Filed in archive Outdoor Survival by Terah Shelton on September 12, 2007

While reading an article about Steve Fossett, I came across Desert Survivors. According to their website, the group of 690 members is a "non-profit organization founded in 1981 with the mission of experiencing, sharing and protecting desert wilderness.

With Fossett missing for more than a week, experts are calling for him to use his survival skills. But, are you prepared or trained if you are lost in the mountains, desert, or at sea? I found on the Desert Survivors website a list of essential survival tactics and tips if you're traveling in the desert.

Know your water needs at whatever temperatures you are expecting. And know what temperatures to expect in that country in that season. The southern deserts are prone to sudden heat waves into the 90's and 100's even in spring and fall, which are the most popular seasons.

During hot periods, keep your mouth closed to keep your mouth and throat from drying out. Suck on a pebble to keep your mouth moist and thereby reduce the sensation of thirst.

Wear light colored clothing, long-sleeved, with a wide-brimmed hat, to protect from the direct rays of the sun. Use sunglasses.

When resting, elevate yourself up off the hot ground if you can.

Most deserts in summer have nocturnal snakes, scorpions, centipedes and other insects. Don't go barefoot. A tent or bivisac will help to keep them out of your clothes and sleeping bag.

ALWAYS Camp 1/4-mile or more from water, so animals will not be afraid to come in and drink; it is generally a long way to any other water for them, and they may have already come 20 miles expecting a drink. In bighorn country, a mile from water for your camp is even better. Some springs maintained for bighorns are declared "off-limits" for humans, so the sheep will not be afraid to drink because of the human scent.

"Snakebites should be cut with a razor blade to drain out the poison." This practice creates more serious problems, like bleeding and infection; it's better to use an instrument called a Sawyer Extractor to SUCK the poison out, then have the person sit calmly until the bite's effects pass over, while you get help.

"You can get water by chopping off the top of a barrel cactus." The acrid greenish pulp inside the cactus may wet your mouth, but the energy you'll expend to get to it by cutting through the cactus spines and cuticle will probably wear you out. This might be your last drink before you collapse from exhaustion.