Desert Camping

Desert camping?  Yeah, right!  Most folks would rather go to the forest or the beach.  However, desert camping can have its benefits, especially for OHV enthusiasts.  Deserts also offer clear skies for star gazing that you won't find anyplace else, except maybe some remote beaches.

Having spent 30+ years camping and dirt biking in the Mojave Desert in southern California, I can lend a little expertise to making the most of camping in the desert. We spent almost every holiday weekend doing it.  A lot of people find the desert unappealing and even ugly. Certainly there are ugly and unappealing deserts (some of the badlands of New Mexico come to mind for me, yet there is even a stark beauty to be found there), but there are many advantages to desert camping, especially if you're also looking to do some OHVing. There are many good places to camp and ride in the Mojave Desert, but they are becoming fewer and farther between as both environmental closures and urban sprawl takes its toll. Funny how areas where OHV activity was deemed too damaging to the environment can fall to bulldozers, housing developments, shopping centers, and parking lots without so much as a whimper! Also how dirt bikes can be blamed for erosion in sand washes where one summer rain does more damage than a decade of riding.  OHVs are often blamed for irreparable damage yet I've seen trails we rode at Thanksgiving completely overgrown by April, in spite of claims of irreversible damage by self-styled environmentalists (also commonly known as eco-freaks). Do I sound a bit cynical? Maybe, because I am! I've seen too many trails closures for no logical reason. I once rode 7 miles on one single track trail in a steep sand wash before encountering a "CLOSED" sign out in the middle of nowhere!  There was no apparent reason for the trail to have been closed.  Later, a discussion with a BLM official confirmed that many of the closures were simply "paper exercises".  They had been given a mandate to close a certain amount of miles of trails and did so arbitrarily, as a "paper exercise" without any input from the users or actual inspection of the trails or usage.  I'm all for protecting legitimately sensitive areas, but,quite frankly, arbitrary closures do more to damage and cloud actual environmental issues that should be addressed.  I once spent an entire weekend assisting an off road group installing CLOSED signs on certain  trails to reroute riders to OPEN trails and prevent more closures.

The key to enjoyable desert excursions is preparation and flexibility. Bring along plenty of water and wear loose clothing. Tank tops and short shorts may seem like a good idea when its hot out and may entertain and even excite your fellow campers, but in reality you'll be cooler -- and avoid painful sunburn and possibly insect bites -- wearing a light, long-sleeved shirt and loose pants. Take a clue from the nomadic tribes of the far east. They dress in long flowing robes that totally cover their bodies, protecting them from direct sunlight and allowing air to circulate and perspiration to cool their skin. Its kind of like walking around in the shade all day. A broad-brimmed hat is always a good idea in hot, sunny weather. We also found frequently spritzing ourselves from spray bottles was a good way to cool down. They are inexpensive, readily available, and easy to use. NEVER venture far from camp without plenty of drinking water! I've tried many different ways to carry water when dirt biking. I started off with an old 1-quart Army canteen that worked pretty well but the best solution I have found is a Camelbak hydration pack. It has a larger capacity (we have some as large as 90 ounces) and it is far more convenient. You can get a drink while still riding instead of having to stop and retrieve your canteen from you belt. I add a piece of velcro to the bite valve and a corresponding mate to the front of my chest protector so I can keep the drinking tube handy and prevent it from getting caught on bushes. Whatever your desert activity, you will be better off sipping small amounts of water often rather than waiting until you are really thirsty and gulping it down. For one thing, by the time you feel thirsty, you're already on your way to being dehydrated. For another, a belly fully of cold water can cause cramps and, believe me, you don't want to be bouncing around on an OHV with a belly full of cold water! You're libel to spew most of it out and it isn't pleasant and doesn't go very far toward keeping you hydrated. Another trick we've found helpful is to wear a wet bandanna around our necks. It helps cool the blood and protects the bare skin between your helmet and your riding shirt from sunburn. During rest stops you can take it off, dump some water on it, and cool your face before putting it back on with a fresh load of cooling water.  I once tried a vest that was supposed to cool the torso. It consisted of a quilted material that was supposed to be super absorbent and retain a lot of water to keep you cool. I think it worked for a while, but by the end of the ride it was mostly just a hot, damp, uncomfortable blanket under my riding jersey. Simply letting a little of the water from my Camelbak trickle down my front and back was much more satisfying in the long run -- and a whole lot cheaper! There are fancier cooling vests that circulate cooled liquid, but they are expensive and heavy.  Plan your rides -- or hikes or other activities -- for the cooler parts of the day whenever you can. Go out early in the morning or in the late afternoon or early evening to avoid the hottest part of the day. Or plan your outings for the cooler parts of the year. When riding in hot weather we like to get an early start before it gets too hot, ride for 2-3 hours, then come back to camp for lunch and some cool refreshments before it gets TOO hot. Kick off your boots and take time to stay out of the sun and cool down during the hottest part of the day. Then take another ride in the late afternoon when it (hopefully) has started to cool down a bit. When taking late afternoon rides, try to plan your route so you're not riding toward the setting sun when you return to camp. When the sun is right at the horizon your visor won't do you any good and you'll be nearly blinded if you're riding directly toward that glowing orb. If you're back in the pack, dust from riders in front of you will reduce visibility to near zero.  And that's an accident just waiting to happen.  Always wear sun glasses or tinted goggles to prevent eye damage in bright sunlight but if there's a chance you'll be out as it gets dark, you'll want clear lenses.  I've tried those that automatically darken in sunlight and get lighter as it gets dark and really like them.  They might be a bit more expensive than regular lenses but the convenience and added safety are well worth it.  However, with many brand name goggles listed around $35 anyway, choosing light sensitive goggles at $35-40 is pretty much a no brainer.

