Stay Alive

Submitted: Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 17:49
ThreadID: 6446 Views:5589 Replies:5 FollowUps:12
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I refer to recent posts about remoteness and being prepared for outback travel etc. There were interesting points of view and some derogatory remarks which were countered with some heavy words. Nevertheless..................

I bought this little book in 1984. Its title is Stay Alive, A Handbook for Survival, by Maurice Dunlevy, Illustrated by Raymond Webbe and published by the Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra. It is an excellent little book with lots of illustrations and some photos of bush foods. It covers:
Surviving
Water
Food
Firemaking
Camps and shelters
Direction finding
First Aid
Dangerous animals
Bushfires
Floods
Cyclones
Earthquakes
The sea...small craft
The sea...abandoning ship
Metric-imperial equivalents
Simple knots
Search and Rescue signals
Carrying the injured
Community counter disaster preparedness.

I wonder if it still published as it is a good read to get tips for outback excursions.

Cheers, Willem
Never a dull moment
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Reply By: Member - Jack - Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 19:31

Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 19:31
Hi Willem:
Found a copy on "Amazon", albeit secondhand. Just ordered it. I was looking for such a book, although I do have the WA Police Academy Land Operations Training Unit's "Aids to Survival" which is also an interesting read .. and free. At least if I get stranded I will have something productive to read. One can never over-prepare I think.
Cheers
Jack
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 20:44

Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 20:44
Jack.

Any Ideas of a contact for this Aid To Survival book?? Is it just from the WA Cops?

Thanks
Bruce
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Follow Up By: Member - Willem- Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 20:49

Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 20:49
Hi Jack,
Hope you get a lot of good reading from the book.
Cheers, Willem
Never a dull moment
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Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 21:23

Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 21:23
Hi Truckster:
Can't remember where I found it .. but I am quite happy to email you a copy if you want a look at it. It is a .pdf file, around 590k in size, 88 pages in length. Just give me your email and I can shoot it off to you..
Cheers
Jack
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 21:45

Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 21:45
jack pls do!

vfr750fv
at
yahoo
dot
com

Thanks again
Me.
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Follow Up By: pilbaralad - Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 22:29

Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 22:29
If you contact the Police Academy in Joondalup they will give you the number for the Land Operations Training Unit. It is part written by a copper by the name of Bert O'Meagher. He has lived and worked in the far north almost all of the various tracks through the Western Desert. I had the priveledge of being instructed by him on a Outback survival course. Did you know you can eat Grass Tree's! Anyway the book mentioned is the best I've seen as a Country Copper and the fact that it's free is a bonus.

As for surviving in the outback, most people with common sense will be prepared, in my experience it's those who don't evben give it a second thought that get in trouble. I'm a copper in Newman WA and we get tourists in here heading out to the Stock Route or Rudall River national park. After they have asked us questions about the roads, etc ,we then ask our own questions. I had two german female tourists in a few months back asking for a map to Rudall River. They hadn't even planned the trip just thoght they'd pop in for a map on the way out. I gave them my copy of "Aid to survival" and contacted the Cotton creek aboriginal community to get permission for them to obtain fuel. I checked thier vehicle and recommended them buying a few items before heading off. No wonder we get guys like the German fella who got bogged at Savory Creek on the Stock Route after leaving Wiluna with 10 litres of water thinking it would take him two days to get to Well 33. I had to arrange the rescue for him. Lucky for him two guys in a landrover came across him (he only had two litres of water left, no tent, no shovel, no recovery gear and the daytime temp was about 45 degree's with no shade.) The guys in the landrover had a sat phone which was fantastic from a Police point of view! Although tracks like the Canning are fairly busy these days it pays to have left your itinery with the local coppers and don't forget to check in when you get in at the other end. (We are always chasing up people you have long since got home safe).
Anyway I've waffled on long enough.
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Follow Up By: Member - Willem- Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 08:34

Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 08:34
pilbaralad,
As you said, bush survival is mostly common sense.
Yes, some people have no idea. We did a solo Canning in 94. Met up with German tourists in a rental 4x4. They were running out of water and had no means of collecting it. Luckily we were at a well and helped them out. They had come in a Well 33 and were going north and were in a hurry to get to darwin to catch a plane. Don't know if they made it.

