Mugs in the outback and no radio

Reckon so.

Also a good movie.

It gets a bit boring for me how some people on here want to continually judge how people want to prepare and assess the risk involved with the a trip through the outback. Not saying you guys are doing that, but alot on here do.

I guess I would call myself an 'adventure motorcylcist' . I have travelled alot of the country on my bike, sealed and unsealed roads, alot of it remote. By nature, and by neccessity there is a higher risk factor on a bike, less food and water can be carried, less spares, more reliance on the riders ability and the bikes reliability.. For me that is part of the appeal. Would I say that not carrying communication equipment is stupid?, no. The worry for me would be if i was was riding outside of my ability, increasing my chances of crashing etc. If my well maintained bike bleep s itself out on the road somewhere and I dont have the ability to fix it, will do what I can. Im not going to pessimistically plan my trip around that outcome.

Sorry, I didnt want to rant. I guess my point is that, from what I have read on this site over a long period of time, bikers tend to have a different and slightly less conservative outlook to those in cars, and not neccessarily for the worse.

Well said grunta. Totally agree.

wizzer

I get your point mate and if things are planned well and you kit up accordingly then you are right but this group did not appear so well kitted out. The riders only carried water bags on their backs. No storage etc with toolkits or anything in them. Just bare bikes. At least they looked in good nick even newish.

But you must remember this was not just any unsealed country dirt road. It was the desert with difficult dunes especially in the direction that they were going. Minimum run up chances and very very soft and deep sand. Even west to east was hard. We had difficulty with the big tyres and low tyre pressures twice. You could see their tyre marks all over the tracks at every dune. No evidence of and straight up and over. All over the place.

Nothing to get the support car to hurry up and stop the bleeding or whatever. And no traffick around either to help. We only saw them in the first two days.

I would say that you would at least be kitted out more than them.

The other groups much better organised.

Don't worry about the rant. I did not take it as such. It is sometimes hard to put it in a few words.

Cheers

Well grunta1970, if heaven forbid, when you are on one of your care free outer limits roamings you happen to have a serious accident and don't appear at your next point of call assuming that you have actually told someone where you are going and when you are likely to be there. Do you expect that given your care free attitude that all the search and rescue resources that we pay for should thrown your way or do you think that they should adopt the same care free attitude as you do, she'll be right, mate he'll sort it out?

What about making the 'adventure motorcylcist' pay. You get stuck or hurt and need a helicopter and search party to rescue you then you should pay all costs. Nah They are quite happy bludging off us and accepting the recovery and/or aid and not paying for the costs your activity caused.

The image below is a photo I took of a record the outback trips an 89 year old lady I know took with her husband between the 1940's when her husband got out of the army after WW2 to the 1980's when her husband passed away. These trips were done firstly in a 2WD ford station wagon, then later in a series 2 Landrover, both converted to camping with a bed etc in the back. These were the days before too much bitumen on outback roads, so there were very few intrepid travelers out there, not like today! There were no portable car fridges, back up battery systems & you guessed it, no radios or sat phones! Ironically, they never needed them because they were well prepared & drove to the conditions. She laughs at me when I tell her about the stuff we take camping!

[img][/img]

And the Vikings sailed to England with not much more than a lump of rock and stars to show the way.

Whats your point?

Dad did plenty in an old 1930's studibaker like the old Elliot Ness ones and my elder brother did much the same in an old FJ. My wifes parents did heaps in an old Morris 1000.

I wouldn't do it now as I treasure my family's life and feel their safety is paramount. Besides the doctor said "No sat phone = no go". If I take crook he needs immediate, clear, non static affected, reliable, full duplex comms with my wife and I.

Apologies Kevin. I misinterpreted the aim of your post. It now looks like they were really intrepid travellers. I don't think my family did that much.

Phil

What about making the 'adventure motorcylcist' pay. And not 4wds? I bet there are more searches involveing 4wds and hikers than bikes.....or is it that YOU just dont like bike travel?
And infering motorcyclists are bludgers doest even deserve a comment........

Who on earth let you in. Who said anything about 4wd's paying or not paying. There were two bikes and one car in the group so where on earth did anyone single out the bike riders. Not me!

I have not found anything helpful in either of your posts. All negative. Time for a cuppa I think.

Maybe you should re-read your follow up 769220
The bit about makeing MOTORCYCLISTS pay, with no mention of anyone else and the other bit about "Nah They are quite happy bludging off us " you dont think that kind of suggests your comments were directed at motorcyclists??????

