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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|
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Back
to top of list
|
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.
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