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The 3 Best Mini Highbankers of 2024

By: Dan Hodgins

Want a Lightweight Highbanker That Can Move a Lot of Dirt? Read On!

When I was in the market for a highbanker, I wanted something that was lightweight, compact, and easy to use. I also wanted something robust that wouldn’t fall apart in 6 months. After researching plenty of highbankers, and learning more than I ever wanted to, I found the Crux Highbanker. 

I personally own this highbanker and use it quite often. I would be very annoyed if I had to switch back to my old, heavy highbanker. 

Here’s one feature I love about my Crux Mini Highbanker. The unit can be collapsed down into a mesh bag, making hiking a breeze. No more struggling with 60-100 lbs+ of gear.  

When people see me using the Crux in the field, I show them how much dirt it can handle. After seeing this, I wonder if they want one for themselves and are secretly jealous.

When it comes to my Crux Highbanker, I wish I had one all along, as I could have avoided a bunch of neck and back pain from carrying super heavy gear. 

Here is my evaluation of the Crux highbanker: 

Would I recommend this product? Yes. 

Would I buy this product again? Yes. 

Do I feel like the product / kit is good value? Yes. 

Do I use it all the time? Yes. 

My star rating: 4.5/5

My Take

"The Crux is a great highbanker. I like how lightweight the unit is, and it's easy to hike with. The build quality is robust. So far I have been using it for both sampling and production in areas where larger machines aren't practical. 

I am comfortable recommending this mini highbanker to anyone who wants to have a lightweight yet highly capable machine. I give the Crux highbanker a 4.5/5.

-DAN HODGINS 

Interested in the Crux Highbanker? View the product page on their website to learn more. 

Mini Highbankers: Ideal For Hiking, Sampling and More

A mini highbanker enables you to save energy and get to where you need to go with less strain on your back. For most people, if budget isn't an issue, then the Crux Gold Trek 6 Inch Highbanker is the best choice.

The Crux highbanker has enough capacity to run 1 yard/hour of unclassified gravels with full shovel loads or buckets, and it's the only ultralight highbanker system we've found that has spray bars built into the hopper itself thanks to a unique manufacturing process.

Our Pick

Crux Gold Trek 6 Inch Mini Backpack Highbanker System

The Best Mini Highbanker Kit 

With an impressive 'production speed' 6 inch highbanker with an extended hopper that easily fits into a custom-designed mesh tote bag, the Crux Gold Trek is the best backpack highbanker if budget is not an issue. It packs 1 yard/hour of production capacity into a backpackable mini highbanker setup that is easy to move around for sampling or semi-production, and weighs in at a mere 12.9 lbs.

Throw in the recommended 1 inch gas pump (Honda WX-10), fuel, 50 feet of ultralight forestry hose and poly camlock fittings with clamps, and the entire system weighs 29.4 lbs. I repeat, eveything except buckets and shovels weighs under 30 lbs. This system enables you to easily move around your claim and test different areas to find the highest gold concentrations.

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The innovative header header box has spray bars 'built-in' which ensures a strong washing action. Inward angled V-channel grooves in the bottom of the hopper direct gold to the center, and when combined with the inward angled edge of the grizzly bar screen (½ or ⅜ inch, interchangeable) on the perimeter, this one-of-a-kind design prevents gold from washing out the sides of the box.

A diverter directs material to the center of the sluice box. A short slick plate stratifies the gold, black sand, garnets and other heavy minerals, and prepares the gold to settle.

Once gold hits the rubber drop riffle “Gold Treads” matting with a V-matting texture in the bottom of the drop riffles, it has no chance to escape. The matting 'self classifies', enabling flour gold to lodge itself into the grooves at the bottom.

The 'hold down' strip is compatible with most 3rd party mats, enabling prospectors to switch to their preferred mat choice if they want. A curved leading edge on the mat 'ribs' creates hydraulic force that pushes gold and heavy minerals downward and backward in the drop riffles where it's protected from scouring.

The included damper flap breaks any surface tension, and knocks down any gold floating on surface tension at the top end of the sluice, which is very useful for fine gold that tends to float due to gold being hydrophobic (repelling water).