I missed that one. I was thinking more of people who get into trouble doing these "adventure" exploits and rely on the public to rescue them. Instead of doing the responsible thing and having their own rescue system set up. I did not mean to single motorcyclists out and apologise for appearing so biased.

But then again I did applaud the other groups of bike riders that I met. So normally most people would think that I slipped up.

ROTFLMAO

The Bucksta comes up with another Beauty....

I felt like saying to the bloke "If you don't care then why should I bother helping you if you call for help". But being a responsible member of society I would help.

I wondered about why I got the pass. Didn't see where it would be spent. No one seen to check so there is the temptation to many not to pay when they just want to "Go for a run to Poeppels and back". So why bother with any "stupid bureaucratic recommendations". Aahh At least we did the right thing and $150 is a drop in the ocean compared to what we spent getting the car to a standard where we are confident in doing a Simpson or even a Canning solo car drive.

In a recent thread a bloke asked if his X-trail or Pathfinder was okay. My response was basically take it if you wish but don't expect me to ruin my holiday.

"I wondered about why I got the pass. Didn't see where it would be spent. No one seen to check so there is the temptation to many not to pay when they just want to "Go for a run to Poeppels and back"".

It's called up keep and funding for other parks....... obviously you think the money is wasted and the pass not worth the money.

SA government contributes very little in the way of funding to our national parks and the national parks rely on user pays..... in Victoria nearly all their parks are free..... why.... because every Victorian contributes in taxes.

We get our 2 parks passes yearly... even if we don't use them.

Stephen re: having a pass and UHF radio..... we have come across many who have a pass and no radio..... no water.... no food..... no GPS...... no firstaid kit..... no tyre repair kit or compressor and no common sense.

You only need the pass if you go into SA. It is only valid there. A run to Poeppels from Birdsville is free (unless you step into SA that is) :-)

Ooops but how about I change my post to read Purni Bore or anywhere in the SA part of the Simpson. That do you. Meta cpouple from Geelong at Mt Dare who were going to leave their van (a type of T-van thingumy) at Dalhousie and stick their nose into the park near Purni Bore. Is that good enough?

mikehzz.... suppose you right as long as you don't walk around the market and stay on the Queensland side...... LOL

There has to be one. 10 points.

They only had the one phone and not one UHF between them. Yes we did talk about it. The point that I am making here is that if one of the riders had been cut badly by the time the support vehicle got to them he could have bled to death. The support vehicle was over an hour behind on a track that at best, 20KPH was the top speed. No sand flags nor UHF warning about a possible crest meeting. No consideration for others.

We have UHF and a satellite phone. The UHF for close comms and the satellite phone for long distance. Thought about HF but elected not to install it.

Boy oh boy do I agree about the CTCSS tones. I find them damned annoying.

I agree that spending a measly $50 on an important safety device instead of something a bit more reliable is a joke.

But this thread is not about these last two points. It is about people going into areas where they are not fully and safely prepared for. So let's not drift off too far mate. The caravans were not made for the deep corrugations (2 x broken suspension) and amount of loose rocks (hole in fuel line) on the Oodnadatta Track and the bike trio were nothing more than a couple of mates going for a ride without enough thought for their own (insufficient comms between team members) and possibly others safety (no sand flag or advance warning at crests) and well being.

You only have to read the material that comes with the desert pass to see where the bikers were not really properly prepared.

Everyone has a different idea of remote and safety..... The areas you mentioned I don't class as remote, the Northern Simpson yes but when we do the Simpson we are just as prepared as if we were doing a full on remote trip.

Accidents can happen anywhere and I can take you to areas 40 minutes from Adelaide that would be just as remote.

As for no prior warning with sandflags and radio's..... it highlites the need to drive proactively and think every crest there could be someone coming the other way and apply caution and not rely on the flag or radio call..... maybe flashing beacon lights might be the next "thing to have".

As for not being prepared..... all you have to do is read some of the posts on this forum to understand some don't value their live or lives of others very much and what priorities they have....."couldn't take the firstaid kit because the fridge with the beer wouldn't fit".

CTCSS is not the tone you hear over the UHF, CTCSS is "Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System" whereby the radios transmit a unaudible constant tone that the other radio that is set to the same tone receives and opens up the squelch.... anyone not using the same tone is blocked out from being heard...... but anyone can hear them.

CTCSS is used where there are many users on one channel and you only want to hear on person, this is very common on shared commercial radio repeater sites.

I think your thinking of selcall that transmits a 5 digit audible tone.

I'm a big believer in being self prepared, being self sufficient and not having to rely on others for help... the group we travel with are the same..... some times we may be separated from the main party for one reason or other..... every one in the group know each other can defend for them selves.

