First timer across the Simpson

[hux22 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hux22]

In March 2013 I am heading out as a support crew/photographic/cinematic crew for a running marathon attempt across the Simpson via the French Line and QAA.

My 90 series is about to undergo a complete check over for the trip.

I would be very appreciative if anyone who has been along a similar route could give me some feedback about their experiences including any wisdom that they would like to pass on.

Any suggestions/thoughts/tips and warning signs would be very welcome....

Over to you guys.

Pete

[Torrie 72 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Torrie 72]

I would definitely recommend some sturdy drawers to keep everything secure in it's place as the French line can be very rough - although it may not be so bad at the start of the season.
I'd also do some asking around as to people's opinion from experience as far as the best UHF aerial for the simpson. I know we and many others were surprised to find transmissions wouldn't travel more than a couple of dunes with quality 6.5dB aerials. Maybe a 9 dB would have been better.
You'll find it damn hot at that time of year so make sure your cooling system is A1 and you have plenty of water on board!
Have a great trip!
Cheers, Ben.

[rptdprado Member Find all posts View Profile Close rptdprado]

I would definitely recommend some sturdy drawers to keep everything secure in it's place as the French line can be very rough - although it may not be so bad at the start of the season.
I'd also do some asking around as to people's opinion from experience as far as the best UHF aerial for the simpson. I know we and many others were surprised to find transmissions wouldn't travel more than a couple of dunes with quality 6.5dB aerials. Maybe a 9 dB would have been better.
You'll find it damn hot at that time of year so make sure your cooling system is A1 and you have plenty of water on board!
Have a great trip!
Cheers, Ben.

Pete,

As Ben mentioned it will be very hot around March timeframe, glad you are not running the marathon ! I've done the Simpson twice the first in late June and then August on both trips it was quite hot. I know someone who did it in Feb, he said it was way too hot and couldn't sleep at all. I would recommend a quality lift kit and decent tyres, make sure you take plenty of water and fuel, ensure multiple containers for redundancy. Don't want to scare you but also be mindful of bushfires, as there is plenty of vegetation now with all the rain over the last few years. I assume there will be a number of support vehicles with you.

cheers

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Pete

Good suspension and tyres are a must, if you are going east to west the dunes are at their steepest and you will need to air down to 18lbs as a guide, so also a decent compressor as you may have to pump the tyres up occasionally for the gravel roads. Good recovery points are also a must as I can guarantee somebody will get stuck, the dunes get softer as the day heats up.

As above plenty of water as there is none to be had in the desert unless your Bear Grylls and can drink your own body fluids

We did the first crossing in a 90 series using a 6.5db aerial and it was good for about 4 k's in the desert, we also hired a satellite phone for safety and to keep in touch with home $500.00 for 4 weeks including $100.00 of calls. Also a camera with heaps of storage as the scenery is absolutly amazing.

Have a great time. Richo.

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

As what others have said above plus, make sure you pack everything in tight so as they dont move or rub against each other, have seen on many occasions of people getting to their destination, open the back of their truck or trailer up, only to find something have rubbed through something else and wrecking it.

[Heath74 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Heath74]

Having been one of the cars in a failed trip earlier this year, I learnt a bit.

My mates car is a Navara very well maintained and had just a had a full pre trip service. However he cooked both front shocks, and at the bottom of a big washout between mt dare and purni bore, the vehicles bottomed out, and push both shock mounts clean through the lower control arms.

Lessons, slow down on corrugated roads, finding a comfortable speed that allows you to 'skip' over the corrugated roads didn't work out so good for us.
Carry a lighter load.
Shock shock temps regularly.
And have full roadside assist.

Just what I learnt.

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

The same as everybody above, but the number 1 is a sat phone, when we went thru the Simpson in August 2010 we had 3 sat phones in our party and used all 3 one night when someone in our party died at the campfire. Being so remote help did not arrive till 19 hrs later from Birdsville. So that is one item i will always have when travelling in the remote areas.

Cheers Derek

[hux22 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hux22]

Guys, as always the Prado Point crew have come up trumps!

The "old girl" is in for a routine check up and I have taken into consideration all of your suggestions.

