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Prospecting Rig, Safety And Convenience


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Good boots and hats are nice, a Personal Locator Beacon is a life saver.  A hot topic among prospectors in Australia, particularly for those who are out of mobile phone coverage areas in remote regions.  For the price of my boots I purchased a beacon, it is registered in my name with vehicle details and phone numbers etc. I can go online and update details of trips and plans etc in my beacons account. A cheap life saver that has been credited with successful rescues not only saving lives but also lots of tax payer money when it comes to searches for lost individuals or groups. Local authorities and police love the idea of PLB's and are not shy about denouncing people who get into strife and are poorly prepared. 

The size of a pack of cigarettes with a ten year battery, for less than the cost of a good pair of boots... ability to summon help anywhere,  I ran out of excuses and opened the wallet. It is now part of my kit whenever I venture out into the bush. With poor mobile phone reception in some of the areas I travel in, this technology provides peace of mind for a reasonable cost. Karelian.

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They call them body recovery systems in WA------ 12 hour average response time---- dont know that for sure ,,but thats what i heard while there...

i certainly doubt they would help much if you were  ever bit by a snake way out bush...

I read somewhere...maybe about a taipan...just sit down light a ciggy and relax, you wont have to worry about putting the cig out..

i believe more importantly that you know where your rig is- i lost mine this year and was only 100 yds from it.... but i dug out my phone and saw where i marked it on the map plus app... turned left and walked right to it...

i wasnt even off Trents claims yet !!!!

Navigation.... number one mate

bandage kit  2

Radio contact number 3

Have fun number A1---- lolol

 

 

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Taipan or Inland Taipan aka Fierce Snake, untreated about an hour, if you don't run around panicking and pumping the poison through your body. Stay calm and apply first aid without delay and  you can at best, multiply that by seven. That is seven hours max, sometimes much less.. too many variables involved.  Australia's worst snakes, Taipans and Brown snakes have shortish fangs, the poison is effectively prevented from spreading by using a pressure bandage, ie immobilizing the limb. Given the vast distances in Queensland and Western Australia, an optimistic seven hours may not be enough. In most other states it is probably long enough, just don't take too long smoking that cigarette. Please don't stop for a beer either..

My GPS and digital maps keep me up to date on my location at all times. I also carry a 5W handheld UHF, mobile etc Enough for Victoria and the Golden Triangle, not good enough for the greater outback. Rent a Satellite phone for the real remote areas of Australia and upgrade vehicles and equipment accordingly..

My first aid kit contains an excellent snake bite first aid kit, with extra bandages since the beggars sometimes get more that one bite in.. 

I do the best I can to protect myself and others I travel with. Technology is allowing us to be better prepared and equipped to meet the challenges that we may encounter.  Yep, worst case scenario at least they will know where to find the body.

Karelian

 

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 There’s a YouTube channel that talks about snakebite management in Australia. I have a cool compression bandage it has a marking on it that looks like a rectangle and you only put it on tight enough to stretch it until that rectangle turned into a square. That’s pretty neat ,  as long as you’re not already  blinded by the venom. Maybe should practice put it on in the dark

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vanursepaul, I've seen that video and we are on the same page with the bandages.  In addition to the snake bite kit, I got a few larger bandages as extras for my vehicle first aid kit and for my home also. Those indicators make it easy to get the pressure just right. Hoping I'll never need to use them. Karelian

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It is a rare year I don't see a snake, often more than one. In  Victoria's Golden Triangle it is the Eastern Brown snake that is most common. The Brown Snake family is responsible for the majority of deaths from snake bites in Australia. This species is known to have a 'bad attitude'. 

I'll admit that my arse twitches like a rabbit's nose every time I encounter one.. staying calm after a strike would be a challenge. I always wear boots,  with snake gaiters during the warmer months.  In bad years the flies and ants have driven me off the goldfields before the snakes are fully active. Usually in summer  I switch to beach mode... Karelian

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  • 2 weeks later...

That's a nice rig.  It has inspired me to turn my old molle belt into my detecting kit.

I noticed you lanyard everything off too.  I learned that lesson climbing and crawling around Crow Creek AK.  Never again.  

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