How to avoid trouble in remote areas
Some people are fatalistic and think life is a string of meaningless random incidents. Getting knocked off your bike ‘could happen to anyone,’ well, yes – but also no. For me, everything I know lies somewhere in the middle, where pattern and randomness come together. If you knew trouble was ahead, it’s obvious you’d avoid it by not getting into it in the first place, but that’s too simple. Seriously, as with a BSB event or you riding your motorcycle, everything is based on quantifiable risk. If you assess your day like you ride your bike (assuming you’re a reasonable rider) patterns of behaviour will start to form.
The locals are friendly except that bloke who won’t catch your eye when he talks could be a psycho. In the way you ride your bike at a speed you can safely stop, it’s the same with ambitious planning. Interrogate your intentions by asking yourself why you need to be so remote, or with crowds of people you don’t know.
So, follow these golden rules:
O Plan for the simple things going wrong. Along with fixing punctures and replacing broken levers, do you know how to change a fuse? Across the Gobi you can’t phone a friend if there’s no phone signal. When I rode across the Nubian desert in 50 degrees centigrade on my R1, my cooling fan was on for 12 hours a day. If the Yamaha could run on 83 octane fuel, I calculated it to be a robust piece of machinery that could handle anything. My risk assessment was correct.
O Camp out of sight, away from the main road. Invisibility after dark is your key to a safe night’s sleep. Stow food away from your tent securely in your panniers and lock your bike up.
O Never rely on a satnav alone – always take a physical map with you as well.
O Know that luck is not a random thing. If you’re going to win the lottery you have to first buy the ticket.