Desert Sense: Camping, Hiking & Biking in Hot, Dry ClimatesProvides the essential knowledge and skills needed to move through a desert landscape with confidence, in a guide that includes techniques for hiking and biking special to desert conditions, along with tips for dealing with desert heat, cold, and other challenges. |
Contents
North American Deserts | 21 |
SONORAN | 25 |
MOJAVE | 30 |
GREAT BASIN | 34 |
CHIHAUHUAN | 39 |
Desert Backcountry | 43 |
NATIONAL PARKS MONUMENTS AND PRESERVES | 44 |
NATIONAL FORESTS | 45 |
FOOTWEAR | 102 |
CLOTHING | 104 |
PACKS | 107 |
SLEEPING BAGS AND PADS | 110 |
SHELTER | 113 |
COOK GEAR | 116 |
OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS | 118 |
PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT | 119 |
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES | 46 |
MAPS GUIDEBOOKS AND FREE ADVICE | 47 |
MAKING YOUR WAY | 49 |
Water and Climate | 55 |
CARRYING WATER IN YOU VEHICLE | 57 |
CACHING WATER | 59 |
FILTERING AND PURIFICATION | 61 |
CLIMATE AND ELEVATION | 64 |
WEATHER | 66 |
Desert Hazards | 69 |
ANIMALS THAT SLITHER AND SKULK BY NIGHT | 72 |
OLD MINES | 80 |
FLOODS | 81 |
HYPOTHERMIA | 83 |
WINDS HAZARDS | 84 |
Navigation | 85 |
MAP READING FOR DESERT HIKING | 86 |
COMPASS WORK | 88 |
SATELLITE ASSISTANCE FOR DRIVING | 91 |
USING GPS WHEN HIKING | 95 |
NAVIGATION FOR BIKING | 96 |
Gear for the Desert | 97 |
THE TEN ESSENTIALS | 98 |
EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST | 122 |
Driving the Back Roads and Biking the Trails | 125 |
PREPARATION | 126 |
SAFETY IN NUMBERS | 129 |
FAT TIRES IN THE DESERT | 131 |
Hiking and Camping in the Desert | 135 |
PLANNING | 136 |
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS | 140 |
TRAVEL TECHNIQUES | 141 |
GOING YOUR OWN WAY CROSSCOUNTRY | 142 |
CAMPING | 146 |
Surviving the Worst | 153 |
LEAVE PLANS WITH A RELIABLE PERSON | 154 |
INJURY | 155 |
SIGNALING TECHNIQUES | 156 |
FINDING WATER | 157 |
SHELTER | 161 |
Resources | 163 |
Recommended Reading | 167 |
Glossary | 168 |
| 171 | |
Common terms and phrases
Africanized bees air mattress animal Arizona avoid back roads Basin Desert bottles brush cactus campsite carry Chihuahuan Desert clothing cold compass contour lines cool creek cross-country day hike desert areas desert backcountry drainage drive dry washes especially feet floods Forest gear GPS receiver Grand Canyon ground heat hike hikers hydration hydration system hypothermia insulating keep Lake landmark layer leave Mazatzal Mountains miles moisture Mojave Desert mountain bike mountain ranges Mountaineers Books National Park navigation night North American deserts nylon pack pads Peak plant plastic protection rain rattlesnakes ride ridges River rock tanks sand seasonal shelter sleeping sleeping pad slickrock slopes snake socks Sonoran Desert spines spring stay storms stove SUVs temperatures tent terrain there's thunderstorms topographic maps trail trailhead true north U.S. Forest Service usually valleys vehicle venom walk warm water pockets water sources waypoint weather Wilderness wildlife wind winter
Popular passages
Page 16 - LNT's message: 1. Plan Ahead and Prepare 2 Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces 3 Dispose of Waste Properly 4 Leave What You Find 5. Minimize Campfire Impacts 6. Respect Wildlife 7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors See pg.
Page 16 - Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and US Fish and Wildlife Service was chartered in 1991.