/out/ - Outdoors » Thread #305268

[31 / 9 / ?]

2MiB, 1056x6624, 20140414_154123.jpg

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:02:25 No.305268 View View Reply Original Report

Desert /out/

So I was hoping to gather some information on exploring the desert. I have just relocated to the Coachella Valley and am looking to redo my gear and brush up my knowledge on desert survival.

Any info would be great on some key pieces of gear, clothing and knowledge.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:13:58 No.305269 Report

Quoted By: >>305274

>>305268
Mojave-fag.

It's just the desert. Bring more water, dress lighter. I wear sandals, but do what you please. It's not a scary, foreign landscape. It really isn't that much different than anywhere else and, at this time of year? It's not even that hot, yet.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:22:55 No.305270 Report

Quoted By: >>305276

>>305268
Oh, just realized you're a survivalist douche.

Whatever though. Find riverbeds. They often look dry and aren't. See green, stubby trees next to 'em? They're not dry. just dig down beneath the sand and gravel on top. And lol if you try to get water out of a cactus. Have fun shitting all over the place. Snake tastes fine. Never eaten a lizard, but they're pretty easy to catch. Stay away from little caves, because mice shit in them and hello haunta. Uh... creosote is a good insect repellent, but mosquitoes probably aren't something you're too worried about. One nice thing about Southern California is that you can't get lost unless you're retarded. Pick a mountain on the horizon, figure out what direction it is, and you can no longer get lost. Fucking spiders, man--watch out for them. They're in all those cracks between boulders and seeing them makes me want to cry.

Don't know--have any specific questions?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:29:09 No.305274 Report

Quoted By: >>305277

>>305269

Sandles? 98 degrees not hot?

Have you ever left your parents basement?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:32:34 No.305276 Report

Quoted By: >>305279 >>305284 >>305405

>>305270

So when it comes to shelter what should I look at? Since keeping rain out isn't the main concern and straying cool is are there any particular shelters to look at?

I am not a survivalist, just someone who likes to surrender days off exploring the out side. But I like to be prepared to survive of shit goes wrong

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:32:53 No.305277 Report

Quoted By:

>>305274
Yeah man. I am from the Mojave and am out all the time. Sandals are wonderful, and it gets up to 130 during the summer. It's hot, but it's not like "gonna die" hot. Just find some shade and relax, and hike during the morning and evening. During the day, you hang out and nap by a river or under some rocks. It's really not that hard. I know you guys all hate on sandals because "oh snakes and cactus!" Dude, just open your eyes. Ever notice how much sweat your socks get? Imagine if you were shedding all that heat, instead of keeping it inside a shoe. Pretty fuckin nice. Your feet toughen up pretty quick, and I'd take sandals over boots for desert hiking any day of any year. Rock inside a boot? Huge pain in the ass. Rock inside a sandal? Kick a little and it's gone.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:35:38 No.305279 Report

Quoted By:

>>305276
Under rocks or by rivers. I'm more familiar with a couple hours North in the Mojave, but there are always rocks and rivers (even if they're just tiny streams). Especially at this time of year. Find a big bolder that the sun is on the other side of, curl up next to it and take a nap, during the hottest part of the day. Just check around for ants, first, but nothing else is really going to bother you (or, at least, nothing else has ever bothered me. Except tiny, biting caterpillars, one time, but that was a dying tree and bad luck).

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO shsf.jpg, 80KiB, 960x641

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:43:55 No.305284 Report

Quoted By: >>305288 >>306384

>>305276
Here, have some pictures of desert exploring. This is coming out of Death Valley.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO hillbilly_with_moonshine.png, 42KiB, 476x585

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:45:50 No.305285 Report

Quoted By:

Warm in the day cool at night so temperature regulation is key. This is accomplished by staying properly hydrated and covered.

For gear and you will find your own but this is what has served me well in desert. the usual combustion, cover, compass, cutting tool and container, supplemented with clear tubing, clear trash bags, light jacket with zip out liner, wide brim hat, sunglasses, chap-stick, sunblock, cordage, 2 pair light wool socks, moleskin, space blanket medical kit with Epipen anti diarrhea anti nausea, small folding saw, Electrolyte replacer, means of signaling and communication, flashlight and water. This is not a end all list and during winter a wool blanket is handy but it is a starting point.

