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Desert Survival Tips You Should Learn

Desert Survival Tips You Should Learn

February 19, 20141559Views1Comment

The dead of winter might seem like kind of a crazy time to talk about desert survival, but just because snow abounds doesn’t mean everyone is stuck in it. People taking trips to hot desert locales to escape the frigid chill of their hometowns are perhaps the most susceptible to injury and danger, since they are better equipped to deal with colder climes and conditions. Here are a few simple desert survival tips you need to learn before you ever step foot on that dry, dusty land!

Consider Your Situation

Arizona Desert feature
Photo from Joe Cook/Unsplash

Whether you are headed out for a day hike or a multi-day adventure in the desert, the most important desert survival tip to learn is to always consider your situation, including your environment, your supplies, and your emergency preparedness. Spending a day in the desert will have special considerations that other ecosystems will not, like increased hydration needs and protection from the sun — and cold, when the sun goes down.

While shorts, tank tops, and sandals may seem like ideal attire for a day in the hot desert, don’t be misled — these types of clothing will leave you exposed to the sun, potentially creating a dehydration or sunburn hazard. Opt for lightweight pants and sleeves that will protect your skin from sunburn as well as create air circulation to cool you down. A wide-brimmed hat is a must, and shoes than encase your entire foot and are comfortably worn in will suit the terrain of the desert best. Not to mention eliminating the risk of bites and stings by unwitting desert creatures.

Build Your Survival Kit

First aid survival kit feature
Photo from Garo Uzunyan/Unsplash

There are plenty of ready-made survival kits available for purchase virtually anywhere, but building your own ensures you know what each piece is and how to use it. It doesn’t have to fill a whole backpack; in fact, there are a surprising amount of items you can fit inside an Altoids tin to carry around in your pocket every day. The items you choose will ultimately be up to you, but we recommend a survival blanket, a fire starter and tinder, paracord, knife, and first aid kit as a starting point. Be sure to check out our archives for a ton of survival equipment and tips!

Carry a Water Filtration System

Murky Water
Photo from Wolfgang Hasselmann/Unsplash

Water filtration in the wild is no longer the laborious task it once was — provided you find a water source, of course. Boiling water found from a natural source is the tried-and-true way to rid drinking water of dangerous bacteria and other pollutants, but there is a wide variety of water filtration products on the market that are compact, easy to use, and built to last. If you’re heading into a desert, multiplying the amount of water you would normally bring along is a no-brainer, but be prepared for any contingency by having the necessary tools to extract drinking water from any source.

Find Natural Resources

If you are truly in an emergency or survival situation in the desert, a vital desert survival tip is to look around you for possible resources to help you shelter or get yourself back to civilization. Agave plants can be a serendipitous resource to have at your disposal, as their thick leaves harbor stores of water and the thorns on the tip of the leaves can be broken partway off and stripped to fashion a makeshift needle and thread for clothing repairs, shelter construction, or worst case, stitching flesh wounds.

Foraging for plants and insects in the desert can provide hydration and nutrition in a survival situation, and any scrap of refuse could be a valuable resource, like aluminum cans or plastic bags. It is important to view everything you come across in a practical way, and avoid allowing yourself to be overcome with panic or desperation. Humans have survived on many of this planet’s deserts for millenia, and with a little education, you can too!

Featured Image from Mark Eder/Unsplash