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Travel Section, Preparation Page

Vehicle preparations for desert travel



List of travelling equipment
Tools, spares and camping equipment
Desert and Rough Country Driving
Hints and tips for overland travellers

Travellers Equipment list


Desert Travels - Suggested list of equipment
This list is subdivided into these main groups - click link to navigate

Print out list and use tick column. List will be different for each destination
and for each country. Some items may not apply on every trip.

No
Cat
Item
Qty
Details
Tick
       
 
Camp

Back-pack, trekking

   
 
Camp
Blanket, sleeping
Optional  
 
Camp
Blanket, survival, insulated
   
 
Camp
Bowl, washing up
   
 
Camp
Brush, hand, for sweeping
   
 
Camp
Bucket and well rope, 200ft
Optional  
 
Camp
Candles, long-life
   
 
Camp
Clothes pegs and line
   
 
Camp
Corkscrew, bottle opener
   
 
Camp
Cushion, inflatable
   
 
Camp
Cutlery knife, fork, spoon
   
 
Camp
Desert chairs and table
Optional  
 
Camp
Distress flare, Distress kite
Optional  
 
Camp
Drinking Glasses, plastic
   
 
Camp
Drinking Mugs, plastic
   
 
Camp
Elastic rope spiders
   
 
Camp
Hand-towel, face flannel
   
 
Camp
Jerrycan, water-storage
   
 
Camp
Kettle, 12 volt
1
Optional  
 
Camp
Kettle, gas ring
   
 
Camp
Knives, Stanley carpet knives
   
 
Camp
Matches and lighters
   
 
Camp
Mattress, self-inflating
   
 
Camp
Mirror, shaving
   
 
Camp
Paintbrush for dusting
   
 
Camp
Pillow, inflatable, small
   
 
Camp
Shaver converter
Optional  
 
Camp
Scourer cleaners
   
 
Camp
Sleeping bag, cotton liner
   
 
Camp
Sleeping bag, down-filled
   
 
Camp
String, guy rope quality
   
 
Camp
Sun awning sheet, poles & pegs
Optional  
 
Camp
Tape, canvas repair tape
   
 
Camp
Tea tray, cook's worktop
   
 
Camp
Tent, framed dome
   
 
Camp
Thermometer, Maximin
Optional  
 
Camp
Tin openers
   
 
Camp
Toilet bag, toothbrush etc
   
 
Camp
Toilet paper, 1 roll/week
Estimated  
 
Camp
Toilet, toothbrush and toothpaste
   
 
Camp
Torch and spare batteries
   
 
Camp
Torch, Petzl headband
   
 
Camp
Towel, washing
   
 
Camp
Towels, tea
   
 
Camp
Travel flight bag for return trip
   
 
Camp
Travellers' wipes
   
 
Camp
Washing powder
   
 
Camp
Washing-up bowl
   
 
Camp
Washing-up liquid
   
 
Camp
Water bottle 1.5 litre deflatable
   
 
Camp
Water funnel
Optional  
Camp
Water tubing, siphon
   
 
       
 
Clothes
Arabic headscarf
   
 
Clothes
Bush coat
   
 
Clothes
Neckerchief and neck tie
   
 
Clothes
Pyjamas
   
 
Clothes
Shirt and trousers, travelling outfit
   
 
Clothes
Shirts and tee shirts
   
 
Clothes
Shoes, lightweight
   
 
Clothes
Shoes, walking, trekking
   
 
Clothes
Socks, handkerchiefs
   
 
Clothes
Sun hat
   
 
Clothes
Sweater, woolly
   
 
Clothes
Swim trunks
   
 
Clothes
Trousers long, warm
   
 
Clothes
Trousers shorts
   
 
Clothes
Underpants
   
 
Clothes
Waist belts
   
Clothes
Windjammer, cagoule
   
 
       
