Desert Dangers and How to Survive

For those visiting the Southwest for the first time, words of caution are in order. The typical dangers inherent in outdoor activities still exist- becoming lost, falls, animal encounters, inclement weather. But the southwest offers its own exciting possibilities for mishaps. Do not be alarmed by this- knowledge, common sense, and proper planning will keep you perfectly safe, and insure your safe return.

First on the list is to know your limits- be aware of your physical abilities and be realistic about them. Use common sense- do not undertake a hike beyond your ability. Use caution when making decisions while in the bush- the implications of a bad decision are very different when you are five days walk from help. Next, plan and prepare for your trip accordingly and well in advance. Make sure that you do the necessary research, take the proper gear, that you are prepared for the terrain and the weather.

Before you set out into the wilderness, purchase all your mapsheets well in advance and do a thorough map reconnaisance. Learn the terrain, your routes, water sources and be sure to study the surrounding mapsheets in the event that you are forced to change your plans. Plan your trip on paper and leave your plan with someone responsible. Include your possible trailheads or entry locations, exit options, mapsheet names, grid coordinates, and the phone numbers of the local BLM or Park Service offices. Even if your plan is not set in stone, leave a general itinerary with one or more people that you can trust. Tell them when you plan to contact them. Give them a contingency plan- if you have not contacted them by a certain day, wait 3 more days, then call the local BLM or Park Service office, for example. I added the “wait three days” option to the contingency as I do not like to make my plans that strict. You can even make this 4 or 5 days or more if you like, but be realisitc. And finally, check in with the local BLM or Park Service office before your trip. Ask them about the weather, water, and other hikers’ reports for the area. Get the proper permits from them, leave a general itinerary with them, and they will know where to look if someone calls looking for you.

Recent advances in technology make it inexpensive and simple to insure your safety in the bush. The SPOT Satellite messenger and the SARLink personal locator beacon are two examples of lightweight communication devices which can be carried by the hiker to call for help in an emergency situation. The SPOT allows one-way communication with friends or family via email or text messages.

Weather – Rain and Flash Floods, Lightning

In every region of the country where I have hiked, the locals have always said that if you do not like the weather, just wait a few minutes, or half an hour, or an hour, depending on where you are. This adage can be true for the southwest as well. The weather can change drastically, and sometimes quickly, but as long as you keep an eye on the sky and plan accordingly, you should have no worries. This means that you should plan for extreme heat, cold, rain, and even snow depending on the season by carrying the proper shelter, sleeping bag, clothing and rain gear.  Learning about the weather in general, weather patterns, cloud formations and other signs in nature is helpful. Watch the prevailing winds, where the clouds generally form, what direction they travel, the time of day they usually appear, how close they typically come to you and if precipitation is visible off in the distance. Get a feel for the weather as you do for the trails you walk on. This may be a lot to ask if, for example, you are only backpacking for a week a year in southern Utah. But even then, as you become accustomed to your surroundings, you will begin to get a sense for the weather in your location.

We will begin by discussing precipitation. With an average annual rainfall hovering somewhere around 8 to 10 inches for most of the southwest, moisture is not a huge concern throughout most of the year. There are certain times of the year, varying with region- meaning latitude and elevation- when you should be watching more carefully. Early spring and especially late summer showers can become life threatening. These showers are often in the form of torrential monsoon downpours which create flash floods, filling dry streambeds with feet of water in a short amount of time. I have seen a bone-dry streambed that had not seen moisture in months become a swift running near-river, 10 feet deep in places, and un-crossable. By being aware of weather patterns for your area, by knowing the weather for the past few days at least and checking the weather report before you go, and if possible by checking in with locals who know what to expect, you can start out prepared and be safe on your journey.

Lightning often accompanies rainstorms in the southwest. Since lightning seeks high points as it makes its way to the earth, and considering that in many of the locations you may visit in the southwest you may be as high as the nearest tree, lightning can be particularly dangerous.

Everyone knows that you should seek cover in a lightning storm, avoiding metal, high points, water, and trees. For a more detailed list of tips for lightning safety, visit the National Lightning Safety Institute’s website. There you will find a page on personal lightning safety tips.

