Tagalong tours

[AnD3rew]

Hi all

I have done quite a bit of bush and beach sand driving on my own and I am very keen to have a go at a desert trip, but with kids etc I want to do my first trip with a group of xperienced people and a tagalong tour sounds like a good option.

Anyone have any recommendations or warnings of what to stay away from? There is one operated by a company called Australian 4x4 driver training which is operate by John Cantrell who is I believe a Land Rover/ Range Rover guy.

[Tank]

Check out "Upcoming Events" in this Forum, there is someone there looking for company on a Simpson desert trip and if you ever want to explore the South Coast drop us a PM, regards Frank.

[weeds]

i did the simpson desert solo.......when i was planning the trip i looked into tag-a-long tours but the cost turned my away as my budget didn't stretch that far..........

i am sure the operator would have known more abou tthe area, it history and probably sneaked in to places that the average traveller is not aware of.....if you a sociable than traveling with eight other cars is a good idea as well

i have never done a tag-a-long but i did observe and listen to them over the radio for three days.....the leader did an awsome job but geez it was hard work i.e. one traveller was a first time 4wder that picked his pajero up three weeks prior to the trip.....there days were slower than mine due to recoveries and setting/adjust vehicals

i have been reading your threads and i reckon you have the ability to cross the simpson which is in reality not all that challanging (i avoided the french line)

a well prepared car and a communication plan you are set

[AnD3rew]

Thanks weeds, I have considered doing it solo, I believe my vehicle is well prepared and capable and my 4wd skills and experience are I think good enough.

My main 2 reasons for considering tagalong are me being lazy and outsourcing the planning bits such as where to get water and fuel and the agenda like knowing how much to realistically try to tackle in a day and where to camp etc. I'm sure all this is very doable with lots of reading and research on forums etc but tagalong is the lazy way to do it.

The other one is the unlikely event that something goes wrong, I know a sat phone can summon help but its nice to know there are others around and that maybe you have a chance of getting out without external assistance.

[Xtreme]

The other area to consider is to join a 4WD club.
Many clubs do Simpson trips and are usually led by experienced members. You can also get to know people before the big trip by attending meetings or day/weekend trips. Plus the membership fees are a lot less than the cost of one commercial tag-a-long trip.

[DeanoH]

Hi Andrew,

Kelvin summed it up pretty well. The Simpson is not a difficult trip, though that's easy for me to say:). It's good that you're thinking about the logistics and organisation etc.

I used to be critical of tag along trips untill I met a group of (Global Gypsys) or similiar name when in the Kimberley a few years ago and was very impressed with their professionalism, competance and especially patience. It was a great way for the 4 WD novice to learn with skilled leaders. The cameraderie was also noticeable.

On the other hand I've come across other tag along hroups run by incompetant cowboys who's motto is 'FIGJAM'. :eek: Unfortunately these seem more common than the former.

I don't know if there's an accreditation system for 'led tours' but I'd be finding out and would use of of these if I were considering a tag along tour.

As for the Simpson, West to East gives the easiest run and if it's safety in numbers you want the French Line will give you that at the expense of a crowded noisy and relatively boring crossing. This direct route is the 'tick in the box' and shortest route that most take across the Desert. IMO a better, more scenic and far less crowded route would be to take the Rig Road via WAA line, Knolls Track and Morokan (from memory). It is also easier driving and therefore less strain on vehicles and occupants.

The chances of breakdown are real in any crossing of this type and a bit of research on 'what if' is also good planning. The chances of being stranded and alone on a crossing is nil, the desert is too busy a place for that, assuming you're going between say May and August and keeping to the main tracks. On the French Line collision is a far greater potential hazard.

Take good comms., a UHF radio and a sat phone (or HF) are essential for safety and piece of mind. Don't forget to take a list of phone numbers. EPIRBS are good for yachties and IMO are basically useless except in extreme emergency on land, not really all that useful for the sort of trip you're planning.


Travelling as part of a larger group may give you peace of mind but at the cost of independance and privacy. :) But as a first time not a bad idea.

Deano :)

[Ean Austral]

Gday Andrew,

I was in the same situation a few years back when getting the Canning Stock Route trip in motion, but luckily a few from this site put their hand up to join me and my father in law and we had a great trip.

