Canning Stock Route 2020

[10G]

My plans to tackle the CSR are progressing.

If we go ahead with it, we'll be travelling north - south. Take us about a full week to get up to Bililuna, given the CSR 3 weeks and another full week to get home from Wiluna.

Biggest concern at the moment is all the rain from ex tropical cyclone Esther. Not sure how much it will dry it before we get there?????

I've put in an initial application for leave over the weekend, so I have to see how that goes.

I've worked out distances, fuel and refuelling.

Still lots to do regards planning and prep, but it's all progressing.

Need new tyres and a few other things.

[MudRunnerTD]

I Hate you.........

Lucky Lucky Man. On my list mate for sure......

Cant wait to see your travel. will be amazing. Certainly some Maxtrax, a couple of sets i reckon. How many vehicles in your convoy?

[Plasnart]

My plans to tackle the CSR are progressing.

If we go ahead with it, we'll be travelling north - south. Take us about a full week to get up to Bililuna, given the CSR 3 weeks and another full week to get home from Wiluna.

Biggest concern at the moment is all the rain from ex tropical cyclone Esther. Not sure how much it will dry it before we get there?????

I've put in an initial application for leave over the weekend, so I have to see how that goes.

I've worked out distances, fuel and refuelling.

Still lots to do regards planning and prep, but it's all progressing.

Need new tyres and a few other things.

Sand country + rain = great traction mate. A breeze. Haven't done CSR myself so dont know if any clay is involved though.

Did a winter dune country trip last year with rain / cold humidity and absolutely zero issues like hot weather dune country throws up.

Hope you have a blast mate!

[stevemc181]

Sand country + rain = great traction mate. A breeze. Haven't done CSR myself so dont know if any clay is involved though.


Heaps of places on the CSR where you don’t want to be if it’s wet, yes there’s a lot of sand and dunes, but also a lot of clay pan country and the sort of ground that will trap you for weeks if it’s really wet. Not just mud holes, of which there can be plenty, but kms of wet boggy ground. Check conditions just prior to traveling it and be prepared to change plans if required. It can be closed for weeks, even in the high season if affected by late cyclones etc.

[pearcey]

Did it a while back towing a camper , 21 days on the route ,no where near long enough to see everything, tyre pressures 15 psi no issues or flats. Take plenty of cash, cards don't always work. Cost me $760 to fill at well 32, robbing bastards, was cash only, but hey a great trip. safe travels.

[10G]

Yep, very much looking forward to it, it's been on my list for at least 30 years probably longer. Got about 90% - 95% leave approval last night, so things are getting exciting.

We're travelling solo. The CSR is the outback equivalent of a city street these days, so there's always someone around somewhere.

Currently the southern end at Wiluna is under water and the northern end is copping a blast of rain as I type, there's a chance the trip may not go ahead due to wetness. In 2018 there was a 500+ km detour at well 25 I think it was, due to rain.

We may end up doing Binns Track yet???

[the evil twin]

f you are travelling solo vehicle make sure you take a personal EPIRB.

You are correct that the Canning can be quite busy but if you are off the track sightseeing any of the side bits/sites or on the track but away from the vehicle and something happens, shit can get real.

[10G]

Yep we have a PLB and a sat phone. Thinking of signing up to VKS737 as they have a sat phone service now.

[Cuppa]

Thinking of signing up to VKS737 as they have a sat phone service now.

If you do please let us know how it works. I inquired about it some time back but was put off by what I thought an odd response - basically "pay your money to join up & then we'll explain how it works". I wanted to know what I'd be paying for.

[10G]

If you do please let us know how it works. I inquired about it some time back but was put off by what I thought an odd response - basically "pay your money to join up & then we'll explain how it works". I wanted to know what I'd be paying for.
Did you see this Cuppa?

https://vks737.radio/satellite-telephone-non-hf-application/

[Plasnart]

A search for VKS737 came up with 16 threads. Might find some more info in these?

Edit: haha 10G just saw you've just done this.

[10G]

A search for VKS737 came up with 16 threads. Might find some more info in these?

Edit: haha 10G just saw you've just done this.

