8
votes
Is it possible to drive through the Simpson Desert in an AWD?
Short answer - if you have to ask, you most certainly shouldn't do it!
The Simpson is regarded as one of the ultimate challenges for cross-country drivers. There are no easy routes, and the dangers ...
- 11.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Water preparation on desert hiking
This sounds to me like a bad idea because you don't want to go into the hike already a little dehydrated. My recommendation would be to go into the hike very well hydrated, and to drink a lot of ...
- 186
6
votes
Water preparation on desert hiking
I have served in an Army that tried that, “water discipline” was used to try and make soldiers get used to using less water.
It failed miserably, people have died or got seriously hurt and there was ...
- 521
6
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to drive through the Simpson Desert in an AWD?
As @Tullochgorum said, the Simpson is a very dangerous area, but it certainly looks beautiful! It's broken down into many sections, and since I don't know your level of off-road driving, I wouldn't ...
6
votes
How can I hike across the Grand Canyon if I don't have a backcountry permit?
Grand Canyon National Park employ a waiting list for unreserved permits. If you have a week, you have a very good chance of getting a permit even on campgrounds in the corridor.
We visited Grand ...
- 27.1k
5
votes
Material of shirt for desert hiking
A lot of the cooling effect of sweat comes from evaporation so it is debatable whether wicking vs non wicking is better in hot dry conditions. Having said that in very hot and low humidity ...
- 6,202
5
votes
Accepted
Are Icelandic deserts so dry I need to worry about drinking water?
This is from the well known trekker Andrew Skurka, who did an East/West traverse that would cross similar terrain to your proposed route.
Question:
I have asked around and everywhere I hear that ...
- 11.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Food for desert hiking
I believe, the concern about foods that do not provoke thirst is relevant only in situations where you need to use water sparingly, such as in "survival" situations.
The effect of macronutrients on ...
- 1,329
4
votes
Accepted
What are these grayish plants with little white "hair" in Joshua Tree National Park?
I've hesitated to post this answer because of some inconsistencies with my interpretation of your photo, mainly the absence of leaves. But the more times I have revisited this question, the more ...
- 1,668
3
votes
Water preparation on desert hiking
I have heard that if you drink a lot of water as a habit, the body
doesn't do much retention.
That just means that your body will not retain excessive water.
Therefore, if you are preparing for ...
- 1,329
3
votes
Is it possible to drive through the Simpson Desert in an AWD?
The answer of @Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL is very comprehensive and is a must to read. The vehicle may be capable but the user isn't and that's the biggest problem with touring remotely.
AWD vehicles ...
- 39
3
votes
Are dark or bright clothings preferable in the desert?
Note: This is purely supposition.
All things being equal in terms of fabric color and thermoregulation, it might be important to consider visibility in the desert. I would imagine in light flushed ...
- 1,172
3
votes
What are possible trekking routes in the Atacama region in Chile in mid April?
Hiking in Northern Chile is difficult because it is a high desert with practically no water.
A possible alternative is to rent a good 4x4 truck in Arica, fill it up with water, food, and fuel for ...
- 277
2
votes
Is a smartphone or dedicated gps receiver better for navigation in the desert?
Seems to be a lot of bad/obsolete info on this thread.
I've been using my Android phone for Backcountry navigation for 5 plus years now. I use an app that lets me create an offline map and I put the ...
- 21
2
votes
Large Tents and Traditional Campsites
Any tent you use would need a fly over it for shade & rain, a screen window for vent, and a tarp on the ground under it. Where I live, in the tropics, we have a pop up vent in the center of our ...
- 2,040
2
votes
Water preparation on desert hiking
Water preparation on desert hiking?
It is almost impossible to training the body for hacking or trekking in the desert, especially if one is not use to it.
Heat acclimatization seems to be a much ...
- 9,619
2
votes
What are these grayish plants with little white "hair" in Joshua Tree National Park?
Your description of white hair suggests something like dead Old Man Cactus (Cephalocereus senilis) individuals, or something of the same genus, Cephalocereus. I don't know how abnormal this location ...
- 5,045
2
votes
Flight of the Phoenix (1965) -- how realistic would walking out be?
For thousands of years, people navigated by the stars and other natural features (e.g., close observation of ocean features for the Polynesians) with no, zero, zilch modern equipment. Thus, I ...
- 23.4k
1
vote
Flight of the Phoenix (1965) -- how realistic would walking out be?
Normal people wouldn't make it, but I present to you the Marathon des Sables, 156 miles in 6 days across the Sahara. Now you've given them 10 days of water, presumably that allows for desert ...
- 8,004
1
vote
Water preparation on desert hiking
Summary: Heat adaptation (i.e. being able to do physical excercise in the heat) has a number of mechanisms, but among them the "water-related" mechanisms rely on having and needing, i.e. using more ...
1
vote
Is a smartphone or dedicated gps receiver better for navigation in the desert?
The GPS receiver in recent tablets and phones is actually quite good.
I use a Nexus 7 Android tablet for outdoor navigation, and it works very well. Tablets generally allow you to shut things down ...
- 21.4k
1
vote
Is a smartphone or dedicated gps receiver better for navigation in the desert?
It is also worth mentioning that there are other ways to obtain absolute position references by using astronomical observations. Most of these are centuries old and of course, are not anywhere near as ...
- 6,202
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