Great things to take with you

Here you will find things that you might take with you to enhance enjoyment of your DriveWA outback escape.

You are only limited by your imagination; but we have some hints and tips we have collated after years of travelling around ourselves, and watching what other people take when they travel.
 

Signposts/Maps/Trip Log 

Outback tracks are not always signposted. The more remote an area, the less likely there will be any signposts. You'll usually find signposts where the main routes run from town to town.

 

It is important to be vigilant, as missing a signpost (or it being vandalised or ‘adjusted’) can make a huge difference. It is wise to check with your maps each time you make a significant alteration to your course, just in case a signpost has been turned around; and sadly it does happen.

 

Maps, map books and trip diaries  

It is important that you keep a trip diary, or log book, of where you are travelling throughout your DriveWA adventure.

 

This is partly so that you will have a permanent record of the great fun you are having– we almost all regret not doing this later. It is also so you can always tell someone else how to locate you in the case of an emergency.

 

If you have an accident and you are using your mobile/satellite phone or a radio to call for help, you need to be able to tell the people you have contacted where to find you.So you need a book you can write in as you go along.  
 

And all you need is a basic entry; that at such time you turned right (or left) onto the name of the road, when your daily odometer (trip metre) read so many kilometres.

 

If you get lost, it is most important that you can get yourself to safety and so it is important to know where you turned left an hour or two ago; when perhaps you should have turned right!

 

Good local maps, a GPS, and a trip diary/log are very sensible precautions for a DriveWA journey. They can also be a lot of fun! The DriveWA team recommend the 1:250,000 maps. 
 

A portable fridge  

A portable fridge may save your life, because (as well as keeping the wine and cheese cool) a person could starve to death in the outback.

 

Many DriveWA patrons have used the old Oz portable ice box (called an "esky" by most locals) filled with ice, to keep drinks and food cold.

 

But for extended trips into remote areas, this method may prove unreliable. It may not always be possible to buy large quantities of ice in the outback; particularly in drought season when ice may not be available at all.

 

DriveWA recommend that our real adventurers buy or hire a good quality fridge, such as an Engel. They are readily available to purchase from excellent ‘outback’ centres, including ARB and Mandurah.

 

A dual battery system 

We recommend a dual battery kit for people going into the ‘real’ outback; particularly with an in-car fridge and perhaps a radio. It is not sensible to rely upon a single car battery in the outback. If you do, you may end up with no backup. A mobile fridge can flatten a normal car battery overnight!

 

 

They can then wire up the second battery to act as an emergency battery; allowing you to start your vehicle if your main battery fails.

 

You can buy emergency battery packs which will give your vehicle a jump start if the battery goes flat for some reason. You can even have a third battery or solar panels fitted, to trickle charge the vehicles batteries.

  

The Western 4WDriver Magazine  

Westate Publishers produce a range of excellent travel companion magazines for anyone with a 4WDrive.

 

Our CEO has a number of them and uses them extensively; whether he is travelling with his family or his fishing mates; or planning a fundraising adventure with his Variety Club mates, to raise money for the sick, disabled or disadvantaged children of WA.

 

Their excellent products include:

 

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