Another trick is to hydrate yourself BEFORE you venture out on the trails.   Drink plenty of water or sports drinks the day or evening before you plan desert activities and then take small sips frequently during the day.  You will know you're pretty well hydrated when you need to pee frequently and the pee is clear or nearly clear.  Dark colored urine is sign of dehydration and indicates you need more liquids right away.  By the way, when feel thirsty that is your body telling you that you are already starting to get dehydrated so don't wait until you are thirsty to take a drink.  There is one time when light urine isn't good.  The condition is called hypnotremia and is colloquially known as "water intoxification".  This happens when you're drinking plenty of water but not getting enough electrolytes.  Then your body can't use the water and simply passes it through.   You MUST maintain a proper level of electrolytes (especially salt) along with plenty of liquids to stay hydrated and healthy.  If you feel lathargic in hot weather, you are probably beginning to get dehydrated.  You'll be surprised how much more energetic you feel have a drinking  glass or two of water.

Bases camp options. Having a comfortable base camp to return to after a few hours in the hot sun will be heavenly and is often essential for good health. Whether you're in an RV or tent camping, set up your base camp so you can enjoy some shade and cool refreshments when you return from an activity. Extend your RV patio awning or set up a dining fly, EZ-up, sun shade or umbrella so you'll have a shady place to rest. With daytime temperatures greater than 100 degrees, we soon found various ways to stay cool. Mist systems, like those you might use on your patio at home, can be connected to your RV water supply or an auxiliary battery powered pump to cool the area under your awning. I set mine up using its own water pump and portable water containers so I wouldn't burn up my main RV water pump and use up all of my precious drinking water. Once again, spray bottles are an easy and inexpensive alternative to mist systems for personal cooling--and they're portable.  You can also purchase portable personal mist systems that have pumps built into the bottles so you can pressurize them for continuous and effortless cooling. Don't leave awnings or canopies set up when it is or expected to be windy.  Better to take a few minutes to set them up when you get back to camp than come back to find them damaged or destroyed by winds while you were gone.  This was an expensive lesson I learned personally.

Keep your RV cool.  If you have AC and a generator, start cooling your RV early in the day before it heats up, then keep it going until curfew to cool the interior (including furniture and fixtures) as much as possible before you have to turn it off at night.  Make use of your awnings, drapes, shades, and/or curtains to keep as much heat outside as you can.  Adding reflective foam panels in the windows will go a long way toward keeping it cooler inside.  You can buy the foam insulation such as Reflectix in convenient rolls at hardware store, home centers, and RV stores.  Then just cut it to fit each window.  I like to cut mine about 1/2" bigger than the window opening so it fits tight all the way around.  A tight fit not only blocks light but helps keep hot air from circulating out from between the window and the insulation, making he "dead air space" between them part of the insulation.

