I know some desert tricks, mainly read from books or studied while in the Armed forces. Ask me again after August when I'll be in Israel and I'll let ya know if I was able to use any said tricks.

Welcome to the forums.

 

I got one for you when you're there.

Bury your water bottles. Watch out when you bury them though. The bottles themselves are a hot commodity and may get stolen. It might help to leave a sacrificial honeypot of empty bottles nearby in hopes that they'll be satisfied and leave your bottles in the ground.

 

1. Forget solar stills
2. Get a real pair of Binos for finding water and everything else
3. Quail and doves head for water in early morning and about an hour before dark
4. Observe animal habits, lay up during the heat of the day
5. Travel early morning and evenings, I never travel at night unless it's the moon is out
6. Travel with minimal gear, keep your load light
7. I use several gatoraid bottles for water bottles never a bladder, sew cloth around your water bottles to wet them for cooling.
8. A bug net is a must, fly's, spiders, scorpions and what not
9. Take your sweet time about doing anything
10. You will best served with a pellet gun for food everything is small
11. Carry a small neck knife and keep it sharp as a scapal and attach a pair of tweezers for thorns
12. Deadfalls are your best friends, master them if you wanna keep fed
13. Get a boonie hat and keep it wet during the day
14. Multicam is the best SW desert pattern I have used yet
15. For sharps I carry a small fixed blade knife and bacho lap lander saw
16. For a pack I use a frieghter frame with a med alice pack attached to it
17. Fire rod of coarse
18. Learn how to do as many things primitive as possible cuts down on gear
19. Don't worry much about salt, with public land grazing there are salt licks evrywhere
20. I wear sandals not boots, and carry heavy socks when it gets could
21. Carry a beanie cap and fleece shirt for night
22. Two pair of good wrap around sunglasses
23. Meds/ advil and benydril
24. Sun block
25. U-digit shovel a must have
26. Decent size stainless steel pot to double as a bucket big enough to do clothes in and to boil large amounts of water
27. Baggy cotton clothes
28. Handcrank radio for entertainment and sanity
29. 8x10 light weight tarp
30. Leather gloves
31. Big one, get a leatherman wave. There is junk everywhere to make useful stuff from, no shortage of human garbage!
yell if you need more:thumb:

 

1. Forget solar stills
2. Get a real pair of Binos for finding water and everything else
3. Quail and doves head for water in early morning and about an hour before dark
4. Observe animal habits, lay up during the heat of the day
5. Travel early morning and evenings, I never travel at night unless it's the moon is out
6. Travel with minimal gear, keep your load light
7. I use several gatoraid bottles for water bottles never a bladder, sew cloth around your water bottles to wet them for cooling.
8. A bug net is a must, fly's, spiders, scorpions and what not
9. Take your sweet time about doing anything
10. You will best served with a pellet gun for food everything is small
11. Carry a small neck knife and keep it sharp as a scapal and attach a pair of tweezers for thorns
12. Deadfalls are your best friends, master them if you wanna keep fed
13. Get a boonie hat and keep it wet during the day
14. Multicam is the best SW desert pattern I have used yet
15. For sharps I carry a small fixed blade knife and bacho lap lander saw
16. For a pack I use a frieghter frame with a med alice pack attached to it
17. Fire rod of coarse
18. Learn how to do as many things primitive as possible cuts down on gear
19. Don't worry much about salt, with public land grazing there are salt licks evrywhere
20. I wear sandals not boots, and carry heavy socks when it gets could

WOW. You are more of a man than I will ever be. :

21. Carry a beanie cap and fleece shirt for night
22. Two pair of good wrap around sunglasses
23. Meds/ advil and benydril
24. Sun block
25. U-digit shovel a must have
26. Decent size stainless steel pot to double as a bucket big enough to do clothes in and to boil large amounts of water
27. Baggy cotton clothes
28. Handcrank radio for entertainment and sanity
29. 8x10 light weight tarp
30. Leather gloves
31. Big one, get a leatherman wave. There is junk everywhere to make useful stuff from, no shortage of human garbage!
yell if you need more:thumb:

Excellent list sheeple hunter !!