After extensive testing by multiple users we are very confident in the Crux Prospecting matting system. It has a proven gold capture rates in areas with heavy black sand and fine flour gold such as the Similkameen River and Fraser River in BC, Canada.   

Budget Pick

Geosluice California Mini Highbanker (9 lbs)

The Best Budget-Friendly Backpack Highbanker

It lacks a long and open hopper for running 1 yard/hour of paydirt. You cannot dump 5 gallon buckets with large cobbles directly into the header box, and it will not handle full #2 shovels of paydirt. You also can't check multiple mat sections for gold to see how losses progress as you get further down the sluice toward the end. But the California Mini Highbanker by Geosluice is a cheaper option for a portable highbanker.

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The Geosluice California Mini Highbanker weighs in at only 9lbs, is highly portable, and works well with a scoop or mini shovel. For people who aren't able to, or don't want to run full shovel loads or buckets for hours at a time this is a good solution for recirculating setups or ‘lowbanking'.

If you're content with not having the latest and the greatest, the California Mini Highbanker offers some of what the Crux Gold Trek offers for less money. Available in blue or green, the Geosluice California Mini Highbanker can be operated with a gas pump or the recommended 12 volt bilge pump (1,200 gallons per hour).

With its streamlined design and easy mobility it's a good solution for people who aren't tied to aluminum as being their material of choice for a highbanker. Its simple drop riffle design in the sluice box will catch gold like a magnet with the right paydirt feed rate, angle and water flow.

Upgrade Pick

Adventures in Gold Mini6 Highbanker

The Best Mini Highbanker For Hopper Capture

If capturing gold in your highbanker hopper is mandatory, then the Adventures in Gold / Do All Paul Mini 6 Highbanker could be a good choice. If has expanded metal over miner's moss in the hopper, which acts as a good gold preview and some extra insurance in terms of capture.

It lacks the open hopper, built-in spray bars and interchangeable grizzly bar screens of the Crux Gold Trek Highbanker mentioned above, but the Adventures In Gold Prospecting Mini 6 Backpack Highbanker still packs a punch in a slightly smaller package, and is one of the lightest mini highbankers of the bunch.

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​​If you're OK with having a closed header box with a hose in the way, Adventures In Gold Prospecting Mini 6 Backpack Highbanker offers most of what Crux Gold Trek backpack highbanker above does, for around the same price. It all depends on what you value most - a large, open hopper where you can freely sweep out material to increase efficiency (Crux Gold Trek), or additional capture media in the header box (AIG).

Although the header capture is nice, any modern matting system operated with the right angle, water flow and feed rate will produce excellent results in terms of gold capture vs. losses. 

If a sharp, powder-coated look, custom color and variety of capture surfaces is your most important consideration then the Adventures In Gold Prospecting Mini 6 Backpack Highbanker will give you plenty of bang for your buck.

The Research

• Why You Should Trust Us
• Who Should Buy This
• How We Picked
• How We Tested
• What is the Difference Between a Mini, Backpack and Ultralight Highbanker?
• Our Pick
• Flaws But Not Dealbreakers
• Budget Pick
• Upgrade Pick
• The Competition

Why You Should Trust Us

I, Dan Hodgins, wrote the latest version of this guide. In addition to being an admin in the Gold Prospectors of British Columbia FB group of over 25,000 prospectors as well as the Pickaxe.ca FB group, I have been a gold prospector for the past 6 years. This has given me the chance to test out a number of different highbankers in different areas, and with various types of material. You can find me in the Pickaxe.ca community on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.

Who Should Buy This

If you are looking for a smaller unit that is easy to move around for sampling or semi-production, then a mini backpack highbanker could be the perfect fit for you. There's no need to replace your large highbanker setup that may weigh 100-120 lbs+. A smaller lightweight backpack highbanker makes an ideal addition to your collection of prospecting equipment. You can have two setups that compliment each other.

Also, if you are short on space, have a bad back or knee pain, or don't have the tools or skills to do a DIY highbanker build then a backpack highbanker system may be a good fit for you. Mini backpackable highbankers such as the Crux Gold Trek Highbanker, The Adventures in Gold Mini6 Highbanker, or the Geosluice California Mini Highbanker are lightweight, compact, tough as nails, and will last for a long time.

