How much water do we need to take??

No not all places supply drinkable water free and ready. I carry 100ltrs which was enough to get to the places that did supply drinkable water. I can not remember the ones that didnt, but it was more than I expected. There will be many out there that do remember. Cheers Tony

How long are you going for and where are you going? Will you be using water to shower, wash up, drink etc. You left many things out. How remote will you be travelling? How many people will rely on water?

>Also, I'd be interested on hearing peoples thoughts on driving at night.

Don't.

Mike Harding

60litres is fine for 2 people for the trip you're planning. If you take it in 3 jerries, you can fill up the first empty jerry with dodgy water, and use it for washing, while saving your good water for drinking. You can also buy the 10litre spring water casks at places like Innamincka if you are finicky about what you drink.

My preference is to take plenty of extra water, so I never rely on other water for drinking.

Sounds like a great trip. I carry a 2 stage Katadyn water filter. You use it like a bike pump to filter out the bugs and dissolved solids. The end result is just like spring water. We used it right through Central Aus for drinking / cooking water. You can turn some pretty ordinary water into potable water in around two minutes ( 1 litre bottle).


Cheers

We use 15 litres per day for 2 people - drinking, cooking and dishes only. Have showers only when we find them and do not carry water fr showers.

Stevesub

You can usualy get as much water as you want in the likes of most places you mention. Shops & servos sell it by the bottle , places where there are supermarkets sell it in larger containers. Might cost you a bit, but you won't die of thirst.

As has been said , you will be able to buy water in most of those places, but don't count on being able to find a tap to just fill your tanks. There are none at Innamincka that I'm aware of and I don't recall seeing any at any of the other places mentioned either. Bear in mind that places like Innamincka and Cameron Corner only get supplies when the trucks can get through. So there is no guarantee that they will have any in stock when you get there. I don't recall a shop at Lyndhurst. There is a servo with a very limited supply of groceries - certainly not a normal roadhouse. Marree has two general stores, both well stocked but don't expect either of them to tell you how to get to the other one.

tessa

Opinions differ on night driving. Now that we travell in a more relaxed manner, with time on our side we don't do it.

Have not even put driving lights on the past 2 4WDs and have never regretted it.

Way too much wildlife active during the night. All those dead kangaroos (and cattle in more remote areas) on the side of the road were hit by something. If it wasn't a big truck, there was almost certainly damage done and plans changed / destroyed.

If you are going to drive at night, make sure you have good driving lights and make sure your co-driver is awake and alert to help keep a watch out. Not a relaxing way to travel in my experience.

You can fill up your tank at Innamincka if you have to, but bear in mind the water is straight out of Cooper Creek and therefore contains sediment. OK for washing but not really for drinking.

If you have separate containers for drinking/cooking water and others for washing, etc. you can fill the washing water containers almost anywhere, as the quality isn't all that important, but keep the water for internal consumption separate and use only for this purpose.

Driving at night!
I avoid this if at all possible. Besides the danger of wildlife wandering out in front of you, travelling on rubble based roads is bad enough during the day, let alone at night. It only takes one rock to cause a major problem and I prefer to travel during daylight hours, where you have a better chance of seeing/avoiding this type of obsticle.
On some of the lesser tracks, there is also an added risk of coming across a washout and this may be harder to pick up at night before you reach it.

Especially since this is your first big trip, take your time and be prepared to set up camp well before sunset. You will have a much more enjoyable experience this way.

Good luck and have a great trip.

Bill.

Demc & Hayley

Remember that drinking water in the deserts, is a premium, life sustaining staple, so if you can get drinking water you may just have to pay for it. We use those Army green containers you can get from Big W, or any Camping Shop.

Have found that water goes off, in just a few short days in clear containers/jerry cans

Our Camper allows us to carry 10 Jerry cans, in any combination of drinking water, washing water, and fuel, that we choose.
Mainly drinking water, 6 jerry cans there, as we choose not to shower daily.
We never wash in drinking water, rather when and if we come across a Creek, a dam, or what ever, then we wash, and maybe fill one jerry can with washing water.

So out comes the bucket, with rope attached, and it's into action.

Have found that baby wipes, work a treat, and that after toilet we use that hand-jell/sanitiser, you know the stuff the nurses use...

Everything is designed to use as little water as possible, and drink at least 4 lts a day, and more if hot.

We never drive at night, but would if forced to , then it would be a lot slower, as there is lots of wildlife about.

