"Whilst any good ironmonger can supply cold chisels and strong knives or trowels, he is very unlikely to have safe and suitable hammers in stock. The steel of ordinary domestic and many trade hammers is far too soft for use on most rocks. It will splinter and flying fragments of steel can cause nasty wounds, particularly to the eyes, not only of the hammerer but also of his companions." Fossils in Colour - 1967 - J.F. Kirkaldy, D.Sc. Formally Head of the Department of Geology, Queen Mary College London.

The Boulder Beds at Portgower contain sandy deposits which yield corals. To get to the sandy layers, often hard shale beds have to be split using a splitting hammer. Sometimes fossils can also be found in harder limestone which will require chisels and goggles.

Chisel Picks: These should be used for splitting rocks, at Portgower the rocks are layered, most of the fossils are found in sandy deposits.

Picks: Ideal for use when splitting fine shales and for fossils found in the sandy deposits.

Chisels: Standard cold chisels are suitable for Portgower. It is best to take a wide splitting chisel, a standard 1" and a smaller chisel for finer work. These will be fine for splitting the rocks.

Safety Wear: Goggles or Safety Glasses are absolutely essential when using hammers and chisels.

Specimen Bags: These are ideal for Portgower. Sealable Clear Specimen Bags can hold your finds. These can be purchased from UKGE for low prices and can easily be re-used.

Geological Bags: Strong, Waterproof and durable geological bags that last years are ideal for any keen fossil hunter. These quality bags from Estwing are ideal for bringing back those heavy rocks that you wish to split back home and to hold your fossil finds.

Footwear: Hiking Boots are recommended fine for Crakiag because the shore can be rocky and when the tide goes out, it can leave areas of water.