lost in the bush

This is good to watch as it really brings home the dangers of our hobby.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/video/id-picXQ3eTrh5i8ZgmKQiwEEtz-cim98Dk/Lost-In-the-Outback

Cheers

Phil

It's that time of year again when they seem to wander out into the heat and get lost. There was another one reported just 2 days ago.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/goldfields/a/30394192/missing-prospector-found/

Phil: Thanks for posting that link. It is a good movie and demonstrates just how quickly you can become disorientated and totally lost!

The poor old dingo copped a bit of a serve, but helped to spice up the movie a bit.

Col

Yeah ,thats what I thought Col.Quite often I innitially think that I may only wander not far keeping the camp/car in sight without having gps and other life saving gear on me and before you know it you have covered a bit of ground and lost sight.Silly I know,but easily done.
Best bet is to carry these items regardless of distance you may travel.

Cheers

Phil

I use a Garmin Rino GPS, comes with plenty of gadgets to get you back to camp plus a variable power UHF transceiver.
It does have the occasional hiccup though, the electronic compass goes haywire which then upsets the "backtrack" or "man overboard" screen facility.
The remedy is a re calibration of the compass and I am now in the habit of doing this first thing every morning. Only takes a minute but saves that "what the Hells going on" about 2km. from camp and the compass is swinging all over the map.
First time it happened I had to radio Chris back at the camp and get her to blow the truck horn to get my bearings. Had she been with me as is usual it could have been interesting.
mike

Hi Mike.Can not agree more,it is simply a matter of getting into the habit of doing such things each morning.I suppose you could compare it to putting on a seat belt in the car,when it became compulsery I used to think what a nuisance it was but now it is simply force of habit and comes a natural reaction when hopping into a car.

Cheers

Phil

Yes, Michael the Rino does get confused sometimes and the operator even more confused.
First time this happened the arrow was 180° out. (Flat end of pointer pointing to waypoint) And it wasn't until we got home and rang Johnny Appleseed, a techno explained exactly what you have said. Calibrate the compass if this ever happens. Did what he said and the pointy end was again indicating forward and not reverse.

Cheers
Peter

Carrying a GPS is a must, no two ways about it, but having said that you have to know how to use it as well, I have seen issues with people having devices like the back track and other gps units that are simply too inaccurate or too complicated to use for of the less tech savvy, a gps must be simple to use and accurate.

One of the most basic and easy to use gps units is the Garmin Geko, its small and compact, and very easy to use, I have found these to be accurate and basic, there's a bloke selling them on ebay for about $85, a couple of the older fellows I know who have had issues with using gps units are now using these and are not getting lost anymore.

Its well and good to have a complicated unit that tells you the phases of the moon and the rise and fall of the tide etc etc, but at the end of the day what we need the most is a simple and fast method of giving direction back to our camp or vehicle, more particularly if you have taken ill, been hurt or bitten by a snake or something, if the unit is simple and easy to use and you are competent in its use then it will get you where you want to go.

au-fever

Horses for courses AU, you mention the low end of the scale of the Rino's capabilities moon and tides.
The 2W/5W radio has an incredible range. (Very simple operation)
Short messages can be sent over an extended range. (As above)
The biggest mistake with any new equipment detectors, radios, TV's etc etc is most of us are in too much of a hurry and do not sit down and study the manuals.
You mention snake bites & sickness, following a GPS is great but you'd be most likely dead before you reached your vehicle.
Stay put and either radio or message and your chances of survival increase dramatically.
A few hundred $'s extra is a small price to pay for added security.
I mentioned in above post; " And it wasn't until we got home and rang Johnny Appleseed, a techno explained exactly what you have said. "
Felt like a bit of a dork because this information was clearly available in the manual, if only I had read it.


Cheers

Yes I agree " Horses for Courses" but the actual point I was making was that sometimes the KISS principle applies more to the devices needed for certain users, I have seen with my own eyes people carrying and attempting to use gps units that were above their capacity to operate, and also blindly believing what the unit was telling them further adding to the confusion.

I was not bagging the Rhino device as I have not used or own one, my comments were just general in nature, as there are other more complicated devices around and people who lack the capacity to operate them efficiently anyway, further to this I was trying to point out if you want a simple device that will get you back to camp or to the car a unit that I have found that is basic, strait forward and above all accurate is the Garmin Geko.

As you state on of the biggest problems with electronics is that people tend to not sit and read the manuals first, but might do so after the fact, but in the bush when you need to get somewhere fast for some reason or another you simply have to be competent in the use of the gear you are carrying, your life may depend on it, so if you are not tech savvy then basic is far better, hence the KISS principle.

As far as waiting for someone to get to me, obviously depending on the affliction and situation etc., I would rather take my chances of getting myself back to camp or vehicle, as we have seen in recent years it takes some time before people are mobilised and able to get out to look for you, by that time you are either dead or they never find you.

au-fever

Good video ,makes you think about what gear you perhaps should carry just in case .Problem is with the harness we all probably wear ,there is no where to carry anything but the battery.You can hook some gear on it like radio and gps but not much else .My wife and I got back packs that you can set up with the bunjie cord ,in the pack we can carry water ,bit of food ,whistle ,lighter and matches ,bit of dunnie paper ,some spare batteries for the GPS.What are your thoughts on this and is there anything else that would be an advantage ,maybe a small space blanket?? First aid kit ??

Hi members,

Appreciate advice on how to carry as much as possible and photos. Joan is carrying more than me as she reckons she needs more help with co.ordination but she has a GPS, emergency beacon, matches, spare batteries, but has trouble with carrying water, due to weighting lack of space to put a water bottle. Any help with photos on back pack or canvas bags is appreciates.

Merry Christmas to all and every success with gold finds 2016.

Bob

I would suggest a lightweight led headlamp. I've got a tiny one with a button battery that lives in my backpack.

Cheers
Stingray

Oh I forgot to mention the spot messenger ,usually carry 1.5 ltr of water each ,some lollies ,and was toying with the idea of a small smoke flare ,but where do you stop.

Thanks for advice. Joan uses the GPX5000 harshness to suit, she would like a "backpack" that can be sewn on the GPX5000 harness to accommodate all her safety gear. Any advice appreciate. Bob

Another thing I take is cover-alls.They are what you wear over your clothes or overalls when working but if stuck out in the bush they offer protection from the rain and cold and are light and fold away well.
PS; they are excellent in the boat also.

Cheers

Phil

Hi Big Gem & Joan,
 l did use my camelbak with a hipstick as my harness (because I like to carry plenty of water when out detecting 3 litres), now that I'm swinging the GPX 7000 I'm going back to using the harness. I always had trouble getting the camelbak on by myself over my harness. I have clips sewn on to the back of the harness at the top, and at the top of the camelback to clip them together , I use the bottom strap of the camelbak around my waist .I will try to remember how to post a photo, just give me a little time. Bob I could text you a photo.
Cheers Max

For those of you who carry an Android phone.  I downloaded an app. the other day and it seems to work really well as a compass. I put it on both my Androids and they are within a degree of each other.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.brujulaGPS&hl=en

There are a lot of little useful apps out there if you look. For 4x4 enthusiasts.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.physicssolutions.multiclinometer&hl=en

They are available for iphone too in most cases. Like anything, learn to use it before relying on it.