The Ultimate Desert Handbook: A Manual for Desert Hikers, Campers, and Travelers »

Mark Johnson has eighteen years of experience in desert hiking and exploration in North America and North Africa. A frequent writer and lecturer on the subject, he has been published in several magazines, including Four-Wheeler and Desert Survivor.

Discover the joys of desert camping, hiking, and travel

Harsh, yet hauntingly beautiful; arid, yet teeming with life; inhospitable, yet profoundly peaceful—the earth's deserts beckon the poet and the backpacker, the artist and the adventurer. If you're heading into the desert, however, you should know what to expect, what to look for, and how to withstand extreme desert conditions.

Richly illustrated with photographs and drawings, The Ultimate Desert Handbook is your complete guide to hiking, exploration, and survival in fascinating but unforgiving desert terrain. It gives you the crucial information you need to make the most of any desert sojourn, including detailed descriptions of North American deserts, their plants and wildlife, and their distinctive geological features. You'll also find the most comprehensive tutorial on desert navigation ever published and expert advice on equipment, safety, and first-aid techniques. You'll learn how to:

• Select the perfect desert campsite
• Manage your water supply
• Share the landscape with desert wildlife
• Maintain vehicles in desert conditions
• Protect yourself with the right clothing and equipment
• Be at home in a vast and elemental terrain

Desert Hiking Editor, The Arizona Republic - John Stanley

...full of practical information for anyone who spends time in the desert.

Chapter 1. IntroductionWhy the Desert?Chapter 2. The Desert WorldArabian Desert; Atacama Desert; Australian Deserts; Gobi; Iranian Desert; Kalahari Desert; Kara Kum; Kyzyl Kum; Monte and Patagonian Deserts; Namib Desert; Sahara; Takla Makan Desert; Thar DesertChapter 3. North American DesertsSonoran Desert; Mojave Desert; Great Basin; Chihuahuan Desert; Plants and Animals of the North American DesertsChapter 4. Water SuppliesCarrying Water; Getting Water from Local Sources; Treating Groundwater; Too Much Water? The Problem of Water IntoxicationChapter 5. Starting OutU.S. Public Lands; Foreign DestinationsChapter 6. Hiking the DesertAcclimatization and Day Hiking; Planning Your Hike; Hiking Off-Trail; Rocky Trails and Desert Peaks; Canyons, Washes, Wadis, and Arroyos; Hiking Dune Desert; Quicksand; Lava Flows and Boulder Fields; Dry Lakebeds; Night Hiking; Food and Water Caches; Desert Hiking for FunChapter 7. EquipmentFootgear; Sun Protection, Desert Clothing—and Rain Gear; Backpacks; Tents and Shelters; Sleeping Bags, Pads, and Bedrolls; Backcountry Necessities; Miscellaneous GearChapter 8. The Desert Camp: The Site, the Camp, Food, and FireChoosing a Site; Keeping Clean; Food, Fires, Stoves, and Cooking GearChapter 9. NavigationThe Importance of Learning to Navigate; Navigation Tools; Map Reading and Methods of Navigation; Distances and the Desert; Reading Sign; Navigating with Few Landmarks; GPS NavigationChapter 10. Desert Hazards and First AidBiting and Stinging Insects and Arachnids; Falls on Steep Terrain; People; Reptile and Animal Hazards; Weather; First Aid; Treating InjuriesChapter 11. Surviving in the DesertGetting Found; Emergency Navigation Tools; Finding Your Location in an Emergency; Getting Water; Food and Survival; Protecting Yourself Against Desert Heat and Cold; Useful Survival Gear; Survival CommunicationsChapter 12. Desert TransportationAnimal Transport; Motorized VehiclesChapter 13. Mountain Biking the DesertChoosing the Right Bike; Choosing the Right Tires; Riding Sandy Terrain; Night Riding; Desert Trail Hazards; Water Supplies; Clothing and Sun Protection; Navigation; Emergency GearChapter 14. Wildlife Observation and Desert PhotographyChoosing an Observation Site; Optical Equipment: Binoculars, Monoculars, and Scopes; Nighttime Observation; Desert Flowers and Plant Life; The Desert CameraChapter 15. A Parting WordAppendix 1. Desert Questions and AnswersAppendix 2. GPS and the UTM Grid Location SystemAppendix 3. Other Distance Estimation MethodsAppendix 4. Vehicle Maintenance ChecklistAppendix 5. Metric Conversion ChartGlossaryBibliographyResourcesAcknowledgmentsIndex