Crossing Simpon Desert

Oliver,

Good luck with your Simpson crossing.

If you're travelling with 3 German girls, you're probably better off travelling by yourself. Unless you get a bit tired.........you know, from crossing all those sand hills.

Weather at moment is pretty good, and very cool at night.

Safe travelling,

Bob.

Hi Oli

Re your fuel requirement? Either way you should have more than enough, but are you petrol or diesel?

The French Line is not hard at all, but stick with low tyre pressures and you will be fine. A good starting point would be 16 psi, but if you are having any trouble, then drop down to 14 psi.

Now for a couple of important things to remember........

Make sure that you have before you leave, a current Desert Parks Pass, which you must have. I was speaking with a chap at work today that went across only 2 weeks ago and they were stopped and checked out by 3 Ranges out in the desert, making sure everyone had permits.

Make sure you have and use a UHF Radio and monitor channel 10, the required channel for a desert crossing.

You are now required to use ( you would be crazy not to use one anyway) a sand flag.

Make sure that you are prepared for very cold nights out in the desert, with below zero the norm for that time of the year.

Burn you toilet paper before you bury in, as the dingos will dig it up, and nothing looks worse that toilet paper scattered across the desert.

A long handled shovel is a must.

Enjoy you hot swim at Dalhousie at the end of your desert crossing.


Have fun and enjoy the Simpson.



Cheers



Stephen

You have more than enough fuel capacity with safety margin.
I would watch weight of everything taken, though as backpackers you should be travelling pretty light anyway . . .

With fuel, take say 170lt should be ample, maybe leave BV with a full tank and 80lt in jerries, no point taking more and overloading.
Work it out on past sand driving consumption, then add enough to go another 200km.

Water just as important, especially for 4 adults.
Think it out carefully, and allow extra for safety.

This is where the number of days for the crossing will be important, as you don't want to rush it, but then taking too long, and you need more water / food, etc, and load gets more of a problem.

I feel 4 days is good for FL, so water should be around the 100lt mark inc safety margin.
Take a few 20lt jerries, and maybe 3 or 4 of the 10lt boxes cask water to tuck in around the place.
This might seem a lot, but it is only 6lt per day per person, some might say too little.
Just be frugal with bathing (for sake of each others proximity, nad only with a damp cloth) and wash up water etc.

Yes, get Desert Parks Pass make up a suitable sand flag, and ensure you use a UHF radio to call out at dune tops on Ch 10 (solo vehicle heading west on FL, approx position *km from BV / * junction, etc).
A fitted higher power UHF is best, but a hand held will suffice if you have nothing else.

Some good advice above from Stephen & Les, it may sound silly but make sure you engage 4wd - there are a lot I have seen that don't and it chops the dune approaches, don't go too fast as some of the crests divert to the left / right at the top.

If you do go alone, please go & hire a Sat phone from the Birdsville visitors centre, you can drop it off at Mt Dare, rescue is very very expensive if you should have an incident.

We are going across about the 6th July and doing a double crossing supporting a motorbike starting at Birdsville.

Oh and it's the French Line - Frenchman Track is in the Cape :)

Good Luck & Safe Travels

cheers

Tanks a lot for all the advice :)

We will hire a Sat phone at Birdsville.

I will write you how many litter fuel and water we used.