Unlike mini highbankers made from metals such as aluminum or galvanized steel, highbankers made from reinforced plastics are much quieter as rocks hitting the surface don't make a loud sound. I don't know about you, but I don't want to hear a loud clanging all day when I am out doing a stealth highbanking mission with a 12V lithium battery and 2,000 or 2,200 GPH bilge pump. I want to enjoy the peace and quiet of being out in nature. 

Portable backpack highbankers enable people of all ages and all ability levels to experience the thrill of finding gold no matter how much space they have available, or how strong their legs are.

How We Picked

Our ideal mini backpackable highbanker system has the following attributes:

Long and open hopper

Many mini highbankers have water lines that shoot water upward in the header box from jets or holes. This requires having a horizontal piece of PVC pipe coming directly across the header box. When it comes to washing oversized cobbles with this type of setup, an extra clenching and lifting step is required after the rock is clean (unless the hopper is extremely high e.g. 12 inches).

In contrast, a machine such as the Crux Gold Trek, with its open hopper, enables users to gently sweep the largest cobbles and gravels out the back. An open hopper helps material that has already been cleaned to generate a bit of momentum to push it down and off the grizzly bars. This ‘auto clearing' can help you move more material, faster. Just watch a video demo if you want to see this in action.

Strong washing action

A premium backpack highbanker will feature a water line that provides strong water pressure. This is mandatory for highbanking in areas with mucky material or heavy clay where extra washing time may be required. In these cases, it may be advisable to reduce the angle on your header box to enable a longer dwell time for material in the hopper box for a cleaner wash. 

Handles a full #2 shovel of material

Unlike other machines with closed hoppers, the Crux Gold Trek can easily handle a full shovel of gravel in the hopper. In areas with heavy clay, I use a trick I developed last season. I like to dump material in at the top of the hopper with my shovel. I then use the blade of the spade as a ‘gate' at the top of the hopper to hold material back and let it wash, kind of like a clay claw. I let water and material ‘pool up' while lifting the ‘gate' at a feed rate that works for my area. This enables me to both wash material well and control the feed rate while not having to grasp a shovel full of material, and slowly sprinkling in material.

You won't ‘out dig' the Crux Gold Trek - I have tried. I usually run my highbanker in 30 minute timed increments, as shoveling gravel for that long without breaks is grueling. Now, if the gold is ridiculously good, it's not hard to find the motivation to dig harder for longer : ) 

Long sluice box

In areas with heavy black sand and fine flour gold, some extra length on your highbanker sluice box is advisable. The Crux Prospecting Gold Trek 6" Ultralight Takedown Backpack Highbanker features a generous 36 inches of gold-catching sluice box mat.

The last time I tested my Crux Gold Trek in an area known for mainly fine gold, I found ~90% of my gold in the top mat, 7-8% in the second mat, and almost no gold in the bottom 2 mats (the entire bottom half of the sluice). There was maybe 1 nano speck in my catch pan.

Provides a gold 'preview'

Our ideal pick will give users the ability to briefly shut their pump down to take a peek at gold values without requiring a full cleanup. This is only possible in systems with highbanker matting near the top end of the sluice (or a small piece of miner's moss like some highbankers have).

In the case of the Crux Gold Trek mini highbanker, you can pan out the top highbanker mat section to check for gold. In my extensive experience testing the unit in the field, 90%+ of your gold is caught in the top matting section with maybe 10% in the second section, and staggeringly little gold in sections three and 4. Sometimes, all of my coarse gold is caught in the very first drop riffle of the top mat.  

Excellent gold capture rate with minimal losses

With textured drop riffle matting, and a highbanker damper flap to knock down any floating gold, reduce bubbles and smooth out the laminar flow, gold doesn't have a chance of escaping the Crux Gold Trek. In my personal experience testing this product, I stopped using a catch pan after the sluice as it was a waste of time to pan the tailings for literally 1-2 specks of flour gold aka fly poop.

