A three hour drive in Australia is considered a short one. That's not to say that it hasn't killed anyone. Longer journeys on Australian roads often call for the most basic travelling items. 

• The most obvious is a cooler bag or Eski: keep one in your car. They can be used when you purchase or carry hot or cold food items. Small frozen icepacks are "o.k" but the laws of science will tell you that large masses of ice will remain frozen longer. I freeze a couple of one and two litre containers (plastic juice bottles with handles and pancake mix bottles filled with frozen water are easy to  pack amongst food) one or two days before travelling and put them into my cooler, knowing that these will remain frozen for a couple of days. 

• A can of tyre sealant and a small $20 fire extinguisher will make you feel a bit more prepared. Some travellers carry their own car battery rechargers in larger vehicles. Solar-powered batteries are available in metropolitan areas and can be used for running some appliances in camper vans.

• A large plastic container of water is unquestionable. Various emergency situations may call for this. If you get stranded on a hot roadside it can be used for burns, to fill a cooled-down radiator, hand and face washing or  to dampen clothing or hair. Hours without shade in 38-43 degrees C heat and no fluids is a good formula for perishing on an isolated road. There is a good chance that you won't need it for yourself but to assist someone else.

• Self-heating cans of coffee (the Japanese have used these for over a decade) are available at a few petrol stations.

• A piece of "tarp" or canvas with ringed rope holes and some nylon rope as well as a small, lightweight blanket are often useful. The "tarp" can be used for a multitude of things. This can serve as a shade-cloth if need be (clamp-on shade tarps are available at camping shops)…I saw someone using one while  changing a tyre a few days ago. If you are unlucky enough to hit a large kangaroo ( in some areas, a camel)or livestock, this can be used to drag it safely off the road by folding it in half and sliding it. Animal carcasses are a danger to small cars and  motorbikes in the dark. Sheep and kangaroos go through windscreens every day...if they get thrown through the driver's cabin, they often drop pellets. You can protect your car if you end up carrying a filthy item in your boot, while it can also  be useful for sitting on for an all-day roadside wait.For very long trips, consider getting a small GPRS item (there are a number now available) to trace you if you run into difficulties. Some are small enough to clip onto a back-pack.

• $5 bags of mulch are sold at all garden shops and hardware shops and are great for packing around heavy items on the backs of utes. At the end of your trip, they can be given to someone as a gift for their garden.