As grey nomads, foreign backpackers and adventurous holiday makers look set to travel north for the cooler months, authorities are warning travellers to remote locations to stay with their vehicles if they become lost or incapacitated.

Police emergency Operations Coordinator Sergeant Justin Coutts says it's important to keep calm if you do encounter trouble.

"We've been forced to conduct sixteen land searches in the last twelve months," he said.

"Our first response is to try and find the vehicle.

"If they're not found with the vehicle, we need to establish a search area, which can be very large when we're talking about the Pilbara or Kimberley."

Sergeant Coutts gives the example of Paul Pyke, a quad bike rider who was lost in Sawyers Valley for four days.

"The Tactical Response Group had to be called in to track his movements before we found him semi conscious and severely dehydrated," he said.

"We were pretty lucky to get to him in time.

"Conditions were extremely hot, any longer and there's a real chance he wouldn't have survived."

Stay with your vehicle

Peter Cameron, from the East Pilbara district of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), says searches become much harder once someone leaves their vehicle.

"People end up driving down these roads that are mostly just dirt so the car does get bogged, they tend to panic and believe they need to go find help," he said.

"When night comes they get disorientated and overshoot their target, that's when it becomes very difficult to find them."

Mr Cameron says searches can become costly, particularly when crews have to be called in from elsewhere.

"We've had to fly 20 SES volunteers up from Perth before just to be able to keep a search going," he said.

"We fly them up immediately and have to provide food and accommodation, that's all covered by the department."

Mr Cameron still recalls the search for Robert Bogucki which made international headlines in 1999.

Mr Bogucki, who was a volunteer firefighter from Alaska, was cycling across the Great Sandy Desert when he disappeared.

An extensive air and land search was abandoned after two weeks when Mr Bogucki was presumed dead.

But it recommenced a few days later when evidence was found suggesting he might still be alive.

Mr Bogucki was found alive after an astonishing 43 days in the desert.

"We weren't too hopeful, but we did find him alive that time," he said.

"That isn't always the case.

"Some people we never find, sometimes they might get picked up or wander out of the search area, but there's definitely been a few we've not found."

WA Police have issued the following advice to travellers:

· Have plenty of water for the amount of people travelling,

· Carry enough food and water to ensure you are totally self sufficient,

· Ensure you have enough fuel and at least two spare tyres,

· Make certain you have detailed and current maps,

· Call ahead to check road conditions with local Governments,

· Plan alternate routes,

· Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to arrive, including alternate routes,

· Carry a distress beacon or personal locator; these can be hired at low cost,

· If travelling to remote areas ensure you have HF (high frequency) and CB (citizens band) radios with you.