What is a “FLAT” of Minerals?

The common term for mineral collectors and dealers, and rock shops to store and sometimes sell minerals and crystals is a “flat”. A “flat” is simply two cardboard bottoms holding beer or pop cans. They carry 4 six-packs of beverage cans. Mineral dealers and collectors have found these as the free, and useful standard for packaging their rocks. You fill the bottom, and simply cover it with another half, and write the contents like “Pyrite” and the location on the edge of the flat. These are common field trip tools, and a great way to protect your precious finds too. When loading up a flat for carrying in the field, use another important tool: toilet tissue! Take the specimen in one hand, and a long piece of TP in the other hand, and start around the side, bunching loosely around it, causing a padding effect. This technique, when done correctly and carefully to all of the pieces causes a nice packing effect within the box. Every piece, although a different size seems to fit together like a puzzle within the flat snugly. Even fragile specimens with tiny crystals can be protected nicely this way. Even if you drop or bump the flat, you should see that you are still saving your hard work and precious treasures. Remember TP (loose bunches) Newspaper (tight boxes) when packing minerals on the field trip. I collected some nice, but very large and VERY heavy Barite crystals from the Dugway mountains in Utah. We actually used bubble pack to safely carry them out. These were especially heavy pieces, so they needed extra padding. Other great field trip packaging tools include fiber egg cartons. It seems sometimes the mineral specimens actually wedge themselves down in the carton as you carry them. I’ve even used folded interlocking crate dividers I carry in. I expand them when I need to fill with pieces. For smaller crystals and specimens, always place them on top of your flat carrier, or backpack, heavy pieces lower in the pack.