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Thread: Lost in the outback

  1. #11
    Advanced Bakes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stumpjumper View Post
    There are many great places to go in Australia, some close to population centers and others more remote. For those people who travel to the remote areas their wellbeing depends on their vehicle, they rely on that vehicle carrying them into and back from their destinations. The water it carries and its supplies of food, bedding and shelter permit the traveller to these places to survive in the normally harsh conditions.
    GPS can tell you where you are and which direction to go, a simple compass or even landmarks can assist in identifying your location……….
    Laverton WA,
    Lost prospectors have proven to be a persistent problem for Laverton Police, with more than 15 reported rescues over the past 18 months.
    If you lose the vehicle for what ever reason you are in serious trouble, you are on your own with whatever you have with you.
    Why are you separated from the vehicle? Well many are the reasons and each story is different. One guy found a gold nugget got excited and kept going until he was well and truly lost. Lost for 5 days nearly died.
    Walking from camp just going to try the ridge, going for a short walk to check out a rock outcrop, all these reasons and more in a part of the world where all the trees look the same and often there’s no clear view to the horizon.
    This is not the vehicle breaking down drama its just the people have left the vehicle to go wandering about and then cant find the way back to camp.

    GPS batteries do go flat, clouds can hide the sun and rocks cannot keep footprints.
    Check these sites for more details.
    http://golddetecting.4umer.net/t7152-lost-out-bush
    http://www.cairnsconnect.com/visitor/gettinglost.php
    http://goaustralia.about.com/od/prac...cksurvival.htm

    I am a gold prosector and I have lost the vehicle on occasions, once south of Maytown QLD on the Palmer and again couple of hundred kms NNE of Laverton WA. So take all precautions and be careful when you’re out there.

    Lets hear your ideas on how to make it easier to find the way back to the car.( Other than a police helicopter).

    I thought of a few.
    Don’t go bush alone……then you could listen for a VB tinny being cracked at beer o clock!
    If the horn could start tooting when it got dark.
    Strobe light flashes when it gets dark
    Dinner GONG (Smelling eggs and Bacon)

    No serious guys...............have you got any ideas?
    G'day stumpjumper, good to see someone finally asks the question before heading out and getting lost. Some good information in your thread from everyone, so I'll add my 2 cents as well. I'm fortunate, I have served with our fine defence force, and have gained alot of knowledge in survival, navigation, communications and the like over the last 19 years. My personal opinion is the six Ps. Prior preparation prevents p*ss poor performance. personally, you can't go past your paper map and compass. GPS should never be relied upon, and I've seen many navigate purely by GPS and not reach their objective. I personally only use my GPS as a secondary device. I always carry an EPIRB in my vehicle and PLB when I'm walking. Good cheap insurance I say. I don't care how long I'm away From my vehicle, I will always carry a small qty of food and water in my pack as well. This was sparked by an accident some time ago where we were away from our vehicle and prevented us from returning for some time. Little things such as leaving your details (as rossco has listed) to actually carrying the right map will get you home to your family. But alas I'm not from the stone age, and have tested quite alot of systems to serve my needs. The best I've seen and used is the Garmin astro320. You have to get them from the U.S but it works a treat. I have modified the dc-40 collar that comes with it and have tested it in jungle, desert and have always returned to the car. Hope this and everyone else's collective knowledge helps

    Bakes
    2006 4.2TDi GU Cab Chassis - Twin Locked with extra....stuff

  2. The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to Bakes For This Useful Post:

    Clunk (29th November 2011), DX grunt (29th November 2011), Mrowka (27th March 2012), MudRunnerTD (27th March 2012), Plasnart (29th November 2011), rkinsey (29th November 2011), Stumpjumper (29th November 2011)

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  4. #12
    Advanced jedskipow's Avatar
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    About all you can do if you are worried about a mate is light a fire with alot of smoke (not setting whole b.....y country on fire) crank the stereo wire the horn on, put ALL ligjts on faceing up a hill and spotlights faceing straight up and retreat to a suitable distance with required achcohol. If satellite ph now is probably a good time to let someone know.
    DO NOT LEAVE VECHILE
    If you are searching in vechile honk drive then STOP AND LISTEN, about twice as much as you think you need to leave good "paper trail" as suggested so you can find way back and he can follow tracks. Walk across car tracks ans see how easy it to miss them in some country.
    I'm no expert either I just thought these things made sense.
    Last edited by jedskipow; 27th March 2012 at 01:19 AM.