 
Docs
Address book, e-mail & postal
   
 
Docs
Air Flight ticket
   
 
Docs
Car hire agency, tel number
Optional  
 
Docs
Carnet de Passage en Douanes
   
 
Docs
Cash mainly euros, some dollars
Bank  
 
Docs
Cash local currencies
Bank  
 
Docs
Cash Travellers' cheques
   
 
Docs
Driving licence National
   
 
Docs
Driving Licence International
   
 
Docs
Guide books
   
 
Docs
Hotel name and address
   
 
Docs
Insurance cover for trip
   
 
Docs
Insurance Green Card
   
 
Docs
Insurance Personal Cover
   
 
Docs
International Motor Vehicle Cert
Ownership proof  
 
Docs
Money belt
   
 
Docs
Passport photographs for visas
   
 
Docs
Passport and passport copies
   
Docs
Vehicle Registration document
V5 Vehicle registration  
 
       
 
Food
 
   
 
Food

Bags polythene

Small and Large  
 
Food
Biscuits, RyeVita, Jam
   
 
Food
Bowl, plate, mug
   
 
Food
Boxes, plastic, storage
   
 
Food
Can opener
   
 
Food
Chopping board, bread board
   
 
Food
Coffee, text, sugar, milk
   
 
Food
Cooker, camping & fuel
   
 
Food
Cooking foil, food wrap
   
 
Food
Cooking utensils
   
 
Food
Foil for cooking and food wrap
   
 
Food
Matches safety
   
 
Food
Meal-packs, dehydrated
Pot Noodles  
 
Food
Muesli, dried milk
   
 
Food
Mustard, pepper, salt
   
 
Food
Stock cubes
   
Food
Vinaigrette, ketchup
   
 
       
 
Map
Navigation compass, prismatic
   
 
Maps
Dividers, ruler and pencil
   
 
Maps
GPS Garmin or Magellan
   
 
Maps
Maps, local, as available
Stanfords  
 
Maps
Navigation distress whistle
   
 
Maps
Pedometer, route measuring
   
Maps
SOS beacon
Optional  
 
       
 
Medic
Altitude sickness pills, Diamox
Doctor  
 
Medic
Anadin analgesic
   
 
Medic
Antibiotic, Trimethoprim
Doctor  
 
Medic
Antibiotics, ciproflaxacin
Doctor  
 
Medic
Antiseptic ointment, Germolene
   
 
Medic
Aspirin, Anadin
Boots  
 
Medic
Band aids and bandages
   
 
Medic
Bandage crepe, ankle sprain
   
 
Medic
Diarrhoea pills, Lomotil
   
 
Medic
First Aid, medical bag
   
 
Medic
Insect flea powder
   
 
Medic
Insect fumigator Gammexane
Optional  
 
Medic
Insect repellant spray
   
 
Medic
Lip Salve, Labella
   
 
Medic
Lozenges, Strepsils
   
 
Medic
Paludrin, anti-malarial
   
 
Medic
Scissors, medical
   
 
Medic
Serum, snake, scorpion
   
 
Medic
Spectacles, spare pairs
Occulist  
 
Medic
Splint, survival, inflatable
Optional  
 
Medic
Sting and bite cream, Cortisone
   
 
Medic
Sun protection oil
   
 
Medic
Syringes, injection & drip needles
   
Medic
Water purifying tablets
   
 
       
 
Misc
Batteries AA
   
 
Misc
Batteries AAA
   
 
Misc
Biro pens, Bic stylo
Gifts  
 
Misc
Boiled sweets for gifts
   
 
Misc
Boxes plastic, storage
   
 
Misc
Cigarettes, negotiating
Gifts  
 
Misc
Elastic bands
   
 
Misc
Glues, Araldite and Superglue
   
 
Misc
Knife, Swiss army, multi-tool
   
 
Misc
Music radio receiver, short-wave
   
 
Misc
Music Tape player
   
 
Misc
Music tape player and cassettes
   
 
Misc
Notebook, large, for writing log
   
 
Misc
Rubber bands, elastic
   
 
Misc
Safety pins
   
 
Misc
Spectacles, two spare pairs
   
 
Misc
Super glue
   
 
Misc
Tape, masking tape
   
 
Misc
Tape, Velcro self adhesive
   
 
Misc
Telephone, mobile and charger
   
 
Misc
Telephone, satellite
Optional  
 
Misc
Writing notebook
   
 
Misc
Writing pencils
   
Misc
Writing, felt tip marker
   
 
       
