OPINION: All the gear and no idea

Going by recent news reports about a couple who had their vehicle catch fire along the Talawana Track (WA) and were rescued by a chopper, the subsequent police comments were that they were ‘well-prepared’ because they had a sat phone.

The police sergeant was actually quoted on Channel 7 News as saying: “This is a really good story of people well-prepared.”

I’m not sure having a sat phone, especially if that is all you have, is enough to warrant being called well-prepared! Yep, the sat phone got them out of trouble and possibly even saved their lives, or at least a few more nights unplanned out in the desert – but is a sat phone really enough?

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Interestingly, going by pics from the news report, the couple had enough time to grab some gear from the vehicle before it was completely incinerated. In the makeshift shelter they erected, they also had a near-new gas stove and gas bottle, saucepans, thermos and cups, a jerry can of water, a box of supplies, basic bedding, and other assorted goodies. Everything looked brand new.

This got me thinking: Was this another example of people travelling ‘with all the gear and no idea?’ We’ve met plenty over the years and even more over the last couple, when people’s overseas travels have been severely restricted and they’ve decided on an Aussie adventure. Who can blame them for wanting to see a bit of their own country? I certainly can’t.

However, you can’t just buy all the gear and head off into the unknown like it was a trip along the coastal highway to Byron Bay, or down the road to Wilsons Promontory.

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The smart ones join a 4WD club or go on a tag-along tour or two to learn new skills, techniques and hopefully a little about being prepared, which will help them enjoy a long-range desert sojourn and, in the process, keep them out of trouble.

At the very least, take a basic course in how to drive a 4WD vehicle. When you’ve never done it before, or even sat in a 4WD, don’t be so sure that you already know how to drive a 4WD in sand, cross a river or climb a steep hill.

It’s also imperative to learn about the dangers of desert travel, including the potential of a fire from the build-up of spinifex under a vehicle, especially around exhausts, DPFs and catalytic converters (see page 84 for more information on spinifex fires). Was the couple mentioned above aware of all that and, if they were, did they check under the vehicle at regular intervals?

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They also had enough time to rescue the gear that they did, so did they have enough time to use a fire extinguisher to dampen the flames? Did they even have such equipment, which is what everyone should carry as a minimum when out in the scrub? My gut feeling tells me, ‘no!’

Now you may have a brand-new car and camper, but that doesn’t make you immune from breakdowns, punctures or even a fire. Carrying just a sat phone is not being well-prepared.

Yep, it’s a step in the right direction, but preparation and planning, a basic knowledge of repairs, having the tools for the job, as well as a first-aid kit, recovery gear and communication equipment are all a necessity when going outback.