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southwestern US desert!! wooo

Calift

Calift

0.1 addict
:DI'm so excited! I'm going on a field course with my university for three weeks this may. We will be camping in the desert, very rustic-style! The trip starts in CO and go to the Sonoran desert, Mojave desert and great basin desert. Basically lots of driving around in hot-stinky-vans in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, etc.

It's for a biology course, and we'll be looking at the flora and fauna of the area and of course desert ecology (lots on herps yay!).

I've never done anything like this before or ever been to this area of the world. Any tips, experiences, information, or post at all would be very helpful! ;)
 
My advice is be ready for cold nights!!! And a Camelback for carrying water and little things would be really nice.
 
1)Always check your shoes/boots before you put them on, Scorpions etc... love to hide in them!

2)If you want to find Scorpions at night find a flashlight that can emit UV ( blacklight) waves, Scorps and such fluoresce at night, it looks pretty cool!

3) Deserts are filled with very Aggressive Flora and Fauna ( they need to be to survive there), If you don't know what it is don't touch it.

4) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate...

5) Take me!!!
 
Thanks guys! I've never been seriously camping before, let alone weeks in the desert with no showers ;). Anyone have recommendations for gear? I will basically have to buy it all from scratch....

I will definitely take a million pictures to post when I'm back!
 
Right now is the perfect time to see herps that are just waking up for Spring out here. You will absolutely love it! What part of Arizona are you coming to? I might be able to suggest some great spots.
 
Hydration packs are wonderful things. They're backpacks with water bladders and a large "straw" to drink out of while you're hiking. The general rule for desert hiking is carry 1 gallon of water with you (about 8-9 pounds). Chances are if you're with a group, you'll have plenty of water. Just be sure to always have a full large kanteen or bottle with you. Stay hydrated as much as you can - you will become dehydrated very very quickly if you don't.
Wear loose and layered clothing during the day. Try to cover your body in fabrics that help insulate and keep you protected from the sun all day. And sunscreen. Uuuuse it. :]
And it gets cold at night.

If you're looking at flora, it's best to wear long pants (like khakis or something that will keep you cool), even though it's hot. Desert plants are terrible. Even something that looks like harmless brush can hurt your legs if you walk through it. If you do get cactus needles in you by accident, bring a comb and a first aid kit. Fine toothed combs are good for getting needles out of backpacks and such.

I'm a wildlife undergraduate and I study in a wet redwood forest environment - deserts are much different. But my home is in LA and theres a lot of desert wilderness parks around. Camping is fun. :]
 
I live on the boarder of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts. Jim Bridger said that everything in Utah either bites, stings, or has thorns. That’s pretty close to the truth.

I wear short pants every where I go with hiking boots. You need to except a few scratches and thorns. But I am much more comfortable that way. I wear long sleeve shirts that are big and baggy to protect from the sun but still provide ventilation. Get a wide brim hat!! And wear sunscreen.

Bring an extra pair of shoes to change into at camp. Something light and comfortable to give your feet a break from the boots. You will want long pants and a jacket at night.

Get a good snake stick. They are great for turning over rocks and logs and probing where you don’t want to put your hands. If you are allowed to collect, bring snake bags.

When I am hiking either alone or in a group I always carry plenty of water, a GOOD quality knife with a 4 or 5” blade, wooden matches in a water proof container, 20 feet of parachute cord, snacks like protein bars or fruit, and then what ever collecting supplies I might want depending on what I am after, plants, herps, insects, etc.
 
And if you're sweating a _lot_, these are great for replacing your electrolytes. I use one per hour for normal moderate sweating, and one per 30 minutes for heavy sweating. The owner of the company will happily answer any questions you have. It's a product made mostly for runners and cyclists, especially endurance athletes.

http://www.succeedscaps.com/main_scaps.html

(Try to keep them cool, or at least not broiling).
 
So if this is true
I live on the boarder of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts. Jim Bridger said that everything in Utah either bites, stings, or has thorns. That’s pretty close to the truth.
Click to expand...
which one would describe you Wade? stings maybe? lol
 
Well I am in part of the Mojave.. Depends on my work schedule, and what not, but if your passing right by Calico give me a dingle.. I might be able to find you some intresting fauna...

Regards. Tim of T and J
 
I've been herping Vegas every year for quite some time. I have several years worth of photos in the "Herping USA" section of my webpage. For me, the most common daytime snakes are coachwhips and glossy snakes are the ones I most commonly see when roadhunting. It sounds like you'll be covering a lot of ground and you're sure to see some cool stuff!

