Stu050 replied:

Yell for help on HF to VKS-737 or anybody else who may be listening.

Mikee5 (QLD) replied:

Get out a pack of cards and start playing patience. Someone will soon look over your shoulder and say put the red six on the black seven.
Idea courtesy of Jack Absolom. I love it.

Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses replied:

F'loosie, how remote are you talking. My GPS has better maps than you are suggesting and have a backup there too.
Far from phone coverage?
UHF area? Repeater?
Always have water. Fire extinguishers. Worst case is EPIRB in the glovebox.

Member - Jeff H (QLD) replied:

Sat phone and a prayer Footyl. (And anticipation of a humungous bill).

Member - Axle replied:

You trying to un nerve the next guy going on a remote area trip? :))))

Richard Kovac replied:

Don't go

troopyman replied:

Burn my tyres .

Member - Doug T (W.A) replied:

Footloose
Are you alright mate ........havn't been out in the sun ave ya ,

I spent 39 hours stuck in mud about 70 klm West of Todmorden in my EK Holden, missed the detour in the dark , It's amazing how the sound of wind in the bushes sounds like a vehicle coming, . So back to your question , and by the looks of it one is stuffed , CYANIDE Bait or if you cant find one do a Tom Dooley,
then I always go off about why Burke and Wills died with all that food walking and crawling around them

Member - Davoe (Nullagine) replied:

been there done that - you have no option just take some water,gps and map then jump on shanks pony and do it. although i did have some rocks marked on the map I knew could be relied upon for water ended up walking 40k to a station which no one was there

Red One replied:

303 and a mirror to kiss mu arse goodbye

V8Diesel replied:

My reserves of tinned food and stainless steel belly tank of water and jerries I carry as well.

My accurate high powered rifle and skinning knife. There's 100 roos from that alone.

The heavy duty plastic bags I keep in the back for water.

Side mirrors and tyres for signalling. Oil fires too.

The selection of tarps and ropes I don't leave home without for shelter. Cards for mental health (solitaire obviously!)

My GPS and paper maps will tell me where I am and where I've been.

Plenty of spares and an excellent assortment of tools onboard.

I have good medical supplies too.

kimprado replied:

Gidday Footloose

I've been in a number of these situations over the years because we could'nt rely on old Land Drovers, Vanguards, Essex and a mulitude of other transportation.

During my early childhood years in the bush I relied on bitching, crying and complaining.

Unfortunately the old man took a dim view of this.

One afternoon on a trapping tour, the big ends in the old Vanguard decided to give up the ghost.

I was given a water sack, three potatoes, a box of matches, a rifle and told to walk (at night) back to kennedy's property for help. My memory is a little dim, but I think it took three to four days following the wheel tracks back.

There was no bitching, crying or complaining after that. The old man taught me a lesson

This does'nt answer your question, but does demonstrate that detemination and a cool head is just as important as modern day gadgets in a bushed situation.

Regards

Kim

Willem replied:

Footy

In the first place: Don't let yourself get into this situation.

Always make sure that your vehicle is 100% roadworthy before going out into remote areas.
Don't take silly changes whilst remote
Be AWARE of your surroundings and exactly where you are situated BEFORE entering into a remote area.

If you ignore these rules you travel at your own peril.

By todays standards I carry:

HF Radio
Sat Phone
(will be buying EPIRB when the new one is on the market)
Suitable maps and GPS
Carry 100lts water at all times
Tarps to collect extra water
Tarps for shelter
Medicines to guard against or to revive
Tools and some spares and welding equipment
Recovery gear including winch and star pickets.
Food for a month at least
Rifle and ammo for food harvest
Mirror to alert aircraft
A network of friends you can call to organise a rescue.

I have broken down in the past in the Simpson(cross country), on the Canning and in Central Australia whilst travelling solo or with one other vehicle. We have always been able to remedy the situation. Of course you cannot guard against everything.

Be aware and take care and then enjoy.

Cheers

Mike replied:

No Sweat, If you have a READERS DIGEST Subscription, they will find you anywhere

aroundwego replied:

word is that two stranded vehicles (seperate events) were located in outback NT last week after setting off their epirbs

Robin replied:

Hi Footloose

The approach I have taken is that which prevent a single point failure from leading to total failure.

Even real world tests of epribs have not shown a guarantee of you being found, so this means that your broken down vehicle, and what it carries ,must be such that you can survive by staying with it for a reasonable time , and that you have left information with others(plural) such that an effective search can be underway within that time period.

Robin Miller

Member - Phil G (SA) replied:

A lot of this emergency stuff relies on electricity. So what happens when your alternator suddenly dies - I had this happen twice - once it was an internal regulator failure, second time it was worn brushes. No warning either time.

Travelling solo, vehicle runs out of electricity and fridge has flattened your 2nd battery? HF radio may be useless. You hope your sat phone has charged batteries. Your EPIRB is a good option.

I personally carry a spare alternator. Doesn't take up much space, and they can be picked up relatively cheap these days. Is there an argument for a Christies generator? Certainly an argument for carrying more than one battery.

Starter motor is the other problem - if that won't fire, I figure I've taken them apart often enough to make it work.

The other scenario with solo cross country travel is a vehicle fire. Sat phone and epirb need to be pulled out of the vehicle first.

Des Lexic replied:

I remember from my old scouting days, what to do when bushed.
No1 Don't pannic easier said than done but don't
N02 Stay where you are. A vehicle is easier to see than a person.
No3 Keep you sinalling gear close and handy. Light 3 smokey fires as this is an internationally recognised distress signal
No 4 Make sure that someone knows your travel plans and expected times of arrival at each major stop.
Modern technology set off the Epirb
You can't rely on the electrical bits and pieces ans as Phil said, they can easily go kaput.
I think that having a game off solitaire has some merit as someone will always turn up to tell you to put what card where. LOL

Hairy replied:

If all else fails....Sit and wait. (set up sit back and enjoy)
Rule No. 1 - Always let someone know where your going and when youll be back. (Some reliable who will come and get you )
Rule No. 2 - Always cary enough food and water (beer) to last until rule No 1 comes into action.
Cheers
Hairy

ingo57 replied:

Agree with Hairy, besides a lot from above, the smartest and easiest backup thing to do with remote travel is simply let someone know before you go remote, where you are intending to go and when you intend to contact them again.

If anyone has read the book "between a rock and a hard place" this guy could saved himself a lot of pain and suffering and If he had just told ONE person where he was going, instead he had remove his arm with a blunt penknife to survive.

Cheers

Member - Beatit (QLD) replied:

This is a good thread. Often wondered what others do, an acquaintance told me a story of some friends of theirs that always travelled with a sat phone but one time they didnt have it in their car they rolled it. In short they lived in the outback and didnt think they needed it on this occasion for a short trip down the road but they ended up waiting several hours for a tourist bus to come by to get help. Neither was seriously hurt but all other communications were taken out in the accident. It is easy to become complacent and accidents can happen anywhere so a plan is important and even more so if travelling remote. The other part of that plan should possibly include some ability to take important things out of the vehicle when things turn really bad no not the ipod! I have a light backpack that has in it the EPIRB, leatherman, basic first aid, torch, space blanket, some fast food and some water which I also take with me when I leave the vehicle in a remote place. To this I would add my GPS and hand held.

My sat phone has an external aerial and I carry the other aerial separately but not in my backpack as well as a second battery in a rollup shower kit. This is not ideal if in a real hurry to get out. The other thing not to my liking is phone numbers as I don’t have an easy list in the backpack but I always make a list.

Kind regards