Yep, thanks mate.

[the evil twin]

If you do please let us know how it works. I inquired about it some time back but was put off by what I thought an odd response - basically "pay your money to join up & then we'll explain how it works". I wanted to know what I'd be paying for.

You are paying $100 for registration with VKS who will provide a single P.O.C. # manned 24/7 who will either patch you thru to a local service or manage your problem same as if called them on a HF.

Just like HF where you need to buy your own kit, you still need to buy/have a Satphone (not sure if they will accept rentals or not) and organise your own provider IE Thuraya/Inmarsat/Globalstar etc.

From that point onwards the VKS service works same for HF as Sat... downside is no-one close by will be listening out and hear the transmissions and be able to assist and there are no "social" channels off sked... upside is that Sat gear is a waaay less bulky, doesn't need a huge install and you take it with you when away from the truck

[Plasnart]

You are paying $100 for registration with VKS who will provide a single P.O.C. # manned 24/7 who will either patch you thru to a local service or manage your problem same as if called them on a HF.

Just like HF where you need to buy your own kit, you still need to buy/have a Satphone (not sure if they will accept rentals or not) and organise your own provider IE Thuraya/Inmarsat/Globalstar etc.

From that point onwards the VKS service works same for HF as Sat... downside is no-one close by will be listening out and hear the transmissions and be able to assist and there are no "social" channels off sked... upside is that Sat gear is a waaay less bulky, doesn't need a huge install and you take it with you when away from the truck

Sort of off topic but still sat phone related, saw a tv show a few years ago, tv crew on site with WA cops. This particular incident saw a cop out Eucla way at the scene of a crash trying to get a call through on his sat phone, but couldn't get a signal and getting very frustrated. Antenna was pointing at 45 degrees down towards the ground. Making sure your stick is up not down is critical. Would have thought emergency services were educated about this, but for us occasional hirers or users, this could be an understandible newby mistake. Make sure she's sticking up to the heavens like the manual says!

[10G]

You are paying $100 for registration with VKS who will provide a single P.O.C. # manned 24/7 who will either patch you thru to a local service or manage your problem same as if called them on a HF.

Just like HF where you need to buy your own kit, you still need to buy/have a Satphone (not sure if they will accept rentals or not) and organise your own provider IE Thuraya/Inmarsat/Globalstar etc.

From that point onwards the VKS service works same for HF as Sat... downside is no-one close by will be listening out and hear the transmissions and be able to assist and there are no "social" channels off sked... upside is that Sat gear is a waaay less bulky, doesn't need a huge install and you take it with you when away from the truck

What's a POC ET?

I have a sat phone, am used to using it.

I ended up getting the sat phone numbers for the RFDS (different numbers for a sat phone and different numbers per state) and if a medical emergency occurs I'll ring them. If a mechanical emergency occurs, I'll ring whoever. If I get bogged I'll unbog myself, sit it out or wait. Otherwise I think I'll just ring family members to keep them up to date.

[FNQGU]

Would have thought emergency services were educated about this, but for us occasional hirers or users, this could be an understandible newby mistake.

Plas, from what I've seen over the last 25 years, the days of assuming the cops in the Outback know these things has long since passed. There are certainly still a good number around who do know what they are doing but there are so many of that more practical era who have just left the job or are now behind desks. Many are just sick of the 'shit' and many just move on far more frequently than they did. Remote posts are now often seen as a quick way to get up the ladder by the younger generation and the various Police Managers have to offer remote posts with a promotion just to get anyone to go there.

In fact, it is probably fair to say that that whole era of people who knew how to tie a truckies hitch or other now 'old school' skills, is fast disappearing across the board.

A bit generalistic, but I reckon a lot of the older school cops would agree with me. 10G - Sorry to hijack the post topic...

[10G]

Plas, from what I've seen over the last 25 years, the days of assuming the cops in the Outback know these things has long since passed. There are certainly still a good number around who do know what they are doing but there are so many of that more practical era who have just left the job or are now behind desks. Many are just sick of the 'shit' and many just move on far more frequently than they did. Remote posts are now often seen as a quick way to get up the ladder by the younger generation and the various Police Managers have to offer remote posts with a promotion just to get anyone to go there.