We did meet a tag-a-long group but never got to speak long enough to see what they thought.

Another option is to check out the ExploreOz site, there is always people asking for others to join trips such as the Simpson as they dont want to travel alone, so could be worth a look.

I did read on one of the groups that operate tag-a-longs that if you broke down and couldn't be fixed with the limited knowledge the group had, then the tour went on and you were basically on your own. I am not sure if that had ever happened, but it was certainly in the print of conditions I read.

Cheers ean

[gusthedog]

I would disagree sorry deano on the taking of an epirb. I always carry one in the vehicle and they are an exceptionally reliable bit of kit. The more expensive ones even come with GPS locaters which can pin point your location very acurately. The epirb is always in the car and is a standard piece of my emergency kit. If I bang my head and don't know where I am, an epirb will let the emergency services know. I wont put my family at risk by not taking one. It is really important to make sure they are properly registered and that the batteries are in date. Check out johnny appleseed online for a good bargain.

Sat phones are good too for those of us not interested in HF radio. It is interesting to note though that the cheaper iridium phones don't have as many satellites and therefore coverage. Something to keep in mind.

I'd prefer to travel in a group as you've mentioned for safety and to organise some of the things I dont have time to organise. There are many reputable companies about and some offer tours not limited to beginners - beadell tours is one that springs to mind.

Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.:)

[mikehzz]

I've done a few tagalongs but not extended ones. I reckon they are very good, usually the guys running them are excellent but they cost a lot.

The idea about joining a 4wd club is also very good. The club that I belong to runs a few extended trips a year and they fill mighty fast. Usually they schedule for school holidays so crowded. This year it's Cape York, they did the Simpson last year. The clubs run a lot of trips of varying degrees to suit everyone usually 1-2 a month plus driver training days. The advantage of a club is that you know the people that will be on the trip as well, no surprises. Cheers

[Landy Smurf]

we did the high country tagalong tour with john and the team it was very good and they were very friendly. yes he drives a disco from memory but back then they had patrols and yes they broke down

[strangy]

Gday Andrew,

........,I did read on one of the groups that operate tag-a-longs that if you broke down and couldn't be fixed with the limited knowledge the group had, then the tour went on and you were basically on your own. I am not sure if that had ever happened, but it was certainly in the print of conditions I read.

Cheers ean

Yes this was the case my Sister came across when she did the CSR in 2010.
$6500 for the privelidge of driving with 9 other vehicles, sharing limited campsites with same and at a pace that didn't allow time for more than a photo, stopping to setup at dusk and packing at dawn. The group organiser had some pretty poor planning and she had to sort some backup for fuel just in case, as the fuel organized wasn't enough.
IMO you still have to do the planning, fuel, campsites, water, spares yourself for a stress free trip.
Accredited Operator or not doesn't mean a good run.

Cheers

[Hymie]

Yes this was the case my Sister came across when she did the CSR in 2010.
$6500 for the privelidge of driving with 9 other vehicles, sharing limited campsites with same and at a pace that didn't allow time for more than a photo, stopping to setup at dusk and packing at dawn. The group organiser had some pretty poor planning and she had to sort some backup for fuel just in case, as the fuel organized wasn't enough.
IMO you still have to do the planning, fuel, campsites, water, spares yourself for a stress free trip.
Accredited Operator or not doesn't mean a good run.

Cheers

That's an exorbitant price IMO. Our prices at Mountain Top are much lower than that.

[AnD3rew]

I have Joined the Land Rover owners club Sydney, although haven't done anything with them yet, but I also need to get the timing right with school holidays etc.

[2stroke]

I think if you arrive at Mt Dare in peak season you'll be bound to find there'd be others leaving the same day. On our first crossing we were solo as the 2 other vehicles who were supposed to come on the trip had pulled out. A group of 2 hiluxes invited us along to travel with them and we made new friends of 2 families. I had to do a couple of repairs to the Defender at Mt Dare and they made my UHF callsign "Defender mender" all in fun though and they appreciated it each time I towed them out.;)
I don't think a tag a long would would offer the apropriate freedom to allow you to really "feel" the desert. Each to his own but the crossing is really no sweat to do solo. I used 88L including about 6 hilux recoveries in a 300 Tdi. Diesel is available at Finke, Mt Dare and Birdsville. Enjoy!:D

[isuzutoo-eh]

I have Joined the Land Rover owners club Sydney, although haven't done anything with them yet, but I also need to get the timing right with school holidays etc.

