Friday, Apr 10, 2009 at 23:10
Hi Patrol22,
I would absolutely recommend to carry a fire extinguisher, better two of them if you have the possibility.
An engine fire is very hard to put out with only one extinguisher. I even did not manage to put out an engine fire using two small fire extinguishers two weeks ago - came across a burning car on the Autobahn. The car burnt out completely. No one injured, so no worries about it. But being a volunteer fire fighter as
well as a professional fire protection engineer, I imagined what would have happened if it had been an accident and people had been trapped inside the car. Therefore I will not only keep one small fire extingiusher in the front of my car, but also equip the trunk with a big one instead of a small one.
A fire blanket for the
camp kitchen would also be a good idea.
If you really go bush via tracks, you should think about carrying a 5 litre pressurized garden spray as
well. This becomes very handy if you have a spinnifex fire under your car. This type of fire is not rare, I saw quite a few burnt out vehicles on photos in my outback guide books. I will travel the CSR late in May this year together with some friends with two cars, we will equip both cars with garden sprays in addition to fire extinguishers.
When you think about emergency equipment for your car, also think about an emergency hammer. This can be mounted near the door. You can use it for smashing glass, and it has a built-in cutter for safety belts. Becomes very handy if you have to help a trapped person. Becomes even more handy if you are trapped yourself. ;-)
If you are going on a bigger trip and if this contains real outback it is absolutely necessary to carry an advanced
first aid kit as
well. I know from experience that it can happen quite quickly in Oz that you have to help other people who are in trouble. In densely populated Germany I can rely on the ambulance to arrive within 10 minutes - the outback is a total different story, therefore I carry plenty of
first aid equipment. Of course, every person in your group should hold a valid
first aid certificate.
Stay safe,
Cheers from bloody boring Dortmund/Germany,
Juergen
German by Birth, but Aussie by Heart!
AnswerID:
359155
Follow Up By: Patrol22 - Saturday, Apr 11, 2009 at 08:42
Saturday, Apr 11, 2009 at 08:42
Some really good points there Juergen. It is certainly good to see that you are prepared for the Aussie Outback. Unfortunately too many visitors to this country, just don't understand how sparsely populated and how few
services are available in the huge open spaces we have at our back door. I hope you enjoy your stay with us and we may even cross paths as I will be in the general area of the CSR through Jul and Aug.
Cheers
Pete
FollowupID:
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