OP- I have experimented with primitive survival since I was a teenager. The list from sheeple here is pretty darn good advice. I would add a caveat : Learn what you're doing out there before you go out with only those items. Start by camping out with all the appropriate gear. Then scale down what can be improvised and what is clearly not needed.

Another way: camp away from your car, taking only what you THINK you will need. Start small 1 night trips. Try not to go back to the car for more gear. Try to do with the absolute minimum each time.

Suggestion: get books by Larry dean Olsen and david alloway.

Finally: for me, boots are a must. Cody lundin has been barefoot for 20+ years. I couldn't get 10 feet without my Danners.

PS, solar stills are a little tragic joke on people lost in the desert, they don't produce enough water to replace what you've spent in labor by digging the darn things.

 

I would agree with much of that previous post, but no way would I wear sandals in the area we camp and hang out it. No way. At least over the ankle boots to protect against cactus and snakes. Cactus everywhere. Where we go, anyway. Yes, move slowly over the ground. Carrying a long walking stick is not a bad idea because of possible rattlers. Going about during the heat of the day is not a good idea, but I do it all the time. Used to it, I guess. Early morning and early evening are the best.

We have large packs of coyotes that run through the hills every night where we camp. They are ok when there's one or two, but being in a pack changes their mentality. Be careful of them.

 

Cody Lundin is from Arizona and he goes barefoot. It can be done in a desert environment, but it isn't for everyone. All of the items listed are great. I especially like knowing how to go primitive. Knowledge replaces a lot of gear.

 

Sheeple_hunter added a bunch. Here are a couple more tips.

Carry maps so you don't waste time and energy figuring out where the best low spot is.

Use an umbrella, preferably a shiny umbrella, while moving during the day. Not only does it keep sun off more of your body, but also keep you cooler because you don't have to put a hat or sunscreen over your skin, which also means less dust sticks to you.

Deserts can get really cold at night. You may need the same sleeping gear you use in nearby mountains to stay warm.

Mostly for fun, carry a UV flashlight to make scorpions glow.

Resist the temptation to camp in washes even though they look like perfect campsites.

 

Watching doves and quail have found me water more times than I can count, especially before dark the doves fly a bee line straight for it. In the mornings the quail will pinpoint it for you. I have gone years with only sandals mainly due to my feet overheating and keeping socks clean, see I spend a lot of time in the back country usually dropped off by someone so a very light load is a must. Not wearing boots has its hazards but the benefits out-ways the bad. I have been bitten twice by rattlers and both times I was wearing boots, with sandals I m more polite and watch my step. I think in the desert a good pair of binos ranks right up there with a knife and water jug. I forgot to mention my sleep system is a military gortex bivy and one wool and one fleece blanket. Hope this helps!

If your serious Tony Nester is a solid guy to learn from and has an excellent book here, http://www.apathways.com/Subjects/PracticalSurvivalBook/modern-hunter.htm

He's not David Alloway but on par with his skills and has the dirtime to back it up!

 

I can see how wearing sandals might make you more conscious of where you put your feet! Next time I'm out in the desert, I'll try and see if I can spot any flying birds at dawn or dusk.. and I have seen some of Tony Nester's Youtube vids.. he has some good stuff there! I'll see if I can find one of his books as well..

 

One more important thing, get 10' of clear fish tank tubing and a little hand squeeze pump to get water out of crevices and down in the rocks. Also keep 100' of 550 uncut to tie to a water bottle for tossing down to water in small canyons and cliffs to water below, I have done it many times. I boil all my water but also carry Polarpur in my first aid just in case it's really iffy. Also if getting water near mines or out of them, make a bunch of charcoal first then let the water soak for a few hours in your pot with the charcoal to soak up nasty's!

