However, it must be 311mm long and 205mm diam to be any good.
Me, water is the main thing but so far so good with planning ahead. Power is via the sun gods and my 450w solar on roof going into 2x110amh batteries. Like Rocky, all charged up by lunchtime, even if the sun gods are having a rostered day off.
Mike Harding said
02:55 PM Nov 25, 2018
Hi John
I use my chainsaw quite a bit in the bush. I heat my shower water on the fire each evening and have a fire each morning too - in the really cold weather I may keep it going during the day.
Currently I have 180W of solar and the caravan comes with 120W so that'll be 300W in total which should do a decent job in summer providing they can see good sun but I'm not optimistic of its performance in winter in Vic.
Compressor fridges and *especially* freezers are the real killer as they do consume a lot of energy. The caravan fridge will be on gas so that will help but, then, maybe I'll need an extra gas bottle! :) There's nowt for nowt when it comes to energy.
Aside from the fridge/freezer I don't use much electrical energy; these days my lighting is LED (although I may buy another Coleman dual fuel) and SSB Amateur Radio doesn't use much power and I don't watch TV. Like you, I'm normally in bed by 9.30pm or so- although that means I'm up at 5am or 6am.
As you imply, there is a learning curve ahead of me... and I'm looking forward to it :)
LLD said
03:39 PM Nov 25, 2018
I bought myself a set of Ryobi 18V tools - Drill to wind the van up and down, chainsaw, torch amongst other items. The batteries charge via my "beer can" 150w inverter running off my solar setup or my car if I take a run into town. The chainsaw won't fell a tree but it's good for what I generally collect.
Tony Bev said
06:07 PM Nov 25, 2018
You have already mentioned fresh milk, Mike
Travelling with the wife, we run out of fresh milk, after about five days
We usually carry 5 litres (maximum), as we only have a small fridge
On the other hand, about five days is our usual stay in any one place, before we go shopping, (perhaps because of the milk)
This is what I seem to have adapted to
Travelling solo, I have never ran out of milk, or anything else, as I buy long life full cream milk, by the carton (12 litres I think)
Plus I always have plenty of canned stuff on hand
Whenarewethere said
07:47 PM Nov 25, 2018
rockylizard wrote:If it is winter, then I hit the sack by 9pm and keep warm inside - usually in bed - bugger sitting outside in the cold at a fire - hot in the front and freezing in the butt.
Third degree burns on the front while icicles form on the back!
Fresh veggies would be the thing we run out of first. We use powdered milk to save room in our small fridge. Good coffee beans can be difficult to find.
Fresh fruit and salad makings are what we run out of first. And what we miss the most. We could get by for 4-6 weeks when tenting, 6-8 weeks in van, on the general foods we could carry, though not all items would be our first choices when living normally (like powdered milk!). Could keep things like onions, potatoes, oranges, apples, carrots by wrapping each item individually in newspaper for storing.
denmonkey said
04:41 PM Nov 26, 2018
Mike Harding wrote:
How does two HF, VHF and UHF radios plus a UHF CB plus a VHF/UHF radio plus three mobile phones plus a PLB grab you? Not to mention an assortment of antennas to rival NASA.
Plus a heliograph.
As I said; I've done this before... across much of the world.
I was just kind of hoping... people would tell me what they ran out of....
giza squizz are your set up if you dont mind
Radar said
05:44 PM Nov 26, 2018
Hi Mike
Been an interesting tropic to follow.
As we don't go that remote for a very long time I stayed out of answering until now, I thought I would sit back and learn.
We did go Far North Queensland this year from Brisbane to Karumba taking mostly back roads for a extended period of time, after about month or so on the road our supplies were looking a little sad, we were at Normanton when we found we were low on salad and veggie along with snack type biscuits. The prices here were very expensive and the produce a little sad so we did go without until we got to Atheraton 2 weeks later picking up the odd thing here and there.
We do like to support small town butchers, so we would pick up a small amņunt of meat as we go.
Water and power are not so much a problem it was fruit and veggies along with bakery items. I did get caught out with my meds for a few days also but managed it, I could of had them bused in to be fair.
Next long trip out we will carry double the amount of fruit cake with variety for sure, spoke with my Doctor and will have a better set up with medication.
With our style of retirement we mostly tourer and fuel is really the first thing that needs attention on our 2 to 3 months excursions. Phone service and TV are up there as the first thing we run out of, but funny we survive without them.
This is my thoughts only, I did not consult the management. Ralph.
