You don't need a lot of equipment to track down and identify interesting fungi. You'll require:

• A notebook or paper and pencil to note down habitat information, and for making spore prints.
• Field guide(s).
• A knife for cutting specimens from tree bark or other substrates.
• A hand lens for some of the smaller fungi.
• Definitely a camera.

Remember to wear suitable clothing and bug repellent. Take a supply of food and drinking water—hunting for fungi is hungry, thirsty work. If you're heading off the beaten track, take a map, compass, and whistle. And don't forget... pack it in, pack it out.

If you're planning to bring specimens home for identification, you'll also need:

• A rigid container to get them home undamaged. A wooden basket is ideal.
• Paper bags or waxed paper to wrap each specimen. Avoid plastic bags and containers, they make mushrooms "sweat" and deteriorate rapidly.
• A small trowel for lifting soil fungi.
• If you're interested in fungi that grow on dung, pack some rubber gloves and watertight containers! You should never handle dung with bare hands.

You're ready to go…