 

Hmm.. great ideas! I usually do carry about 3 or 4' of tubing and 30' of paracord, but you make a good argument for carrying longer lengths! Thanks, I may just have to do that..

 

+1 to Sheeple Hunter and Leaftye's recommendations.

Some additional suggestions are:

* Learn about the area you live in and the area you intend to hike in. New Mexico is different from Arizona & California. Heck, Arizona has different conditions depending on where you're at. If you're in the high desert or mountain areas you can get chilled at night. In the southern low desert you're usually only going to run into cold nights in the winter time. It can get 115+ in the daytime but nights usually don't go below 85-90 (F), but the temperature difference can still cause a chill.

* Finding water and wild edibles depends on the time of year, and if you're in the southern desert in the summer, before the monsoons, you're going to have problems.

* The survival manuals often say & show graphics about using a barrel cactus to get water. It's absolutely bogus and will more likely make you sick and vomit up whatever water you had in your system.

* In temperate climates cotton kills, but in the desert heat it's beneficial. Add a loose fitting long sleeved cotton shirt to protect you from the sun and hold in body moisture. There's a reason Middle Eastern nomads use those robes - it's to prevent dehydration and severe sunburn.

* A wide brimmed hat to shade your eyes, forehead and neck. The standard boonie hat has a relatively narrow brim, but they're nice in that they roll up easy. Get the one with the wider brim.

* Carry a bandana or some type of cloth to help pre-filter the sediment & floating junk out of the water before you boil it.

* As mentioned by others, salt licks are commonly found all over for the open range grazing cattle. Another thing commonly found is cattle tanks full of water. There are bugs of all kinds in there, but water is water. Filter it before you drink, but if you're severely dehydrated, just drink. If drinking dirty water can keep you alive to reach safety, the effects from the microbes can be taken care of when you're safe and in the hospital. If it's a post-SHTF situation though, be sure to have something to purify your water with.

* Take extra water. Water is more important than food or that extra four mags of ammo. If you're low on water, don't eat as digestion uses up your body fluids.


We're out for days to weeks at a time either on foot, horseback, or dirt bikes. It's easy to find yourself in a survival situation in the desert, so learn as much as you can about your area and I'd even suggest some desert specific training.

Cody Lundin is based in AZ and his survival courses cover most of the desert southwest.

http://www.codylundin.com/


Another good instructor is Mark Wienert at LifeSong: http://www.lifesongadventures.com/

Mark's school teaches mostly wilderness survival, but he does do a few desert courses in the southwest each year. He's very good and he & his wife Celeste are good & friendly people.


I've done some courses from Mark & Cody and can vouch for both of them as good instructors.

-Tig

 

+1 to Sheeple Hunter and Leaftye's recommendations.

Some additional suggestions are:

* Learn about the area you live in and the area you intend to hike in. New Mexico is different from Arizona & California. Heck, Arizona has different conditions depending on where you're at. If you're in the high desert or mountain areas you can get chilled at night. In the southern low desert you're usually only going to run into cold nights in the winter time. It can get 115+ in the daytime but nights usually don't go below 85-90 (F), but the temperature difference can still cause a chill.

I'm in the Chihuahuan desert, and you're right, in the warmer months, the temp doesn't usually drop below 75 or 80 at night.. unless a cold front moves in.. which is why even during summer months, I carry some warmer clothes with me if I go out into the desert..

* Finding water and wild edibles depends on the time of year, and if you're in the southern desert in the summer, before the monsoons, you're going to have problems.

* The survival manuals often say & show graphics about using a barrel cactus to get water. It's absolutely bogus and will more likely make you sick and vomit up whatever water you had in your system.

So far, my experience is showing that surviving in the desert is MUCH tougher than in more temperate areas.. I am coming to the conclusion that in a medium or long term SHTF scenario, I may need to bugout to some place more hospitable. I am still doing some research, though. There are some arable areas here, mainly in the river valley.. but the population density is going to make that non-viable.. and if I am going to bugout, I will need to be able to make it out of the desert!