Mike Harding said
05:55 PM Nov 26, 2018
denmonkey wrote: giza squizz are your set up if you dont mind
Of course :)
I'm an electronics engineer and also have an Amateur Radio licence so all this stuff is dear to my heart.
The 4WD has a Yaesu FT-857D with a 5/8 whip for 2m/70cm and a FAMPARC whip for HF.
Also a Chinese "something" radio programmed for UHF CB (I know, it's not "Type approved" but it's OK).
My camp setup, currently, is an Icom IC-7300 SDR and a Yaesu FT-7800.
My HF antenna is, usually, an 80m Off Centre Fed supported by a 12m Spiderbeam. I'm normally too far from civilisation for 2m/70cm to work but I also carry a 4 element 2m Yagi.
In addition to the above I have a Pactor modem for e-mail over HF via Winlink - this is *brilliant*.
And finally a PLB by an excellent Victorian company:
http://kti.com.au/safety-alert-plb/
Please feel free to ask for more info.
LLD said
07:51 PM Nov 26, 2018
As Radar noted, medication can be an issue.
I had to wait for a script in Broome. Couldn't hoard enough to last my trip. There is a nightly flight from Perth with all sorts of goods on board so I only had to wait until the following afternoon.
If you have schedule 8 medication, that can be a massive deal if you are not in the state that the script was issued in. We had to wait several days in Katherine to get my wife's schedule 8 script filled (doctor's visits and e-mails from her doctor at home). A friend travelling with us had brought enough chemo medication with him but still had to visit a doctor to administer it to him.
madaboutled said
09:14 PM Nov 26, 2018
The one thing we run out of on every trip is Time.
We usually plan a 6 month trip each year, but at the end of it we always say "6 months where did that go?".
Mike Harding said
11:59 AM Nov 27, 2018
Hi Radar
Good point about medication. I take some for blood pressure and hopefully can persuade the pharmacist to dispense two months worth.
Salad stuff is a problem and one cannot expect most of it to last longer than a week tops. How about bean salads? Vegetables, I take fresh but they are soon eaten then it's frozen veg which are pretty good these days.
It's going to be a learning experience I'm sure - and although I may have to go without some comforts or eat some bland meals I don't think I'll starve :)
Many thanks to all for your replies.
rockylizard said
12:22 PM Nov 27, 2018
Gday...
Talk to your doctor and your pharmacist to obtain all 5 repeats at once for medicines when travelling -
What is a Regulation 49 prescription?
Regulation 49 (previously referred to as regulation 24) means that, in certain circumstances, a PBS prescription can be written so that the quantities for the original and repeats are supplied at the same time.
Talk to your doctor and your pharmacist to obtain all 5 repeats at once for medicines when travelling -
What is a Regulation 49 prescription?
Regulation 49 (previously referred to as regulation 24) means that, in certain circumstances, a PBS prescription can be written so that the quantities for the original and repeats are supplied at the same time.
Thats the one John, we are overseas at present and our Doctors supply us with a 3 month presciption.
Without going into the detail for my cholesterol med I totally got could out not reading the presciption fully, spoke with the Doctor and that will never happen again. Just a phone call away.
Our long time regular Doctors encourage us to stay away enjoying ourselfs, they always remark how well we look on return.
Now come on Rocky mate.
Put another log on the fire.
However, it must be 311mm long and 205mm diam to be any good.
Me, water is the main thing but so far so good with planning ahead. Power is via the sun gods and my 450w solar on roof going into 2x110amh batteries. Like Rocky, all charged up by lunchtime, even if the sun gods are having a rostered day off.
Hi John
I use my chainsaw quite a bit in the bush. I heat my shower water on the fire each evening and have a fire each morning too - in the really cold weather I may keep it going during the day.
Currently I have 180W of solar and the caravan comes with 120W so that'll be 300W in total which should do a decent job in summer providing they can see good sun but I'm not optimistic of its performance in winter in Vic.
Compressor fridges and *especially* freezers are the real killer as they do consume a lot of energy. The caravan fridge will be on gas so that will help but, then, maybe I'll need an extra gas bottle! :) There's nowt for nowt when it comes to energy.
Aside from the fridge/freezer I don't use much electrical energy; these days my lighting is LED (although I may buy another Coleman dual fuel) and SSB Amateur Radio doesn't use much power and I don't watch TV. Like you, I'm normally in bed by 9.30pm or so- although that means I'm up at 5am or 6am.
