Thread: Sand flag base — fixed or spring?

As an aside hint, a trick with antennas and flags is to fit shrink wrap to the base area. Use a few overlapping sizes. This will strengthen the connection point.
If you hit a tree nothing will save it, but if it does break (AND the wire is still attached for antennas), a temporary fix is to splint it together (with sticks etc.) and use a large heat shrink over that until you can replace it.

Back from our trip, including 4 days across the Simpson Desert. In short, I found the fixed and spring bases useful in different circumstances.

During the slow, bumpy going heading west to east up and down the dunes, I preferred the spring base. Being a 3m pole with a flag on top, the pole itself was flexing too much for my liking on the fixed base. Conversely, when travelling north to south between the dunes at a faster speed, I preferred the fixed base. The pole bent too far back and swayed around too much with the spring base at higher speeds.

If I could pick just one, I would choose the fixed base. I was fortunate to be able to mount and swap between both.

Again, thanks to everyone for the pre-trip comments.