Coorong trip June LWE report!

[labrat]

I hope you feel suitably guilty you didn't join me on the trip Bob.

Slashing wrists as I type......how's that for multitasking?

Actually it's a good thing I planned not to go from the start - came down with a nasty virus and would have had to pull out anyway. Didn't even take a kayak with me to Meningie for that reason.

Next time I hope to be ready though.

[Geoffw]

Glad you made it out and told the story. It is so easy to get caught out by just one thing going wrong. You have given us all a good lesson. Hope it doesn't dampen your spirit for adventure.

[dunnyfromsouthoz]

Amazing story and great to see that you survived the conditions down there.

I agree with you that it is an amazing place. I visit the area about 2 or 3 times a year camping and always see something different or new - as you said the more you look the more you find.

And for the not-so-good times you visit theres always at least one magical memory of the place. We went down one windy weekend and put up with the relentless hot northerlies all day, but just before sunset it totally stopped blowing and the water was like a sheet of glass. Then very light rain started falling which created an amazing double rainbow. Took the kids out on the ski biscuit behind the tinny and they had a wow of a time.

Hope you get down there again sometime

Cheers
Dunny

[ArWeTherYet]

What an adventure, glad you made it through OK. One of those thermal foil blankets wouldn't be a bad idea to take to next time. I use one for a ground sheet, between the sleeping bag and mat.

[goanywhere]

What an adventure, glad you made it through OK. One of those thermal foil blankets wouldn't be a bad idea to take to next time. I use one for a ground sheet, between the sleeping bag and mat.

Yeah and a couple of those warmer pads that you just open and they stay warm for 10 hours.

And an emergency fire lighter.

And a bottle of brandy....

[Murphysegg]

Blimey Steve. I don't think er in doors will let you out on your own again.

How many paddles did you lose on this expedition

[emufingers]

Just wondering about a VHF radio. From the top of the sandhills you would have clear line of site to the Channel 83 repeater which is monitored in Victor andGoolwa. Also coast radio SA monitors channel 16 using very sensitive technology 24 hours. I know that 25 watt boat sets are received clearly in Adelaide on that netwrok, but I am not sure about a five watt handheld. It is quite possible however that it may work from the top of a sand hill. It would be worth someone with a handheld trying it out.

[goanywhere]

Just wondering about a VHF radio. From the top of the sandhills you would have clear line of site to the Channel 83 repeater which is monitored in Victor andGoolwa. Also coast radio SA monitors channel 16 using very sensitive technology 24 hours. I know that 25 watt boat sets are received clearly in Adelaide on that netwrok, but I am not sure about a five watt handheld. It is quite possible however that it may work from the top of a sand hill. It would be worth someone with a handheld trying it out.

G'day Jerry. I am sure that a one hour walk closer to the mouth from where I was would bring a 5w radio into range. I was always within 3-4 hours walk of the mouth. Yes it would be a challenge, especially after a day and a bit of wandering, but there's always someone around the mouth.

I was within mobile phone range, especially at the top of a nearby sand dune, but sea water doesn't tend to improve the situation with anything electronic, and that's what caused the drama in the first place. A basic review of basic safety routines would have meant a much different scenario, even without any tecnnology. It was an over reliance on technology that caused the problem, not the lack of it. I had a waterproof pouch for the phone that would have prevented the whole event but didn't use it. I had a dry bag but didn't keep the phone in it. I could have left enough breadcrumbs on my walk to get back easily but didn't bother. Lots of shoulda's, woulda's, coulda's. Just goes to show that it is possible to come unstuck even with all the technology in the world.

I heard of a guy who perished in the outback when his four wheel drive fell on top of him while changing a tyre. The jack collapsed and trapped his arm. He had an epirb that was 30cm out of reach on the ground next to his trapped hand.

I will definitely look into a 5w hand held, and possibly an epirb too if I do another similar trip.

[goanywhere]

Blimey Steve. I don't think er in doors will let you out on your own again.

How many paddles did you lose on this expedition

I was wondering when that little story would make it to this forum. Nah, no paddles this time.

Actually the wife just shook her head and gave me that look.... She's going away for a week on Friday on a holiday of her own. I was planning a trip out on the weekend. Interested?

So now I have a question. On the one hand I knew that Steve plans fairly well for this kind of thing – arranges backup/checkin times etc, has experience, has the right gear. Also the weather was kind for this time of year. On the other hand he wasn’t where I half expected to see him and I was aware of how practically remote he could be even though he may be only a few km from other people. Is there anything I could/should have done at that stage? Thought of trying to ring but was only getting minimal coverage so didn’t make the effort.