* In temperate climates cotton kills, but in the desert heat it's beneficial. Add a loose fitting long sleeved cotton shirt to protect you from the sun and hold in body moisture. There's a reason Middle Eastern nomads use those robes - it's to prevent dehydration and severe sunburn.

* A wide brimmed hat to shade your eyes, forehead and neck. The standard boonie hat has a relatively narrow brim, but they're nice in that they roll up easy. Get the one with the wider brim.

* Carry a bandana or some type of cloth to help pre-filter the sediment & floating junk out of the water before you boil it.

* As mentioned by others, salt licks are commonly found all over for the open range grazing cattle. Another thing commonly found is cattle tanks full of water. There are bugs of all kinds in there, but water is water. Filter it before you drink, but if you're severely dehydrated, just drink. If drinking dirty water can keep you alive to reach safety, the effects from the microbes can be taken care of when you're safe and in the hospital. If it's a post-SHTF situation though, be sure to have something to purify your water with.

* Take extra water. Water is more important than food or that extra four mags of ammo. If you're low on water, don't eat as digestion uses up your body fluids.

All good tips, I will keep them in mind!

We're out for days to weeks at a time either on foot, horseback, or dirt bikes. It's easy to find yourself in a survival situation in the desert, so learn as much as you can about your area and I'd even suggest some desert specific training.

Cody Lundin is based in AZ and his survival courses cover most of the desert southwest.

http://www.codylundin.com/


Another good instructor is Mark Wienert at LifeSong: http://www.lifesongadventures.com/

Mark's school teaches mostly wilderness survival, but he does do a few desert courses in the southwest each year. He's very good and he & his wife Celeste are good & friendly people.


I've done some courses from Mark & Cody and can vouch for both of them as good instructors.

-Tig

I'd like to take some courses.. money is the main issue here.. but I'm working on it! Thanks for the great post!

 

To add to Sheeple's post, in no particular order:

Bees will also go to water. If you have extra water, or used water, put a little in a can that's had the top cut off and wait. The bees will collect in the water and you'll have something to eat.

Barrel cactus will yield very little moisture, in spite of what Mychel and his english wife did on their TV program.

Learn to read the landscape. Washes are indicated by plant growth. Washes may not be a source of water, but they'll offer shade and record of tracks.

Don't eat if you're not drinking. If you do, it'll dehydrate you faster.

Carry a pocket comb. Use it to pull cholla off you and yours.

Coyote brown works well, and is a fairly cool color.

Stay covered up in loose fitting light colored clothing. No shorts and short sleeves.

Wear a hat. Period. Keep a spare hat in your vehicle.

Sandals are GREAT when you're not walking.

I personally don't have a problem with bladder canteens, but I ALWAYS carry water bottles as backup.

Carry beaucoup water in your vehicle. Check the bottles regularly to make sure the water hasn't leaked out.

Your spare tire should be the best tire of the five. Check it often to make sure it's serviceable.

Get in the habit of carrying a water bottle at all times. I carry three in my briefcase, and have one in my hand most of the rest of the day.

If you're hiking, try to avoid patches of shale (loose rock), as they're excellent snake habitat.

If you're climbing, look first before you place your hand. Most snake bites are on the hand.

When planning a trip such as hiking/climbing, bring twice as much water as you think you need. If you do so, you might just have enough.

Don't replace water with soda pop, tea, coffee, beer, etc. Water is water, and your body needs water.

If you see a mountain peak and you think you can climb it in a couple of hours, you can't.

Distances out here can be deceptive. Generally, they're usually at least twice as far as you originally think.

 

Wow! Lots of great information.

I do have a question regarding wearing cotton clothing. Please explain the reasoning.

