canning stock route

If you are going to Rudall you can get diesel at cotton creek.

Sean

thanks dave, thats the kind of info im looking for, what about food prep? ive packed for acouple of weeks before so is it basicly the same but more?would you do any thing different if given the oppertunity again?

Heya Again
Yeah - basically food is the same - but I reckon the goal is to minimise the rubbish you end up with as you SHOULD carry out what can't be burnt... At the end of the trip - we ended up with about one shopping bag of rubbish - and this was pretty much all crushed beer cans... ;-)

It's amazing what you can buy in satchels and packets, rather than cans and jars. We carried absolutely no glass jars, and the few tins we had were tins of vegies (e.g. asian mixed vegies for stir frys). After use, toss tins in the fire for a while, then crush them down with a hammer, then they wont smell and crush to a very small size. Packest and satchels are all burned.

You can get all kinds of pre-made sauces in satchels these days (Spag-Bog, asian noodle things etc etc). Depends on your tastes... We basically have the same food on the trips we would normally have at home (lots of asian curries, rice and noodle dishes etc). We also usually take a roast lamb, stakes and makings for a stew or two. These satchels were all stored in a large tuppaware container and non of them ever leaked.

On long trips, we run our engel as a freezer. Margarine does not freeze, nor does jam. The only thing is milk, as we have cereal for breaky.

For us
- at breakfast time we get out some lunch meat (e.g. sliced ham in those vacuum packets - takes up no room and lasts ages) and put in a few soft drinks. We also have tuna satchels for lunch (you can buy flavoured Tuna in satchels as well as those little tins).

- at lunch time we get out some drinks for lunch, and also get out some dinner meat, then put in a few beers for dinner. Grain breads seem to last longer than white breads - and when this runs out we use vita-wheat style bisquits instead of sandwitches.

- before going to bed we get out the milk for breaky. In the morning the milk is thawed and ready to use, then back into the fridge during the day. We use the plastic 1L containers of Lite White milk which have a screw lid. 1L lasts us about 2-3 breakfasts and seems to survive being frozen/thawed 2-3 times no worries.

We have a 40L engel and can easily stock ourselves (2 adults) with 4-5 weeks worth of meals (including one or two non-meat meals - e.g. pasta stir-throughs). Longer would requrie a little more organisation - but we have never been away from supplies longer than 5 weeks. All the meat is packed in tuppaware containers which seems to allow air to flow round in the fridge and it works better.

As for th CSR - the only thing I would change is spend longer out there. We were a party of three vehicles, and unfortunately one of those vehicles didn't have much time off work. We did the CSR in a bit more than 2 weeks - which left me feeling a little rushed. There were a couple of spots were I could have stayed longer, or stopped earlier in the day. I reckon plan for at least three weeks and soak it up.....

Have a good one!

Troopie isn't there two fuel stops now available from the aboriginal communities ?. I forget the names but I am sure I was told recently
Negating the need for a fuel drop at all.
I forget the names of each.

Heya
As of this earlier this year - when I was there - on the CSR Proper - there are only two fueling opportunities.

1. Well 23, which is in drums and comes in from Capricorn Roadhouse
2. Kunawaritji Community, which is situated just before Well 33 and is from a bowser.

There may well be other communities in the vicinity that sell fuel - but these would have to involve larger diversions from the CSR. I think you may be correct in that there is another community selling fuel - but it is off the CSR.

Cheers

Troopie that rings a bell, I think they had to leave the track refuel and return.
It was not a large diversion and saved a lot of hassle and wastage with regards to fuel drums.
Will ask some questions in more detail and let you know.

G'day John
In Peter's case there is no real need to waste any as it seems he can carry 250L - which is enough to travel between Wiluna and Kunawaritji (33). It's from a bowser at Kuna - so no need to pre order anything (although wise to check availability).

You are right though - vehicles that can't make this distance will need fuel at 23 - or carry jerries - or.....

Cheers

Heya
We came across a few solo vehicles - but most had sort of attached them selves to other groups - either directly, or by maintaining radio comms.

As for timing - 4 weeks on the Canning will be plenty - that will allow for diversions and multi day stops at the good spots.

We also had out meat Vac-Packed before we left - but then froze it anyhow..... Vac-packed meat is at greater risk of perforating, or not sealing properly and going off when not frozen. Freezing proberly negated the vac-packing - but if the fridge was to die I guess it would last longer.....

Cheers

gday chris o

at this stage chris we will be going south - north, i understand this is the easiest as far as aproches to sand hills go, so im led to beleive

I think its the roughest way, as the vehicles heading north dig up the approach trying to get up with too much air in the tyres. We had to drive down in 1st to stop the rockin and rollin due to all the holes.

I averaged 16.6 lt per 100 in a troopie with 2H.

I suspect the dunes in both directions are rougher than they need to be as vehicles with higher pressures in tyres seem to "hop" - causing holes to form which get worse....

Cheers

chris

i jusy sighned up as a member so i can email on this sight. just waiting for comfomation and will get back to tou shortly

regards peter

I think the "Gardes" book is getting a bit out of date, but as a whole it's not a bad guide with some usefull history.