As you imply, there is a learning curve ahead of me... and I'm looking forward to it :)
Travelling with the wife, we run out of fresh milk, after about five days
We usually carry 5 litres (maximum), as we only have a small fridge
On the other hand, about five days is our usual stay in any one place, before we go shopping, (perhaps because of the milk)
This is what I seem to have adapted to
Travelling solo, I have never ran out of milk, or anything else, as I buy long life full cream milk, by the carton (12 litres I think)
Plus I always have plenty of canned stuff on hand
Third degree burns on the front while icicles form on the back!
Fresh veggies would be the thing we run out of first. We use powdered milk to save room in our small fridge. Good coffee beans can be difficult to find.
giza squizz are your set up if you dont mind
Hi Mike
Been an interesting tropic to follow.
As we don't go that remote for a very long time I stayed out of answering until now, I thought I would sit back and learn.
We did go Far North Queensland this year from Brisbane to Karumba taking mostly back roads for a extended period of time, after about month or so on the road our supplies were looking a little sad, we were at Normanton when we found we were low on salad and veggie along with snack type biscuits. The prices here were very expensive and the produce a little sad so we did go without until we got to Atheraton 2 weeks later picking up the odd thing here and there.
We do like to support small town butchers, so we would pick up a small amņunt of meat as we go.
Water and power are not so much a problem it was fruit and veggies along with bakery items. I did get caught out with my meds for a few days also but managed it, I could of had them bused in to be fair.
Next long trip out we will carry double the amount of fruit cake with variety for sure, spoke with my Doctor and will have a better set up with medication.
With our style of retirement we mostly tourer and fuel is really the first thing that needs attention on our 2 to 3 months excursions. Phone service and TV are up there as the first thing we run out of, but funny we survive without them.
This is my thoughts only, I did not consult the management. Ralph.
Of course :)
I'm an electronics engineer and also have an Amateur Radio licence so all this stuff is dear to my heart.
The 4WD has a Yaesu FT-857D with a 5/8 whip for 2m/70cm and a FAMPARC whip for HF.
Also a Chinese "something" radio programmed for UHF CB (I know, it's not "Type approved" but it's OK).
My camp setup, currently, is an Icom IC-7300 SDR and a Yaesu FT-7800.
My HF antenna is, usually, an 80m Off Centre Fed supported by a 12m Spiderbeam. I'm normally too far from civilisation for 2m/70cm to work but I also carry a 4 element 2m Yagi.
In addition to the above I have a Pactor modem for e-mail over HF via Winlink - this is *brilliant*.
And finally a PLB by an excellent Victorian company:
http://kti.com.au/safety-alert-plb/
Please feel free to ask for more info.
I had to wait for a script in Broome. Couldn't hoard enough to last my trip. There is a nightly flight from Perth with all sorts of goods on board so I only had to wait until the following afternoon.
If you have schedule 8 medication, that can be a massive deal if you are not in the state that the script was issued in. We had to wait several days in Katherine to get my wife's schedule 8 script filled (doctor's visits and e-mails from her doctor at home). A friend travelling with us had brought enough chemo medication with him but still had to visit a doctor to administer it to him.
The one thing we run out of on every trip is Time.
We usually plan a 6 month trip each year, but at the end of it we always say "6 months where did that go?".
Hi Radar
Good point about medication. I take some for blood pressure and hopefully can persuade the pharmacist to dispense two months worth.
Salad stuff is a problem and one cannot expect most of it to last longer than a week tops. How about bean salads? Vegetables, I take fresh but they are soon eaten then it's frozen veg which are pretty good these days.
It's going to be a learning experience I'm sure - and although I may have to go without some comforts or eat some bland meals I don't think I'll starve :)
Many thanks to all for your replies.
Gday...
Talk to your doctor and your pharmacist to obtain all 5 repeats at once for medicines when travelling -
What is a Regulation 49 prescription?
Regulation 49 (previously referred to as regulation 24) means that, in certain circumstances, a PBS prescription can be written so that the quantities for the original and repeats are supplied at the same time.
http://www.pbs.gov.au/info/general/faq#WhatisRegulation49
cheers - John
Thats the one John, we are overseas at present and our Doctors supply us with a 3 month presciption.
Without going into the detail for my cholesterol med I totally got could out not reading the presciption fully, spoke with the Doctor and that will never happen again. Just a phone call away.
Our long time regular Doctors encourage us to stay away enjoying ourselfs, they always remark how well we look on return.
Enjoy your travels, interesting tropic. Ralph.