In these times of extreme weather we all need to be aware of ways to take care of ourselves should an emergency leave us stranded. Nowhere is this more obvious then if you live near a desert or plan to travel to one. Many people every year become stranded in a desert because they don’t bother to learn even the basic necessities of surviving in the desert.

It is quite easy to become disoriented and then lost if you get dehydrated in the desert. Dehydration may be caused by restriction of water intake or by excessive water loss. The commonest cause of dehydration is failure to drink liquids. The deprivation of water is far more serious than the deprivation of food. The average person loses approximately 2.5 percent of total body water per day (about 1,200 milliliters [1.25 quarts]) in urine, in expired air, by insensible perspiration, and from the gastrointestinal tract. If, in addition to this loss, the loss through perspiration is greatly increased--as is demonstrated in the case of the shipwrecked sailor in tropical seas or the traveler lost in the desert--within only a few hours the dehydration may result in shock and death. That is why learning the basics for surviving in the desert can be so essential to any traveler.

This simple one page document gives the traveler into desert regions some good common sense advice on the many things you can do to prepare yourself for surviving in the desert. It gives good tips on what to do if you do get stranded and tells important information on things you can do to avoid dehydration if you are stranded in the desert. If you or someone you know is planning to go to a desert area, this is a good basic guide to print out and learn as preparation for any kind of desert travel.