The Ultimate Desert Handbook
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Chapter 1. Introduction
Why the Desert?
Chapter 2. The Desert World
Arabian 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 Desert
Chapter 3. North American Deserts
Sonoran Desert; Mojave Desert; Great Basin; Chihuahuan Desert; Plants and Animals of the North American Deserts
Chapter 4. Water Supplies
Carrying Water; Getting Water from Local Sources; Treating Groundwater; Too Much Water? The Problem of Water Intoxication
Chapter 5. Starting Out
U.S. Public Lands; Foreign Destinations
Chapter 6. Hiking the Desert
Acclimatization 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 Fun
Chapter 7. Equipment
Footgear; Sun Protection, Desert Clothing--and Rain Gear; Backpacks; Tents and Shelters; Sleeping Bags, Pads, and Bedrolls; Backcountry Necessities; Miscellaneous Gear
Chapter 8. The Desert Camp: The Site, the Camp, Food, and Fire
Choosing a Site; Keeping Clean; Food, Fires, Stoves, and Cooking Gear
Chapter 9. Navigation
The Importance of Learning to Navigate; Navigation Tools; Map Reading and Methods of Navigation; Distances and the Desert; Reading Sign; Navigating with Few Landmarks; GPS Navigation
Chapter 10. Desert Hazards and First Aid
Biting and Stinging Insects and Arachnids; Falls on Steep Terrain; People; Reptile and Animal Hazards; Weather; First Aid; Treating Injuries
Chapter 11. Surviving in the Desert
Getting 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 Communications
Chapter 12. Desert Transportation
Animal Transport; Motorized Vehicles
Chapter 13. Mountain Biking the Desert
Choosing the Right Bike; Choosing the Right Tires; Riding Sandy Terrain; Night Riding; Desert Trail Hazards; Water Supplies; Clothing and Sun Protection; Navigation; Emergency Gear
Chapter 14. Wildlife Observation and Desert Photography
Choosing an Observation Site; Optical Equipment: Binoculars, Monoculars, and Scopes; Nighttime Observation; Desert Flowers and Plant Life; The Desert Camera
Chapter 15. A Parting Word
Appendix 1. Desert Questions and Answers
Appendix 2. GPS and the UTM Grid Location System
Appendix 3. Other Distance Estimation Methods
Appendix 4. Vehicle Maintenance Checklist
Appendix 5. Metric Conversion Chart
Glossary
Bibliography
Resources
Acknowledgments
Index
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