A D VI C E
M U S T-H AV E E M E R G E N CY GEAR
WATER
FLUID
LINES
A slab of water
bottles might look like
a lot, but it’s only 14.4L.
That’s barely enough to
fix a cooling system if
you burst a hose, or just
one day’s drinking water
for a family of four in
hot conditions. Work out
your actual requirements
and don’t skimp on the
water stocks. Storing
your water in a couple
of different tanks or
jerry cans is also a
good idea. That way,
if one water source gets
contaminated or springs
a leak, you won’t lose
the whole lot.
This one should come as a nobrainer but water is pretty vital in
an emergency situation. It might
be tempting to chuck a few 600ml
bottles of Mount Franklin in the
12V fridge, but when you actually
start adding up your water needs
things get a little more complicated.
If you spring a leak in your cooling
system you could potentially dump
close to 20L of coolant, that’s
around 34 water bottles.
You’ll also want to factor
in drinking water for all the
passengers on board. The rule is
three litres per person, per day, and
that’s not counting cooking and
cleaning. If you’re doing a desert
crossing or remote touring, a family
of four can easily go through 50L
of water in four days. When you
include 20L for the vehicle in case
of emergency, your water storage
needs start adding up and camper
trailers or caravans with large, fitted
water tanks become very tempting.
FIRST AID
TRAINING
Over the last 40 or so years, life
expectancy rates have jumped from mid60s up to mid-80s and it’s all thanks to
modern medicines. We’re able to quickly
and effectively treat issues that used to
be fatal, but it all goes out the window
the minute you’re nowhere near a
hospital. A first aid kit is seen as a magic
wand by 4WDers who believe as long
as you’ve got a box full of Band-Aids,
nothing bad can happen. The truth is a
first aid kit is just a box of tools. In some
cheaper kits the tools inside just aren’t
up to the task, and in all situations the
tools are completely useless without the
knowledge of how to use them.
Generic first aid courses are generally
centred around stabilising someone
until help can arrive, but in remote
conditions help can be literally days
away. Most first aid trainers now offer
courses for remote situations that go
far more in-depth and can prepare
you for the worst case scenarios that
might happen.
62
ADVENTURES