Suppose that you do find yourself high on a mesa top during a storm, having just climbed out of the canyon below to avoid the rising flash flood waters, soaking wet, with the largest bolts of lightning imaginable striking the mesa top just hundreds of meters from you, so close that your ears ring. Where would you propose to take cover in a situation like this?

Having found myself in this exact situation, I have the experience to say that the expert’s tips should be taken seriously. The mesa top in question had scattered Pinyon trees, boulders and large rocks structures which were unfortunately too long of a walk away to use as cover. Robert Pritchard and I on this particular occasion avoided the boulders and the larger trees and chose to find the lowest branches of the lowest trees to take cover under. We sat on our packs, laughing at the storm as the rain ran down our backs chilling us to the bone. As the lightning was moving by us, not towards us, this felt at the time like a safe choice. If the lightning began moving closer to us our final option would have been to lie down flat in between a couple of dunes away from the trees and hope for the best. We are happy to say that it did not come to that and that we made it out with yet another great story from the southwest.

Prepare for the Desert Heat

On the opposite side of being soaking wet, cold, and in danger of being struck by lightning, you may find yourself sunburned, thirsty, overheated and looking for shade. This scenario is very likely if you visit the southwest during the summer months.

To make your visit to the desert an enjoyable one, and to avoid dehydration and even worse conditions, plan your trip according to your ability- know your limits, prepare for the heat of the desert, and use common sense. Dehydration and heat related illnesses are primary dangers in desert regions. Each summer many visitors to the southwest become ill due to the heat, and some even die. Those of us accustomed to the desert heat are not immune. I have had many a headache due to the heat, have felt the effects of simple dehydration on more than one occassion. Pushing yourself can be part of the adventure. But common sense will tell you that you must pay attention to your body and take care to watch for the signs that you may be pushing yourself too far.

To help avoid this situation, begin each day by drinking plenty of water, and drink often throughout the day. Protect your body by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a long sleeve shirt and even long pants.

Protection From the Sun

Before you walk off into the desert, protect your body from the sun. Protection from the heat and sun includes:

• A wide-brimmed hat to shade your head and face from the sun
• A bandana around your neck to help with the same
• Sunglasses
• Plenty of sunscreen
• Lightweight, light colored clothing- consider a long-sleeved shirt with UV protection
• Long pants if you prefer
• Most important of all is being properly hydrated

You should always have water at hand while visiting the desert, whether just driving through, hiking for a day, or backpacking for a week. If you leave paved roads carry at least a couple of gallons per person per day. At the very least, put in a couple of gallon jugs, or better yet, a five gallon container full. This may seem excessive, but if you need it, you won’t regret the extra time spent filling a container and loading it in your vehicle. And remember to drink it- the best place for your water is in your body, not in your water bottle.

If you are not accustomed to the heat of the desert, give yourself plenty of time to adapt to the heat. You may want to consider making your visit in the spring or fall if you think you may have a problem with the heat. If you do visit the desert during the hottest months, plan your activities accordingly. Check the weather forecast so you know what to expect. If you are biking or running consider hitting the trail right at sunrise, and plan to be off the trail by mid-day. If you are hiking or backpacking, walk early and plan to rest in the shade during the heat of the day. You can always get in another hour, even 3 or 4 if you are so inclined, after the heat begins to subside. I often take breaks mid-afternoon and hike again in the late afternoon or evening, often till the sun sets. If the trail and the moon allow I will even hike into the darkness.

Heat Related Illnesses

When the body becomes overheated, dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death can occur. It is a downward spiral that can happen quickly in the high temperatures of the desert if action is not taken- internal bodily functions can start to shut down, the thought process can become impaired and death can result. Deaths occur every summer in the desert due to the heat. The heat of the desert should not be taken lightly- following are links to news reports of more recent heat-related deaths. While all these incidents are not really under “ordinary” circumstances, they should convey the magnitude of the topic.