The Geosluice California Mini Highbanker, our budget pick, also has excellent gold capture rates using drop riffle technology, and with the right feed, angle and flow, drop riffles are hard to beat in terms of gold capture. Granted, the Adventures In Gold Mini6 also has excellent capture with a combination of expanded metal and miner's moss in the hopper with a Jarvie riffle and Dream Mat in the power sluice box section. 

Lightweight

The purpose of a portable highbanker is to be lightweight, enabling users to access remote areas without straining their back and/or wasting energy on the hike in. The complete Crux Gold Trek highbanker system with header box, sluice box and highbanker leg kit weighs in at 12.9 lbs which enables users to access remote ground on foot that may not have been extensively worked since the gold rushes of yesteryear (if ever).

Compact

For users seeking a lightweight and efficient highbanker system, a small size is implied. All of our favorite mini highbankers are compact and easily moved. This is in stark contrast to larger systems that are overbuilt and unnecessary because no one has the stamina to keep up with them. Your main limitation is shovelling, and this relates to stamina, physical fitness, energy and motivation much more than the capacity of your box. 

Nestable

A well-designed ultralight highbanker should nest into itself, providing a compact footprint for hiking and storage at home. All of the units mentioned nest into themselves nicely, although the Crux Gold Trek is the most compact of the three. In fact, it packs down into a small mesh bag that is included as a free bonus (helps you avoid potentially losing parts during transport).

Amazingly, you can throw it right into your backpack and be on your way rather than fighting with bungee cords and straps as you would with a larger highbanker. 

Durable

Highbankers must be built to take a beating in the field. With rocks, cobbles, gravel and sand making a heavy impact and scouring surfaces, lightweight mini highbankers must be extremely durable. All 3 of our picks are highly durable and will last a long time, and none of them stand out for being better or worse in this respect. 

Sturdy (Feels Solid) 

Any highbanker kit needs to have a very stable base to handle large amounts of cobbles, gravel and sand in the hopper at any given time.  The Crux Gold Trek is robust, with rock-solid legs that won't move when you're digging. 

In my experience testing the unit I haven't have any issues with the legs, and they work well. 

Fast and Efficient: Runs 1 yard/hour

The best mini backpack highbankers (ultralight) will enable hand miners (placer) working at a small scale to potentially run 1 yard per hour of material (depending on how compacted it is). With pre-filled buckets or in areas with easy digging this is definitely attainable.

Efficiency with hand mining for placer gold revolves around bottlenecks. In general, you want less motion and movement, and faster operations at every step. For example - the less time you spend moving material with your hand, the better.

The Crux Gold Trek, with its long and open hopper, enables full shovel loads to be dumped at the top of the hopper, and you can leave it all to wash while you go and fetch your next shovel load. You then sweep off the material, and dump in your next shovel. This is a fast way of working that enables you to move a lot of material in a day. If you can do 1 yard per hour on average, it ultimately comes down to how many hours you can sustain that pace for.

Again, that relates directly to stamina rather than highbanker capacity (in other words, you don't need an extra large highbanker most of the time). 

Can Handle Two People Digging With Full Shovel Loads

Anyone buying a secondary unit that is easy to move around for testing/sampling placer gold areas will want to run a machine to its limit. The Crux Gold Trek can easily handle two people digging.

Note - you can't ‘hurl' full heaping shovels at it without risking gold loss, as that wouldn't be realistic for any 6 inch highbanker. But, you can certainly hurl small or half shovels at it (I do this personally all of the time when I am in the field). This fast pace can increase motivation - especially if you are on the gold!

How We Tested

The testing of these products comes from my own personal experience using a variety of highbanker solutions including both professionally made products and DIY highbanker builds:

• Large highbankers (10+ inches of sluice width) with 1.5 inch gas water pumps (e.g. Honda WX-15)
• Medium highbankers (8 inches of sluice width) with 1.5 inch gas water pump (e.g. Honda WX-15)
• Mini highbankers (6 inches of sluice width) with 1 inch gas water pumps (e.g. Honda WX-15)

My testing experience in the field using both my equipment and that of my friends and prospecting partners has given me the opportunity to work with some of the tools listed above, and this has given me first-hand experience with what works and what doesn't (as well as understanding my preferences based on my area)

I also personally own, and enjoy using, the 6 Inch Gold Trek Mini Backpack Highbanker by Crux Prospecting which is our pick. My personal experience with this unit may bias this article somewhat, but that's a good thing because my evaluation, of that product at least, is based on real world usage.

