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"  A trip through the stunning Simpson Desert in the Australian Outback covers more than 320 remote miles through deep red sands and towering dunes. It can take up to five days to traverse, and that&amp;#039;s on top of the nearly three days it takes to travel there from Sydney. Traveling the Simpson is a huge trip, but with the right equipment, preparation, and knowledge, it can be done. And seeing the real Australian outback is a road trip experience of a lifetime. Preparation If you&amp;#039;re going to safely enjoy the harsh beauty of the desert, you have to come prepared. The most essential item to pack is drinking water. Pack at least 1 gallon of water per person per day. Pack enough food for five days, with extra in case of a breakdown. It could be a couple of days before assistance arrives. You&amp;#039;ll need the right type of vehicle to get through the Simpson Desert. A four-wheel-drive vehicle in good mechanical condition is essential to navigate the soft sands and big dunes. It will need to have high-ground clearance and all-season tires. Take a good-quality, portable air compressor, as you&amp;#039;ll need to adjust your tire pressure throughout the trip. Diesel engines are recommended, as the availability of other fuels can be scarce in the outback. The vehicle should have a snorkel fitted to keep the engine&amp;#039;s air intake up and out of dust trails.  Take plenty of spare parts. Even if you aren&amp;#039;t a mechanic, having them on hand will make assistance easier in the event of a breakdown. Pack spare radiator hoses, fan belts, engine oil, coolant, and fuel in gas cans. It pays to carry more than one spare tire. Communications and navigation are also vital, so ensure the vehicle has a UHF radio, hire a satellite phone for the trip, and get some accurate Simpson Desert maps from Hema Maps. The desert UHF channel is channel 10. There&amp;#039;s no accommodation once you&amp;#039;re in the desert, so camping is the only option. Hiring a 4WD camper is the ideal option if you don&amp;#039;t have your own camping gear. They come ready to tour and have everything you need. If you&amp;#039;re inexperienced in off-road driving, it&amp;#039;s best to take a short off-road driving course with a company like Australian 4x4 Driver Training. If you&amp;#039;re still not confident, then do your Simpson Desert crossing on a tagalong tour with experienced tour operators such as Great Divide Tours. Outback Driving Birdsville is the last small outback town before you reach the desert. It&amp;#039;s also the last chance for fuel, and you&amp;#039;ll need to get enough to get you the 320 or so miles to Mount Dare. Make sure you&amp;#039;ve already done a mileage test on the vehicle so you know its true range, but add at least 30 percent to those figures. With lowered tire pressure to get you through sand and dunes, and with four-wheel drive engaged, your vehicle will use much more fuel than it does during ordinary driving. Lower tire pressures to 30 psi for the hard-packed gravel tracks and to 18 psi for soft sand.  During your trip, have dinner at the Birdsville Hotel and camp the night in the caravan park before heading out to the desert in the morning. Use Great Desert maps from Hema and follow the QAA Line from Birdsville to Poeppels Corner before turning onto the French Line. The first challenge just out of Birdsville is a huge dune known as Big Red. It&amp;#039;s a steep, hard climb to the top in soft sand, and it can be a fun challenge. Taking diversions along the Rig, Colson, and WAA lines, you&amp;#039;ll encounter several more dunes and some of the most remote country on earth. When camping between dunes off the main tracks, you&amp;#039;ll experience beautiful, clear, desert night skies. You&amp;#039;ll end up back on the French Line to Dalhousie Springs, where you can enjoy the warm waters of the natural artesian springs to wash off the rich red dust you&amp;#039;ll collect over the trip. After camping the night here, it&amp;#039;s then a short trip to Mount Dare. A trip to outback Australia and across the Simpson Desert is a big challenge, but with the right equipment, preparation, and knowledge, it is one of the most enjoyable road trips you will experience. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a9595/get-out-there-the-australian-outbacks-simpson-desert-16084727/>