The heat is a very big factor as is the necessity to travel at night. We are doing a "trial run" at Stockton on the weekend of 18-20 January to test out our lighting for the marathon run. Our lighting is crucial for the runner to see where he is putting his feet as he attempts to break the current record.

Just a further question.....what food to take and the water allowance per person per day.

This is critical in our preparations and any suggestions would be welcomed.

Pete

[hux22 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hux22]

Thanks, Rob,

Yes there will be at least 6 vehicles supporting the runner plus mine as the camera/cine car. We will be expected to keep up with the action and track and back track as the case maybe.

Anyone know what sort of fuel consumption we could expect to get?

I need to know whether I need to bring additional fule for the crossing in these circumstances.

Pete

[hux22 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hux22]

Thanks, Rob,

Yes there will be at least 6 vehicles supporting the runner plus mine as the camera/cine car. We will be expected to keep up with the action and track and back track as the case maybe.

Anyone know what sort of fuel consumption we could expect to get?

I need to know whether I need to bring additiona lfuel for the crossing in these circumstances.

Pete

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I went across the North Simpson in april this year, we had 8 consecutive days over 40 degrees with a few of those topping 45. Shade when you stop is going to needed, a good awning is worth its weight in gold. I took 100lts of water for my crossing, we expected to take upto 10 days for our trip, did it in nine but also took supplies for a weeks emergency as we were well off the beaten track.

Your Marathon runner or runners are going to be chugging through gallons of water, take as much as you can is my advice.

As for food, I took all my evening meals precooked and cryovaced. Just put a bit of water in a pot and poke a hole in the bag and put it in the hot water on the head until it was warmed through. Kept the cooking water to wash the plate and cutlery so saved water and time. given how stinking hot it was; cooking was the last thing we wanted to do in the evening.

Make sure you have a good fridge and it is working well, I carried food and drink for others on our trip who had less than perfect fridges and dual battery set ups.

Cheers Andrew

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

but also took supplies for a weeks emergency as we were well off the beaten track.

As for food, I took all my evening meals precooked and cryovaced. Just put a bit of water in a pot and poke a hole in the bag and put it in the hot water on the head until it was warmed through. Kept the cooking water to wash the plate and cutlery so saved water and time. given how stinking hot it was; cooking was the last thing we wanted to do in the evening.

Some very good advice.

[wastegate Member Find all posts View Profile Close wastegate]

Spread water carrying duties over several vehicles as 200 liters + is a lot of dead weigh for one or two plus spread that again across several containers per truck e.g. 3x20ltr instead of 1x60ltr poly tank. Leaks do happen and some easily fixed but no taps out there to refill. Use paper plates on top of or instead of plastic ones which saves water on washing up. Chuck the paper plates in the fire when done eating although fires may be banned in the Simmo from this year.

[Callo Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Callo]

No one has mentioned the most important ehicle requirement - tyre pressures on good less aggressive tread patterns.
Doing it in the heat will mean tyre pressures are even more important because hot sand equals increase tyre heat hence more pressure and the sand will be more fluffy r soft. I used Coopers ATR (now AT3) and had no problems. Others will say other barnds but the tread pattern is the important factor. Less aggressive tread means less digging in especially with weight on.
Tyre pressures are all about maximising the footprint on the sand. The lower the tyre pressure the longer the footprint and hence less sinking. I went straight to 18psi once on the sand and in really soft wind blown sand was as low as 12. Down this low is good but beware of rolling the tyre off the rim and keep your speed low especially between dunes. Oh and I nearly forgot - check your tyre pressures at every stop and do not be afraid to lower them once the tyres heat up. Having said this it is vital you have a reliable high capacity compressor as you are up and down in pressures all the time.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Another suggestion for saving water in the desert. I took a new 7 litre weed spayer (new so no chemical been through it) this was for fire emegency which fortunately I didn't need it for. I found that by removing the wand and screwing the jet onto the handle it made a very economical shower, given the heat on our trip the water was not cold, so good temp straight out of the sprayer. I could have an effective shower using only 500mls of precious H2O

Callo is spot on about tyre pressures, pressures are everything in sand.

Cheers Andrew