Sidewinder I found last summer:
sidewider2.jpg

http://www.thirdeyeherp.com/
 
I spent a good 15 hours or so a week out in the desert here in El Paso. (Chihuahua Desert). Like everyone's mentioned, water will be your best friend. Invest in a good Camelback. I like the ones that are a combo daypack/hydration system for carrying around my maps, compass, first aid kit etc in there with my water. I do a lot of photography so I always have my monopod with me.. It's a great multi-tool I use for steadying the camera, as a walking stick, snake stick, sticking in burrows or crevices where I don't want to put my arms etc. It extends to about 5 feet or so but can telescope down to a foot long and is lightweight. I find mine invaluable when out. Other than that, sunscreen, a good sturdy pair of boots for all the rocks, thorns etc, and long pants can be beneficial if you don't like getting cut, scratched, stuck or having your calves ripped up. I also like to carry a field guide or two with me so I know what I'm looking at. I'm very familiar with the local fauna here but when I travel I don't want to have any doubts about what i'm looking at.. I get too excited when I find cool animals and want to make sure it's a king/milk snake and not a coral before I go in with the hook if you know what I mean.
 
My only experiences with the desert were with Iraq.. I can tell you my favorite piece of equipment for the desert is my boonie hat, and it's the only thing from the Army that I've kept and/or still regularly use. You can't beat it for keeping the sun off you, and it's a hat that doesn't require any particular care. Have fun! Drink water!
 
Everyone already mentioned good high hiking boots, water, sunscreen, first aid kits, snake sticks, and wide brimmed hats, but DO NOT forget extra socks like 3 pair per day!! Your feet will sweat and wet feet all day rot, peel, stink, and hurt. Change your socks frequently!!!
 
may go along with sunscreen. but bein in the dry were your not used to being id say bring a couple chapsticks with uv protection with you. cant hurt, will help from being uncomfortable. maybe a headlight if your doing any night exploring. and something like a gerber multi tool. always comes in handy. have fun and bring back some cool pictures.
 
Bring a long snakehook, sunscreen, chapstick, and LOADS of water.

I live on the border between the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin. Expect lots of viscious little critters, and some viscious plants. LOADS of rattlers and colubrids. LOADS of cacti and stinging/biting insects. Really, a PERFECT place to go herping.

You're coming at the right time of the year. Bring a light tent, 20* sleeping bag, many extra pairs of socks, good, solid hiking boots, and layers. A pair of snake gaiters wouldn't hurt...trouncing around through cacti and sagebrush can be dagnerous...

I saw someone else mention it, but let me reiterate...if you can't ID it...don't touch it. You WILL find scutulatus, oreganus, and lutosus in these areas. You also have a GREAT chance of finding atrox, cerastes, helleri, ruber, phyrrus, and other venomous snakes, as well as Gila monsters and beaded lizards. So observe...but be cautious.

The oreganus complex(northern pacific, southern pacific and great basin rattlers) and the scutulatus(mojave rattler) are among the most dangerous snakes in the west. HIGHLY destructive venom, and both families are suspected of containing neurotoxic venom properties along with incredibly powerful haemotoxins. The Great Basin Rattler(C.o.lutosus) and the Western Diamondback(C.atrox) are both reasonably aggressive, and almost always ready to stand and fight. Makes for great photos, but could land you in the hospital.

Bring a good camera with a decent zoom, a long snake hook, and a good field guide. Have a great time, and as you are cruising along the Highway 395 corridor...shout out a hello, because you'll be in my backyard. The Mojave desert is the southern end of my county, and the Great Basin is the northern end. I'm in the middle, somewhere...and I am probably driving that incredibly slow moving vehicle that keeps slamming on it's brakes after dark in front of you...;)
 
Thanks everyone for the tips......only three days to go before I head to London, Ontario. Then Saturday morning we will be driving to Rifle, CO for the night. From there the trip really begins! Here's a link to one of the places we'll visit within the first few days: http://ag.arizona.edu/BTA/

I couldn't be more excited...have purchased a boonie hat, loads of socks, sunscreen, and most of the other stuff you guys mentioned. :D

I should be back during the third week of May. I promise to take loads of pics to post....and am also looking forward to finally being able to purchase more snakes when I return! (already been lectured on the no "sourveniers":sidestep:)
 
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