In fact, it is probably fair to say that that whole era of people who knew how to tie a truckies hitch or other now 'old school' skills, is fast disappearing across the board.

A bit generalistic, but I reckon a lot of the older school cops would agree with me. 10G - Sorry to hijack the post topic...

That's OK. I agree.

You have to rely on yourself, if you believe others will understand and take initiative you can end up in trouble, if something isn't specifically requested, you can't rely on it to eventuate.

Should the worst event occur, I activate the PLB, sit back and wait.

[10G]

Anyway, date is pretty much settled on. The trip'll be around early July and into late August.

Current shopping list includes, tyres, belt tensioner, front axle rebuild, maybe shocks, shovel ... can't think of much else ATM.

Still gotta plan food. We've always taken frozen, cryo packed stuff but this trip may see us 3 weeks in the bush. May look into dry food??

[the evil twin]

What's a POC ET?



P.O.C. is the T.L.A. for Point of Contact

[the evil twin]

Still gotta plan food. We've always taken frozen, cryo packed stuff but this trip may see us 3 weeks in the bush. May look into dry food??

My two cents is don't take frozen stuff.

I don't remote travel/camp much these days but IMHO the best bet is cryovac and refridgerate (no need to freeze cryovac meat etc).
We also used to take a selection of the precooked meals like these https://www.snowys.com.au/camping-food

The advantage of them is that if doing longer travel legs at afternoon smoko we would boil extra water, put the hot water in a thermal cooker with the meals and when we pulled up Dinner was piping hot ready to eat so we could chillax.

If we were camped or stopping early then we would do a cryovac cookup.

[Cuppa]

Still gotta plan food. We've always taken frozen, cryo packed stuff but this trip may see us 3 weeks in the bush. May look into dry food??

With a fridge, freezer & non perishables we can last for 6 weeks between re-supplying. The hardest is fuit & veg, & if unable to top up along the way we find a mix of frozen veg, (corn & green beans & spinach are better on space than a lot of the other veg/stirfry packs etc). Frozen veg is not as good as fresh (except for corn) but is good enough to keep you going when the fresh stuff runs out along with canned fruit & veg. When heading out from home some dried pasta sauce etc (in the dehydrator at home) help. & make a meal with pasta & whatever you have thrown in easy to make. Let me know if you are interested in how to 'powder' the dried sauce. There's a trick which makes it easier & more effective. We keep the powder in the freezer. Do the same with homus because it works very well, reconstitutes so you would never know it had been dried. (We buy the kilo buckets of Yummis Hommus - it's good) from the supermarket Of the canned veg I reckon mushrooms are about the best. A good supply of powdered potato (Deb), rice, pasta & flour.

Another bread alternative which is good & can be made in a frypan is a mix of flour & Yoghurt. (Let me know if you want the recipe). Easy & quick. We carry one of those Easiyo insulated Yoghurt makers & the powdered yoghurt (greek style) - make a kilo at a time just by boiling the billy. The insulated container is a little bulky, but we find it worth it for the extra variety we can have in our diet (especially as I'm gluten free).

Wrap fresh veg in foil - keeps longer & better in the fridge.

If you can manage the space it's good to cook larger quantities of the fresh veg which doesn't last as long, & put the extra into the freezer for later - so carry a supply of freezer bags - or even a few of those disposable containers. They are lightweight & easier to faff around with than bags.

Our freezer isn't huge, 35 litres, (& fridge is 60litres). When getting meat cryovaced, ask for it in meal size portions & packed as flat as possible. It helps & is surprising how much can be fitted in. We have a vaccuum sealer thingo at home, but have found that meat cryovaced on the commercial machines by butchers to be better. We generally pay $50c or $1 extra for each cryovaced bag. Adds up in cost, but it is cheaper than buying meat from tiny community stores a long way from anywhere. You'll probably get a bit of fresh fruit & veg at Kunuwarritji (Well 33), but the cost will be high. Don't plan to buy other stuff there - it will be 3 times the prices you are used to.

