Intro

[The Moxies]

Hi all.
Hubby and I are heading off to fossic our way around Australia next March. Heading to Carnarvon WA first then planning on doing the Outback Way across the centre to QLD. We are fortunate to have no time restraints so it could take a month or a year to get to QLD.
We love finding small towns and abandoned places, camping in the outback and fossicking around for coins and relics. Total amateurs but I'm sure we'll learn along the way.
Looking forward to hearing about your experiences. Any tips on what to pack before we leave gratefully accepted.

 

[forest dweller]

welcome to the forum moxie great trip you are planing. have fun.

 

[Moneybox]

Pack light and then take half of it out

Think safety first so be sure to carry at least one PLB (personal locating beacon). We have one each for when we're off prospecting or roaming away from camp and we have a marine EPERB in the bus. You might not see people for weeks at a time if you get off the beaten track.

Water is always the thing that runs out first so take plenty and use it sparingly. You don't need a daily shower and you can wash up with a piece of paper towel and a light wash while its fresh. We have a huge camping list but that's just to jog the memory when packing. We only select the items needed for each particular trip however on a long trip like you are planning you'll have to pack for all seasons. Be aware of your vehicle's load limit on each axle, overweight will soon stop you when the going gets rough or hot.

Many years ago we always carried a gun to hunt food but now we don't even own one. It's not legal to carry one in many places we go particularly on pastoral leases and mining leases.

Dried food and canned food are good to fall back on when everything else runs out. We always have a few dozen long life milk because there's only so much you can keep in a refrigerator. Most people rely on solar power now and we also carry a very small generator and battery charger in case we get stuck with a long spell of poor weather. The camp oven is good to cook a meal that can last for a few days but you can't always light a fire so we have LPG in the bus running on a small 3.7kg bottle with another as a spare.

It helps a lot if you have a vehicle setup with most things permanently in place like the beds, sink, stove, fridge, solar, table, food, water etc. We have satellite TV and Starlink mini. You don't need them but they live in the bus and sometimes it's nice to settle back with a little bit of normal comfort but we've been refining our camping/prospecting gear for more than ten years.

Too much useless stuff makes camping and travelling difficult so a few short trips first will give you a better understanding of what you'll actually use on the trip. We're away this week and right now camped around the back of the Harvey Dam. We enjoyed lunch at Harvey Cheese so tonight will just be baked beans and a saveloy with a piece of toast

Safe travels.....