I am asking because, by virtue of living is So Cal., we also have 100+ heat and dry weather quite often but whenever I wear a cotton shirt I feel like I am overheating. Polyester seems to work for me much better. I wonder it it's just in my head.

 

I prefer loose fitting baggy lightweight cotton clothes and cover as much skin as possible. it breathes well, the real benifit is when you sweat it's asorbed into the cotton and in turn the cotton slows the evaporation and has a cooling affect. Also I keep my shirt wet alot in the hottest part of the day. It's preference I guess it's just what worked for me.

 

A couple of things that I have noticed. As mentioned earlier, deserts are different. I live in the far east valley of Phoenix. I hunt and camp in high and low altitudes. I will tell you one thing for sure, the desert of southern Arizona from Mesa to Tuscon does not cool off at night for about 6-7 months. If it is 115 during the day, it will still be 100 at 11pm sometimes. By morning it might be in the mid 80's if you are lucky. This was posted before.

Also, if you have wondered around all of your life barefooted, no problem. I wear hikeing boots with vibrum lugged soles. The sand is hot, you get stuck by anything that grows, plus the sticky tings stick and hurt. At higher elevations every step is an ankle twister and you are on rocks the whole time. For most of us barefoot is not possible.

Quick note, if you get a cholla catus stuck to you, grab two twigs, branches, whatever and use them to pull the darn thing off. Duck tape can be used to pull the barbs out of you or your dog. When I first moved here my dog got one on his face, I pulled it off and it stuck to my right hand, I pulled it off with my left hand and it stuck to it. I wedged it off with my gym shoe and it stuck to that. Welcome to Arizona.

 

As far as southern AZ, I never go farther south than Black Canyon, I am a High Desert Rat and prefer transitional areas between pines and open desert. I spend a lot of time in the White Mountains and better yet the area SW of Seligman but North of Prescott and east of Williams Valley RD. Not many bi-peds that way. Another great area to be dropped off is the Verde River area, love staying there a couple weeks or more at a time:

 

A desert environment is a tough one, and just know that out of the four aspects of survival you must have, water is rated very high on the difficulty level to obtain in a desert. The other three being fire, shelter, and food. Shelter can be obtained from brush, rocks, or a simple sand pit. Food, when you locate a good source of water, then you'll locate food. Also, try and follow birds and other animals in the morning and evening instead of immediately hunting them as they can lead to water supplies. A fire, well, there is plenty of dry brush in the deserts, unless you're stuck in the Sahara.

 

This is one of the best survival books I have ever come across for Desert stuff!
Amazon.com: Survival Skills of Native California (9780879059217): Paul Campbell: Books

 

OP- This is a Great Thread !!!

I met Tony Nestor while I was living in Williams. We talked for 2 hours. Really nice and on the cutting edge. He even gave me a copy of his book. He informed me then that David Alloway had died.

I study EVERYTHING. I take from it what I want. Tony, David and Cody are all well established. Sometimes I read something that goes against my knowledge or personal experience, but most of the info is well researched and accurate. I imagine that some things are changed for personal reasons or differing experiences, etc. But never any bad advice. Most of the bad advice/BS comes from the USDA or old US Army manuals. Crap like solar stills and salt pills, etc. are nice theories but not sound when the rubber meets the road.

I would like to add an obvious point: It's been mentioned here, but it's important. Dirt Time is critical. reading books only goes so far. This is one of those areas where experience is everything.

My favorite haunts are the Barry Goldwater range. (Mountain Lions, Mule Deer and Big Horn Sheep !!) It runs East from Yuma all the way to Gila Bend, which is due south of Phoenix. About 100 miles wide and between 20 and 70 miles deep. I've gotten familiar with the mountain ranges, water holes and tanks in the area. I love the isolation and solitude. I even love the surprise sonic boom that will rattle your sphincter. Cooperation with the USMC and a Range Pass are required. All very easy to do.