 
Motor
Brake fluid, clutch fluid
   
 
Motor
Brake hoses, spare
   
 
Motor
Clips, jubilee large and small
   
 
Motor
Electric jump leads
   
 
Motor
Engine decoke set, gaskets
Optional  
 
Motor
Engine oil
   
 
Motor
Fuel Funnels with fuel filter
   
 
Motor
Fuel hose
   
 
Motor
Fuel pump and filter spares
   
 
Motor
Grease & grease gun
   
 
Motor
Ground anchors, sand plough
Optional  
 
Motor
Gun gum exhaust repair kit
   
 
Motor
Jack, wheel changing
   
 
Motor
Jerrycan, fuel storage
   
 
Motor
Land Rover/Toyota
   
 
Motor
Metal bar, flat, pre-drilled
   
 
Motor
Metal threaded rod and bolts
   
 
Motor
Motor Hacksaws and blades
   
 
Motor
Motor Workshop manual
   
 
Motor
Nuts, bolts and washers
   
 
Motor
Oil can 3-in-1
   
 
Motor
Oil spray WD40
   
 
Motor
Petrol siphon tubing
   
 
Motor
Radiator sealing fluid
   
 
Motor
Recovery Jack, hi-lift   Jackall  
 
Motor
Recovery tow rope, 6m
   
 
Motor
Shovels entrenching
   
 
Motor
Tyre puncture repair kit
   
 
Motor
Tyre spare tubes and covers
   
Motor
Water hoses, spare
   
 
       
 
Photo
Cameras, digital, image cards
   
 
Photo
Cameras, film, main and spare
   
 
Photo
Film stock 20 x 36 100 asa
   
 
Photo
Filters, polariser, reversing ring
   
 
Photo
Lens, superwide and telephoto
   
 
Photo
Photo, flash-gun and batteries
   
 
Photo
Photo, paintbrush, lens dusting
   
 
Photo
Photo, tripod small
   
 
Photo
Tripod
Optional  
Photo
Video camera
Optional  
 
       
 
Tools
Cable ties, small and large
   
 
Tools
Carpet knives and blades
   
 
Tools
Catalytic resin and hardener
   
 
Tools
Drill and drill bit set
Charger  
 
Tools
Electric battery jump leads
   
 
Tools
Feeler guages
   
 
Tools
Files, round and flat
   
 
Tools
Garden wire, for repairs
   
 
Tools
Hacksaw and blades
   
 
Tools
Jacking pads, wood
Not permitted in China  
 
Tools
Jubilee clips large and small
   
 
Tools
Plug spanner
   
 
Tools
Recovery Sand ladders
   
 
Tools
Recovery snatch rope + shackles
   
 
Tools
Sandpaper & Emery cloth
   
 
Tools
Scissors, tinsnips, pliers
   
 
Tools
Spanners metric, imperial
Whitworth and AF  
 
Tools
Swarfega, hand degreaser
   
 
Tools
Tape, Masking tape
   
 
Tools
Tool roll, sockets, grips etc.
   
 
Tools
Tyre inflation pump
   
 
Tools
Tyre levers and crowbar
   
 
Tools
Tyre pressure guage
   
 
Tools
Tyre Puncture repair kit
   
 
Tools
Vice, bumper fitting
   
 
Tools
Water funnel
   
 
Tools
Winch
Optional  
 
Tools
Wire winch cable 3.5 ton
Optional  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   

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Driving tips and Equipment

DESERT AND ROUGH COUNTRY DRIVING

From letter to James and friends, heading for Iran.

Section 1 VEHICLE

Payload - keep weight to a minimum. Fit heavy duty shock absorbers, if available. Balance payload front-to back. Padlock roof rack.
Spares - carry basic spares, eg 2 spark plugs (or 2 injectors), distributor cap, condenser, spare oil, brake fluid, fuses, electric wire, spanner set mole grips, pliers, screwdrivers, (straight and cross-head), spark tester, sandpaper, (to clean contacts).
Also jump leads, plastic bags, masking tape, marker pen, insulation tape, tie wire (for tying up the things that fall off). Radweld, several spare Jubilee clips. Spare front brake hose. Tyre pump. Candle and matches. Torch. Sterotabs.
Chafing - Check over car for anything that rubs against anything else - they chafe through and let you down. Tie up, secure or buffer as required; especially fuel pipes, brake hoses, water hoses etc.

