Traveling in a solo vehicle

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  • eksjay
    Full Flexer
    • Jan 2009
    • 1140

    Traveling in a solo vehicle

    After seeing a post on this site recently, I thought I would ask the question.... Do you prefer to travel solo (on your own or with your own pax) in a single vehicle as opposed to a convoy or multi vehicle party?

    There are pros and cons of each. Personally, the freedom of being able to do anything without waiting for consensus or group think is key for going single vehicle. My pax are easy going. Travelling with young kids, you need that flexibility to change plans at short notice.

    Although, the downside of going solo vehicle is the safety aspect, especially bogs and breakdowns, such risks can be mitigated with UHF radios, satellite phones and common sense.

    There is a growing trend on YouTube of solo travelling vloggers that detail their journeys in incredible video capture, exercising caution on the trails, and there are others that push the boundaries of their machines, popping axles, or other important bits in a convoy or group.

    I much prefer to settle in remote campsites or to have my own space with high self sufficiency than to go and pitch tent directly beside someone else. On one trip in 1996, I recall that I was one of three people, (with two other family members) beached on the shoreline of Halligan Bay (Lake Eyre) for 36 hours. It was an incredible feeling knowing that the nearest human was as far away as William Creek.
    Last edited by eksjay; 29-01-2019, 04:08 PM.
  • shep
    Established Member
    • Sep 2012
    • 152

    #2
    I travel solo 80% of the time, I go to very remote places looking for gold and I don’t want to share.

    You just need to be a bit sensible about what you drive over and personal safety.

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    • layback40
      Grumpy Old XJ Dsl Owner
      • Jan 2011
      • 13915

      #3
      I do plenty of solo camping, except for having the dog along. When I was much younger I did a lot of solo motor bike bush trips, so being in a 4WD is a lot easier to look after oneself. Nothing worse than being out camping & having a group show up & decide to set up 3' from you. If you have problems you need to have the ability to sort them out. I think doing outward bound as a teen helped & later some survival training has headed me that way. Growing up a long time ago has taught me not to be dependent on technology.
      98&01XJVMs,06&07KJCRD's,No longer question authority,I annoy it.More effect,less effort.10000Club

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      • Nanook
        AJOR Bronze
        • Mar 2014
        • 2602

        #4
        I travel mostly with my wife, her brother and his wife in their Colorado and as much fun as we all have together as we all get on well, I do prefer when it's just my wife and myself.

        With a single vehicle we can travel at our own pace and stay where we want for as long as want without having to bring it up in a commitee.
        Cheers,
        Jamie

        MY15 WK2 GC Limited 3.0L. Ironman lift, bullbar & winch. Uneek rack & sliders

        Comment

        • eksjay
          Full Flexer
          • Jan 2009
          • 1140

          #5
          My solo camping moment was back in 1996 when we were sole campers at Halligan Bay. The next morning as we were driving out we met up with an inbound convoy of what must have been 10 patrols. They were shocked that an XJ was heading back to the Oodnadatta Track on its own. It would have made for a great Jeep ad.


          That same trip saw us take the Mereenie Loop road to Kings Canyon. It shredded tyres, busted wheels and suspension on a variety of 4wd vehicles. The stock suspension got us into camp with no failures. Today, I would be more cautious than I was back then... travelling single vehicle.

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          • DannyK
            I just registered
            • May 2019
            • 2

            #6
            Although it is expedient that you travel alone in some cases, there is an extra fun attached to doing the convoy thing. No matter how long the distance it is to cover, you barely feel the stress of traveling when doing the convoy thing.

            Comment

            • nudibranches
              Established Member
              • May 2015
              • 167

              #7
              I've only ever 4wd'd solo. As you mention, providing you have recovery gear, winch, UHF etc and are pretty self sufficient. I know a lot of people take along all sorts of spares etc, works for them. Although my experience is the thing that breaks next will be the thing you don't have. I also always take a PLB as I'm usually in areas without mobile reception. At $220 or so no reason not to take one.

              Comment

              • humdingerslammer
                Full Flexer
                • Oct 2009
                • 1192

                #8
                After spending my work days looking after people, the vast majority of whom r just great, when travelling outback all I want is alone time, to hear the silence, to see beauty and devastation, aridness and water and space and sometimes, just to let myself know that being alone does not mean being lonely and so as I can say "I have done that, on my own".

                For me, my alone trips re-charge the batteries like nothing else!!

                I pack according to where I am going, try to travel light and don't set myself up to break things. Outback, in deserts etc this means danger and a lot of expense. You can only be self reliant to an extent, more when you r sensible and keep yourself safe.

                A lot of "knowing" advice about what to buy and attach to your vehicle is in the main bullshit that is proffered by those who design and or want to sell it to you. Not much more than about 10% of the Km done in my JK have required 4WD. Height and power, yes, but 4wd is over-sold for the vast majority of places most people want to visit. And I have traversed mud, sand, corrugations, deserts etc etc.I don't have a winch and have never needed one: max trax knock offs have done the trick simply and efficiently.

                And it is perfectly safe to travel alone, in one vehicle. Keep your wits about you re safety. If you come across a person/people and they look a bit suspicious remember, if it looks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. Leave the situation straight away All this applies to places you might want to traverse etc.

                Watch your speed, air down/up as appropriate, use 10ply MT tyres and have a good 12V pump. Also carry the usual spares and tools that fit your vehicle.

                I NEVER leave the JK without a back pack that contains a sat phone, an EPIRP (best attached to your belt, in easy reach), a strong LED strobe light, a signalling mirror, a knife, simple first aid equipment (bandages, aluminium splint) a survival blanket and tent, parachute cord, paper and pen/texta, compass and 3 days of emergency food and water. Sounds OTT and you might laugh but some of this gear has helped others in trouble. It is very easy to become disoriented on what seems a benign walk amongst the scrub.

                Go for it, stay safe and have fun.
                Last edited by humdingerslammer; 28-05-2019, 07:02 PM.

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                • Methamon
                  CrawlerStar
                  • Aug 2013
                  • 286

                  #9
                  My wife and I are truly solo campers and prefer to 4wd by ourselves. Have tried the group thing just wasnt for us. We are happy to say hello and have a drink with other campers on our travels but not much into the group style camping and touring

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