Swimming/wading pools. Taking your own swimming pool when you go camping is probably not a very feasible option for most people. If you are going somewhere that has an abundant water supply or you have a big water truck and you have room to carry a Doughboy pool you might get away with it. When our kids were little, we brought along a plastic wading pool and some extra water to fill it. It was quite a summer hit out in the Mojave Desert. You'd be surprised how many big, burly, macho dirt-bikers came over to share the kiddie pool. We either hauled along a 55 gallon drum or several 6-gallon "Igloo" water jugs in the back our our pickup to fill the pool.  We chose a rigid plastic pool instead of an inflatable one. The inflatable pool would have taken less room in the trailer, but we didn't have to worry about puncturing the hard plastic model.  The one we normally used was about 6' in diameter and about one foot deep.  You won't do a lot of swimming in it, but you can get wet and cool off.  The only downside we found was that the water attracted every sweat bee within miles.  Fortunately they are usually not very aggressive and don't sting like yellow jackets and wasps.

Refreshments. If you might be headed toward dehydration, focus on drinking water and/or sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. The sports drinks contain critical minerals to restore the electrolyte balance in your body. You lose a lot of salt and other minerals through sweat. If you don't replenish them your body will suffer and it will not be able to use the water you do drink to quench your thirst. Avoid caffeinated and alcoholic drinks. Caffeine and alcohol both accelerate dehydration. Over the years we developed a taste for snow cones on hot days. If you have an RV with a fridge to make and keep ice and a generator to power the ice shaver, you will be the hit of the camp ground when you start turning out snow cones. Note: snow cones may be tasty and refreshing, but they are not a substitute for proper hydration. Drink plenty of water and sports drinks. If your urine is turning dark or you're not peeing very often or at all, you aren't getting enough to drink. Avoid alcoholic and high-caffeine beverages as both will contribute to faster dehydration. And water alone isn't enough. You need to replace electrolytes, especially salt. There is a condition called hypnoatremia, sometimes known as "water intoxification", where your body is so low on electrolytes that you can't make use of the water you are drinking. You can drink quarts and quarts of water and still get dehydrated.  Without electrolytes it just passes straight through. Funny, I always that it was beer that went straight through, because it doesn't have to slow down to change colors. If you begin experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as muscle cramps, drink some pickle juice or salt water.  We've found that pickle juice brings almost instant relief for heat cramps,especially if you hold it under your tongue so it can be absorbed directly through the membranes.  The brine from pickles contains a lot of essential electrolytes.  You can also buy electrolytes in concentrated liquid, powder, or tablet form.  These are usually mixed with water to quickly replenish lost electrolytes.

Keeping your equipment cool. All motorized vehicles have cooling systems to get rid of excess engine heat. These systems are stressed to the max in hot weather. Air-cooled engines are especially susceptible to hot weather. Try to avoid using them during the hottest parts of the day and make sure to keep the cooling fins clean and free from oil and dirt that would hold in the heat. Keep OHVs moving in order for the air to carry heat away. Do not allow them to idle any longer than necessary. For liquid-cooled engines, make sure to maintain the coolant at the proper level with the proper liquid. Keep the radiator fins  on liquid cooled machines and the cooling fins on air cooled engines clean and free from dirt, oil, and debris that would inhibit air flow. Idling is less of a hazard for liquid cooled engines than for air cooled units, but it should still be avoided if possible. Never dump cold water or liquid into an empty radiator with the engine off. If the coolant level is extremely low the cold liquid may come in direct contact with hot engine components and cause serious damage. Always have the engine running when adding cold coolant. This helps mix the new coolant with any that is left in the system and reduces the chances of cold coolant cracking the engine parts. Engines may be more likely to seize in hot weather, especially air-cooled 2-cycle engines. Frequent changes in throttle setting can squirt cool fuel into the engine to help keep it cooler than it would be running at a constant rate. One of my dirt-biking buddies, an experienced rider who should have known better, seized his 2-stroke engine cruising across a dry lake bed at a constant speed in hot weather. Believe me, the last thing you want to do is push a hot, 300# bike across a hot desert in hot weather! Just "goosing" the gas from time to time can help keep an engine cooler and better lubricated as it squirts a little raw fuel directly into the intake manifold.  This is especially true for two-stroke engines that depend on the oil mixed in the gas for lubrication.