On another note, one that was brought up here. IA's are a problem, not so much the people sneaking over, but you can't tell until you are right up on them if they are mules or not. I've seen mules and tracked them carrying bales, backpacks and rifles. I have USBP station on speed dial. And yes, I am armed with a centerfire rifle of appropriate capacity and caliber. Avoidance is best. They are real easy to hear and spot. They don't OPSEC for s**t. This is good because I absolutely, positively DON'T EVER want to get into it with armed mules. (avoid, evade, observe from a distance) There is nothing to gain by going up against a larger force when you're isolated and by yourself. You will never know if they are paid farmers guarding and hiking the load in or SF trained Zeta's hiking a load in, until it's too late.

When I'm alone I will pause for as long an interval as I walk. This makes listening and observation real easy. Also, as a stationary object most people and animals simply overlook me and walk on by. Done it many times.

 

One of the first things I did when I moved here in 1080 was get rid of my underwear. I find air circulates better and I stay cooler.

I develop some of the stuff that gets tested at the Goldwater range (YPG). I wouldn't go there for any amount of money, even if the Marines gave me a pass and a bucket of beer.

 

I have been wandering the desert and chaparral for 20+ years now. It is beautiful yet dangerous.

Solar stills are not very useful unless you have a LOT of them or a ready source of water needing to be distilled. Recycle your urine this way. The one's I have built are lucky to produce an ounce of water a day.

Step 1 is to not get lost.

Step 2 is to know where the water is. If you are not lost and you know where the nearest water is, you are 90% of the way to salvation. native Americans and early settlers traveled great distances from one water hole to the next. Know where the water is and you won't be reduced to desperate acts like drinking urine, solar stills or trying to suck water from a cactus or collect dew.

Failing step 2, step 2a is know where the water is likely to be. The biggest giveaway is green. If water is accessible there will probably be plants there taking advantage. You can use the foliage to jump start your solar still.

Step 2c is carry as much water with you as you can. Containers, bladders, canteens, etc. are your friend.

Step 2d is not to eat if water is scarce.

Step 3 is become acclimated to your environment. Start out with short hikes and gradually extend them as summer approaches. I find hiking at 90 degrees in March to be stressful but by the time September rolls around it is quite comfortable.

Step 4 is control your environment.

4a is wearing loose fitting, light colored, cotton clothing, including an appropriate hat. Actually the hat is the most important part of the ensemble. The basic baseball cap doesn't cut it. You want something with a broad brim or flaps that is ventilated, can be soaked in water and can provide shade to your head and neck.

4b is moving only in the evening, night and morning. During the hot part of the day do whatever you must to improvise shade and rest then. Dig down to make your bed as the surface of the sand is always hottest.

Step 5 is be aware of dangerous flora and fauna. The most dangerous critters you will encounter are:

Rattlesnakes - Mojave Green is especially lethal.
Scorpions - Not deadly in the US but can still put a hurt on you.
Black Widow spiders - Potentially lethal if you are in ill health or weak. Otherwise you only wish you were dead for several days.
Tarantula hawks - Great big black wasps that prey on tarantulas. They won't bother you but if you bother them they can sting. First aid is to fall on the ground and writhe in screaming agony for an hour.
Cougars - No I don't mean Courteney Cox. Small chance you might meet up with one. If your cat intends to eat you, you'll be very lucky to see it coming. Otherwise enjoy the view.
Africanized bees. This and the rattlesnake are the two biggest natural threats. Both are potentially lethal and common. Bear Grylls is an idiot. Don't go raiding honeybee colonies. Avoid them like the plague.
Smugglers - Distressingly common close to the Mexican border. They will not assist you and drug smugglers may just decide to kill you. OTOH you may get lucky and find one of the water caches set up for them.
Cholla catus - You will swear these buggers jump out to nail you. That's how they got the nickname "jumping Cholla". Good luck getting the spines out.

What part of the SW are you in?

 

I have been wandering the desert and chaparral for 20+ years now. It is beautiful yet dangerous.