Ray Mears has a good video on desert survival on Youtube, and Cody Lundin's book 98.6 degrees are worth looking into.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Screenshot from 2014-04-19 19:45 (...).png, 354KiB, 368x509

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:47:06 No.305288 Report

Quoted By: >>305289 >>305298

>>305284
Helping my mother climb down a cliff. And yeah--barefoot. Because climbing barefoot is so much easier than in anything else that isn't climbing shoes. Wearing sandals? Throw them to the top or bottom, climb to them, put them back on.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Screenshot from 2014-04-19 19:44 (...).png, 361KiB, 591x390

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:49:20 No.305289 Report

Quoted By: >>305292

>>305288
Follow the road above the old LA Aqueduct, along the foothills of the Sierras? It's gorgeous. Fun to walk along. That's a river running under it, even though this was taken in the middle of the summer (because yes--deserts have those).

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Screenshot from 2014-04-19 19:51 (...).png, 246KiB, 592x388

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:52:38 No.305292 Report

Quoted By: >>305293

>>305289
And of course, the pinnacles are pretty cool.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Screenshot from 2014-04-19 19:53 (...).png, 403KiB, 391x555

Anonymous Sat 19 Apr 2014 23:53:58 No.305293 Report

Quoted By:

>>305292
There's a lot of cool, old junk out in the desert, too. Like this train.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 00:10:57 No.305297 Report

Quoted By:

Is that the Road to kelso?

What type of good light weight jackets should I look at for night?

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO saguaro_cactus_at_sunset__arizona.jpg, 101KiB, 1024x768

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 00:13:19 No.305298 Report

Quoted By: >>305304

>>305288
>old LA Aqueduct
>dat Pleistocene water erosion!

>the desert is an ocean with it's life under ground...

Sonora sc/out/ reporting!

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Screenshot from 2014-04-19 20:22 (...).png, 385KiB, 596x393

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 00:25:15 No.305304 Report

Quoted By:

>>305298
La, la, lula la la, la, la, la.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 03:33:07 No.305391 Report

Quoted By: >>305396

I've lived from Vegas to the Western edge of the Mojave.

You need to find some off the beaten path place for a good hike or a well known place.

You do not have up worry too much about the animals and crawlers. But the ones you do run into can most likely kill you or Fuck you up a good amount.

Sun protection and water are everything. I carry 3l of water for a day hike with a filter to get more of I ever find a source.

Light weight items are important. A 30 lb pack feels like 80lb when it hits 110 degrees.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 03:44:58 No.305396 Report

Quoted By: >>305398

>>305391
>Discussion of the desert
>Hyperbole in 1...2...3...

>You do not have up worry too much about the animals and crawlers. But the ones you do run into can most likely kill you or Fuck you up a good amount.

Dude, they're lizards, snakes and bugs.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 03:54:18 No.305398 Report

Quoted By: >>305400

>>305396

You don't spend too much time in the desert do you?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 03:57:06 No.305400 Report

Quoted By: >>305456

>>305398
Out there all the time. Posted a few pictures already. Grew up catching snakes and lizards, and even the scariest of spiders (which terrify the shit out of me) are less poisonous than the ones in my garage.

Why do people do this over-hyping thing? Like portraying the desert as extreme somehow makes those of us who live here cooler, for being oh-so-brave as to sweat when we go for walks.

It really just isn't that scary.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 04:02:17 No.305405 Report

Quoted By: >>305528

>>305276
prepare for rain and extreme cool. Don't be naive. It can get extremely cold at night and if you have a tent secure your rainfly. It can and will rain unexpectedly

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 06:13:17 No.305456 Report

Quoted By: >>305464

>>305400

The last time I went on a hike I saw two rattle snakes and a camel spider. Both are things I try not to Fuck with.

On a different note, op where did you move from?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 06:36:40 No.305464 Report

Quoted By:

>>305456
And all three ran away from you because they're fucking terrified of you, you giant pussy. When you go to the forest and see a bear, do you pull out a shotgun and just start blasting from three miles away? Rattle snakes rattle. Vinegaroons run like shit away from anything walking near them. Or they bite you--boohoo. Like you're gonna die from the bite of a wannabe-spider. Been stung by scorpions and bitten by vinegaroons (camel spiders). Never been blind and dumb enough to get bitten by a rattlesnake, but have caught them plenty of times. Desert animals are a little bit of fun, is all. Don't be a nancy.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 06:46:10 No.305469 Report

Quoted By:

Best part of the desert? No forest claustrophobic feeling. Just open air and miles of sight.

