How to survive an outback breakdown

No matter what vehicle you drive, there is always a chance something can go wrong on your 4x4 and you could breakdown. Check out our tips!

By Sam Young 10 Min Read

Now obviously if you’re reading this you don’t own a Toyota, because clearly, they would never breakdown … I’m just kidding, don’t crucify me! With Australia being over 7,600,000 square kilometres in size and 2,700,000 kilometres of that being desert, there’s a hell of a lot of this country to explore, and a lot of it is remote!

The serious side to this discussion is that, whilst a breakdown on a major road is annoying, it is usually uneventful. A breakdown in a remote location or in the outback can however prove to be fatal if you’re not adequately prepared.

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No matter what vehicle you drive, no matter how prepared you are, and no matter what time of year it is, there is always a chance something can go wrong on your 4×4.

Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly things you can do to try avoid a breakdown, but at the end of the day, there’s a certain degree of luck in it! I mean, let’s be honest, Formula 1 teams, Supercars race teams and even the top drag cars in the world sometimes have unforeseen mechanical issues that force them out of the running, and they’re maintained by the worlds best!

4x4 vehicle broken down

Pre-trip maintenance

Whilst this might seem silly to suggest, you’d be amazed at how many people I’ve seen tackling remote tracks and 4×4 obstacles with poorly maintained or prepared vehicles. Servicing a 4×4 doesn’t need to be an expensive exercise. If you can’t do it yourself, make sure you visit your local mechanic before your trip and get them to give the vehicle not just a service, but a full nut and bolt.

Their professionally trained eye will glance over all the vital components of your vehicle from the underside right up through the engine and everything in between to ensure everything is ship shape. This is the perfect opportunity for the mechanic to spot things that need doing such as wheel-bearings, worn out shocks, flogged brake pads and any other annoying little mechanical niggle that needs seeing-to before you head out bush.

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Vehicle driving through the dirt

What to pack

Whilst this seems like a silly thing to go through, making sure you have a handful of essentials packed in your vehicle when travelling remotely can be the difference between getting out of your sticky situation, and not getting out of it at all.

Here are what we recommend you pack if you’re travelling solo or remotely:

  • A comprehensive first aid kid
  • Manual navigation equipment (map book, compass, etc)
  • Space food (non-perishable food items that can be stored for emergencies)
  • Tools (Basic tools to perform mechanical repairs, tools to change a tyre, etc)
  • Spare Parts (vehicle specific parts such as belts, hoses, filters, spare fluids etc)
  • Recovery Gear (tow ropes, soft shackles, snatch straps, winch pulleys, etc)
  • Shovel (Perfect for digging out bogged vehicles, and countless other things)
  • Toilet paper (Sometimes we just want a little luxury)
  • Water (At least 20L onboard along with 4L per person per day)
  • Portable chargers (Keep a charged power bank somewhere for phones, radios or GPS equipment)
  • Fridge (Not essential, but cold water, ice packs and alike can be a godsend in hot remote locations)
  • Space Blankets and Tarps (Ideal for keeping warm or making emergency shelter)
  • Personal Locator Beacon – We’ll touch on this later
Broken down vehicle

Breakdown survival tips and strategies

So, your car is packed, you did all the maintenance you could, and you’ve still found yourself sitting on the side of a remote 4×4 track in the middle of nowhere. To be honest, there really isn’t a huge amount you can do. Even though your first instinct will probably be to panic, you’ve got to try keep it cool! We’ve got a handful of tips that will help guide you through this rather scary experience.

Tip one

Do not panic! Now, this might seem like an obvious thing that doesn’t need mentioned, but you’d be shocked at how quickly even the most cool, calm and collected person can get when a spicy situation arises. You won’t think clearly. You’ll consume food and water a lot more quickly because there’s a good chance you’ll stress eat. And you won’t think rationally about stuff like conserving battery life. Staying calm and making carefully thought-out decisions is the best way to ensure you survive a breakdown.

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Tip two

Your vehicle is your lifeline! Your 4×4, even if it’s just broken down on you, is your only safe place in the outback. It will protect you from animals, the sun, the wind, and pretty much all other elements that might wreak havoc on you in a survival situation. You’ve also got to think about footprint, it’s going to be a whole lot easier for a passing vehicle or rescue team to spot a vehicle than it will be to spot an individual person walking through the bush.

Tip three

Raising the alarm! Hopefully if you’ve read the above list, you’ve packed a couple of important items. For starters, if you think there’s a chance of a passer-by seeing your vehicle, put your hazard lights on so that they know you’re broken down. The next step, a space blanket is almost always a reflective aluminium material and is perfect for reflecting sunlight to try get attention of passing aircraft, people or vehicles. Your most useful tool in the arsenal is your personal locator beacon or satellite phone. Calling for help if the situation is desperate is the one true drawcard you have to avoid fatality, and when the time comes, you should have no hesitation.

Tip four

Get your hands dirty! If you’ve packed all your tools and spare parts, then chances are you’re at least slightly mechanically minded! When you know what the issue is that’s caused the breakdown or have the knowledge to work out what’s happened, then it’s time to get your hands dirty! If it’s something simple or something you’ve packed for then there’s a good chance you can band aid the problem, well enough to get you back to civilisation.

GME PLB

Your secret breakdown weapon: PLB

Now, it’s not every day I give away a secret weapon like this. Something that can make or break a nightmare situation. Something that can save your life. Yet here we are. If you’re heading remotely, and you breakdown, you need a personal locator beacon, or PLB for short. What exactly is a PLB? Well, it’s a global satellite system to send out an S.O.S alert on a frequency that’s specifically and explicitly reserved for distress calls allowing you to get in touch with local rescue authorities even without phone-service.

The one I love and wouldn’t leave home without is the GME MT610G Personal Locator Beacon. It’s compact and light which means you can store it pretty much anywhere without sacrificing space in your 4×4. A distress signal transmitted by the MT610G will often be received by rescue authorities in under 15 minutes and give your location to within a 150m radius. With a 7-year battery life, 1 hand operation and IP68 rated, they’re simple, they’re reliable, and will be your best friend when you need it the most. Plus, at under $400, they’re the ultimate insurance policy for your life when heading out remote in your 4×4.

Will you breakdown in the near future? Maybe. Will you breakdown ever? Most certainly. Will you know what to do? Well, if you’ve taken these steps on board, then yes! It happens to everyone at least once in their lives, but with these tips you’ll make it home in one piece to tell the tale.



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