Solar stills are not very useful unless you have a LOT of them or a ready source of water needing to be distilled. Recycle your urine this way. The one's I have built are lucky to produce an ounce of water a day.

Step 1 is to not get lost.
.
.
.
What part of the SW are you in?

Thanks for the great advice!! I haven't had a chance to reply to all of the great posts here yet, but since you ask a direct question, I'll answer that first.. I'm in far west texas, in El Paso.. surrounded by the Chihuahuan desert, and Juarez right across the border.. in a true STHF situation, that last part does worry me, because 700,000+ ppl in El Paso is bad enough.. but there are almost 2 million more ppl right across the river! I'm not making any judgements based on nationality or ethnicity.. I am just talkin about the sheer fact of population density of my area! And given the fact of criminal elements in Juarez willing to employ deadly force, it does give me some concern.. luckily, Ft. Bliss is here as well, so that might be a plus or minus.. in anycase, I'm wandering far from my topic.

I have to say, to everyone who has contributed so far to the thread.. thank you! Some of it I already knew, but reinforcing knowledge is always good.. and there is alot that I was only somewhat aware of, or completely ignorant! The information so far has been great, and I am seriously considering consolidating it all into a nice document, so I can print it out and put it in my preps! If I do, I'll be sure to post it here as well!

 

I have that book. Really good resource.

One that is useful in my part of the country is "Ethnobotany of the Chumash Indians".

 

Get some specific clothing made for hot sunny areas..Get a white sun hat,long sleeve sun shirt and long pants...Wear boots for protection against cacti and snakes..Bring cold/rain weather clothing as it gets near freezing at night...Sunglasses..Sun lotion..Bring a first aid kit...Have a compass,gps w/extra batteries and possibly a PLB (personal locating beacon)..Cell phone and extra battery..Signalling mirror and whistle..Couple of smoke signalling grenades...More water and survival food than you will need.....Most of all tell a couple of different people your plans and the area you will be in...And of course a handun with extra ammo for 2 legged eh holes..:thumb:

 

Up in "Basin and Range" country here. What you call the "high desert."

As another poster mentioned, I also prefer the areas where the PJ meets the rabbit brush and sage.

Lots of great advice. What I have found is that folks that grow up in the desert, in my case Mojave, Sonoran, or the high desert, if of course they spend time in it rather than "city living" seem to absorb so many of these things without even thinking about them. It's nice to see it in a "list."

Lots of good ways to find water, and they work. One thing I have is a nice series of topo maps and I mark water sources... Even the stock tanks, etc when I run across them. Some of them out here may be rarely visited but are kept ful by windmills.

My water philosophy? If I ain't humpin' it it ain't there ;-)

 

Up in "Basin and Range" country here. What you call the "high desert."

As another poster mentioned, I also prefer the areas where the PJ meets the rabbit brush and sage.

Lots of great advice. What I have found is that folks that grow up in the desert, in my case Mojave, Sonoran, or the high desert, if of course they spend time in it rather than "city living" seem to absorb so many of these things without even thinking about them. It's nice to see it in a "list."

Lots of good ways to find water, and they work. One thing I have is a nice series of topo maps and I mark water sources... Even the stock tanks, etc when I run across them. Some of them out here may be rarely visited but are kept ful by windmills.
My water philosophy? If I ain't humpin' it it ain't there ;-)

Chumash Ethnobotany



Good one! I carry a spool of spiderwire and a 1' piece of PCV 1/2' with a cap on for lowering into shutdown wells and casings to retrieve water. You need at least 200' of line to get to some of the water. It is slow and tedious but works.

Earlier I mentioned carrying gatoraid type bottles for water, the reason is I usually cache them full of water with other unused items when I leave. I have many times used them when returning to the area, sometimes the water source may not be flowing.

I have also found many other peoples cache when out, usually marked by stacked stones or something tied in a tree. I mark both ways.

