My memories only, others might disagree.
In the "old days", things were much harder but simpler.
You bought the 4wd you wanted, s/h of course. Nobody worried about its km. Putting tyres on it was a trip down to the tyre
shop. Probably s/h light truck tyres. All were on a split rim, of course.
Clubs and training facilities were few and far between, so you had to find some self training space where you could make your mistakes relatively close to
home. Then you ventured a bit further away.
Very few pulled anything, tents were the go. Swags were for swag men, or the hairy chested brigade; and the dome tent didn't exist.
It was unusual to see a winch on a vehicle, the hi lift jack would do the trick we thought. Snatch straps consisted of a bit of rope.
Hf radio and sat phones were either too expensive or in the realms of science fiction.You called
home as you found a phone.
Fuel didn't form a huge expense, so you could go when you found the time.
There were few stickers around because there were few 4wd shops around. Air compressors were best if operated by foot or hand. Camping gear was bought at a camping or disposals
shop.They often sold the same things, most of it ex army. Tarps were made of canvas, heavy and expensive.
Food came out of a tin. And tins were heavy to carry, but expensive to buy in the bush.
The speed limit was 100K/h almost everywhere. Few vehicles could exceed it comfortably. Trucks...you couldn't pass them uphill, and couldn't catch them downhill.
There were still a few people travelling but not the numbers we have today. Some would go to the
Birdsville races and many other
places in 2wds.
Free camping was the norm as
camp grounds cost money and often weren't terrific. We camped in cattle dung at a
camp ground in
Fitzroy crossing...the smell and
spider webs in the laundry are still fresh in my mind.
Almost nobody took their kids, in fact it was rare to see many females travelling and solo women were almost unheard of.
There were 4wd mags around, but you had to look for them or subscribe. They were a great way of keeping up with what was on offer and how much it cost, but mainly they offered a gateway to dreaming about future trips.
People in outback towns treated you with the suspicion that all strangers were lumbered with. They wanted your money, but after that it was all downhill.(some
places seem to still be that way :(
The pub was usually the only source of dubious local knowledge. There were no tourist facilities in most
places, nor were the locals interested in providing any.
Now we have 4wds that cost the earth pulling their motels behind.
What were once horror tracks are now often tarred or graded in many
places. Many now toddle off to the Kimberly or the CSR without a worry in the world, and in comfort and style. 12volt microwaves and electric beds for heavens sake!
Country towns now welcome tourists and proudly advertise their local attractions.
Free camping is now often a matter of getting in before the hoards.
Almost everyone seems to exceed the speed limit, and they often drive with little patience.
The locals are often more friendly other travellers!
Vehicles break down less frequently I suspect, but the outback mechanics might disagree.
To my mind there are three things that have changed outback travel in very positive ways. Air con, fridges and instant communication.
These days I'd find it hard to exist without them, and wonder how I ever did in the "old days".