A Few Tips for Hiking in the Desert

Survival is not overrated

This web page is for informational and/or educational purposes only and is not intended to be a manual for survival.  All information on the following pages may or may not be complete or up-to-date.  Please keep in mind that you are using this information at your own risk. 

Below are just reminders of what you probably already know.

Desert Critters	Health Comes First		In Your Vehicle
In Your Pack	Desert Weather		Desert Skills
Return to list of Public Rock Art Sites		Return to the home page

General Information:

Always inform someone of your plans:

• Tell a spouse, friend, neighbor - of where you are going and your expected time of return.
• Provide them with a map and the route that you expect to take and STICK TO YOUR PLAN.
• Make sure your backup person has the appropriate emergency phone numbers and description & license plate of your vehicle.

Water:

• You should have at least 1 gallon per person per day, plus an extra 5 gallons in the vehicle.
• Drink water if you have it.  Do not ration it if you have enough.
• If you are going on a long hike and if you know that you are returning by the same route, you may want to stash some water along the way for the return trip.  This will help eliminate some weight.  Do not forget to "mark or waypoint" the place where you dropped off the water.
• Depending on  the length of the hike, I take from TWO to FOUR 24-ounce bottles of water with me.  One is usually frozen solid and the other three are filled half way up, frozen then filled up the rest of the way with cold water.  This keeps the water a little cooler a while longer.
• If water is in short supply, try breathing through your nose and not your mouth, which will help reduce moisture loss.
• When you urinate, note the color.  If your urine is dark, it may indicate that you are not getting enough water.  If you have the water, drink it.
• No beer, coffee, or booze as these will dehydrate you and make your situation worse.

Compass/GPS:

GPS: My personal choice...

• I use 2 Garmin 60CS series - I chose this model because the antenna on the 60 series models gets better reception in narrow canyons.  Generally one is for the vehicle and the other for hiking, but during the summer months I carry a second GPS in my pack.
• Use mapping software - Delorme topos, National Geographic topos, and All Topo Maps are good sources.
• Upload waypoints to the GPS to mark the roads and to mark your route in and out of the washes/canyons that you expect to hike.
• ALWAYS, always, always mark a waypoint where you parked you vehicle even if you are on a paved road.  How many times have you left the vehicle and lost sight of it in the matter of minutes because of the washes, hills, and just low knolls.  Sometimes the old, "I think I parked it just over the next hill" doesn't quite cut it, unless you are parked at the mouth of a canyon and there is only one way in and out.  If you have for some reason neglected to mark where you parked, some GPS's can "project" a waypoint in case you do not want to "back track".  Many times I want to take a different route back to the vehicle and marking a waypoint where I parked allows me to do this without too many problems.
• If you do not have mapping software, use web sites like:  Google Earth:  http://earth.google.com/

Compass:

• If you have a compass, KNOW how to use it.  Many people carry one and don't have a clue how to use it.  Consider taking an orienting course through the local community college.

Clothing:

• Should be lightweight, light colored, long pants and long sleeved.
• Have a hat available.
• Have something to cover the back of your neck.  A sunburned neck is a killer.  Some hats provide a flap for protection or another piece of clothing can be used.
• Good comfortable boots with non-slip soles if possible.  No tennis or street shoes. 

Know your limitations: The really obvious stuff...

• Some of us are not in our 20's any longer.  Keep that in mind when you start out.

• Try to always hike with at least one other person - some of us may hike alone at times and that is not always a good idea.

• Know your hiking partner.  Not long ago I hiked with a guy in his mid 70's.  This guy was a rock climber, mountain climber, and spelunker.  He could, and did walk ridge lines that were 2' wide with a drop off on both sides of several hundred feet like he was strolling on a sidewalk.  I, on the other hand, am a dry wash and canyon hiker.  We made it to where we were going and the guy leading me was very nice about my short comings, but you just know that he was thinking, "why was I stuck with this guy???"  My point, just go at your own pace because if you try to keep up with people that are way out of your league, you might end up broken in little pieces or worse.

• Hike with someone that is at your level or slightly better.  On an arbitrary scale of 1 to 10 and, say you rate yourself as a 4, try hiking with someone at a level 5.  This will challenge you and help make you a better hiker.  The situation that I had above was that my partner was a 15 on a 10 scale and I am about a 4.

• If you are new to the desert, try starting in the cool spring with short hikes and work your way up to the longer ones and the heat.  Take time to acclimate to the warmer and dryer heat.  You might have been a great hiker in the northwest where it is nice and cool most of the time, but the desert and the heat is a different ball game.  It would be similar situation to me going back east and trying to deal with 150% humidity.

• Work up to some of the hikes by hiking established trails at first.  Don't try the cross country stuff until you know what you are capable of doing.  There are several good hiking books dealing with the trail system here in the greater Las Vegas area, and it is the same for most of the southwest.

Other Information:

• Drug Labs:  Drug labs and other illegal operations in remote desert locations are becoming more commonplace and consequently may be more easily stumbled upon by the average hiker or off-roader.  Use caution and stay clear of anything that doesn't look right.  If possible, GPS the location and report it to the proper agencies.

• Abandoned Mines: As intriguing as they are, mines can be death traps.  Please remember mines not only go straight in, but mine shafts also go straight down; those are the ones you may not see.  A 200-foot freefall may be exciting, but the stop at the end will get your attention.

• Explosives: On occasion in the desert you may come across explosives from either abandoned mining or military operations.  If possible, mark or GPS the location so you can report it to the proper agency.

The following is not recommended

Walkabouts in the summer heat:

Most people hike the deserts from late fall to spring which are probably the safest and smartest times to do it.  Some of us crazy old dudes hike throughout the summer which can be done if you take precautions.  I am one of those people who would rather hike the summer months than deal with the cold of the deserts during the winter.  Like I tell my friends, "I don't do cold".  Hiking the summer months can be very dangerous and is not recommended.

It is recommended that you NOT hike during the summer months

The following are some of the precautions that we take hiking during the summer:

• The FIRST thing that I do after getting to our  jumping off point is to MARK (waypoint) the location of the vehicle.
• During the summer months I even take a second GPS (it is also tracking my route) in my pack.  What can I tell you -- I am overly cautious during the bad times of the year.
• I take at least twice the amount of water that I think I will need.
• We are at our destination and start hiking at sunrise.  This means getting up VERY EARLY.
• Most of our hikes are in canyons or deep washes, and for safety we try to be back at the vehicle not later than 11:00 am.  Depending on the time of the year, and where we are located, the temperatures are closing in on 100 degrees by 11:00 a.m. and it is time to be heading out or... die.
• I know my limits during the summer time; know yours.  Most of my hikes are 2 to 6 miles.  Being macho is not impressive, being alive is.
• I stash water on the way (GPS its location)  so that it can be retrieved on the way out.
• If the heat gets too bad, we take a 10-minute break every 60 minutes and increase the breaks as needed.
• Also try to take advantage of shade whenever possible (duh) and try not to sit directly on the ground.  Ground temperatures can be 10 to 30 degrees hotter than when sitting on a rock up off the ground.
• The summer months are my favorite time of the year to hike.  You just need to take extra precautions and think about everything you are going to do.
• Try to know as much as possible about the area that you are going to be in so that you can prepare as much as possible.
• Stop, turn around, and look back frequently. Things always look different going the opposite way.  Be aware of your surroundings.
• Know your limitations.  Hiking during the summer months is generally not a good idea.

The desert can be a beautiful and a very dangerous place at the same time

 

             

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