Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with desert

These boots were made for walkin' in LA?

pointystick — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:17:23 -0800

What is appropriate fashion in fall and winter when in a warm or desert climate? I live in Atlanta where we have 4 disctinct seasons (albeit in no particular order!) but I'm hoping to spend more time in the Southwest - Las Vegas, San Diego, Phoenix, Los Angeles, etc - both for fun and perhaps for work, but have no idea what to wear when it's fall (I'll be there this weekend) or winter (again around Christmas). Will my trousers and boots look silly? How about tweedy skirts or sweaters? I am most concerned about business wear (woman, 30s, casual to dressy office) and going out in the evenings. Does it matter if you stay inside where it's going to be air conditioned? Do desert-dwellers and southwesterners still hanker for wool and suede when the mercury outside is in the 70s? Thanks for your wisdom!

swimming holes between phx & la?

babsomatica — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:34:15 -0800

seeking oasis: roadtrip from phx to la - looking for good camping with natural water in between the two cities. mid-desert hot springs or cliff diving or swimming holes? i've exhausted all of my books & websites on arizona swimming holes - none noted west of phoenix.... i've found water on the map but no mention of available camping. i'm hoping to find a desert dweller or crosser that has a sweet spot they'd like to recommend - ideally midway-ish between the cities. high desert swimming can happen. i'm sure of it.

Hiking and Camping in Keet Seal

Science! — Sat, 30 May 2009 11:18:36 -0800

What information, advice and personal accounts can you give me regarding a hike into the Keet Seal site in the Navajo National Monument? My girlfriend (20s) and her mother (50s) are planning a trip to Arizona this summer and have a reservation to hike into and camp at the Keet Seal site. Both are active joggers and in good shape, though neither are experienced hikers, or campers. They are concerned about the hike and trail conditions, markers, weather, and about camping in the desert and would like some more information about what it's like carrying their gear on this trail for an overnight stay and a hike back out.

They know it's an 8.5 mile hike in and out and that they probably couldn't do the round trip in one day and still explore the ruins, so they would like to camp at the site. Is this trek too much for novice hikers and first time campers? They'll have a car and can keep an emergency supply of food and water, and it's only one night of camping.

I have no experience with this site and little with desert camping so I can't tell them they they'll need X more water than the guides say, or that the trail is actually harder or easier than described, etc.

What's your advice and personal accounts of the trail? Throw it all at us.

"Stillsuit, check. Thumper, check. Maker Hooks, check."

longbaugh — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:06:00 -0800

I am looking to be doing a charity trek across the Sahara desert in support of MacMillan Cancer Support next year and have several questions for the hive mind before I go ahead. I've read through the MacMillan site and read the FAQs but they are surprisingly light on several details about the trek. MacMillan say they will provide you with various bits of info when you sign up to do the walk but I would like to put out feelers before I take the plunge. £295 is a third of my monthly pay cheque and it's non-refundable. I want to make sure it's something I can achieve before I go ahead.

I have several questions for the hive mind which would be better placed in alternate categories but in the interests of brevity I shall summarise here :

1) Have you ever done a desert trek? What sort of fitness regime did you instigate? Any training tips? I have between 6 to 8 months for training and don't live near any sort of sandy beaches. I do live near some monstrous hills however and will be doing lots of hillwalking with a 35-50lb rucksack.

2) Above and beyond general fitness training, is there any other training and research that would be useful? I will be reading up on the locale and basic desert survival before I go (more than just re-reading Dune in other words).

3) What sort of kit would be useful and what sort of extras would you recommend? i.e. taking a camera - additional battery packs et al. Recommendations for lightweight, low volume but high calorie foodstuffs. Emergency gear (i.e. personal survival/medical kit), boots, clothing, carrying equipment. There will be camels helping to carry supplies (i.e. food, water) but I'd like to be as self sufficient as is humanly possible to allow for all contingencies without loading myself down with tat.