Just before Savory Creek we met a convoy of 7 vehicles absolutely caked in mud and salt and they told us that we did not have a hope in hell of crossing the creek on our own as it had taken them a couple of hours to winch themselves through. We got to the creek, turned upstream and drove for 2 or 3 km and found a bone dry crossing. You just have to figure that one out.

Then at Well 7 we met a 70 yo fella in a small diesel vehicle. 2 jerries extra fuel and no arranged fuel drop. No bucket, no shovel, no first aid kit, no spare parts and enough food for a week.............But his vehicle does 10km to a litre he proclaimed. We learned much later that he had to be rescued when he ran out of fuel. There were other incidents as well which I mention in my article Canning Stock Route in my website www.kempen.id.au.

Cheers, Willem
Never a dull moment
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FollowupID: 18709

Reply By: Martyn (WA) - Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 20:53

Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 20:53
Willem,
Two guys in Australia have just brought out a book called "Alive and Kick'n" Survival & Rescue, Nick Vroomans and Dave Basham are the guys and it's specific to Australia, looks to be a really good read, I haven't got my copy yet it's on order it looks really good, covers a lot of the topics you mention and some more. You can see it on the ABC site. Worth a look.
I have the book you mention our 4WD clubs gives it out as a part of the starter pack when you join. Excellent book.
I know this is a bit out side the box but I also find it useful to keep my reading glasses with the book, nothing is more frustrating than having the book and not being able to read it, LOL...............Keep the shiny side up
AnswerID: 27191

Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 21:20

Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 21:20
Hi Martyn:
I can recall being in Cairns and wanting to visit a friend .. had the street directory .. no glasses .. could not see a thing ... ended up going to a shop and asking them to point the way for me .. now I carry a pair of the $20 "cheapies" in the car all the time. So I can realat to your comment on reading glasses ... lol
Jack
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Follow Up By: Member - Willem- Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 08:16

Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 08:16
Martyn,
Thanks for the info. I have just had a look at their website and they sell a whole lot of gear. It looks like the book retails for $24.95.

I have soved the glasses problem. Wear them all the time and forget about the vanity. I have graded glasses with tint and they work well...at a price however. ..My missus drives me insane losing her glasses which are of a colour that blends with everything.
Cheers, Willem
Never a dull moment
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FollowupID: 18708

Reply By: Waynepd (NSW) - Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 21:29

Friday, Aug 08, 2003 at 21:29
http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/2003Products.pdf
Product Author WEB ISBN
Stay Alive – A Handbook of Survival Maurice Dunlevy 9780644083737
Price
$10.70

Amazon wants up to $25 for it.

Cheers
waynepd
%
%:-)
%
AnswerID: 27197

Reply By: Member - Macca (Perth) - Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 03:44

Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 03:44
Try this

http://www.police.wa.gov.au/RecruitingandTheAcademy/pdf/aids22.pdf

or (see if this works ..???) never tried a link b4

link text

AnswerID: 27231

Follow Up By: Mark - Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 09:08

Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 09:08
Thanks Macca, The link works & this is a much later version than the one I had previously & has 105 pages. Very useful publication & best of all its free.
Cheers
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FollowupID: 18710

Follow Up By: Member - Leigh- Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 09:25

Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 09:25
Many thanks Macca. Your link was a success and it looks like a good publication to have. Cheers
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 14:45

Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 14:45
Thanks for the link, Macca, have printed it off, and am going to put it in loose leaf folder, for staff(and me) to read. Looks to have lots of good info in it, and might just kick the commonsense muscle into gear for some.

Hooroo...

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Follow Up By: Deano - Sunday, Aug 10, 2003 at 13:30

Sunday, Aug 10, 2003 at 13:30
Cheers for the link Macca!
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Reply By: B.P. - Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 10:12

Saturday, Aug 09, 2003 at 10:12
Gday Willem
Loved your reply to my post on remote and dangerous.
Its great to see a discussion on the safety angle of bush travel.If these posts save one person from getting into strife then we have done well.
We cant just asume that all people have the common sense and knowhow to do these trips safely.I was guilty of that assumption when I started all this on a previous post.
Remember though that we all were inexperienced at the beginning and the road to experience is to get out there and do it!Its a great country isn't it.
Cheers
Brian.
P.S. Keep up the other posts. The're a hoot!
AnswerID: 27246

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