Section 2 ROUTE PLANNING

Supplies - Check out next fuel and water supplies; allow extra 200 miles fuel + 10 days water at subsistence rate of 2 litres each day.
Nights - Camp at check points, or village centres. If off road, stay out of sight, and use no lights after dark. Eat no meat, fish or milk unless assured of proper standards. Bottled water must be sealed; take no ice in drinks. Poultry and boiled veg and pulses etc is usually OK.
Stop for NO ONE on the road. Including staged accidents etc. Only stop for uniformed officers or at check points. Trust NO ONE… Buy all maps in UK (Stanfords, Long Acre, WC2) before leaving.
Stuck? If you get STUCK - stop, enjoy it, take your time, consider options and actions required, i.e jacking, digging, pushing, pulling…….then act. If you get LOST - Stop, have a brew up. Try to calculate where you are, then try to calculate where you should be. Head for an easily identifiable landmark like a highway, or a river or mountain range. Retrace steps if practical, but avoid driving around in circles looking for your own tracks and using up precious fuel. Use a sun compass (eg shadow of aerial on masking tape) or head for a distant landmark.

Section 3 SELF RECOVERY

Sand driving- reduce tyre pressures to about a third, but not below about 12 psi (or rims may slip around inside tyres). Carry a jacking board (12" x 8" x 11/2") and if weight allowance permits, sand ladders (24" x 12" x 11/2"). Fit rope pulls to recover sand ladders after use.
Hi-lift jack - invaluable if tackling treacherous terrain. Check jacking points at front and rear of vehicle, ie bracket under bumper. Sand shovel - small one invaluable; you can always bury rubbish with it. Snatch rope - plus stout shackles and firm fixing points on car.

Section 4 DRIVING

Ruts and pot-holes - avoid if possible; know the lowest point of your axle or exhaust. Avoid wet ruts and lying water unless in 4wd.
Washboard corrugations - if slight, drive at speed, eg 30 - 50 mph. If severe, drop to 5 mph; there is no in between speed, you can iether run over the tops of corrugations or you must drop to crawling speed. The right speed 'feels' right. The wrong speed will knock, shake and rattle and quickly wreck shock absorbers and then springs - especially if the vehicle is fully loaded, which it will be.
Fech-fech - soft powdery sand which can be deep and almost undiggable. Usually occurs on worn pistes. I there is no way around, take at speed and hope for the best. It usually has a firm base.
Sand crust - drive at moderate speeds, 30 - 50 mph; as soon as a crust gives way, decide instantly whether to proceed or abort. As the wheels sink through into softer sand, change gear smoothly and immediately to avoid loss of momentum or sudden wheelspin. As soon as traction is lost, abort. Stop, deflate tyres to 1kg and try again. Then dig, or use high-jack and sand ladders, or tow rope, deciding whether to come out forwards or backwards.
Rocks, gravel, thorns - keep tyres well inflated, 20% above normal. Sand, fech-fech - deflate when required, approx 20% below normal.

Section 5 EQUIPMENT

High lift jack - Lifts up either front or rear of car which can then be pushed off sideways or lowered onto sand ladders etc. Can also be used to right an overturned car, or as a winch. (Winch cable and extra shackle required, 1 ton capacity; useful but optional extra). Ensure car has jacking points front and rear, (ie under bumpers). If not, bolt a stout angle piece to the bumper bolts. Do not forget jack-pad eg wood plank 12" x 9" x 11/2, with rope pull for recovery after use.
Sand ladders - 24" x 12" or two short scaffold planks 24" x 9" x 11/2. Tie on a rope pull, about 1m, as they can get buried and lost in sand.
Snatch rope - a multi strand woven nylon rope for vehicle recovery. Attach firmly to each vehicle, then drive off a about 5 mph. The rope will taughten, stretch and then catapult the disabled vehicle out without bogging in the rescue vehicle. Invaluable in all mud or sand situations, but observe strict safety precautions.

1) Ensure the fixings on both vehicles are capable of withstanding the huge and sudden load when the rope tightens.
2) Keep all passengers a safe distance away.