4) Fundraising ideas. MacMillan obviously suggest several avenues for this and I may be able to get donation matching from my employer up to a certain amount. I still have to raise somewhere in the region of £2300 overall. Any MeFites who raise money for charity have any handy hints or suggestions? This is perhaps my weakest area, whilst I have donated on an individual basis here and there, I wouldn't have time to go shaking a charity tin around town etc.

I have to admit I was drawn to the trek initially as it ends on my birthday and in a classical "mid-life-crisis" fashion have decided that I would like to say I have actually achieved something. Whilst there is certainly an element of personal ego satisfaction involved I believe that the charity is absolutely worthwhile and the challenge something that I can achieve given preperation and determination.

For those that haven't read the link, to summarise

Location : Moroccan Sahara
Terrain : Soft sand dunes to hard stony desert and salt pans
Duration : 7 days
Distance : 100km (60 miles)
Time of Year : Feb 27th - March 7th 2010
Temperature : 0C - 30C degrees
Walking time/day : 3 - 12 hours

Any other suggestions and helpful hints gratefully received. I am a newbie to the world of charity fundraising and haven't done long distance walking for nearly a decade. I average maybe 2.5 miles a day walking at the moment and am hoping to increase this figure considerably over the next couple of months to help get more in shape.

Finally and as an afterthought - I am in the UK which may make a difference to several suggestions for kit etc.

Thanks in advance folks :)

Bible desert ice?

Baby_Balrog — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:33:02 -0800

What's the bible verse that tells how to make ice in the desert? I swear it was something other than Exodus 16:14 but I could be wrong. I thought it mentioned a damp depression or something.

(I'm familiar with evaporative cooling and how ice in the desert can be made - looking for the bible verse about it.)

Am I safe to solo camp without a tent?

crazy finger — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:02:26 -0800

Solo tent-less camping - safety tips? I'll be doing field surveys in the southwest US: deserts, forests, mountains, usually near water sources. I intend to try going tent-less to save time, weight, etc... but since I'll be all alone and in the middle of nowhere, I'm a little concerned about the possibility of animals wandering into camp.

The reason this comes up, two stories:

1. A friend woke up with a rattlesnake in her bag once (tentless).

2. Another friend, camping in the same region, has often found Mountain Lion tracks near camp in the morning.

So that's all I've got. Two anecdotes that don't sound too frightening, but my bigger concern would be something along the lines of a Mountain Lion coming and snuffing me out in my sleep. Bears aren't a huge concern and I'm not really worried about them anyway, but I suppose if they were hungry and I was asleep... Thoughts?

Photographing the Sandbox

toomuchpete — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:17:19 -0800

What point-and-shoot type cameras would be good for a deployed Marine in Iraq? My little brother was recently deployed to Iraq and has been asking what sort of camera he should buy. He's looking for a point-and-shoot digital camera.

I know a good bit about digital cameras and photography, but I know nothing about what sort of camera would be a decent one to have in desert conditions.

I suspect that the answer is going to be something like: buy the same camera you otherwise would because nothing is going to keep that sand out of it, but before I recommend a camera, I thought I would see if any of y'all have any first, second, or third-hand experience here... either with respect to features that are good/bad or specific makes or models that have held up well in similar situations.

This is the model he is currently looking at.

What can I do to make it easier for my dog to pee?

whiskey point — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:05:55 -0800

Desert Dwelling Dog Owners: any tips for a puppy used to relieving himself on nice, cool, North Dakota grass? We (well just my fiance and puppy, I'm just visiting for now) just moved to the Phoenix area from North Dakota-any ideas as to making it easier for our 5 month old shih tzu/bishon frise cross to use the bathroom? He's used to my parents' plush lawn in ND, and we now he's stuck with boiling lava hot rocks...it seems to be really bothering his feet. We're thinking of maybe using some indoor outdoor carpet and hosing it off, but we're open to other ideas. Any advice will be gladly taken!

