
outages and you will be in complete darkness without one. A good flashligh is military crook-neck
flashlight with a red filter. The red filter allows sufficient amounts of light to find your way,
but not so much to draw unwanted attention to you. Don't forget extra batteries and bulbs, you
will probably need them eventually.
Batteries:
One of the most annoying things is to have your batteries run out of power and you notice
you have no new batteries, save you the annoyence by purchasing extra batteries ahead of time.
I would invest in rechargable batteries because they can be used hundreds of times and save you
money in the end. I like RadioShacks hybrid batterie because its cheaper than name brand rechargables
and they last all most as long as Akaline batteries.
Compass
Not only is a compass a great navigational tool, it can also be used as a way of detecting
flunctuations in the geomagnetic field. The compass will not be able to stay fixed on a direction
& may start spinning all together if there is a disturbance in the energy field. A good way to show
you what may happen is to put a compass near a magnet or speaker.
Pencils/Pens:
Any good investigator always takes notes, so your going to need a writing tool.
Its also good to bring along more than one.
Paper/Notebook:
You are obviosly going to need paper to take notes unless you intend to write everything
on your hand. (Which I don't recommend)
Measuring Tape
Measuring tape is going to be a very useful tool to accurately record data. When you visit the
site of the investigation, it is a good idea to draw a map or blueprint of the area. To creat
an accurate blueprint or map your going to make measurements. Imagine you saw a picture fly
across the room, you might want to know how far it really did travel.
35mm Camera
A camera is going to be used to take photographs of the area so you document it. It will also be
used to try to capture something paranormal. Do not forget to keep the negatives so you can have
them analyzed by a experienced photo-technicion. You do this so you find out if you captured a
ghost on film or if its just camera malfunction.
Film (200/400+):
You know, a camera works better with film and knowing what ASA to use is cool too. Let me help
you out. Now, 200 ASA is a good choice for documenting the location & sunny conditions while
400 ASA and higher is great for spirit photography and indoor/lowlight conditions. There have been
results with all ASA speed so don't limit your self, experiement a little.
Two-Way Radios:
Breaker, Breaker... Just Kidding! These little radios are not only inexpensive and fun but they
are actually useful. You use them to keep in touch with your crew & you can call for help if
you need it. Most two-way radios can be used as far as 2 miles and I have seen some that work up
to 3 & 5 miles.
Advanced Equipment
EMF Detector:
A Electromagnetic Field Detector, is a piece of equipment that is used to detect fluctuations
in the electromagnetic energy field. Ghosts & Haunting activity seem to upset this field causing
a sudden spike, drain, or rapid fluctuations. Here is a tip, electrical oulets and things like a
television will also show activity so check it out before you declare it supernatural. It may
just be your easy bake oven you got for christmas.
Audio Recorder:
Audio recorders can also be a a tool to document activity and to take quick notes or to record
what emotions you may feel in a certain area. It can also be used to interview witnesses to
haunting activity. You also will need one if you plan on doing EVP, which you will need a external
microphone for that.
External Mic:
A external microphone is a must to have when recording EVP because without it, you will get the
sounds of the tape recorders internal moving parts and no one wants that. You will feel like a
dumb@ss if you go play your so called ghost voice to fellow ghost hunters and its nothing more
than internal noise. Thats a sure way to be discredited fast. I recommend using a boundry mic or
a boom mic. A boundry mic can be set on a table or floor and records in all 360 degree direction.
A boom mic is really sensitive to sound and you can aim it like a gun at the source of sound to
amplify it.
Audio Tapes:
You will want to have a nice collection of fresh new tapes, for your audio recorder(s). Remember,
NEVER use the same tape more than once. A good grade tape is a good idea but there is no need
to buy professional grade.
Motion Detectors:
IR motion detector are great. You can set one in a area and when a unseen presence passes by,
it will be detected by this litle gadget and it's alarm goes off.. Some even allow you to use it
as a switch, making it possible to have your video camera start recording when it detects movement.
You can have a huge area completely ready for what ever enters it.
IR Thermometer:
Non Contact Infrared Thermometers are also know as Thermal Scanners & are used to take thermal
readings of a area or object. Since it is thought that spirits use energy around them to manifest,
this bad boy makes it self useful to you by displaying a drop in temperature. I do love technology.
Camcorder:
A camcorder is a good documentation tool. You can use it to show how you conducted your investigation,
as well as to show any haunting activity you may have not been ale to see with the naked eye.
