In pioneer times, the deserts of the Southwest were areas to be avoided at all costs. Those travelers who needed to pass through the desert did so with all due haste and little appreciation of the landscape. They can hardly be blamed. The desert is a harsh and unforgiving environment, in the past just another barrier to be traversed on the way to the gold fields and rich soil of the west coast. The only persons who appeared to thrive therein were the Indians, and this served to emphasize the prevalent belief of the times that Indians were more closely akin to animals than to humans.
Now these barren landscapes boast some of the fastest growing cities in the United States. People enter the desert in increasing numbers for recreation by means of four wheel drive, all terrain vehicles, trail bikes, or the family car. They walk, on or off trails, for a few hours or many days to enjoy the delicately balanced ecology and varied life forms native to the desert.
The desert, however, has not changed. It is still harsh and unforgiving of human frailties. When surrounded by golf courses and swimming pools, it is easy to forget that the desert is among the most inhospitable of environments on the planet. When a recreational trip is interrupted by the unexpected -- if the vehicle breaks down, if the party becomes lost, if someone is injured -- then this fact is brought home with stunning force.
The "A" of the ABC's of Desert Survival, or any sort of survival, stands for "AVOID". Avoid ever getting into a survival situation in the first place.
The best defense is a strong offense. The best way to avoid trouble in the desert is to plan every trip as though something were going to go wrong. Ideally a good survivalist will never be faced with a survival situation in the field, because they will always bring themselves back before Search and Rescue has to be called out.
Maps of the area should always be carried--and used. One person in the party should be responsible for reading the maps and determining where the party is at regular intervals. This will reduce the chance of becoming lost. A compass is a great aid in orienteering the map. A map does little good if read upside down. Remember that a compass in a car does not always give an accurate reading because of the metal in the surrounding frame. Global Positioning Units are useful tools, but they do not replace a map and compass: they are designed to use in conjunction with these time tested items--not to replace them.
The desert should never be entered, even for a short day trip, without carrying adequate food, water, and clothing. Water is the single most important item to be carried into the desert. One should load up with as much water as is practical.
A survival kit should be an integral part of any vehicle's equipment, and the first thing a hiker puts into the pack. It is easy to say, "I never carry emergency gear, because nothing has ever gone wrong before". That's what Captain Smith said on the Titanic, and look how he wound up.
Before leaving town, a responsible person, called a liaison person, must be informed as to the party's plans. This person could be a co-worker, a relative, a neighbor, or a close friend. If the party does not check in from the trip on time, the person would then try to ascertain if the party had returned and forgotten to call. If the party cannot be located, it is then time to call Search and Rescue.
The liaison person should be supplied with the following information:
If someone is hiking or driving through the desert alone, it is doubly important to appoint a liaison person back in town who knows the traveler's plans. Additional information should be supplied in the case of the solo traveler :
It would seem restrictive to plan such a trip. Such a detailed itinerary allows no spur-of-the-moment explorations or last minute changes in plan. To some extent this is true. The main outline of the itinerary should be adhered to, but short side trips not in the original plan would not put the party in much additional danger. The main itinerary would give searchers a place to start from. In most cases, the searchers do not even have that much information. To call Search and Rescue with the information that someone is lost "out in the desert" is not extremely helpful.
A solo traveler always should stick to the planned itinerary. If something goes wrong within a group, there are other persons to help out, to look for aid, or just to provide moral support while waiting for searchers. The solo hiker or driver has only him or herself to rely on. If the lone traveler leaves the trail for a moment and sprains an ankle or becomes lost, Search and Rescue's job becomes much harder. The best rule is not to travel alone in the desert. If one does choose to do so, an itinerary should always be filed with a liaison person, and by hell or high water, that itinerary should be followed.
If one is new to the area a liaison person would not be readily available. Many outdoor shops provide a check-in service for travelers. The employees will note the travelers' name and travel plans, and if they do not return from the desert, Search and Rescue will be notified. The Forest Service or the Sheriff's department which administers the area will be also glad to provide this service.
Before starting a driving trip, check the gasoline, oil, and radiator water gauges of the vehicle. Never start into the desert without a full tank of gas. Side trips or fruitless searches for the right road can reduce the supply without the driver realizing it. If the car runs out of gas, a pleasant afternoon drive can become a survival situation. Even on main highways service stations are few and far between in the desert . At every opportunity the gas and water should be refilled.
The importance of staying closely within the planned itinerary has already been discussed. If anyone leaves the party for solo explorations, the party should be informed. The party should stay as close together as practical.
Drivers should stay on established roads. Not only does this lessen the chance of damaging the vehicle or becoming lost, the desert is a delicate environment. Tire tracks will stay in the desert for hundreds of years, and the careless driver can destroy countless plants and the animals which rely on those plants for sparse food and water. A single set of tracks into the desert will encourage other drivers to follow, and soon a few road is formed.