  5. #13
    Hardcore the ferret's Avatar
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    Or just have ya lappy with ya and PM Doggy!!
    Nah, but all joking aside, there is a lot to be said about the old dunny paper left in trees or the ground if you need to leave the vehicle.
    You can find yer way back, just follow the paper trail lol.
    Cheers, the ferret.
    Last edited by the ferret; 27th March 2012 at 12:41 AM.

  6. #14
    Advanced jedskipow's Avatar
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    Leave undies in trees, don't need um any hows

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    Patrol God Bob's Avatar
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    If you take all of the above and condense you would have a great Manual for not getting Lost.

    I have one other and that is to take a Pack of Cards and if you get Lost sit down and start to play Solitaire andsome smart B(*^&^%&^ will always come along to show you the next move
    RAFLMAO

    Seriously some great tips in the above Posts

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    yea most of that sounds like my ex-boss in surveying he was a 4x4 person like most 4x4 people who have proplems in the bush if you live on the coast you will all ways have proplems in the outback but people that live in the outback seem to have no proplems with it and dont drive big 4x4 or carry large amounts of stuff, but they do understand the outback because they live and breath it you should always study about what you want to do if you understand the outback then you will have very little proplems with it. My ex- boss was from the coast moved to the outback to do more work it was funny as hell he thought it would be like the coast.

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    Lots of good stuff, hand held gps, spare batteries, compass, pencil and paper - plot bearing and time taken to a point, changes in direction and time etc. It sure beats guessing, thinking too hard and remembering details where none are obvious. Ground and tree markings are great for confirming backtracking & reducing stress! Take a well stocked daypack too. Hope this helps someone.
    Cheers
    Waza

  10. #18
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    From experience around the Northern Territory trying to find my way across flat desert with no features. I have found that movement at night is much easier, for 2 reasons. The first is because it is much cooler and therefore your body will sweat less whilst moving preventing early onset of dehydration, secondly, I have found in such open featureless terrain the best way to determine direction use using the old faithful southern cross and the 2 pointers to confirm where south is. Even if you have a compass and a map if you can confirm your direction of the stars you can gaurentee success because the stars never lie! Its definetly not as accurate as a map and compass but it can help confirm your direction. Hope this helps

  11. #19
    The Mad Ozzy oncedisturbed's Avatar
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    For those that have never used a map and compass, I would suggest taking a short course on it or take time to learn from those that have done it for sometime.

    I remember the 1st navigation lesson I ever taught (how to perform a resection - 2nd hardest lesson in nav to teach) which was basically how to locate your position with no friggen idea where you are, easy enough to once you learnt all the previous parts for nav.

    if you are going places where you think there is a possibility of getting lost, as others have said, ensure you have the right gear for where you are goin ie shelter, water, food etc, let people know your movements, look at making up a survival kit or purchase a pre-made 1 and ensure it is upto the task.

    I am not part of the SES at this stage but the old man is in the hills and has been in numerous searches and a lot of the causes are the most simplest things that people will always over look.
    2009 GU ST 4.8L AUTO WAGON, 2" OME LIFT, 33" A/T'S, ARB DELUXE BAR, WARN XD9000 WINCH, NARVA 170 SPOTTIES, SCRUB BARS / SIDE STEPS, LONG RANGE TANK, DUALL BATTS, REAR DRAWER SYSTEM, ARB AWNING, KAYMAR REAR WHEEL CARRIER, 3" ZORST

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  13. #20
    Patrol God threedogs's Avatar
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    Best book in vic ever printed was the ES map book , but no longer published. as above by all means use your gps but back it up with paper maps every outback trip.
    Don't know if everyone knows but they r.
    re-grade[re align] outback tracks ALL THE TIME SO YOUR gps I USELESS
    Lets get in early to dicuss/debate/argue this, the outback season is nearly finished and the HOT HOLIDAY SEASON is approaching lets make sure Newbies[Hate that term by the way]
    an oldies are ready, lets face it ...... someone here will be affected listen , learn, prove me wrong
    04 ST 3lt auto, not enough Mods to keep me happy, but getting there

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