Hope this helps
Cheers and drive safely
Bucky

Hi Hayley,
Carry as much water as you can fit in and use it sparingly but drink lots of it. As others have said good quality water can be hard to find. Our practice is to carry 60l bulk supply plus numerous small containers - 3l juice bottles have served us well and I have never had one break - and fill them up with whatever water is available. You can usually get some water at the servo. Often there will be a sign saying that the water is not fit for drinking. This seems to be more about insurance/liability but if in doubt boil and/or filter or buy bottled water.

In desert areas daily showers are not necessary. You can get a good shower or wash from 1 to 2 litres. Wet wipes are very useful and save a lot of water.

Re driving at night, we would only do it in an emergency. Our tripping is to see the country, something that you cant do at night. Journeys such as the one you are proposing are not so much a destination but an overall experience. Stop in plenty of time to set up camp before dusk, and perhaps get on the road earlier in the morning if time is an issue.

have a great trip.

Val.

For 2 adults and 2 kids we were getting about 3 - 4 days out of a 60 litre tank... mind you I was the only guy so if the guys to girls ratio is different I feel the water usage would be too.

As far as showers went we boiled the billy and added a bit of cold water to some hot in a bucket and did the bird bath each night... that is ample to get you clean.. remember to wash your face before your butt though. ha ha

When in parks etc you can take full use of the shower to get the ingrained dirt out but other than that don't stress the shower water..

If you are taking jerry cans be sure to clearly mark which ones are for potable water and which are for shower water... that way you are not faced with filling a tainted jerry can with your clean water.

Hayley an Demc, whilst you might have done the tip many times, is it worth it? You will be have been busy all week getting ready, late to sleep Thursday night, too excited to get restful sleep, worrying about whether you have this or that packed - if there has been rain then there will be plenty of wildlife to run into on the road (pun intended).
There isn't anywhere to fill up in Innamincka (they have to bring water in) but for a coin donation you can shower there (in river water which is perfectly clean, just looks coffee coloured), no fill up in Camerons Corner, wouldn't imagine with the drought on there would be water available in Lyndhurst or Marree. Plenty of bottled water available (at cost).
Enjoy your first trip - just relax - what you don't see this time can be seen in another trip next time. Happy travelling.

You will be surprised at the number of places you will not be able to get drinking water. Even if you can it is likely to cost. Do not assume eveywhere with a shop will have water. Everything is trucked in so they may or may not have stock. We have 55l drinking water that is only used for drinking. We have 40l that is used for washing and dishes etc. We are picky what goes into the drinking water tank and is often 4l casks of water. If you are from the city you will not be used to bugs in tank water etc so you need to be cautious. The locals will be fine as they drink it all the time. Use caution drinking river water unless it is an emergency. There are a large number of bugs particularly in still water. If you need to drink water you are not sure of, boil the water but even then this does not kill all bugs and does not deactivate all toxins. Boiling does not effect the toxin from blue-green algae for example.

Driving at night is usually best avoided. We do it from time to time but is not enjoyable and have had any number of close calls. It is one way to finish your trip before it is even started. I would rather have a few slightly longer days. We have usually stopped and set up camp by 430 at the latest. Our first day we normally leave early so you can do 900km or so. I do not see the point in driving for 12 hours every day, that is no holiday. I would rather start at a reasonable time, stop by 4 - 430 set up camp and have a beer or two and some food. One quick way to reck your holiday is to get schedule fever. Who cares where you get to each night. Take it easy, everyone will be more relaxed and rested. If we like somewhere we will stay a few nights and ditch something else or use some of the free days we usually put in our trip plans. Have a good trip.

Steve

Demc and Hayley,

I budget on 10lt/day for drinking and cooking water for 2 adults +2 young kids. I try to take all our drinking water from home so I can gaurantee the quality of it. It also adds a fair amount of security into our equation if something nasty was to happen in an out of the way spot. All washup water and bath water is taken from local sources (like rivers) wherever we camp.

Night driving doesn't bother me personally but I do it for a living when not on holidays. If you choose to drive at night be prepared to hit, whatever kamakaze animal chooses your vehicle to end it's life with, as square on as possible. Worry about the damage to your vehicle after the incident, worry about your vehicles occupants during the incident and keep it straight at all times. Vehicles can be fixed, passengers are a bit harder to fix.

Stop worrying and the trip will be fine, you are not going seriously remote by today's standards and the roads will be full of other tourists able to help if the worst does occur. SOunds like you are doing the important things (like vehicle maintenace) so you will be fine.

Enjoy the trip.

Trevor.

If you are at Innamincka there is nothing wrong with swimming in the Cooper Creek for a wash, and biol the water for drinking. It looks cloudy, but this is only sediment. Should be fine.