Delicate Arch at Sunset Alan Vernon

I’ve always been drawn to deserts. They’re not at all like the bone-strewn wastelands of cowboy movies. Deserts are full of interesting plants and animals, and their big, dramatic vistas always put me in “sit awhile and think” mode.

It is true that the desert can be a harsh environment to camp in. Visitors from other climates may be put off at first by the extreme temperatures and unusual fauna, and may need some time to get used to the surroundings.

For me, it’s all about falling into “desert rhythm”: I’ve learned that I have to leave behind the routines that I follow at home and start thinking like a desert-dweller instead.

1. Bring more water than you think you need

Cooling Off Adam Baker

If you heed only one tip from this list, make it this one: dehydration is probably the biggest danger in the desert. You’ll drink far more water in the dry heat of the desert than you would in a more humid climate. You can expect to polish off at least two liters on a half-day hike, so your Nalgene alone won’t cut it.

Know where local water sources are, and bring iodine tablets or chlorine if necessary. Always carry water when hiking, and drink it frequently. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty: by then, you’re already dehydrated.

2. Respect the wildlife

Deserts are home to some incredible creatures, including foxes, lizards, and many species of snakes. Most of them are harmless, but a few, like scorpions and rattlesnakes, can be hazardous if provoked.

The good news is that none of them have any interest in hurting you, assuming you leave them alone. Rattlers and other snakes often sun themselves on dirt paths and the shoulders of paved roads, so watch your step. Don’t go poking around in holes in rocks, and make a habit of shaking out your boots before you put them on.

In the unlikely event that you’re bitten by a rattlesnake, stay calm and call 911. If you’ll be far from civilization, it isn’t a bad idea to carry a snakebite kit – they’re widely available in outdoor stores and pharmacies in areas where rattlers are found.

3. Prepare for cold weather

Because of their low humidity, deserts are often hot during the day and chilly at night. In some instances, the temperature can even dip below freezing. Warm clothing and an extra blanket or two will go a long way towards helping you feel comfortable after dark.

I’ve found that in many places, temperatures hit a low point in the early morning, shortly before dawn. If I’m planning to get up before sunrise, I’ll usually put on a sweatshirt and take it off once it begins to heat up.

Hiking Superstition Wilderness Arizona Gregor Y

4. Live like the locals

Many desert animals are crepuscular, becoming most active around dawn and dusk to avoid the midday heat. It’s a strategy that works for humans as well.
You’ll be much more comfortable if you try to keep most of your physical activity to the early and late hours of the day. During the hottest midday hours, be absolutely lazy: read, sleep, just hang out.

5. Pay attention to your tent

Many tents are built with a canopy made of light-colored, somewhat translucent fabric and a floor made of dark-colored tarp. In the desert, this common design can cause problems: light filters through the roof and heats up the floor, essentially turning the tent into a solar oven.

I learned this the hard way while camping in the desert near Bishop, California. One afternoon, I returned to my tent and found that my deodorant stick had become liquid, the plastic cover on my portable phone charger had warped, and the glue holding together my boots had melted.

Try to pitch your tent in the shade, or cover it with an opaque tarp. If that isn’t possible, unzip your tent’s vents and move heat-sensitive items outside.

A word on conservation

Deserts may seem barren, but they’re actually very delicate ecosystems. Avoid disturbing plant life or cryptobiotic (“crusty”) soil. Plants and crust keep soil from eroding; once they’re destroyed, an area can become sandy wasteland in just a few years. Both are very sensitive to trampling, so keep your explorations to established trails.

Community Connection

See America’s most famous desert festival in One Week in The Desert: a Burning Man Documentary.

Photo: Alaska Dude

1. Stay on the trail.

Especially when mud puddles or photographs are involved, it’s sometimes tempting to wander off the trail. The long term effect is to create new paths that carve up formerly pristine areas. Not only does this look ugly, but it can hurt fragile plants and, over time, denude landscapes. Better to get your shoes a little dirty or sacrifice that perfect photo.

2. Camp in designated areas.

Some predetermined tent sites are poorly chosen, and some plants won’t be affected if you sleep on them. Unless you’re a botanist or an expert in Leave No Trace principles, it’s best to stick to the rule that you shouldn’t make camp where camp hasn’t already been made.

Photo: Darryl Darko

3. Don’t build campfires.

I’m a bit of a pyro, so I’m bummed I can’t build huge bonfires everywhere I go. Still, the truth is that fire rings damage landscapes.

There are exceptions: if you’re in a campsite with established fire pits or rings, either buy wood or use very little dead wood gathered from a wide area without trampling, and don’t leave singed trash behind, you should be OK.

Pay attention to rules that outlaw burns in certain ecosystems or during certain times of the year, and never collect rotting logs: they’re an important part of the forest habitat.

4. Pack out trash.

This one’s pretty obvious with respect to things like plastic bags or granola bar wrappers, but don’t go tossing your orange peels into the forest. They’re biodegradable, sure, but they’re not a part of that ecosystem and food scraps can condition bears and other critters to human food. This is bad news for both animals and hikers.

5. Don’t wash dishes in streams.

For the most part, you should avoid rinsing your cookware in water. The best way to deal with your dinner is to eat everything on your plate, wipe the dishes clean, and rinse utensils with bottled water far downwind from your campsite, using minimal amounts of biodegradable soap. Make sure to pack out any food waste or leftovers.

For more details on minimizing your impact in the wilderness, order a copy of the Sierra Club’s Walking Softly in the Wilderness or check out the Leave No Trace website.

Community Connection

Matador Change has more articles and tips on going green.

