Thread: *Appropriate* preparation for a 1 month trip

Originally Posted by Samblers

Jees thats a lot of reading

sorry!

Hi Samblers
I can email a brilliant website that covers all you need to know about the Kimberley region. PM me?

I traveled from Vic and did William Creek, Tanami, GRR, Simpson etc.
If travelling alone you need more gear than when with others. Snatch strap and shackles will get you out of most failures to proceed as long as you have another vehicle to put on the other end. Good attachment point, tow bar and a couple of points on the front coming off the chassis.
HiLift. No
Knead two part putty to plug holes (fixed holed radiator after a D2 put the fan blade into radiator on a water crossing).
Hose clamps (you can hold things together with a couple of these)
A couple of hoses you can replace or cut up to Bodge a repair for hose you are not carrying. Fan belt.
Water I managed with a bladder from a yachting shop
Fuel, two jerrycans should do
Spare nuts and bolts and spanners
I carried a second spare but did not use any although others did shred tyres. One pers on our trip carried a tyre carcass others carried a tube. Both these require means to break the bead which I’d rather never have to do. It involves either violent club hammer and right angle steel chocks to break the bead, lots of bead breakers available commercially but I just carried a second spare.
Once you have a vehicle mounted winch you will avoid using a Tirfor, they are hard work. Snatch strap is lighter and you might have to wait for someone else to come along but it will get you out.
Rain will be your greatest enemy as far as getting bogged. Tanami, GRR to Kalumburu and Oodnadatta track turned to mud after a night of rain. Sometimes you just have to sit and wait for the road to dry and reopen.
I felt a little vulnerable on the comms side with just a UHF CB but am told that the cattle stations use them and you may pick one up on the radio if you breakdown. Despite what others have said a sat phone would come in handy if you had to get the flying doctor in to get a medical emergency out.

All the best

Originally Posted by Grahame Roberts

Hi Samblers
I can email a brilliant website that covers all you need to know about the Kimberley region. PM me?

PM sent

Originally Posted by slug_burner

Snatch strap and shackles will get you out of most failures to proceed as long as you have another vehicle to put on the other end.

Thanks for the advice slug. Yeah, got snatch revery gear but you're right, wont help us if we're on our own. Still undecided about a winch - I guess a winch will only really help if pulling ourselves out forwards (or recovering someone else)

At the end of the day, the area of most adventure will be the GRR... which some have suggested will be not *that* much of an adventure, and also relatively busy (hence thread title; use of of "appropriate"...)

Perhaps we shouldn't rely too much on having others around to help us out...?

Originally Posted by slug_burner

I felt a little vulnerable on the comms side with just a UHF CB ...

This is what we have. So far.

Gen 4 spot beacons are on special at tentworld Spot Gen4 GPS Satellite Messenger - Tentworld

Maybe a halfway solution for non critical comms to let people know where you are and that you are OK.

Regards,
Tote