mitsubishi triton spoiler

If you broke down on one of those crazy Australian desert roads, how long should you be prepared to survive before somebody would come along and give you a ride? Surely there is traffic every few hours, at least?

As a traveler who has frequently driven on some of those crazy desert roads as you call them there is no two situations that are the same and so the answers are not always relevant. They say that you should take plenty of fuel and water and useless gear with you and so the vehicle is “Overloaded” before you start off and that is never a good thing. What is the point in taking too much junk with you that you would not be able to use if and when you might need it. Two of the most useless things that anyone can carry into remote locations is a Winch and a satt phone. With the phone it is a matter of who are you going to call and what are you going to say and what do you expect people to do anyway. With regard to the useless winch. It is just extra weight on the front of a vehicle and when you get stuck in 99% of cases you need to get out “Backwards” and the useless winch is on the front so it is on the wrong end of the vehicle and will pull you the wrong way. It is very rare to have a modern vehicle break down and what you need is a high clearance vehicle and not necessarily a 4X4 but a vehicle that will handle rough roads and doesn’t have useless things like front spoilers. If you take your time and drive according to the conditions then there is usually no problem at all. I use a Toyota utility vehicle which we call a Hi-Lux and it is no better or worse than another half a dozen makes of those “Tradesman’s Vehicles” like Isuzu D-Max or Ford Ranger or Mitsubishi Triton. If you travel during the winter months which is like between March and October then it is not that hot that you will need any huge quantity of water but just don’t waste it. Do NOT travel at night or even around Dusk as the visibility is poor and if you hit some of our wildlife then just think of where you are and how long your vehicle will be held up for while being repaired if you can find someone to repair it. Some extra fuel is a good idea but please do not put it up on those bloody roof racks as that is just dumb. There is no real point in just travelling into remote locations and driving along things like old Seismic survey tracks as yes you will be there a long time if your vehicle gets stuck or breaks down but on any reasonable roads that actually lead somewhere then you will see a couple of vehicles a day and so the question of will they stop and will they help you is totally unknown. You should not plan of relying on other peoples charity and good nature to save you from your foolishness. So do your homework before you travel and sometimes it is better to travel in a group even though I hate doing that because you are always travelling behind a cloud of dust and you should never drive in “Dust” as that is a real shortcut to a disaster. But at least someone knows that you are out there somewhere and if you don’t turn up to the rendezvous spot within a reasonable time then they will go out looking for you. As far as survival food it is best to take canned food for emergencies and things like small-ish tins of peaches and tins of baked beans and or spaghetti will sustain you and will not spoil if your cold storage runs out of ice or the battery goes flat if it (your car fridge) runs on the vehicles battery system. Matches and some fire-lighters are always handy to have as well as Mosquito repellent and toilet paper. You should always have boots and a hat when travelling in any remote location. Enjoy your adventure but take it easy and you will be fine. I want to add on a warning here about keeping pets on a lead as some of that remote area does get poison baits dropped from aircraft as a method of controlling pests and these baits are attractive to dogs so keep that in mind. I travel with a small dog myself and he is always tethered and Yes I did find Cane Toads up around Hells Gate on the Savannah Way. Cane toads are instant death to dogs. One other tip is that in modern vehicles with that battery key just include the spare key in there somewhere.