I have had the opportunity to use a wide variety of gold pans, highbankers and sluices over the years to capture everything from powder-like gold dust to large, coarse gold flakes (aka pickers). For the machines I haven't had the chance to personally use, I have seen many videos from experienced users which gives me a good idea of the pros and cons of each highbanker. If you are looking for a highbanker for sale, or to buy a highbanker, any of these options would work well. 

In my experience the lightweight mini highbankers are excellent secondary units that are lightweight and easy to move around for sampling different pay streaks or areas on your claim. You can't quite hurl full shovels into them, but it's close. 

I have tried everything from large production highbankers that could handle all the dirt 3 people could throw at it all the way down to ultralight backpack highbankers that are still extremely capable machines. It was definitely a relief to switch to a lightweight mini highbanker as I can move nearly as much material as a much larger machine but with far less energy wasted.

What is the Difference Between a Mini, Backpack and Ultralight Highbanker?

Although there is no official definition for mini highbankers, a mini highbanker is any one that isn't large and/or heavy. An example would be a 6 inch (Crux Gold Trek) or 8 inch highbanker (Gold Hog Piglet).

A backpack highbanker is one that you can strap onto your back, and this includes the large and heavy ones. The criteria of ‘backpackable' isn't great for differentiating between highbankers.

In contrast, ultralight highbankers are perhaps the best defined and most specific type. An ultralight highbanker is by definition lightweight, compact and easy to move around for sampling, testing or production. Examples of such a machine are the Crux Gold Trek mini backpack highbanker. Geosluice California Mini Highbanker, Adventures in Gold Mini6, and Gold Rat 6 inch backpack highbanker.

By definition, an ultralight highbanker will enable you to use a smaller gas pump (e.g. 1 inch Honda WX-10 or bilge pump (e.g. 2,000 GPH) and still get decent water pressure in the header box, and water volume in the sluice box.   

Our Pick

The Crux Gold Trek is the ideal backpack highbanker for those who can afford to spend what they want.. It boasts a high production speed, an extra long and open hopper, a 36-inch sluice box, legs, and matting that can all be conveniently packed into a custom tote bag (included with purchase).

With a capacity of 1 yard/hour and a lightweight, backpackable design that weighs only 12.9 lbs, it is perfect for moving around to different areas on your claim to test for pay streaks. When paired with a recommended 1-inch gas pump (Honda WX-10), fuel, 50 feet of ultralight 1 inch forestry hose (braided polymer), and poly camlock fittings with clamps, the entire system weighs 29.4 lbs.

This is the exact setup I am currently using, and it's great. If you ask me what is the best highbanker for gold prospecting, right now I would say the Crux Gold Trek (it's the product I use most of the time in terms of highbankers). 

Flaws, But Not Dealbreakers

Before we get into these, let me say that my own shortcomings were likely the cause of many, if not most of these issues (rather than the equipment itself).

Despite the extra long hopper, I would like an even longer hopper would on the Crux Gold Trek (and all of the other mini highbankers as well). This would probably require more reinforcement in terms of highbanker legs that attach at the very top of the hopper. 

An extra long highbanker hopper would enable you to place 1-2+ full shovels at the top of the hopper for longer washing, while you turn and get your next shovel. In areas with super mucky material or heavy clay, this would be perfect to let the muck dissolve and clean the material well. 

Right now, the Crux Gold Trek can handle a full shovel load. But, in my experience, I place the shovel with material upright, and use the shovel itself as a ‘gate' to let the water pool up behind it, wet the material, and control the feed rate into the sluice below. This system works quite well, and I plan to continue working this way going forward.

For those that prefer, the Crux Gold Trek can handle having a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full leaned against the highbanker hopper for dumping, although 1/2 buckets, or a full 2 gallon bucket (much more user friendly).

A piece of leg hardware fell off of my Crux Gold Trek mini highbanker when I removed a leg which was quite annoying. Had I not noticed this, I would have lost the nut. This can easily be avoided by keeping the nuts tight enough (which I did not do). Chalk this one up to operator error rather than a product shortcoming, but I thought I would mention it here. 