Consider supermarket frozen fish too. Eg. Flathead fillets. If you can get a kilo pack with each fillet in it's own cryovaced pack (have only found these a couple of times) it makes it easier to find space as individual fillets from the kilo bag's contents can be squeezed into 'spare spaces'.

When driving or camped in the sun we run the freezer at minus 14, & put it onto minus 10 overnight. Have had no food wastage doing this.

Tinned fish (tuna etc) is good. Wraps keep better than bread.

MrsTea often makes savoury rice balls after we've had a rice meal where she has cooked extra rice. Rice + egg, cheese & Jalapeno chilli (I think) when we have the camp oven out. They can be eaten cold & are good for a couple of days in the fridge, so are a reasonable lunch option. ......... as are cold sausages.

We avoid meat with bones for cryovacing - can pierce the plastic. Sausages are best pre-frozen before cryovacing if you don't want the contents squeezed out of the skins.

Just my jumble of thoughts - hope something in there helps.

[the evil twin]

Slightly off topic but curious why do you freeze cryovac meat?

IMHO the whole idea of cryovac is so you don't have to freeze it so:-
- the food packs better,
- takes less energy to store (fridge not freezer),
- tastes better (freezing bursts the cells) cause it retains the moisture
- when stored at 3 degrees, shelf life of 10 weeks if prof vac'd and 2 weeks if repacked and home vac'd (you lose 8 weeks due to the bacteria increase in the rehandling after purchase)

[10G]

Thanks Cuppa, there's lots of good thoughts there.

[10G]

My two cents is don't take frozen stuff.

I don't remote travel/camp much these days but IMHO the best bet is cryovac and refridgerate (no need to freeze cryovac meat etc).
We also used to take a selection of the precooked meals like these https://www.snowys.com.au/camping-food

The advantage of them is that if doing longer travel legs at afternoon smoko we would boil extra water, put the hot water in a thermal cooker with the meals and when we pulled up Dinner was piping hot ready to eat so we could chillax.

If we were camped or stopping early then we would do a cryovac cookup.

Thanks ET. Ummm, what's TLA stand for?

[Cuppa]

Slightly off topic but curious why do you freeze cryovac meat?

IMHO the whole idea of cryovac is so you don't have to freeze it so:-
- the food packs better,
- takes less energy to store (fridge not freezer),
- tastes better (freezing bursts the cells) cause it retains the moisture
- when stored at 3 degrees, shelf life of 10 weeks if prof vac'd and 2 weeks if repacked and home vac'd (you lose 8 weeks due to the bacteria increase in the rehandling after purchase)

We heard of 5 or 6 week old cryovaced meat being green when removed from it's packaging. We have the freezer & sufficient solar/battery to run it, so we 'play it safe'. Agree it's probably overkill but results have been tasty enough & no bad smells or green slime.

[the evil twin]

Thanks ET. Ummm, what's TLA stand for?

FYI

T.L.A. is the T.L.A. for Three Letter Acronym when you CBF typing the words, SFA difference with predictive text but easy to end up WTF tho eh...

YVW

GTH

[10G]

fyi

t.l.a. Is the t.l.a. For three letter acronym when you cbf typing the words, sfa difference with predictive text but easy to end up wtf tho eh...

Yvw

gth

yvw gth = nfi

[10G]

OK, so now I'm moving onto water. I can carry 80L of water, but must plan for refilling along the way.

I have a 3 x 10L jerries and 1 x 50L bladder. I also have 1 x 10L bucket.

We can get water from several wells, but I need (some may say you don't need to, but I will) filter this water so I can't just pour from bucket to bladder or jerry.

I'm thinking of getting an inline water filter and a small 12v pump of some type. This is where my knowledge is lacking. How big or small a pump do I need? Will a 5L/min pump blow apart my inline filter? Will 5L a minute be too slow??

Anyone here have any experience with pumps???

I'm also happy to use a hand pump thing instead of a 12v pump.

[stevemc181]

OK, so now I'm moving onto water. I can carry 80L of water, but must plan for refilling along the way.

I have a 3 x 10L jerries and 1 x 50L bladder. I also have 1 x 10L bucket.

