The first complete book on desert hiking, exploration, and survival, this in-depth guide presents the deserts of the world not as an alien environment to be overcome or endured, but as a fascinating opportunity for anyone eager to enjoy a different kind of out-door experience. The Ultimate Desert Handbook includes comprehensive descriptions of deserts worldwide, a survey of North American deserts, plants and wildlife; expert advice on desert hiking, water purification, desert hazards and survival, dayhiking, backpacking, camping, mountain biking, wildlife observation/photography, and vehicle travel; the most thorough section on desert navigation ever published — from using the stars to map, compass, and the Global Positioning System — and easy-to-follow advice on everything from selecting a campsite to first aid and rescue. APRIL Ragged Mountain Press Outdoors Paperback * 5½ × 8½ * 291pp * 80 photos and illustrations.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 282-283) and index.

Discover the joys of desert camping, hiking, and travel <P> 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. <P> 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

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.

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