Outback Survival tips

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I was going to post the same link that Loamer has already put up. I would encourage everyone going bush to print it off and keep in their car. It may just save your life. It is the best document of its kind. I have had it for quite sometime. ;)
 
If working on foot, carry more water that you think you will need, don't know how many people I see carrying one little water bottle, which is great for a short while, but if you get lost or incapacitated, you will wish that you had a hell of a lot more. A combination of hip mounted water bottles and a camel back is a good compromise between a practical amount of weight and water capacity.

Fill up on water and hydrate yourself before heading out, otherwise by the time you are dehydrated, it is already too late to keep your fluid levels up. This is especially the case working or detecting in very humid climates in the top end, in which I find that I constantly sweat big time, and really need to be on the ball to ward off dehydration (working in thick QLD Savannah scrub, reinstating claim pegs). Give salty foods, sweet drinks and coffee a miss. My previous boss would always constantly drink coffee, and end up pissing most of his water out by midday, he always ended up with mild heat stress and headaches by the end of the day.

Probably the 3 things I would never be without working on foot, is decent water capacity, and abilty to start a fire, and carry a decent knife, preferably a survival type one. A small LED torch would also be a good addition. :)

I've done a few survival courses in my time, and there is nothing like practical experience to make you feel totally isolated, alone and not in control, especialky without the aid of a vehicle with all your goodies packed in it. To be sitting under a makeshift lean-to in +40 degree heat, to shivering next to a small fire in the dirt in near zero temps during the night is an experience I won't forget in a hurry. :)
 
The best thing for a signal fire is your spare Tyre this create 's plenty of black smoke that will be seen for miles also knowing how to treat water to make it safe to drink/ boiling filtering with charcoal you can even buy Tablets that treat water etc: in other words, if your going bush with no hospital/ HELP WITHIN quick reach, take some sort of coarse or even buy a survival book FOR THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK keep it in the glove box. Knowing how to help yourself will save your life.
 
" TO HELP YOU STOP GETTTING LOST IN THE BUSH"a hot tip before you even head out...go to your nearest football or rugby oval, stand at one end and line up a landmark eg (goal posts tree building) close your eyes and walk 100 steps directly at that landmark stop and see where you are, most likely you will have walked on an angle to the left or right,this is because one of your legs is slightly shorter than the other, its natural, dont stress,your not bound for a viewing platform at the local carnie freakshow just yet....OK now that you have worked out which way you naturally lean towards when walking in a strait line lets repeat the process(with your eyes closed) except this time at 50 steps your going to stop,turn in the opposite direction that you lean towards, take two normal steps turn back in the direction of your original path walk the last 50 steps and you should be pretty much back in line with your landmark .....this only helps you walk in a stait line you need to look for landmarks if you dont know the area and this principal will help you maitain a strait line to your desired destination :D

ps.... the reason i suggest you use some type of oval (soft grassy area) is some people will fall down whilst walking with their eyes closed if you do i would suggest you go and see your GP you might have a balance problem so i suggest you try this with a second person, good luck
 
DWT, I do this every Friday night when I leave the Club, never thought of closing my eyes to help adjust my line of sight and when I take two steps the opposite way I usually achieve the fall down bit you talk about!
 
Know where you are at all times that means lots of research.
Make sure someone else knows where you should be at all times because when your not that's who you depend on.
 
Good topic. A whistle was mentioned earlier - also take a mirror. They pack in hardly any space and can be effective over quite a distance and do not run out of power.
 
If lost/broken down spread things out on the ground (blankets,clothing,tarps,mirrors, any bright objects) this makes you more visible from the air.

Cheers,

Rob
 
I read a lot of these post and see a lot taking about walking out.
NO need to temp fate.
Get a EPIRB, strap it to your body never move without it. You fall down cant move, you have it on you.

no need to walk out. Soooo many die this way.
 
rgmhot said:
I read a lot of these post and see a lot taking about walking out.
NO need to temp fate.
Get a EPIRB, strap it to your body never move without it. You fall down cant move, you have it on you.

no need to walk out. Soooo many die this way.

You're spot on, golden rule in MOST cases is to stay with your vehicle. I've got a ResQ personal beacon and won't go anywhere without it while on a trip. Best investment ever!
 
One more thing to add, if you make camp and are unable find a bull ant or termite nest to spread around go and take a leak around your tent or if there are others with you around the camp perimeter. The smell of urine will deter most predators that may come snooping in the wee hours.
Note this only works for blokes as females lack the high levels of testosterone that marks ones territory.
 
Very good topic guys! I travel and camp a lot on my own so Safety is No 1 on my list. You just never know what will go wrong!! I have a back pack with all my safety equipment in it, Hand held GPS, Personal GPS Epirb, a small first aid kit, sat phone, mirror, boat flares, v sheet, duct tape, zip ties, knife, lighters, compass, map which does take up much space. I take it everywhere I go. In my 4x4, on the boat and on my Quad when I am out prospecting. Everyone that goes bush should take Safety Equipment. You never know !!!! DUCT TAPE & ZIP TIES are very handy!! Better safe than sorry!!
 
Get First Aid Training (from St. John's in South Australia) - all well and good to go prepared with every gizmo under the sun and a truck full of water... But guys and gals half the time our bodies are the issue - not the car or the flies. We are not all spring chickens or Olympians so you should always have someone in your group trained in dealing with serious injury/sickness - it might just save your life or the lives of others you are traveling with! Help could be hours away ...
 
My detecting set up cost me plenty, my wellbeing is worth more to me, so I forked out for a handheld GPS, personal EPIRB ( carry these with me at all times when detecting) Sat phone and UHF in my reliable well serviced 4x4. Got in the habit of this when I went out on my own looking for rocks on my day off when I worked in the N.T. at the top of the Tanami Cheers peterau
 
I've started by making rope from fibres. This one specifically is made from a passionfruit vine from my garden, any fibrous material can be used though, from grass to hairy palms ( the tree of course ). Its pretty self explanitory, bash if needed to seperate fibre from source, grab fibres, sort out any non-fibrous material, form a temporary rope hold by twisting it in one direction to form a rough bind, starting mid way, twist opposite directions to form a loop and keep twisting, releasing slightly to let each twist form, once complete, either stretch it over something to tighten it or you can repeat the process again for doubling the rope size as many times as required.. ( each time you do this, is lessens the rope length by half ) and at the end, clean it up with a flame if needed and tie off the ends. Its important to keep the size of the rope constant in all stages by adding more fibre when it thins out to prevent rope breaks or weak points.

If I looped this rope 3 - 4 times, it would hold my weight no problem. Twice might even do the job.

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