• BOSS student dies of heat stroke
• Outward Bound student dies in heat- July, 2006
• Another wilderness school death- July, 2002
• A National Geographic report on the Outward Bound death

Dehydration, Heat Cramps and Heat Exhaustion

The simple definition of dehydration is loss of water from the tissues of the body. Heat cramps occur during or after the body has experienced dehydration, as a result of loss of electrolytes from the tissues. They can be painful, but are not life-threatening. The symptoms of dehydration are familiar to most of us. Symptoms for the accepted clinical stages of dehydration (dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke) are listed below. All of the symptoms may not be present in all cases. There may be overlap in symptoms, or they may be visible in differing degrees for different people. The symptoms of simple dehydration include:

• thirst
• loss of appetite
• dark colored urine
• dry skin
• dry mouth
• light headedness
• fatigue

If water is not replaced when signs of dehydration begin to occur, this may lead to heat exhaustion. The symptoms of heat exhaustion include the symptoms for dehydration listed above, and in addition may include the following:

• headache
• dizziness
• nausea
• decreased sweating
• decreased urination
• increased heart rate
• weakened pulse
• increased respiration
• tingling in the hands or feet
• loss of coordination
• impaired judgement
• increased body temperature (rising above 100 degrees)
• muscle cramps (heat cramps)

At this point the body is in immediate need of treatment for dehydration to keep from advancing to the next, most dangerous stage of dehydration.

Heat Stroke

The most advanced stage of dehydration is heat stroke. Heat stroke occurs when the core temperature of the body rises to dangerous levels and causes tissue damage. Heat stroke is life-threatening and demands immediate attention. Symptoms of heat stroke can include all of those listed above, and will likely include the following:

• absence of sweating
• vomiting
• painful urination
• difficulty breathing
• rapid pulse
• confused behavior
• decreased vision
• muscle spasms
• chest pain
• body temperature of 105 degrees or more
• seizures
• faintness, collapse
• unconsciousness

Treatment of Heat- Related Illnesses

The best treatment for heat related illness is prevention- drink plenty of water, pay attention to the heat and your body and you can avoid the symptoms and dangerous results of dehydration. If you come across someone in need of help, someone showing obvious signs of dehydration, the first step is to get them to drink water. Besides giving fluids, elecrolytes can be given. Be careful not to force fluids on them- allow them to sip water- they should consume it slowly, especially if showing more advanced signs. If you are dealing with someone in more advanced stages, the degree of dehydration will dictate your response.

For someone showing signs of heat exhaustion, besides giving water and electrolytes, you should attempt to cool them off. Get them into the shade, loosen clothing to allow air flow, and wet down their clothing to help bring body temperature down. Lie them down with their feet slightly elevated. Depending on the degree of dehydration, seeking medical help may be necessary. The victim should rest, avoid exertion and stay out of the heat long enough for rehydration and regulatiton of body temperature.

If the victim shows signs of heat stroke, first aid should be administered immediately. If the victim is conscious and will drink, this is a good sign. Do everything you can to cool their body down- move them to shade, loosen clothing, remove shoes, completely wet their clothing, even going as far as to cool their body with ice if it is available. Heat stroke is a critical condition and should be treated as such. Medical attention should be sought as soon as first aid is administered and the patient is stabilised.

Animals Encounters

Animals can pose a real threst in the wilderness. In the desert you might encounter bear, cougar, bobcat, racoon, skunk, rattlesnake, ringtail cat, fox, scorpian and maybe even a black widow spider- all possible of creating problems for you. But the keyword here is possible. The real possibility of a hazardous encounter with a wild animal is quite small. In all my years in the desert I have had frequent, yearly meetings with rattlers, an occassional scorpian and beyond that only a few distruptive encounters with mice that got into food. I have seen most of the animals listed a time or two, but none have posed anything near a threat.

Predator Control Devices

At the urging of long-time friend, chemist, and environmental scientist Christopher Parker, I have recently begun to research the M-44 sodium cyanide capsule and the Compound 1080 Livestock Protection Collars. These are predator control devices that pose serious threats to all animals and humans.