No huge bugs or sketchy shit like the forest. Everything is just trying to do what you're doing, stay cool, fond water and avoid problems. The heat brings even the animals to the same page.

I am looking to get a vest or something to hold more things in and to protect my core from uv rays a bit more.

Anyone have any good summer time vest options?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 07:58:01 No.305486 Report

Quoted By: >>305635

I took two kids, ages six and seven, to the Chihuahuan Desert last summer. Hiked them close to ten miles in two and a half days, which is quite a bit for little guys who had never been there. Everybody wore cotton pants, reasonable boots, t-shirts, wide brimmed hats, and sunscreen. I made them drink more than they wanted to. Nobody got blisters, hurt, dehydrated, or sunburned. I got bit by a sneaky brown recluse, but took care of it and kept going. Innadesert is about using some common sense, not about being macho.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 12:15:59 No.305528 Report

Quoted By:

>>305405
>It can and will rain unexpectedly
It rained on me yesterday, very light more like misted, the Sun was shining. I only "suspected" it would.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 16:54:53 No.305635 Report

Quoted By: >>305665 >>306153

>>305486

How did you just "take care"of a Brown recluse bite?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Apr 2014 18:05:34 No.305665 Report

Quoted By:

>>305635
Just guessing, but: RICE.

The fact that a brown recluse bite has never been proven to be fatal helps, too (0 cases of death recorded, ever). The internet has blown them into boogeymen that they simply aren't, based on anecdotes and something that's going on in Australia that is probably some kinda bacteria.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 21 Apr 2014 13:07:07 No.306153 Report

Quoted By: >>306537

>>305635
Sorry for the late reply, had a death in the family and didn't see the question. The bite immediately stated to form a pocket of clear liquid under the skin. By the time I'd undone my belt and dropped my pants it was there. I instinctively swiped across my calf and grabbed the culprit to see what it was then squished it. I was not happy to see the spider.

When I removed the spider a piece of skin the size of a quarter came off with it. I wiped the spot with a paper towel and got all the wetness off that I could. It hurt like hell and I bent my knee while I was going through stuff in the back of the car looking for my little emergency kit that stays clipped on a belt loop when I'm /out/. The kids had buried it under their general mess. That put a matching spot on the back of my thigh. Joy. When I got the kit probably less than 15 seconds had passed since the bite. I squirted alcohol hand sanitizer on a paper towel and scrubbed the spot. That felt good. Like stepping on a Lego barefoot good. Then I got the little flat packet of clear iodine antibiotic ointment out and smeared it on the spots. The top one wasn't bad, so I didn't wrap or bandage it. The bottom one was. I dropped the only large bandage pad I had in the kit and my tape had suffered, so I used a neatly folded square of toilet paper covered with the alcohol sanitizer and some electrical tape to make a bandage. I changed it every so often for the next couple of days, then left it uncovered for a few days after I got home.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 21 Apr 2014 21:58:15 No.306384 Report

Quoted By:

>>305284
Death valley's the shit in winer. great place to find one's self or dump a body lol

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 22 Apr 2014 02:43:49 No.306537 Report

Quoted By:

>>306153

And that was it?

Little mother fuckers.

So if you were going to spend say 2-3 days out on the desert what would you bring with you? Assuming that it is this time of year

Capcode	All Only User Posts Only Verified Posts Only Moderator Posts Only Manager Posts Only Admin Posts Only Developer Posts Only Founder Posts
Show Posts	All Only With Images Only Without Images Only Spoiler Images Only Non-Spoiler Images
Deleted Posts	All Only Deleted Posts Only Non-Deleted Posts
Ghost Posts	All Only Ghost Posts Only Non-Ghost Posts
Post Type	All Only Sticky Threads Only Opening Posts Only Reply Posts
Results	All Grouped By Threads
Order	Latest Posts First Oldest Posts First

On these archives

Your latest searches