Bindon's Lore

with BINDON THE BUSHIE

The Possibles Pouch

I don’t know one 4W driver that would venture into the outback without carrying just a few vital spares for their vehicle that might be needed if the worst was to happen.

All my mates make certain that their jack or jacks are in good order, that there are some puncture repair patches and required chemicals left in the tin and that the tyre levers are under the front seat. Those with some mechanical knowledge may carry many more tools beyond those which are supplied with the vehicle, and we all know the travellers that are very handy with what appears to the unknowing to be a mobile workshop with a built-in welder. So, with the vehicle covered for the bare minimum of emergencies (or worse), what about themselves? What I do find amazing is that although people seem to be well-prepared in terms of their vehicle, they often lack, or don’t bother to carry, a few bits and pieces that might help them when they are away from the safety and comfort of their vehicle and something happens to them. Just imagine this scenario. You have driven a few hundred metres from the track to the base of a bluff that you want to climb for a classic panoramic photograph or walked away from the camp at night to get a clearer view of the stars, and you twist your ankle badly. Uncomfortable to say the least but perhaps you can help yourself back to the vehicle with an improvised walking stick and light your way with the small torch you had with you. My advice is that no matter where you go in the outdoors, you should carry with you a few things that may save your adventure from becoming an unexpected nightmare. I’m not going to expand on what might go wrong, but even sitting out in the scrub waiting for your mate to return with help because you have a broken leg can be better weathered if you had, say, a lightweight ‘space’ blanket and some string to rig up a shade for yourself. Not only would it help you to keep your cool, it would be visible to the rescuers from some distance away just in case you had nodded off while waiting for them to appear – and of course you had your water bottle didn’t you? The old ’she’ll be right, mate,’ is not good enough in the outback – it never really was. Sadly, these days we see more and more examples of personal disasters being reported in the news now that greater numbers of people venture into the stunning landscapes that this country is blessed with. Almost every one of these people was completely unprepared for their

vehicle to be bogged or disabled and that a long walk for help was in front of them. I’m sure you have now caught on to the theme that we are going to examine, which is always carrying a personal emergency kit of some sort. Looking back over the efforts of writers about the outdoors, and starting at the very beginning you can find authors describing a few special items that they had wrapped in a square of oilcloth or leather and which they kept with them all the time. In the days of muzzle-loading rifles the special items in this ‘possibles pouch’ as they called them, might include a spare gun flint, a steel striker, a pricker or spike for removing priming caps, a needle and thread, a couple of buttons along with a strip of rawhide that could become a bootlace, belt or …? And a strong gourd or later a metal water-bottle was not too far down from the top of the list and was slung over a shoulder by a carrying strap. Well, history has left most of these items away in the past except perhaps for ‘re-enactors’ who cling to the romance of the past and still carry them - but then they are unlikely to be along with us on our outback trek in a wellequipped 4WD. Most of the schemes for personal preparedness in today’s world have come from experiences recounted by military personnel who sometimes find it necessary to leave very fast, the site of an encounter that has had an unexpected outcome. Being left with only what you are standing up in just once is a very convincing argument to always be prepared for the unexpected. These military experiences gave rise to the modern civilian ‘survival kit,’ that we can adapt to our own needs. Australian specialists have shown that a person can sustain oneself for a considerable time with only a few items kept in a small container in a shirt pocket. In fact, some courses that specialise in outback survival and bushcraft give their students a chance to practise using their kits in specially guided adventures over a few days in the scrub. Their so-called ‘survival kits’ have been developed from a military version kept in a pouch on a belt to which also had attached a water bottle and a strong knife. I still use a similar kit when working on outback research themes in arid Australia and happily, have only ever had to use it on training exercises and not for a real emergency. However, bits and pieces of my kit have been used to support others who I found in life-threatening situations and who were completely unprepared for the disaster that had overtaken them. It is possible to find several ready-made personal kits for sale in outdoor stores and ‘online’ and some of these are really well presented and contain quality items. However, another idea is to create your own kit from separately bought items which you can choose carefully and therefore have confidence in their quality. If you have children or grand-children, helping them build up a small kit of useful items is a great way of introducing them to the idea of being able to ‘survive’ in the wilderness of the backyard overnight. Discussions about the way to use items thoughtfully and skilfully, about how much things weigh and their usefulness for certain tasks and whether they are worth carrying or not are all activities that can be addressed prior to departing on the real adventure and which are worthwhile topics of discussion and experimentation during ‘confinement’. Not only that, but it is really essential to have some practice at using the items that you have chosen to include just to make

certain that they do the job that you are going to ask of them and also so that you know exactly how to use them and what their limitations may be. This is akin to the idea of erecting your new tent in the back yard as a first exercise with it rather than waiting until you are away in the scrub and discovering to your disappointment that the ropes supplied with it are too short to be any use at all in a raging dust-storm. Worse still is to be sitting on the tent in the dust storm trying to work out which pocket the poles slide into – brings a new meaning to the old expression about gritting your teeth and getting on with the job, doesn’t it? In my experience children love the idea of building up their own kit to carry with them in the bush, and they can become so keen to use it that I have found it a good idea for them to have two kits – one to practice with and one ‘for real.’ I’m sure that all 4W drivers with children will understand what I am implying here. Anticipating a future adventure in the outback provides a great chance for you to combine the new with the old by having them search on their electronic devices for ideas for their own kits. You will find if you look, that there are thousands of screen jockeys out there who have made what they describe as the ‘perfect kit’ which they want to tell everyone about. Their posts will provide plenty of ideas for you and the kids to discuss – some will be novel and really useful; others may be less so but worth discussing nevertheless. After having decided on the necessities for survival in the area you next plan to visit, have a look at the items suggested for inclusion in a suitable kit and have the kids ask: Is it going to work in this part of Australia? Is it a necessity or just would be good to have? Is it really useful or just a gimmick? And the questions can go on until a decision can be made about the various items being discussed. As you are not building a military style kit, but only using the principles that they use, firearms and other aggressive stuff can be ignored, and remember to keep the discussion and objects being considered at an appropriate level for your kids. Another thing to remember is that although you might include a couple of sticky plasters in the kit, it is not a First Aid kit, which should be a separate item and usually remains with the vehicle. A great way to start the project is by selecting the container that you think will contain the basic essentials. This can be an encouraging gift to yourself or to the kids! Set a couple of rules. You might stipulate that only two things can be attached to the outside of the container. I was thinking that a tightly folded survival blanket and a snake-bite bandage might be sufficient. I know I said that the emergency/survival kit is not to be a First Aid kit, but I feel that snake bite with its unintended panic could be something important enough to be dealt with immediately, and I won’t quibble about the bandages. This is another case where a short instructional course might come in handy and of course the accredited First Aid course run by several different institutions depending on where you live should always be a consideration. Well I hope that you might pick up a couple of ideas from this short essay. Always remember that living safely and well in the landscape is the main aim, not just simply roughing it. Anyone can do that , but the aim is rather to 'smooth' it rather than the opposite and I encourage you to get out there and enjoy the challenges of living in the landscape – but take your kit with you!