      Just a few more points come to mind ...
Vehicle - change all water hoses, heater hoses etc. and take old ones as spares. Check brake pipe flexibles, and change if showing cracks. Take a spare. Remove road wheels and examine brakes for linings, wheels cylinder leaks and especially leaks from the differential units. Easy to see, easy to stop, and serious if ignored as diff unit will break up if starved of oil. Gearbox - check visually for leaks.
Tools - make sure you have a good jack with a high enough lift. Practice a wheel change before leaving. Carry a jacking block or tow (wood, 100mm x 50mm x 240mm (4x2" sawn). Tow rope - check you have a strong towing eye at front and back of the vehicle. And a stout shackle at each end.
General notes. Get visas as soon as possible, and don't go to Iran or Syria without one, or you may be turned away at the border. When I went to Iran in the '70's I travelled via Bulgaria (Sofia is well worth a stop), Istanbul, then North to Samsun on the Black Sea, Trabzon, Erzurum and crossed the border into Iran at Dogubayazit. The last part, Eastern Turkey, was fairly lawless - camp in villages, not in the wild.
Food I always take all my own food supply - dehydrated beef curries, prawn curries, soups, soya stews etc. available from most supermarkets. It saves money, time and health. No weight, just add water and boil. I always add local veg which can be obtained at most places, eg carrots, potatoes, onions, all of which last for several days.
For lunches I can usually find a lettuce, tomatoes (buy them under-ripe, or green, as they keep better) and either add an egg, well boiled, or sardines which are available in most places (take some with you as well) and local bread. Try chopping up a raw onion and adding to the salad - delicious. Wash the lettuce in a bowl of Milton (1 tablet dissolved in water) and keep the water for washing up with. I don't usually bother with butter, it gets in such a mess, but a light smear of olive oil on bread is just as good. Keep the bread in a sealed plastic bag and it will still be edible after 3 days. The working life of a desert loaf is about 3 hours! Take two ready made Sainsbury French dressing for the salad; they come in squeeze bottles and really cheer up a meal.
Dairy -Be careful of dairy produce when travelling - no cakes, no ice cream, no yoghurt, no cream buns. Milk only when added to a hot drink. Cheese usually OK. Avoid ice cubes in drinks, and always insist the water ordered comes with a sealed cap on. Breakfasts: muesli and powdered milk, or bread and local jam. I cook on a camping gaz portable stove. The little 190g cylinders cost about £1 each and last about 5-6 days, which includes coffees all day, veg boiling, hot dinners etc. As there will be four of you, you may prefer the small camping gaz rechargeable cylinder, about 10" high, 2.75kg, which will last the whole trip.
Buying petrol. Most pumps display arabic numerals, and most have been jammed so they don't total up the cost. Learn the arabic numbers from a crib sheet. At a pump, first agree the price per litre and write in the dust on the side of your car. Then multiply by your total litres; the pumpman will see, and won't try it on……. When stopping at a fuel station get out, lock the door, stand next to the pump attendant and watch every drop go into the car - otherwise he'll be filling jerry cans for himself and charging you for them! Also watch for kids unscrewing light lenses, wipers, aerials and wing mirrors. Don't stop for anyone on the road, (except uniformed officials) and don't give lifts - if you see an accident, report it in the next village - if you stay to help, you'll be stoned by the locals. Carry no parcels over the border for anyone else; drug smugglers are active everywhere. Watch for 'plants' by police at borders. Use the same drill, lock each door and accompany the official as he examines the car.
Bribes - Don't bribe anyone. Be subtle about photography - keep cameras out of sight at borders. Don't photograph anything that might reflect badly on the country. A lot of these countries ban video cameras, but if you've got one, take it and don't use it in public areas. I have found the Syrians a friendly lot, with a colourful country and traditional costume and housing. Iranians are business-like to the point of aggression but their tourist sites and well presented, roads are generally good and fuel stops adequate.

CLOTHES - Observe the Islamic dress code when out and about - veils for girls, long sleeves and trousers for men. Infidels are not allowed in mosques, but this is relaxed sometimes if it suits the guardians.

Travel Photography

'Morocco Off-Piste' -November 2001
Photo Safari to the dunes, gorges and desert pistes
-click here
Chinguetti - Holy City in the Sand
Mauritania travel article,
-click here
Land Rover Owner Magazine
One Man (Kit) and His Rovers... -click here
Desert Trip to Libyan Fezzan
Proposed trip across the Awbari sand sea, Libya 2002
Photo Gallery - 'Desert and Travel'
Desert and travel photographs - click here

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