It is always helpful in knowing what you should take with you on an urban exploration trip. We've listed a few things below that you may consider taking with you if you decide to go on an adventure. There are links for each item listed that can take you to a place where you can purchase it online. Some of these things will be cheaper if you go out to a store to buy them. We've linked to items that are of good quality and at a reasonable price. The items below are in no particular order. To see the equipment we use, click here. Visit the OES Gear Shop where you may purchase nine essential items for urban exploration and paranormal investigation.
 

You'll need a bag or backpack to carry all your gear in. A wide variety of backpacks are available from the link. The pack should be large enough to hold a flashlight, extra batteries, camera, extra clothing, first-aid kit and what ever else you decide to take. They should also be very durable and of good quality to ensure you don't loose your gear. The packs on the link provided range from $20s - $100s.

FLASHLIGHT

This one is pretty obvious. You will need to see in those dark places some how! We prefer using Mag-Lite flashlights. They are very durable, sealed to prevent explosions or fires, and they last a long time. Always have a back-up light in case your primary light gets broken or runs out of batteries. We usually carry the Mini-Mag for such occasions. You may want to consider a headlamp to keep your hands free. The headlamp on the link provided is $19.53. The Mag-Lite is $19.99 and the Mini-Mag is $9.79. You may find them cheaper at a local store.

SPOTLIGHT

This is an optional item. We usually carry a spotlight that is at least 500,000 candle power with us on all missions. You can usually light up a whole room or drain with one of these puppies. The spotlight we've linked to is one million candle power, cordless and rechargeable. It costs $29.95. Again, you may find one cheaper in a store.

MASK

You may be wondering, why do I need a mask?! Have you ever heard of a nasty little thing called Asbestos? Well if you haven't, it's a VERY lethal substance that will eventually kill you. Check out our Safety Section for details. You will need either a respirator or dust mask, but remember, only a respirator with the correct filter rated for asbestos is guaranteed to protect you. The respirator link provided costs $39.99 for both the respirator and the correct filter. The dust masks come in a pack of 10 and costs $9.99.

GLOVES

Gloves are always a handy thing to have around. They will protect your hands and keep them dry in wet conditions. We suggest that you get gloves that are comfortable, water resistant, and durable. The link we provide for gloves do all three, and costs $19.99.

WATER BOTTLE

You may get thirsty at times during your adventures. Be certain to pick up a bottle of water, Gatorade, or SoBe before you leave. Try to refrain from drinking sodas that do not provide hydration at all.

POCKET KNIFE

A pocket knife is a useful little tool to have around. Although it is more of an optional item, a member of each of our explorations usually carries one. The link provided is certainly not the cheapest knife, but it is the most durable knife we've found for the price. It costs $32.25. You can get a cheaper one at any department store.

FIRST-AID KIT

This is an optional item, but we highly recommend that you take one along. There's a wide variety of injuries that could occur while exploring. We suggest you take along a first aid kit that has plenty of supplies. The kit on the link we provide costs $13.99 with the supplies that you may need.

CAMERA

You'll probably want to take a camera with you since there's all kinds of neat things laying around abandoned buildings, cemeteries, or drains. Taking pictures and showing all your friends and family what you found during your adventure is half the fun. The links provided will take you to three basic kinds of cameras. The one time use disposable camera costs $8.99, the 35mm camera costs $19.99, and if you want to go digital, this awesome deal is $149.99.

RADIOS

If you go to a rather large area and decide to break up into groups, or if you have a look out person stationed, radios are a great way in keeping in contact. FRS/GMR radios are the best you can get without a license, although some GMR radios do require licensing. Under the right conditions, these radios can reach two or more miles away. It works fine in most places you will explore. We strongly recommend The Uniden GMR885-2CK pair of radios. They require no license, have up to an eight mile range, are durable, and have rechargeable batteries that last quite a long time. You can get a pair of radios for $49.00 from the link provided.

MASKING TAPE

Take a roll of masking tape with you on your adventures. Why, you might ask. So you won't get lost. Some places are pretty big and you can get lost in three seconds. If you mark your way with masking tape, you can always find your way. It's a non-permanent way of marking where you have been. This link for masking tape is $3.95.

EXTRA BATTERIES

Carry at least one set of extra batteries of the various sizes that your equipment requires. Make sure that you have extra batteries for your flashlight especially. If you decide to take more optional equipment with you, it will never hurt to take extra for them too. They range in price from $3.00 to $20.00 at this link.

The items below are optional items. They are cool to have, but nowhere near necessary for just urban exploring.

NIGHT VISION

This is a really cool item to have. As long as you have one of these with plenty of batteries, who needs a flashlight?! You can see through the dark without any light at all. Plus, night vision is a great way to pick up things you can't see, like ghosts. Night vision scopes come in a wide variety of sizes, styles, and strength. At the link we provide, they range from $99.95 for a basic model to $1,795 for extremely advanced.

GPS UNIT

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a nifty item. Using numerous satellites in outer space, the GPS unit can determine your exact location anywhere on Earth. You'll never get lost with one of these. There are a couple types of GPS units you can get. A stand-alone GPS unit provided costs $83.40, or if you have a laptop, you can get this GPS Module complete with mapping software for just $89.99.

CAMCORDER

What a better way to remember your adventure than to have a video! And as a plus, it will double as a way to capture paranormal evidence if you're into ghost hunting. Make sure to buy a brand that included the night vision feature so you won't need ample lighting in dark places. This Hi8 Sony camcorder costs $227.14 and the better quality MiniDV Sony camcorder is $299.40. Both include the NightShot Plus night vision system. Don't forget tapes! Get 8mm tapes at $1.69/ea, Hi8 tapes at $2.99/ea, or MiniDV tapes at $2.59/ea.

MICROCASSETTE / DIGITAL RECORDER

If you're the type who likes to ghost hunt while you're exploring, this and the next item are for you. Using a microcassette recorder with external mic or a digital voice recorder, you may be able to catch what seems to be ghostly voices on tape, also known as Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP). Check out our EVP Page for more details and tips. The link we provided will supply you with a microcassette recorder that costs $20.82 and this link will get you a six pack of 60 minutes blank tapes for $4.99. The digital voice recorder costs $59.99 and holds around sixteen hours of material.

EMF DETECTOR

The other piece of equipment that you may want to take for ghost hunting is an Electro-Magnetic Field (EMF) Detector. These instruments detect slight changes in the EMF field that may be associated with the presence of ghosts. This cheaper model costs only $37.95 at the link we've provided, but it detects electrical equipment (such as television or microwave oven). A digital EMF meter, as seen on "Ghost Hunters" is available for a price of $72.95. But the best EMF detector to buy is the TriField Natural EM Meter, as it rules out most other possibilities except that of natural occurrences. These are the same meters that you see people using on shows like "Fear" and "World's Scariest Places".  Usually these meters can cost $300 or more, but in the link we provide you can get one for $179.99. Any of these EMF Detectors will work fine, just use common sense and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

THERMOCOUPLE THERMOMETER

A thermocouple thermometer can be used to detect changes in the ambient air temperature instantaneously. The readings provided are more reliable than an IR thermometer since an IR only detects surface temperature. The thermometer we link to is very similar to what we use and costs $79.99. You may be able to find cheaper models at your local hardware store or elsewhere on the Internet.