I made a call to my wife the first night out which was opposite Pelican Point no problems, and gave her my location. I mentioned I might not be in range the following night but gave her the approximate location where I would be 'a couple of k's either side of Mark Point' was what I told her. I was going to call her the day I got lost when I got back to the campsite. A quick trip to the top of the sand dune behind my campsite would have allowed me to do that. What I didn't count on was not having the phone to do it. My wife knew to call the police if I wasn't home by Wednesday night, 24 hours late. They don't tend to dispatch a search until then anyway.

[goanywhere]

After bearing my soul and relating this little story, and taking in the comments of others, I have decided that in future I will keep the following kit with me at all times, especially when I leave my campsite:

• Mobile phone - inside a waterproof pouch - and not remove it from the pouch under any circumstances if I am going near water.
• Spare fully charged battery for mobile phone.
• Torch.
• Fire starter.
• Stand-alone GPS, and spare set of batteries.
• 2 ltrs of water.
• Emergency food to get through 24 hours hard walking.
• Space blanket and stuffable light weight rain gear.
• A hand held VHF/UHF radio.
• Small can of bio-degradable spray dye for 'breadcrumbing' when walking through difficult terrain.
• A detailed map, marked with the location of the campsite, and compass.

All of this would fit in a small day pack or dry bag. I think I will put a kit like this together for my next kayak camping trip to a remote location. I have something like this for when I go on 4wd trips.

[willowonfire]

Just glad to hear that you made it out safe, bummer about the phone.
It makes one think really hard about doing solo trips...
Thanks for sharing

[punchanello]

Great yarn. Glad you got back safe.

It reminds of the time that I was hopped up party-favours at a rave and needed to traverse the jungle to get the the portaloos. In the 90's phones didn't have gps so I had to use my skillz to make it there in one piece. So I took mental notes of the landmarks: Spaced out girl with amazing rack, guy with dreads wearing a cheetah suit, what appeared to be a dead alien lying in the brush....None of this was any use to me as I was unsure if I had actually seen it or not. So instead I decided to spend the night in the portaloo and wait until morning.

[liam8227]

After bearing my soul and relating this little story, and taking in the comments of others, I have decided that in future I will keep the following kit with me at all times, especially when I leave my campsite:

• Mobile phone - inside a waterproof pouch - and not remove it from the pouch under any circumstances if I am going near water.
• Spare fully charged battery for mobile phone.
• Torch.
• Fire starter.
• Stand-alone GPS, and spare set of batteries.
• 2 ltrs of water.
• Emergency food to get through 24 hours hard walking.
• Space blanket and stuffable light weight rain gear.
• A hand held VHF/UHF radio.
• Small can of bio-degradable spray dye for 'breadcrumbing' when walking through difficult terrain.
• A detailed map, marked with the location of the campsite, and compass.

All of this would fit in a small day pack or dry bag. I think I will put a kit like this together for my next kayak camping trip to a remote location. I have something like this for when I go on 4wd trips.

I'm very glad to hear you came out fine. Your bloody lucky that fresh water was available. If I may add to your survival kit a knife, space blanket, signal mirror and a length of cord. I did a survival course many years ago with the Malaysian army. It's amazing what you can do with a knife and cord.

[goanywhere]

Yes, thanks. A knife and cord would be a good addition. I did include the space blanket.

Of course a 'survival kit' can be as extensive as you like. It always relates to the likely degree of risk you face. If I was venturing hundreds of k's away from civilization I would take an EPIRB and sat phone. But for where I was, all that is important is to be able to stay alive and relatively comfortable for about 24 hours. What I had with me almost covered that. I just needed a bit more water. If I had taken my other GPS, it would have been all over by midday. Even without marking the campsite as a waypoint I could have used the backtrack feature to locate the site from the trip there the day before.

[goanywhere]

Great yarn. Glad you got back safe.

It reminds of the time that I was hopped up party-favours at a rave and needed to traverse the jungle to get the the portaloos. In the 90's phones didn't have gps so I had to use my skillz to make it there in one piece. So I took mental notes of the landmarks: Spaced out girl with amazing rack, guy with dreads wearing a cheetah suit, what appeared to be a dead alien lying in the brush....None of this was any use to me as I was unsure if I had actually seen it or not. So instead I decided to spend the night in the portaloo and wait until morning.

Call my story a great yarn! I don't think your story really compares punch.