We can get water from several wells, but I need (some may say you don't need to, but I will) filter this water so I can't just pour from bucket to bladder or jerry.

I'm thinking of getting an inline water filter and a small 12v pump of some type. This is where my knowledge is lacking. How big or small a pump do I need? Will a 5L/min pump blow apart my inline filter? Will 5L a minute be too slow??

Anyone here have any experience with pumps???

I'm also happy to use a hand pump thing instead of a 12v pump.

I use a Shurflo 11.4lpm pump and a B.E.S.T type water filter, it does the job. I filter the water going in to the tank and the water coming out of it. There are several good wells along the way, with great quality water. Well 23,33,46, Georgia Bore and a few others I can't remember offhand generally produce good water. Stay sensible with your drinking water use, and you can just use well water for showering. You want to save as much weight as possible, and water is one of the things that soon adds up to being overweight, best to carry only what you really need, with a contingency plan for a few days extra.

We took 70 litres last time for two of us, but I'd reduce that by half if doing the CSR again to save weight.

[Cuppa]

There are many ways to stay safe with water. We used to do what Steve does - filtering on the way in & out when we had our bus. Less room in the patrol called for a different method. Now we just filter on the way out. We use 1 micron solid block carbon filter impregnated with silver. The silver bit helps prevent any build up of nasties during periods on non use. Lots of filters out there to prevent bad tastes etc, but only those that specifically state that they are good for blocking the nasties like E.Coli, Giardia & Cryptospiridium (Sp?) will do so. Essentially you need an 'absolute' rating of 1 micron or less to do this I think. Many filters look good in the advertising, but when you look more closely they wont protect you against those 'bugs' which are what are the biggest risk from unknown water sources.

The B.E.S.T filters are certainly well thought of, but are quite expensive compared to others. I think (but could be wrong) that they contain granulated carbon. With granulated carbon the lower micron figures cannot be guaranteed because of the air gaps between the granules. This is where a solid carbon block is better. I used to use the standard 10" filter housings with appropriate filters. The advantage of these is that you can get replacement filters at just about any hardware store. The more expensive filters require you to use there replacements which generally cost more & are not easily obtained in out of the way places.

In the interests of saving space I changed to inline filters designed for chilled water outlets in the Patrol. They are a 'disposable' filter, but have been lasting us well. I change them if the water tastes bad (not yet happened) or after 12 months depending upon use. Last time I changed one was because it had sat unused for 7 months in a hot tropical climate. I had a couple of spares & thought it best to change even though the water was tasting ok. Having suffered the effects of 'bad water' in the past, it's not something I want to repeat. These are the filters I use. (Suitable micron size with silver in this size filter are not easy to find). https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12-x2-5-In-Line-Nano-Silver-Water-Filters-Fridge-Ice-X-Bacteria-Filter-QF/121121928734 A cheaper similar filter , same size but no silver, is one that we've used when knowing we will be using our water daily for a while (& therefore don't need the 'storage capability' of the silver. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Inline-Fridge-Filter-Fits-All-Coconut-Activated-Carbon-Water-Filter-Cartridge/263274679052 this is 0.5 micron. Generally they come with click on hose fittings, so easy to change. I have found the plastic fittings have a limited life on corrugations, but have had no breakages since I switched to brass fittings. Plastic are OK, but ask for a few spares to carry.

Pumps. Shurflo are good. We had a 10lpm 'Whisper King' in our bus. I made a few mistakes with the Patrol. Started off with a 17Lpm pump. Ridiculous & used far too much battery power. Then bought another Shurflo like we had in the bus - now carry it as a spare. At the time we were using garden hose trigger guns as taps, & found the pressure on the pumps we had tried was simply too high, making the simple task of putting water into a saucepan difficult due to the 'splashback'. So we changed again, this time to a 3.5lpm pump, a 'mid priced ebay cheapie'. Didn't help with the splashback much (they all seem to run at 35psi or thereabouts), but we have fixed that issue with a change to normal taps. The advantage of the 3.5lpm pump though is that we waste less water. It still pumps through the filter just fine, & gives plenty of flow for a shower if we want, but we just tend to use less water, which we consider to be quite an advantage. I've carried the shurflo as a spare, only because I thought the ebay cheapie may not last, but it has now given 3 years service without a hiccup. All would manage the job of filling a bladder from a bucket. Higher flow rate will just be a bit quicker. For filling only a submersible pump may be the easiest to use solution & one like this (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12-24V-50W-Submersible-Water-Pump-1110GAL-H-for-Clean-Clear-Dirty-Pool-Pond/392716808471?hash=item5b6fbef117:m:mdo0UKPcyrhzjbp 7xcolsfg) would be quick.