Welcome to the club ;)

[numpty]

An alternative to a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is a Spot Messenger, which allows you to send ok messages to family and friends how often you want, or send an emergency signal. Both give your GPS location.

I use one of these when bushwalking and we also use one our Edjit trips. We also have HF and UHF comms.

Simpson is a doddle by most routes but enjoyable just the same.

[gusthedog]

An alternative to a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is a Spot Messenger, which allows you to send ok messages to family and friends how often you want, or send an emergency signal. Both give your GPS location.

I use one of these when bushwalking and we also use one our Edjit trips. We also have HF and UHF comms.

Simpson is a doddle by most routes but enjoyable just the same.

Do you have a Spot 1 or 2? I heard that the Spot 1's had a problem with the fact that the sattelites that you send signals to are setup to focus on the USA and that when you press the alert button that they only send the signal once. If the satellite doesn't pick up the message, the emergency alert isn't given. This was the reason the Johnny Appleseed stopped selling the Spot 1 I believe. But Im sure someone here knows for sure ;)

In regards to PLB or Epirb, a PLB has a gps and is dearer. I have a boat type plain epirb in my rig. A PLB would have been nicer as I could probably club a baby seal with my Epirb - its huge. But it was cheap ;).

Some good info on the differences is at Satellite Messenger SPOT versus PLB Epirb (http://www.gpsaustralia.net/forums/showthread.php't=5966)

[Yorkie]

i am looking at hiring a spot just for peace of mind when doing the simpson, can be hired for good price through P7 Offroad . 4x4 Training . Offroad Driving (http://www.p7offroad.com.au/)
:cool:

[Slunnie]

I've done a few things with Great Divide Tours and found them to be outstanding. Friends have had the same with them.

I did my 4wd Certs with Getabout and found them to be very good also.

[AnD3rew]

Do you have a Spot 1 or 2? I heard that the Spot 1's had a problem with the fact that the sattelites that you send signals to are setup to focus on the USA and that when you press the alert button that they only send the signal once. If the satellite doesn't pick up the message, the emergency alert isn't given. This was the reason the Johnny Appleseed stopped selling the Spot 1 I believe. But Im sure someone here knows for sure ;)

In regards to PLB or Epirb, a PLB has a gps and is dearer. I have a boat type plain epirb in my rig. A PLB would have been nicer as I could probably club a baby seal with my Epirb - its huge. But it was cheap ;).

Some good info on the differences is at Satellite Messenger SPOT versus PLB Epirb (http://www.gpsaustralia.net/forums/showthread.php't=5966)

I have a spot, don't know if there was a previous version that didn't, but mine sends the SOS message every 5 minutes with GPS coordinates until the battery runs out (several days with fresh batteries) or until it is manually cancelled. For the money it is a brilliant bit of kit, the downside is that it isn't sending a signal that a mobile search team can follow like a PLB does the message is being relayed via satellite through a coms centre and then to emergency services, but it does include very accurate GPS coordinates.

The upsides though are many, for about a $100 per year you get the service which covers you anywhere in the world and includes 200 non emergency customizable messages to emails and SMS numbers of your choice. There are two non emergency buttons you can customize, I customizable emergency button and I SOS button which is not customizable and goes to emergency services.

I have mine set up
1. All ok
2 all ok but slower than expected will be delayed
3 (emergency) all people ok but cannot proceed without assistance, please arrange help.

It is also comes with an armband so if you are away from the vehicle hiking etc you can always have it with you, and it is very small so you take take it overseas traveling with you.

I used it regularly a few weeks ago when I had the kids camping out of phone range and I was able to let my wife know we were all ok every night which was very reassuring for her.

This along with UHF is all you need for camping hiking etc out of phone range but not ultra remote. I will still hire a sat phone if going on long trips in very remote areas.