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Citing personal experiences are great, but having tools to gather evidence is crucial to back up any personal experiences you might have had.
Below is a run down of what should be included in your bag of tricks as a Paranormal Investigator, along with some items that are optional, but should be considered..
Notepads,pens or pencils - In our opinion these are a must have, try to get in the habit making note of everything you encounter out on the field. Should you're equipment fail, a note pad will come in handy to document your experiences.
Camera (film) - Although some people, even in the paranormal field, have a difference of opinion as to the credibility of photographic evidence (the advent of Photoshop has only increased the skepticism), a camera is still a handy and useful piece of equipment to have. To be honest; really just about any camera will suffice, but if you have a decent 35mm camera, you should use 400 to 800 speed film as these seem to work best for night shots. But it might be a good idea to test your flash strength to see what works best for you. Should you use film, you might want to ask the developer to develop all the shots on a roll. Sometimes a bad shot is actually a good shot of something you couldn’t see with the naked eye. Maybe ectoplasm; orbs or mist? If you decide to use film remember if you’re going to post your evidence online you will need a scanner to convert those images to a digital format. However many developers now offer to make photo CD’s for you as well. This is a good option if you don’t have a scanner.
Digital Camera – This is actually a much more convenient option. Most digital cameras are now in the 7-12 megapixel range, which means you get a higher quality image. You also have the advantage of simply uploading your images straight to your computer, instead of waiting to have the film developed. Of course there's the financial benefit. The less money you spend on consumables the better.
Video Camera- this is an optional, but very useful piece of equipment and price ranges vary depending on the media type they use, the quality and of course the brand. I’ll be talking about this more in Ghost Tech. As the technology advances, the prices become much more affordable, so if you can squeeze a little cash from your budget, this is a must have.
Voice Recorder – To record EVP’s you will need a voice recorder. We prefer to you use VAR (voice activated recorder) type digital voice recorders; because there’s less audio you’ll have to review. Hand held tape VAR recorders work just as well, however; if you use a tape recorder, don’t reuse tapes and deactivate the Voice Activation setting, as this might interfere with your EVP recordings. It’s also a good idea to get an external Omni-directional microphone if you are using an analog tape recorder, as the internal mechanism of the recorder might be picked up by the internal microphone. On digital recorders the Voice Activated mode seems to get better results, so you can leave the voice activation mode on and most digital recorders come with good quality Omni-directional internal microphones.
EMF Detector – EMF stands for Electro Magnetic Field Detector and is an important tool every researcher should have in his/her kit. An EMF detector can help you locate and track sources of energy. It will detect fluctuations in electromagnetic fields and low level EMFs with no source. It’s a widely accepted theory, that the presence of a spirit will disrupt this field, by indicating a higher than normal EMF reading. Keep in mind all electrical appliances; including light poles and electrical outlets emit EMF’s so make sure to make note of them when you're doing an investigation. Most EMF units you find on the market today include a user’s manual that includes a data sheet that lists most household and major appliances with their corresponding EMF reading. When using your EMF detector to track or find the presence of a spirit. While some opinions vary on this, EMF fluctuations should be around 2.0 to 7.0; anything above or beyond that, is most probably coming from a natural source. I’ll give quick a rundown on EMF meters, later on in the Ghost Tech Section.
Digital Thermometer - This is another Item I consider a must have. It's a great tool to pick up cold spots. Price range varies, depending on the brand, model and features. But, if you're on a supper tight budget you can find a decent one for as little as $20.
Cell Phone- If you have one great, if not it might be a good idea to get one. They come in handy in the event of an emergency. If you don’t want to pay a lot of money or deal with a long term contract, get a pre paid phone. Virgin Mobile has a variety of great phones that are reasonably priced and you can then purchase what they call Top-Up Cards. These vary in price from $10 to $100 or more and will give you anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours of talk time. Those unused minutes will last you up to 90 days, after that you have to buy more time to keep the service active. Phones range from $20 to $150 depending on the model. If you don’t mind paying out a little extra cash for a phone, but don’t want to have to worry about “topping up”, Cricket has a variety of great phones and is the service we use our selves. The phones range from $29.99 to $250 and plans range from $25-$99/month and all plans have unlimited local calling. The upside is you won’t have to watch your minutes and like with Virgin Mobile; the phone is yours to keep.
Flash light(s) - I think this hardly needs explanation, but as a rule of thumb even if you’re not a “ghost hunter”, it’s a good idea to have a flash light in your car handy. We prefer LED type flash lights as the bulbs last much longer than the conventional bulbs and seem to use less battery power.
Motion Detectors - These are really optional, but can be used to sense movement by any unseen spirits. You can find these all over the internet, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, etc..they usually sell from $20 on up.
Hand Held Radios (walkie-talkies) – While some might consider these as optional, we kind of feel they should be an important part of your tool kit. Safety reasons aside, they are especially useful when you’re working in large outdoor settings or in large buildings and will allow you and members of your group to spread out, but still be able to communicate. Please keep in mind that these could interfere with your EVP recordings, so it might be good idea to get headsets with your radios.
First Aid kid – Pretty self-explanatory, it’s a good thing to have in general. You never know what can happen. These all vary in price, depending on the size of the kit and what it includes. By the way, it might not be such a bad idea if you or someone in your group was or can get certified to give First Aid, should something more serious occur.
Batteries - It’s a common theory that spirits draw energy from available energy sources in an attempt to manifest themselves. Electronic devices seem to be favorite targets. So these are very important to have for your radios, recorders, cameras and video equipment.
Computer- Since the advent of the personal computer, prices have been steadily dropping so finding a good bargain should be fairly easy. Even laptops have gone considerably lower in price, making them much more affordable. The advantage of having a laptop is that it gives you mobility, so you can review evidence at the scene and present it. I’ll be going over computer equipment in greater detail in the Ghost Tech section.
A little later on I’ll go over some of the more advanced equipment and software we use on the field and where you can find them. If there’s something I’ve left out here please feel free to let me know and I’ll add it.
Copyright 2008-2009. Allrights Reserved. The El Paso Alternate Reality Project.
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