Finally, back to water. We do carry a small quantity of liquid pool chlorine to use in our tanks if we have any doubt about the quality of the water (& never use cloudy water). It is really cheap to buy & we only carry 250mls, which is enough for a year or two. It does become less effective over time, but as it ages we simply add a bit more when using it. Most pool chlorine is around 12% strength. At that strength the recommended quantity for drinking water is 4mls per 100 litres. Alternatively you can use household bleach (no fragrance) which is about 1/3rd to 1/2 the strength of pool chlorine (same stuff) by icreasing the quantity. We have lived for several decades on tank water & really dislike the taste of chlorine in our water. Thankfully the carbon filters do a great job of totally removing the taste.

EDIT: B.E.S.T filters do have a 1 micron membrane at each end of the filter & thus claim that they protect from E.Coli, Giardia & Cryptospiridium. However many other 'caravan filters' are only 5 micron & don't.

[the evil twin]

Whatever you decide I highly recommend you carry 1 of these (or equiv) in your emergency "grab bag".
https://www.lifestraw.com/products/lifestraw

Literally millions of these personal filters in use around the world these days by military, NGO and other mobs esp in 3rd world countries but def the go if you have any issue with water quality or in an emergency if things go pear shaped

[10G]

Thanks everyone for your valuable information & help. I will look into all of it.

[10G]

There are many ways to stay safe with water. We used to do what Steve does - filtering on the way in & out when we had our bus. Less room in the patrol called for a different method. Now we just filter on the way out. We use 1 micron solid block carbon filter impregnated with silver. The silver bit helps prevent any build up of nasties during periods on non use. Lots of filters out there to prevent bad tastes etc, but only those that specifically state that they are good for blocking the nasties like E.Coli, Giardia & Cryptospiridium (Sp?) will do so. Essentially you need an 'absolute' rating of 1 micron or less to do this I think. Many filters look good in the advertising, but when you look more closely they wont protect you against those 'bugs' which are what are the biggest risk from unknown water sources.

The B.E.S.T filters are certainly well thought of, but are quite expensive compared to others. I think (but could be wrong) that they contain granulated carbon. With granulated carbon the lower micron figures cannot be guaranteed because of the air gaps between the granules. This is where a solid carbon block is better. I used to use the standard 10" filter housings with appropriate filters. The advantage of these is that you can get replacement filters at just about any hardware store. The more expensive filters require you to use there replacements which generally cost more & are not easily obtained in out of the way places.

In the interests of saving space I changed to inline filters designed for chilled water outlets in the Patrol. They are a 'disposable' filter, but have been lasting us well. I change them if the water tastes bad (not yet happened) or after 12 months depending upon use. Last time I changed one was because it had sat unused for 7 months in a hot tropical climate. I had a couple of spares & thought it best to change even though the water was tasting ok. Having suffered the effects of 'bad water' in the past, it's not something I want to repeat. These are the filters I use. (Suitable micron size with silver in this size filter are not easy to find). https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12-x2-5-In-Line-Nano-Silver-Water-Filters-Fridge-Ice-X-Bacteria-Filter-QF/121121928734 A cheaper similar filter , same size but no silver, is one that we've used when knowing we will be using our water daily for a while (& therefore don't need the 'storage capability' of the silver. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Inline-Fridge-Filter-Fits-All-Coconut-Activated-Carbon-Water-Filter-Cartridge/263274679052 this is 0.5 micron. Generally they come with click on hose fittings, so easy to change. I have found the plastic fittings have a limited life on corrugations, but have had no breakages since I switched to brass fittings. Plastic are OK, but ask for a few spares to carry.

