How To Travel Across The Desert

Deserts have long fascinated those that love to wander. The vast openness of a desert, coupled with the isolation and inherent freedom makes travelling across a big desert an extremely appealing concept to many. It should always be remembered, however, that most of the world’s deserts can be dangerous to travel across, and anyone wanting to embark on such an adventure will need to make sure they make the right preparations before heading off over the sands.

There are a number of different preparations to make, and most of them centre around being prepared for the absolute worst.

Plenty of Water

Water is necessary for staying alive, and it’s very common for people to not take nearly enough water with them as they venture out into the wilderness. Deserts are named as much due to their lack of water, meaning that it’s possible to drive for days without access to any sources of water. For this reason, it’s a good idea to pack as much water as can fit into the vehicle, even if it takes up a significant amount of space. Water is needed not just for the passengers, but for the engine, as higher temperatures and a dry climate means the motor will be using more water than normal.

Extra Tyres

Anyone going out for an adventure will want to have as many extra tyres available as they can possibly take. Deserts, although mostly flat, are not the best places to break down in due to a flat tyre, so having a back up is vital. In the United States, park officials deem it necessary that anyone venturing into the Death Valley National Park take at least two extra tyres along with them. This is due to the extremely high temperatures that can be experienced within the national park, and there have been accounts of visitors’ tyres bursting and leaving them stranded in the extreme heat, a scenario that nobody wants to be stuck in. Opting for high quality, durable tyres is also a must.

Foods To Take With

It’s a good idea when building a grocery list of what to take with to try and pack as many long-term, calorie dense foods as possible. A great example of this is peanut butter, which can be stored for months at a stretch, and is packed with enough calories to keep a person going for a long time. Having these kinds of foods available is important as having a reliable food source out in the middle of nowhere can mean the difference between life and death.


Depending on the region and the availability of telecommunications, it might be worth considering taking a satellite phone along, which is a specialised phone that is able to connect to any satellites that are passing over the region. Due to the amount of satellites that are in the sky at any given moment, it’s possible to always have a live connection to the outside world at all times, a boon for staying safe in dangerous conditions, or even for checking up on emails or playing the latest games.