Plenty of time should be allocated for any desert trip. Rough roads will slow travel time to 5 or 10 miles per hour.
Driving dirt roads in the desert requires much care and special skills. Owners of SUV's who have never that the vehicle off of a paved road will be surprised at how delicate their "indestructible" toy can become under adverse conditions. There is more to driving on 4X4 roads than watching TV commercials.
Road conditions should be checked locally before driving into the desert. The weather forecast is important, if inaccurate. The advent of bad weather will mean bad roads and adverse conditions. In certain areas sand and dust storms are severe enough to cause "white out" conditions. If a vehicle is caught in a sand storm, the vehicle should be driven off the road and all lights turned off, including flashers. Otherwise an approaching car may see the vehicle's taillights, assume it is still driving on the road, and rear-end it.
A dry wash can be a vehicle's undoing. Sand can trap the vehicle. Rocks or steep banks can cause high centering. A seemingly dry wash may have mud just under the surface. If there is no evidence that the wash has been crossed recently, it is best to check conditions on foot before driving into it.
One should never camp or picnic in a dry wash. Storms upstream can fill the wash from rim to rim with a sudden flash flood when there may not be a cloud in sight. If a wash contains running water, it may not be possible to cross at all. If you cannot see to the bottom of running water, either take another route or check out the depth on foot before you drive across. Never drive around a road closure sign: they are there for a reason. If you should be caught by suddenly rising water, get out of the car immediately. If the car is caught by higher water and tumbled over, you can become trapped.
Desert roads often consist of a high center between two deep ruts. The vehicle clearance should be considered before driving these types of roads, or the vehicle can become stranded on the center hump.
Many vehicles become stuck while trying to turn around. The road shoulder in the desert is often soft. It is best to turn around in the road bed, no matter how much extra maneuvering this involves. If this is impossible, the condition of the shoulder should be investigated by a person on foot before the vehicle is pulled onto the shoulder.
If the vehicle becomes stuck, revving the tires may only dig the vehicle in too deeply to be retrieved. If there are other vehicles in the party, it may be possible to tow the stranded car out of trouble. If there is only one vehicle, the vehicle can be jacked up and a ramp dug to aid in getting out. Planks or old carpet can be placed on this ramp for traction.
Many persons deflate the tires to provide more traction. This should not be resorted to unless you carry a hand pump or battery operated air pump to reinflate them. Although in a emergency an expensive but effective alternative to being stranded would be to drive out on the wheel rims.
Many dirt roads are washboarded. Increased speed often smoothes out the ride on a washboard road, but this increased speed also makes it easy to lose control of the vehicle.
Overheating of the engine is a very real danger. Do not go into the desert unless the car cooling system is working properly. Vapor lock can often be controlled by wrapping damp rags around the fuel line.
Sharp rocks and excess speed can destroy as many tires as can parking in a rough neighborhood after dark. Always carry two spares in the desert.
High speeds are a common cause of vehicle breakdown in the desert. Despite television commercials, a backcountry dirt road is no place to play Grand Prix driver.
It is best to have at least two vehicles in any party. If one vehicle becomes stranded, the second may be able to tow it out of trouble. If all else fails, everyone can ride back to town safely in the second vehicle.
The vehicle should be in sterling condition before venturing onto any back road. This is doubly true in the desert. A minor breakdown can be the forefront to tragedy. Any vehicle with recurring mechanical problems should never be taken into the desert. It, and you, may stay there forever.
The hiker does not cover as much ground as the driver, and so it is difficult to get quite as far from help. However desert terrain is so rough as to make a few miles separation from a road as crucial as a few light years.
Solo hiking in the desert is not a good idea. If one must hike solo, travel should be restricted to well traveled areas with good trails. Then if something does go wrong, it would be possible to find other hikers. The solo hiker should always file an itinerary with a liaison person and follow this itinerary exactly.
A party of hikers should carry emergency survival gear, stay together as a group, file an itinerary, and stay within the itinerary. Every member of the party should carry extra water and wear adequate protective clothing and sturdy shoes.
Most search and rescue calls are for day hikers, not backpackers. A backpacker in trouble usually has enough gear to stay alive while floundering his or her way back to civilization. A day hiker too often considers an apple and a can of pop to be survival gear. The "ten essentials" provide almost everything a day hiker needs to survive. Add a few survival items (all this will be discussed in Chapter Two), and you will be as comfortable as possible while waiting to be found.
Someone in the party should have a good working knowledge of the area. Again, carry a map and compass and use them periodically to check your position.
Chapter Two Please
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