Pumps. Shurflo are good. We had a 10lpm 'Whisper King' in our bus. I made a few mistakes with the Patrol. Started off with a 17Lpm pump. Ridiculous & used far too much battery power. Then bought another Shurflo like we had in the bus - now carry it as a spare. At the time we were using garden hose trigger guns as taps, & found the pressure on the pumps we had tried was simply too high, making the simple task of putting water into a saucepan difficult due to the 'splashback'. So we changed again, this time to a 3.5lpm pump, a 'mid priced ebay cheapie'. Didn't help with the splashback much (they all seem to run at 35psi or thereabouts), but we have fixed that issue with a change to normal taps. The advantage of the 3.5lpm pump though is that we waste less water. It still pumps through the filter just fine, & gives plenty of flow for a shower if we want, but we just tend to use less water, which we consider to be quite an advantage. I've carried the shurflo as a spare, only because I thought the ebay cheapie may not last, but it has now given 3 years service without a hiccup. All would manage the job of filling a bladder from a bucket. Higher flow rate will just be a bit quicker. For filling only a submersible pump may be the easiest to use solution & one like this (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12-24V-50W-Submersible-Water-Pump-1110GAL-H-for-Clean-Clear-Dirty-Pool-Pond/392716808471?hash=item5b6fbef117:m:mdo0UKPcyrhzjbp 7xcolsfg) would be quick.

Finally, back to water. We do carry a small quantity of liquid pool chlorine to use in our tanks if we have any doubt about the quality of the water (& never use cloudy water). It is really cheap to buy & we only carry 250mls, which is enough for a year or two. It does become less effective over time, but as it ages we simply add a bit more when using it. Most pool chlorine is around 12% strength. At that strength the recommended quantity for drinking water is 4mls per 100 litres. Alternatively you can use household bleach (no fragrance) which is about 1/3rd to 1/2 the strength of pool chlorine (same stuff) by icreasing the quantity. We have lived for several decades on tank water & really dislike the taste of chlorine in our water. Thankfully the carbon filters do a great job of totally removing the taste.

EDIT: B.E.S.T filters do have a 1 micron membrane at each end of the filter & thus claim that they protect from E.Coli, Giardia & Cryptospiridium. However many other 'caravan filters' are only 5 micron & don't.

Thanks so much for taking the time to put down a detailed and very useful post Cuppa. I greatly appreciate the effort.

[stevemc181]

It’s worth having a read of the PDF from B.E.S.T regarding water filtration and treatment etc.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0256/7906/9255/files/WATER_On_the_Road_Booklet.pdf?1535

[10G]

It’s worth having a read of the PDF from B.E.S.T regarding water filtration and treatment etc.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0256/7906/9255/files/WATER_On_the_Road_Booklet.pdf?1535

Thanks Steve, that article is worth reading.

[10G]

Sight seeing.

I'd really like to go see Helena Spring. From what I've read it's quite a trek to find it with the track being pretty overgrown. We're going solo so there's a very strong chance we won't go and take a look, the risk is too high. I think it's 80 - 100 kms off the CSR. Long way to walk back if you break down.

I want to get to the top of Mt Ford and take a look. Why? Why not.

Durba Springs of course, which I'm expecting to be a car park.

[MudRunnerTD]

FYI.

All permits revoked.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2020/03/34.jpg



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[10G]

Yeah, I'm keeping an eye on that stuff. They've banned travel through the APY lands in SA.

I really don't know if the Canning will be affected, however the Aboriginal communities that you visit to get fuel etc along the way may be????

The NLC covers permits for the NT.

[MudRunnerTD]

Yeah, I'm keeping an eye on that stuff. They've banned travel through the APY lands in SA.

I really don't know if the Canning will be affected, however the Aboriginal communities that you visit to get fuel etc along the way may be????

The NLC covers permits for the NT.

The flow on will be comprehensive. Expect this to be a standing order. Makes perfect sense to me. If this thing got into one of these communities it would be brutal.