Great stuff people:thumb:

 

I agree solar stills are bad but, if you carry an extra 5-6 garbage bags with you you can simply put a bag on the ends of tree branches stuffing as many leaves in the bag as possible before tying it to the branch. This technique takes almost no energy and can produce about an ounce or so of water per bag. Not much but better than nothing.

Second carry a fillet knife; most of what will be eaten in the desert in my experience is prickly pear pads. They are readily attained and abundant. Cut youngest pads off of the plant. Burn the needles off in fire ( cook the pads long enough to break down cell structure making it easier to digest but not long enough to evap the water out). Don't peel the pads as this takes too much time and energy. cut off their outer edge and then fillet them down the center and then spoon out the pulp like you would with a grapefruit or avocado. This can be done with any kind of knife but a fish filleting knife is best. It's also a good back-up blade. They don't weigh that much. I would rather carry a little salt instead of just relying on salt licks. If I come across a lick I would take advantage of it but I don't want to wander around searching for one.
I don't think a small headlamp or flashlight has been mentioned.
I agree with a walking stick.

Primitive skills and Dirt time are the biggest thing.

Good luck my desert dwelling brother.

 

yea everyone pretty much covered it. I saw someone said something about sandals and i would never wear anything besides good over the ankle boots otherwise i would end up with cactus sticking somwhere in your foot. The only thing ill add is that you always need more water than you think you do and try not to move around too much in the heat if you dont have to. Also solar stills are fine but they dont produce near enough water to keep you alive, and unlike most think you cant drink water out or a cactus. May sound like obvious stuff but some people dont know it.

 

I have found with drinking and cooking I go through a gallon a day without heavy exertion to keep the juices flowing clear. If My dog is with me its two gallons a day. The body cannot absorb water fast enough in extreme cases. I often find I drink as much water at night, waking up every few hours. I believe thats when you really get your body re-hydrated for the next day. When I don't I am slowly not only in the body, but the mind as well and I am more likely to get muscle cramps.

 

I don't eat during the day unless its something sugary like Agave leaves roasted over in coals through the night. Also if you find a bee hive come back a couple hours before dawn when its the coldest and raid away, but cover back up when your done. I just don't want to tax my system with the digestion of food and making me feel hotter and using up water reserves, plus a full belly at night keeps me warmer.

Rats! If in the desert beyond just a survival emergency your gonna need protein. Rats will become a staple source (50%) of protein but there are tricks to it. Collect them a couple hours before sunlight from your dead-falls, gut and peel the hide off. Season and hang them to dry before daylight, no fly's that way and its dry enough during the night to get it done. Before it warms up enough for the fly's to come out, hang them over some mesquite for smoking. They store well if completely dry. After consuming the meat take head and bones pound into a meal and cook it into a broth, great stuff.

If anyone is interested there is tons more, or I will plug it

 

two underated things are combs for removing cholla and a small umbrella ( if you dont mind the look) for shade it really does come in handy

 

The thorns I have problems with are small to tiny and I carry a Lice comb for them.

 

Anyone interested in desert survival should watch this episode the the TV series "I Shouldn't Be Alive". I think you can view it for a buck or so off Amazon.com but if you wait it will turn up on TV again. These shows never die, they get recycled endlessly.


A Family's Desert Hell Season 4, Episode13, February 2, 2011

A family with two young girls becomes lost, when their car is stranded out in the Arizona desert. When they are separated they independently battle to escape soaring summer heat, dehydration, hostile terrain, rattlesnakes and prowling gangs of smugglers.

They did a few things right. The number of things they did wrong were too numerous to count. Learn from what they did wrong.

 

I would be all for a AZ desert meet to share some skills and some dirt time with like minded people in the fall!

 

If you or anyone else is interested in going to the Old Woman Mtns. area, I'm up for it. I plan on going in the middle of October. Or, I'm up for any other good suggestion for an extended trip of maybe a week or more, in any other interesting area, as my plans are not set in stone.