RV Generators are often air-cooled and are thus susceptible to high ambient temperatures.  If your generator is liquid cooled, be sure to keep an eye on the coolant level.  Unfortunately, if you want to run your air conditioner, you'll have to run your generator. Keep the cooling fins clear and make sure nothing restricts air flow through the generator compartment. Check the oil level frequently as low oil levels can add to over-heating problems and engine failure. Also check the air filter and keep it clean. A clogged air filter will make the generator work harder. Also keep the cooling fins and internal filter on your A/C clean for best and most efficient operation. The vents in most generator cabinets are usually sufficient.  Make sure they aren't blocked by debris or loose insulation.  If you have any question about the generator getting enough air, open the cabinet door.  It will be a little noisier, but it may help it run cooler.  If your generator shuts down due to high load, low oil, or overheating, turn off the A/C(s) before restarting the generator. Leave them off at last 5 minutes before turning them back on to allow the head pressure in the compressor to bleed off. Otherwise, they may seize and damage the A/C unit and overload the generator again when you restart it.

Ice chests and RV refrigerators can be heavily stressed by hot desert weather.   To get the most out of your ice chests or RV fridge, limit opening them as much as you can.  Keep ice chests in the shade.  Allow foods to cool to at least the ambient temperature before putting them in the ice chest or fridge.  Don't over pack your RV fridge.  It needs to have room for air to circulate in order to do its job.  Internal fans, either battery powered or 12-volt, will circulate the air and improve performance.  Don't put hot foods in the fridge; let them at least cool to the ambient temperature first.  And keep moist foods covered or stored in plastic containers to avoid frost buildup from excess humidity inside the refrigerator cabinet.  Auxiliary cooling fans for the exterior coils will also improve performance.  I like the solar powered versions since they don't drain the batteries.  They come with a small solar panel you mount on the refrigerator roof vent. or the fans and panels are built in to a replacement vent cover.  I've also tried the "inside doors" made of plastic strips that supposedly reduce air flow when you put something in or take it out of the fridge.   You may have seen them in supermarkets to separate the meat department from the sales floor.  Frankly, I didn't notice any improvement in fridge performance and the darn things were a nuisance to work with.  If you find your fridge needs help, try using fans, both inside (battery powered) to circulate the cool air and outside (12 volt or solar powered) to remove heat from the coils.  Avoid over filling your refrigerator.  It limits air circulation and impacts its ability to keep things cool.

Desert nights. Temperature wise, night time can be the most comfortable part of the day in the desert. But sometimes desert nights can get down right cold. I've seen the air temperature drop from over 100° F during the day to around 40° F around the campfire. Desert nights are good for camp fire activities, star gazing, moonlight walks, and, if your OHV is equipped with proper lighting, some night rides. Even with proper lighting is is going to be hard to see obstacles, so be extra careful and make sure you don't over drive your headlights. You need to be able to change direction or stop within the distance your headlights reach. I was once out with a group of about 18 riders who managed to find themselves still about 4 hours from camp when it got dark. Definitely bad planning. Only 4 bikes had headlights. Getting back to camp was excruciating. We had to space out the unlighted bikes between the lighted ones so they could see a little of the trails and follow the lights on the bikes that had them. Plan your rides so you'll be back before dark unless you all have adequate lights on your vehicles. Desert temperature can change more than you might think. It may still be almost too warm to sleep when it comes time to go to bed and you'll end up on top of your covers or outside your sleeping bag. But keep your bedding handy because it often gets uncomfortably cold before morning. Day time highs of over 100 may drop into the low 40s over night in the desert.

