>>2543973If you can, find an old parachute. Best Thing Ever for camping in the desert (at least in Arizona).
Then you need a lot of really stout stakes and line, as the wind almost never stops blowing. If it is not tied down, it ends up in a cresosote bush or a cholla cluster.
I got a long way with the frame from an old 10X10 ezup, and the parachute, using the ezup as the basic frame. Then I scored the pole set for some military camo netting, that was even better as you could get that parachute well above your camp where you had loads of shade, and a good wind block.
Also, if you can get camo net cheap, that works really well for shade but it snags easy and is a lot more bulky than the 'chute
Now, look at your site. Like others said, the critters are everywhere even if you cant see them. better to set up in the place that is "flat and smooth but ugly" instead of "that photogenic grove of cottonwoods" as if you've got cottonwoods you have water, and critters.
If you have room, take a leaf rake (one of the metal ones) with you. Handy for getting the place you're putting your groundsheet and bedroll on nice and sticker/ rock free, and it helps if you are camping where others have, with the inevitable mess you'll find. The big contractor trashbags are really handy.