Please, invest in a tripod so you don't end up with that Blair Witch effect and cause your self
& others a headache. Another tip, turn off the auto-focus and keep the camera focused on a fixed
objet so your camera does'nt keep coming in and out of focus. I recommend a Hi8 camera because the
video quility is far better than VHS. I don't reccomend a Digital type because you will not have
any real physical proof because digital format is real easy to tamper with. I would also go with
the Sony's Hi8 HandyCam line of camcorder because Sony is a great brand and they give you the best
bang for your buck deal. Plus they have a feature thay call "NightShot" which is a nightvision. This
allows you to record in complete darkness. Sony is also the only company that makes a true 0 LUX
nightvision. The "NightShot" is good for 10 feet but Sony sells a IR Extender that makes it good
for up to 100 feet. (Don't forget to buy a extra battery or two or three or four...)
Video Tapes:
You should stock up on video tape so you have plenty of recording time. NEVER record over a used
tape.
Optional Equipment
Digital Camera:
A digital camera is a good add-on to your toolbox. You can save film by using your digital camera
to document a prospective site. There has also been good outcomes with capturing activity on them
too but I would never use it as your only camera due to the fact its a digital image and that is
not real physical proof and the image can be tampered with easily. Another tip is to keep these
cameras away from excessive heat because they contain a CCD chip thats sensitive to heat andn you
will cause the camera to malfunction and will get funky photos that are not of paranormal form. Plus,
you may overheat the chip and fry it. I recommend a camera with a LCD display so you can view your
pictures instantly without having to download the images to a computer to view them. I would go
with either the Olympus brand or Sony camera rated at 2.0-3.0 mega pixels. There is no real need
anything of better resolution than that unless you plan on making posters or large photos with it.
Thermal Imaging:
As with nighvision units & motion detectors, thermal imaging uses Infrared technology. Thermal Imaging is even
cooler than a nightvision unit, it allows you to show a thermal reading of something. It would be
like watching film but you see various colors that represents certain tempertures. Its the same units that police use to
find someone in complete darkness and tree's around. It allows you to watch a cold spot move and you can
track a ghost. Thermal Imaging Units are pretty pricey, they range from $1,500-$30,000+ depending on
what brand and what features. You can probably find a good unit cheaper on Ebay though. Heres a tip,
before buying from a store and paying to much, go to Ebay.com and you will most likely be able to
find it new or hardly used for alot cheaper.
Notebook PC:
If you can afford a Notebook PC I would highly recommend you get one. It can save you alot of time
and there is software that can enable your PC to do, just about everything.
Audio Analysis Software:
Audio analysis software is a program that analyses audio and then displays its frequency, signal strength, and db. I display your
audio data with numerous graphs that show what parts are static noise, white noise, etc. I use a
program called "Spectrogram". It allows you to view a Spectrograph on real time or you can capture
the image and save it as a bmp or jpg format. It also allows you to zoom in, block out certain db
& frequincies so you can get a clean audio bit. You can also assign your own colors to data. It's good stuff.
Night Vision:
Night vision monocular and binoculars are nifty gadgets that are mostly used by military &
law enforcement but can also be used for paranormal investigation & ghost hunting. These units
can be pretty expensive, ranging from $400-$3,000 dpending if they contain a Gen1, Gen2, or Gen3 tube.
CCTV System:
CCTV Systems are the same survailance systems you see at a minimalls, stores, mall, etc.
A system consists of a coupel of security cameras and a monitor that displayes the video. They
often contain a VCR in the withing the recording system. These systems can either be black & white,
Color, or even nightvision. You can also purchase a wireless unit. A CCTV System usually contains,
2-7 cameras & a monitor. Most sytems can be expanded for more cameras and monitors.
Digital Recorder:
Digital Voice recorders really good for taking oral notes. Olympus makes a great 8 hour voice
recorder that also contains a plug for a external micophone & headphones. These recorders have
had great results with EVP. The great thing about digital is that there is no moving parts or tape to hiss.
Audio Amplification Device:
These devices are sensitive and amplify sound, making it possible for you to hear those faint sounds
yopu would have not been able to hear without it.. Most units will have a auto volume control so
you don't blow your ears out if there is a loud noise.
THE LIST OF TOOLS IS EVER GROWING, SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANY NEW TOOLS BEING USED OR IF I MISSED ANY
PLEASE EMAIL ME AT: gfileusa@yahoo.com & LET ME KNOW!
THANK YOU