Learn about how a Chinese festival is encouraging rock climbers to reduce their environmental impact.

The climbing gym can be intimidating. Photo: amrufm

What You Need

The first thing to think about are the clothes you will wear. It’s best to wear loose fitting clothes that allow for a free range of movement and that you will feel comfortable in.

Shorts are fine, but many climbers prefer pants because they reduce the chance of scraping your knees and legs. Also keep in mind that a climbing harness has straps that run around your thighs, roughly where the bottom of a short pair of shorts would sit.

Other gear you will need includes a pair of climbing shoes, a harness, and, if you are approved, a belay device and large asymmetrical or “pear-shaped” carabiner. All of these things will be available to rent, usually for a small additional fee, from the gym.

Knots, Belays, and Safety

Getting ready to belay and climb. Photo: iwona_kellie

There are a lot of pieces of equipment, knots, and techniques climbers use to make a seemingly dangerous activity as safe as possible.

The gym will likely require you to take a short lesson before you’re allowed to climb. Expect to learn a knot, the figure eight, and how to use it to connect your harness to the rope.

The rope is controlled by your partner through a process called belaying. Essentially, belaying uses a mechanical device to apply friction to the rope. When the maximum amount is applied (in the case of a fall for example) the rope and climber are held in one place. When friction is reduced, the rope and climber can move freely.

All gyms require climbers to, at the very least, take a test before they are allowed to belay. The staff will also be willing to teach you how, but may only be available do so during certain times.

When climbing, safety is paramount. Climbing gyms typically have a robust system in place to ensure everyone is behaving properly and climbing safely. Still, be sure to pay attention to what is going on around you, ask questions, and don’t hesitate to say something if at anytime you feel comfortable.

Routes and Grades

Routes in the climbing gym are marked with colored tape.
Photo: iwona_kellie

On the walls of the gym, you will see lots of different holds and most will be marked by a strip or two of colored tape. This tape identifies specific routes on the wall. A red route, for example, could be done by only using holds marked with red tape for your hands and feet.

Gyms also grade their routes. Most use the Yosemite Decimal System, which is the standard for climbs in the United States both indoors and out. Under this system, 5.0 is the easiest and the hardest done to date is around 5.15. It’s an open ended scale though, so someday you may hear of 5.16 or even 5.20.

First-time climbers usually fall within the 5.4 to 5.8 range.

My camp in Baja California. Photo: Laura Bernhein

I’ve learned more about camping from surf-trips than anything else. The reason is simple: the goal on a surf trip is to spend as long as possible in one place.

Staying put allows you to get into the flow of the terrain, to figure out weather patterns, tide, winds, how the sun moves across the sky, when and where there is shade, when and where to avoid insects, where you can find firewood, water, and so many other things that you’d never learn if you were just quickly trekking through.

It also teaches you all these little tricks: how to make do with less, how to cook over a fire, how to craft makeshift furniture, how to keep sand out of your food–things that take a lot of trial and error to really lock down.

The following tips are been collected from over years’ worth of days and nights spent living on beaches both desert and tropical throughout the Pacific coast of Mexico, Central, and South America.

Gear

Reference this photo with the list below, noting the yoga mat rolled up onto food supply to act as easily wipe-able and sand-free ’sink’, as well as the large skillet, the crossed sticks on either side of fire pit for holding pole (and pot above fire), firewood cache, and smiling partner. Photo: David Mather Johnson

Over the years I’ve found that the less gear I bring with me, the quicker I begin to get into the flow of wherever I’m at. In general I like to have the following:

*megamid (floorless shelter which can be used as sunshade) with pole
*mosquito net
*summer weight sleeping bag
*serape (woven blanket)
*yoga mat (or other nylon sleeping pad)
*simple cotton sheet
*backpacking hammock
*4-6″ sheath knife strong enough to chop wood / cut tentstakes
*strong nylong rope (parachute cord)
*large pot with lid and handle that enables it to be hung over a fire
*smaller (1-quart) pot with tight fitting lid
*large but lightweight skillet
*small cookset (plate, spoon, knife, fork)
*large old-school enamel coffee mug (which can be used to boil water)
*large water container
*mini-backpacking stove (optional)

That’s really it. All of this fits easily in, or strapped to my 40-liter backpack.

Where to set up camp

Study the terrain carefully before setting up camp. Stay well above the high tide mark, but out of dunes which might have easily-impacted vegetation. Look for transition areas (ecotones) between the last bit of vegetation and the beach where you can set up in the sand but still take advantage of any windblocks or shade offered by the vegetation.

Cooking over a fire

The key to extended stays is learning how to cook over a fire. There are several ways to do this, but after a lot of trial and error, I like using a pair of crossed sticks on either side of the fire (see illustration above), where you can where you can run another stick through the pot handle and then set it on top of the crossed sticks. Another variation of this is to set up a tripod, tying the tops of sticks so that the come together about a foot over the firepit.

No matter how you set it up, remember that you’re not cooking over the flames themselves, but letting the fire burn down to a hot bed of embers. It takes practice.

Sun protection

If you’re in a jungle environment then finding shade shouldn’t be a problem. Oftentimes you might have find an ideal ’siesta spot’ to hang your hammock that isn’t necessarily right next to your camp.

If you’re in desert terrain you need to set up some kind of open-aired shelter. One good way is to drive two vertical sticks (about 4′ high and 4-6 feet apart) into the beach, then tie a stick across them. Then fasten a cotton or serape over this, so it makes a mini lean-to, either staking the loose ends down to the sand or weighting them down with rocks.

Community Connection

Do you have any good tricks or tips for setting up camp at the beach? Share them with us in the comments below.