USA: Desert hikes
If you intend to hike in the desert , tell someone where you are going, and write down all pertinent information, including your expected time of return. Carry an extra two days' food and water and never go anywhere without a map. Cover most of your ground in early morning: the midday heat is too debilitating. Don't even think about hiking when the mercury tops 90°F (the temperature in California's Death Valley, for example, has reached 136°F). If you get lost, find some shade and wait. As long as you've registered, the rangers will eventually come looking for you.However hot the day, at high elevations at night you should also be prepared for below-freezing temperatures. At any time of year, you'll stay cooler during the day if you wear full-length sleeves and trousers. Shorts and short sleeves will expose you to far too much sun - something you won't be aware of until it's too late. A wide-brimmed hat and good sunglasses will spare you the blinding headaches that can result from the desert light. You may also have to contend with flash floods , which can appear from nowhere: a distant cloud can turn a dry wash into a raging river. Never camp in a dry wash, and don't attempt to cross flooded areas until the water has receded.
It's essential to carry - and drink - large quantities of liquid in the desert. An eight-hour hike in typical summer temperatures above 100°F would require you to drink a phenomenal thirty pints of water. Loss of appetite and thirst are early symptoms of heat exhaustion, so it's possible to become seriously dehydrated without feeling thirsty. Watch out for signs of dizziness or nausea; if you feel weak and stop sweating, it's time to get to the doctor. Is water available on your trail? Rangers keep abreast of the latest conditions. Carry at least a quart per person even if it is.
When driving in the desert, carry two gallons of water per person in the car, and take along an emergency pack with flares, a first-aid kit and snakebite kit, matches and a compass. A shovel, tire pump and extra gas are always a good idea. If the car's engine overheats, don't turn it off; instead, try to cool the engine quickly by turning the front end towards the wind. Carefully pour some water on the front of the radiator, and turn the air conditioning off and the heat up full blast. In an emergency, never panic and leave the car: you'll be harder to find wandering around alone.
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