Who cares where the tones come from. I find them irritating.

You said "The areas you mentioned I don't class as remote".

Well I disagree. I would certainly call the WAA line on the Simpson Desert remote. As far as seeing other people then I would still call it remore because the only people we saw in the first two days were the two bike riders and their support car driver. A whole three in over 48 hours. And not a mobile phone or TV in cooee of us.

The Oodnadatta track was like a highway. Lots of traffic, so I agree there. But not in the Simpson.

Thats one hell of an exageration. I heard at Oodnadatta that the one that ran out of fuel had a rock go through the fuel line on the towing car.

And for your info the only comms we take on our trips is the satellite phone with my doctors private number stored in it and the UHF. No HF, ipod, ipad or even a mobile phone either. Don't even take a computer. I wonder if you take any of this stuff.

If you do not like these threads then why join in. It is a free world and we can bring up these topics if we wish. Maybe someone one day will read that a satellite phone or HF would be a good idea for them. And then as luck will have it, they help someone get an emergency rescue. Or even that a set of max tracks would have helped and they get their own and actually get to use them.

Maybe even learn how to use a snatch strap properly instead of doing what some "mug did". We don't all know these things from birth like you apparently did. I have learnt plenty by reading and then thinking beyond the post "what about me?".

Like you said....its a free world and if I wish to comment I will, but thanks for the lecture anyway.
And if you started a thread titled outback travel advice or something people might take it as advice but you didnt.....you lablled them as MUGS if I remember rightly.
And then contined on bagging "adventure motorcyclists"
Hardly an educational speil. More like a sermon on outback travel by by someone who knows everything. LOL

To PJR

You seemed to have a sat phone because your worried about your health.
Maybe you should just stay home in case you get sick and you can call an ambulance,you could just use your. mob phone then and save money on the call.

Also pretty hard to put a sand flag on a motorbike and listen to a radio while you ride.

I think you need a cuppa and not worry about other people so much.

Regards Peter

You clown. Thanks a lot. I have an incurrable cancer which means I can have a relapse at any time and need ready access to the specialist for him to arrange my immediate treatment. It was his idea to get the phone and he also helped get a subsidy. Otherwise he would not clear me to go on ANY trips. I thought biased people like you were a dead bredd. Would you say the same to youe father if he had the same cancer.

I would trade anything to be healthy and even just to be able to climb Ayers Rock.

Your name suits you. Pull of it.

Your right,I opened my mouth (so to speak) without knowing all the details and I apologise. Good on you for getting out there and doing these things.

But you should be out there enjoying yourself and not whinging about what other people do.

I travelled around OZ 20 years ago on a trail bike with no backup and had no problems except a few flat tyres which I fixed myself. If people didn't take chances at times the world would be a boring place.

Peter

Apology accepted knowing that I have also been guilty of the same thing.

We are out there. . . . Half way through the bucket list already.

Phil,
Firstly may I express my genuine best wishes to you and hope you get to enjoy your travels for a long long time yet.
I guess issues such as desert passes, banning travel at certain times of the year and the various recommendations/requirements are based unfortunately on who is going to be sued and for how much rather than any altruistic motives. The fact that grandpa and grandma set out across unexplored country however many years ago in a T model Ford or pushing a wheelbarrow and relying on finding sustenance along the way is of little relevance today. If they did a perish the family would mourn their passing and move on. Today the period of mourning would be followed by a call to a solicitors office. Well hell...it's gotta be someones fault, preferable someone with some money. Many years ago the only requirement to go and work on a mine site was a pair of safety boots. Today at least 5 or more induction courses and protection from every thing from the sun to ones own stupidity must be provided by the mine operator. We now apply for passes to travel into areas covered by various restrictions, some in my opinion, for good reasons but many simply because it's a good cash cow. I wonder how long it will be before ourselves and our vehicles will need to be presented to some inspection authority before leaving the bitumen.
Do I have a somewhat cynical outlook???.. probably.
I guess I can take some comfort in the fact that at my age and state of disillusionment most of my remote area travelling has been done without having someone looking over my shoulder.

Cheers
Pop

Pop We did enjoy the cynicism and humour. But this has been the same for many generations. An inspection post at Dalhousie at the gate to the Simpson? Well who knows but I get your point.

Once upon a time all motorised horseless carriages had to be proceeded by a man carrying a red flag. I wonder how long it will be until history really does repeat itself. Hmmm Well the speed limits are decreasing!!!

Catchya and I hope we meet to share a dram or two one day.