Newsletter #3 The Hmmmmmmm... Acronym

Hey team!
 
I know I’m a few days late on this one, but with last minute preparations for our first event in just a few days, it’s safe to say I’ve been preoccupied. It’s an exciting time for us here at HQ, and although some may look at our Big Desert ride as just a fun ,1-day social do, for us, it’s a chance to get our systems in place and ensure all bases are covered in the event of an incident, i.e., how we respond to setbacks.. what are our systems? etc.
 
There is so much that goes into it, and a simple way I came up with to check everything is to use The Hmmmmmm…. Acronym.
 
Hmmmmmm……what do I need to prepare?
 
Hydration- How much water do I need to bring?
Medical- What first aid supplies do I have, and are they easily accessible?
Mechanical- Is my bike up to scratch, what spares do I need?
Mobility- How much fuel do I need to carry?
Mapping- What is out route? What navigation equipment do I need?
Meals-  What nutrition do I have? Have I packed enough calories?
Mates-  Who have I told? Who is coming with me?
 
Using this framework allows us to check things off one by one, instead of feeling overwhelmed with all the future tasks. For example, for this particular ride, some of the things we have checked off are:
 
1.  Brief everyone to carry 3 litres of water, trucks to carry additional water.
2.  All first aid kits re-stocked, kits for all sweeps, understand where the gauze, arterial forceps and tourniquets are kept.
3.  All bikes well serviced and spare fan belts in trucks and vehicles, qualified diesel mechanic in support vehicles.
4.  Range is set at 200km. Brief group on average fuel consumption and carry additional in trucks.
5.  GPX files shared, route will also be marked with ribbons and described into field manuals.
6.  Snacks provided; riders encouraged to bring their own.
7.  Mates should be at your side, riders to ride in pairs.
 
These are just a few of the things we have planned and accounted for. Understanding things like closest medical support, understanding the capabilities of local emergency services, the capabilities of the crew and riders are all things we take into consideration.  It’s been a hell of a lot of fun thinking up scenarios and putting plans and contingencies onto place - for something that some might view as just a casual ride. It’s so much more than that for me. This is the moment I put myself to the test, where good planning and logistics will really make or break the expedition. When we pull this one together, and the crew work collectively as a team to get the convoy across the line safely, and we will know that we can repeat the process another 29 times to get across the 10 Deserts next year.
 
This ride is taking one big leap forward towards creating history, and we are in it now. Win, lose or draw it’s all on the line, and I can’t wait to see you out there.
 
Cheers, Benji Brundin