On the Crux Gold Trek, connecting the modular sluice halves together was difficult for me. To be blunt, I still haven't mastered the tab system. Perhaps I am a weakling, but I probably just need more practice connecting the sections and then it would be a breeze. This is likely just a practice thing, and I'm sure other people will be more talented at this than me. 

My hose fell off the connection on the front of the Crux Gold Trek once, so I had to reconnect it when everything was running.

This was definitely annoying, but again likely due to operator error as I likely didn't connect my 1 inch fitting snugly enough. I definitely value the all-inclusive aspect of the Crux mini highbanker system as it reduces the number of components I have to source from separate suppliers.

From our perspective the pros and advantages of the mini backpack highbankers we've selected far outweigh the cons and disadvantages, and we encourage you to purchase the one that fits your needs best.

If weight is your top criteria, but heavy duty stability is less important, then buy the Geo Sluice California Mini Highbanker. We have seen users getting excellent results with that machine - particularly in areas with predominantly small cobbles.

If you want to gain header capture but lose the open extended hopper then go with the upgrade pick - the Mini6 as it has a lot to offer including a variety of capture zones for gold to settle out it, plus his “Jarvie riffle”, a piece of accordion style punch plate that is meant to improve fine gold capture. 

Budget Pick

The California Mini Highbanker is a budget-friendly option for backpack highbankers. It may not have the capability to run 1 yard per hour of paydirt with a long and open hopper, and it may not allow you to dump buckets directly into the header box or handle full #2 shovels of paydirt.

Additionally, it may not have the ability to check multiple mat sections for gold to track losses as you move down the sluice. However, it is more affordable compared to other options.

Upgrade Pick

If capturing gold in your highbanker hopper is crucial, then the Adventures in Gold / Do All Paul Mini6 Highbanker is a good option. It features expanded metal over miner's moss in the hopper, which serves as an effective gold preview and an additional gold capture area.

It does not have the extended open hopper, built-in spray bars and interchangeable grizzly bar screens of the Crux Gold Trek Highbanker, but the Mini 6 is still powerful in a compact size and is among the lightest mini highbankers available. It also has more color customization options with the sharp-looking powder coating.

The Competition: Small Mini Highbankers

Gold Rat 6 inch mini highbanker - this is a very popular choice in Australia, and is one of the highest quality 6 inch highbankers out there. This unit received a lot of publicity on the VoGus Prospecting YouTube channel.

At the time of publishing, there were no other 6 inch ultralight highbankers on the market that I liked and would personally buy, hence I'm only listing one competing product. Note - I am aware of other brands such as The Gold Buddy mini highbanker, but I feel that all of the options here are far superior to that machine. 

Similar Products, But Outside The Scope of This Article

Gold Hog Piglet and Piglet Flare HIghbanker - this is a popular choice for many, but the recommendation to run it with a 1.5 inch pump (with the pump alone e.g. Honda WX-15 weighing a minimum of 20 lbs) means it doesn't fit the criteria for this article which focuses on ultralight highbanking systems. 

Keene Mini Max Highbanker - this is a well-designed power sluice highbanker that is another good choice. With a lack of spray bars, this machine is not as efficient as the much smaller, but possibly more capable, Crux Gold Trek mini highbanker.

Royal Manufacturing Mini Highbanker - this machine has a downward cascading water flow in the hopper which makes it difficult to get as strong a wash as you would get with the Crux Gold Trek.

About Your Guide 

Dan Hodgins is a recreational placer miner in British Columbia, Canada -- home of the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858. As the founder of Pickaxe.ca, he helps hobbyist gold prospectors at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels to find more gold using a combination of placer and hard rock techniques.

Sources

I have 6 years of personal experience using a variety of small, medium and large sized highbankers to capture all types of gold from fine flour gold (gold dust) to coarse gold including pickers.

CruxProspecting.com - manufacturer website, personal interviews, telephone interviews, 6+ field testing sessions with the designer and owner

GeoSluiceMining.com - website, multiple YouTube videos showcasing the product in use

Adventures In Gold Prospecting - FB page, multiple videos showcasing the product in use