Thread: Simpson desert trip ......winch needed?

Originally Posted by herrBlick

I'm going West to East for the middle 2 weeks of June, I feel that the high lift jack and the hand winch seem to be the go.... Thank..you for the help .Are there any good itineraries on the site that I should know about? Search isn't through isn't up anything.

Just had a look at pics of your car........I cannot see anywhere you would attach a hi-lift jack too. You could buy the adaptor for the rear cross member but that's about it. Hi-lift are heavy, difficult to store and no all that useful.

Seriously a puma will walk across the Simpson

I replied to a thread today about a member planning his Simpson trip........it should be too far down the list. He has an itinerary you could play with as he is travelling from Melbourne from memory...hang on his car is at Mulgos so he might be Sydney.

I took three days to cross the Simpson. East to west. Big Red, QAA, Knolls Track, Rig Rd than into Mt Dare. The rig rd is less used, we travelled the school holidays and only came across three other cars.

Everybody does mention weight.....which I agree with however I must would have been over GVM as I took plenty of supplies just in case as I was travelling solo.

Have you thought about fuel??

Others than that enjoy the trip.......

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/showthread...70#post2041870

Maybe take a long handle shovel, you'll be digging at least one hole each evening anyway. I've only been stuck once out there and that was operator error, pure and simple. In 2010 Lake Poeppel was very wet and I entered on the wrong track, gassed it and sunk to the chassis. It was a case of hilift jack, dig, pack tyres, reverse a metre and repeat. Took about 45 minutes and it's a lesson I'll never forget, could have easily driven around the lake to the north but thought I'd save fuel by risking it. Stick to the main track, watch the weight and you'll be fine, at worst someone'll be coming over a sandhill soon enough, just have your strap ready and they'll be only too happy to lend a hand.

Originally Posted by herrBlick

I'm going West to East for the middle 2 weeks of June, I feel that the high lift jack and the hand winch seem to be the go.... Thank..you for the help .Are there any good itineraries on the site that I should know about? Search isn't through isn't up anything.

A good idea would be to check out some of the Trip Reports. Lots of good ideas and info that will relate to your travels.

Don't worry about the winch, but invest in a decent tyre gauge and compressor.
(and most of the bits others have mentioned)


Martyn

Can anyone recommend a good tyre gauge? The ones I have seen seem flimsy and likely to be inaccurate...

I wouldn't take a winch, or HiLift...
But I would take maxtrax or similar.

Herr Blick,

I'm the chap from Sydney who's doing the Simpson over the Easter hols, probbaly starting from Broken Hill and then working my way north, then down the Strzelecki, up the Oodnadatta and then across from West to East and into Birdsville.

I have a very good winch on my vehicle but I don't think I'll need it at any point and I'm not packing a ground anchor - I'm bringing sand tracks and a shovel for any boggy fun.....and it'll give the missus a good workout too. Win-Win.

I'm also debating leaving the second spare at home as I don't think the Simpson is going to be that harsh on tyres and it's unnecessary weight on top of the pop-top. I'm more inclined to take a spare shock absorber for the corrugations!

When are you heading out there mate? It'd be great to get a Puma photoshoot in the desert

Bobby