Trying to guess what the temperatures will be at bed time is often an exercise in futility.   Your best bet is to be flexible.  If it is still hot when you hit the sack, start off sleeping out from under the covers, but keep your bedding close by, because it could turn quite cold before morning.  It isn't a good idea to try to run an RV generator to keep the AC going while you're sleeping.  Carbon monoxide from the exhaust may infiltrate your sleeping space and then you'd never wake up.  In RVs, open the roof vents and some windows.  The hot air will rise out through the roof vent and draw cooler (hopefully) air in through the windows.  At any rate, the circulation should help you feel cooler.  Is is surprising how much circulation you can get even if your roof vents don't have fans to help move the air.  Oscillating 12-volt fans directed at where you're sleeping can work wonders.  Battery powered fans can help keep you cooler if you're in a tent.  Battery powered fans may be useful in an RV so you don't run down your house battery during the night.

Desert campfires. Desert nights would not be complete without campfires. Most desert areas have sparse vegetation so campfires are usually pretty safe in the desert. You do need to consider wind direction to make sure sparks and smoke don't blow into your tent or or RV or set your toys (or someone else's) on fire, but unless you build your fire right next to a clump of bushes there is little chance of starting a major conflagration. However, there is usually some foliage in most deserts, so do keep an eye on where your sparks are blowing. Since desert nights are often cool, even cold, a campfire is a welcome addition to most desert camping evenings. It isn't uncommon to see temperatures in the 40s after it climbing to near 100 during the day. Clear nights tend to be especially cold.  Cloud cover reflects back some of the heat captured by the soil during the day but on clear nights the heat is free to escape into the empty night sky.

Desert animals usually don't pose a problem, except perhaps for the occasional poisonous snake that may crawl into camp.  We very much enjoywd being serenaded by coyotes and owls but they never posed a problem.  Poisonous insects pose another danger to campers.  Avoid walking around barefoot or in flipflops or other flimsy footwear to you don't become an easy target for scorpions, spiders, and other dangerous bugs.  Mosquitoes are not usually a problem in the desert but might be if you are camped anywhere near stagnant water.  Sweat bees (so named because they have an apparent attraction to the salt in human sweat) are likely to show up where ever people and water are but usually don't bite unless threatened.  They seemed to be drawn to the little wading pools we set up to keep the kids cool so maybe they just like water.  BTW, it was really amusing to see big, burly dirt biker in the kiddie pool!

Safety. Desert camping and OHV activities require some special safety considerations. For one thing, you are very likely to encounter rattlesnakes and poisonous insects. Do NOT stroll around in flip-flops. Do not step over rocks or logs where you can't see if there is a snake lurking on the far side just waiting to bite you. Never put your hand into a hole in the ground or under a bush where you can't see it is clear. Piles of dirt in the desert are enticing to ride your OHV over. But remember, that dirt had to come from somewhere so there is probably a hole or at least a depression nearby, perhaps right on the other side where you're planning to land. Many riders have been severely injured and their equipment destroyed when the rode or fell into an open pit or an old mine shaft. The openness of many desert riding areas encourages riders to go fast and that can be a lot of fun -- until you hit something or someone! Bushes may not seem to pose much of an obstacle for powerful dirt bikes and 4-wheelers. However, chances are pretty good that that bush got its start when its seed found shelter behind a rock, and rocks can do a lot of damage! Watch for other traffic and be especially careful when negotiating blind corners around rocks, trees, bushes, and vehicles. It is not uncommon to come across deep rain ruts or deep, steep-edged dry creek beds. Be prepared to turn quickly to avoid them or learn how to safely jump into or over them. Learn to identify the difference in foliage along water channels so you can avoid them or be prepared for them ahead of time.  The density of vegetation is usually greater along stream beds and will often be a darker shade or even a different color than the prevailing plants out in the open.

Dehydration and over-exposure to sunlight is a major concern when desert camping. Always carry water with you and sip it often to maintain sufficient body fluids. Stay out of the sun when you can. Wear light, loose-fitting clothing and a broad-brimmed hat and use sunscreen to protect your body from direct sunlight. Wear sunglasses or tinted goggles to protect your eyes from glare. Protect your equipment from over heating too. Maintain coolant levels and avoid excessive idling. 2-stroke engines, popular in many older OHVs, get some cooling from the fuel. Riding a long time at a constant speed may contribute to overheating. "Goosing" the throttle now and then will help spray cool fuel into the cylinder.

Keep cool!