just went over this with someone else. so this is a copy/paste from another thread.
basically, you plan on trekking through some of the most remote and dangerous land in the world and if you're not careful you can get yourself into some serious trouble.
i have spent alot of time in remote areas of australia and have come across a large number of stranded people out in the bush without having taken proper precautions or care.
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ok some tips
take twice as much water as you anticipate drinking.
lemon juice is great, the citrus in the juice helps your body retain moisture, add a little bit (very little) to your cup of water (too much and you increase your metabolism which burns energy faster, i recommend about 1/2 table spoon to about 500mls of water
take a bag of sugar (this is good sustinance if you run out of food, you can survive on sugar and water for ages)
beef jerky is good protien, protien is good energy, good energy keeps you alive if things go wrong.
work at night, sleep during the day (working at night your body is cooler, you dont dehydrate, and the energy you consume(food sugar etc) doesnt get used as quickly, sleeping during the day helps your body stay cooler and you use far less energy.
those silver windscreen sunshades are gods gift if something goes wrong, take several and some good thick string. these are highly reflective and make for easy viewing from the air for many many miles, far easier to see than any car ever could be. they also make great cool shelters as they are reasonably insulated and heat reflective, sew a few together and make an awning. they are cheap and dont take up much room. (make sure you dont build your shelter under a tree as noone will see it reflect if you do
an epirb and sat phone are very good ideas in remote areas. even if you dont have to use them.
take extra coolant with you, of the same variety as whats in your cooling system now, if you do blow a radiator hose or something coolant has a much higher boil temp (than water), it could mean the difference of overheating your car or not.
firelighters, these make great candles at night if need be, and they also help with lighting fires lol
if something does go wrong, set fire to your spare tyre, the huge plume of very black smoke will draw valuable attention from great distances, and people panic at the thought of fire ruining all their stocks food, best to start this around 8am in the morning., not at night or later in the day(give them time to see it, organise a fire brigade or search party and make it to you befor dark)
do not drink alcohol or eat grains or salt as these make you more thirsty
stay with your vehicle or as close to it as safely possible (make sure you are visible from the air and land
i have spent alot of time on stations and traveling aus, too many times have i seen unprepared or un educated people stranded out on the tracks with not much hope and no one passing for days.
ok now that is done, the best thing to do is get yourself a road and track atlas, this will have the station homested locations and names listed on the map, also it will show if they offer services, then go to the local PO, look up thier phone numbers and ring them befor you set off, let them know your intending on driving through, or possibly stopping. (if you have room for it, take a recent newspaper some milk and a loaf of bread or so, these are rarities out there and your thoughtfullness will be greatly rewarded by most)
a good itinerary handed out to friends is also a must when travelling remote areas, plan your trip and work out timelines. tell your freinds you will ring on such day if you dont ring they can sound the alarm. they will know the last place you rang from, they will know the next place you planned to ring from, and they will know the route you planned to take. this is very valuable info for search crews
try not to travel alone, pairs at the very least, preferably 3 vehicles or more.
now for the good stuff, take your camera, spare memory cards for it, and a note taker (vioce recorder) these make for good entertainment for your friends when you return to civilisation.