Looks like I made a wrong turn at Albuquerque...

backseatpilot — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:11:00 -0800

Vacation in Albuquerque, and I'm looking to do a few specific things... other suggested activities also welcome. So I've decided to take a wrong turn at Albuquerque. I'm thinking of spending a week in the area, probably arriving the last weekend of the balloon festival (around October 10 or so). Planning on about a week in the area. I've found some information about things do to in the city proper, but I'd also like to get out into nature.

I'd like some suggestions for two activities in particular. First, some day hiking. I'm used to hiking in the woods and up hills in New England, so a change of scenery would be nice - something in the desert (are there any other options?), some heavy climbing is totally fine.

Second - a horseback trip. I have never ridden before, so I imagine a guided trip would be best, but preferably not something that's too touristy. Are there places that will do overnight trips? I don't mind joining up with a random group of strangers.

Any other suggestions for do-not-miss destinations or events? I'm not wedded to staying in the city for the entire time, so hopping around cities in the area (or day trips out of the city) is ok by me. Suggestions for places to stay (cheap B&Bs or quirky hotels)?

Which brings me to... can I do this without renting a car? I expect I'd need one to get to hiking/riding destinations, but inside the city? Or traveling to nearby cities? Could I get away with renting a car just for the days I'd actually be outside of the city limits?

Where there are no streets to have names

tyrantkitty — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:22:25 -0800

I'm writing a book set in a location similar to Joshua Tree National Park, and I'd like recommendations on resources for learning more about the area. It's a bit of a fantasy story (children/YA), so I'll be taking liberties with the setting, but I'd like to have a good idea of the actual flora, fauna and geography before I start mucking it up.

I thought I could do some basic research myself via Google/Flickr, but the incredibly large amount of sites and photos out there are hard to wade through and poorly marked. I'd like reliable information on what's depicted in a photograph, the geological history of the park, its major sources of water, the weather, the elevations as well as any myths or legends relating to the area, weird little creatures particularly fond of the place or something you heard about it once that might be worth my checking out.

Water Sucks

netbros — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:18:09 -0800

It seems obvious, but what is the best liquid to drink to prevent dehydration in a desert environment? My father is a stubborn old coot. He does not like water, never has, never will. He isn't about to change in his eighties either. Last summer we went on a vacation to Grand Canyon West. We did all the touristy stuff, walked the Skywalk, rafted the Colorado River, and hiked the canyon rim.

One of the days there, Dad showed all the outward signs of dehydration. Air temperature was well above 100 with single digit humidity, typical Arizona desert summer conditions. All he would drink was his favorite Diet Coke. We told him he was looking dehydrated and needed to guzzle water. He said Diet Coke is mostly water, it has no sugar, it would be perfectly fine for hydration.

To shorten the story, we eventually got him to drink water and everything turned out fine. But the question has remained. Intuitively, it would seem that Diet Coke or some other soda would not be the best solution for desert hydration. Why not, and what are the best fluids to drink when in that situation?

Are there lightweight solar stills that work?

Dr. Send — Mon, 26 May 2008 21:47:14 -0800

Does anyone know of a super lightweight (i.e. backpackable) solar still that could be used to purify sea water on a long trip? I'm thinking something that could be set up using trekking poles or sticks maybe...

I'm toying with the idea of a there-and-back desert trip to the ocean, and it would be nice if I could carry half of the water I need for the whole trip, and purify enough seawater for the return trip while I'm near the ocean. But it seems like a long shot to end up with surplus water out of this thing without waiting around for days.

I've googled some stills that can produce about a gallon a day, so the question is whether I could get comparable production with something really lightweight.

What is the desert warfare definition of a 'box'?

felix — Fri, 23 May 2008 07:12:19 -0800

In the terminology of armored desert warfare, what is a 'box'? In Mellenthin's Panzer Battles, there are many descriptions of the form:

"[Strictly speaking there was no such thing as an "Alamein Line," although the gap between the Qattara Depression and the sea was filled by a number of boxes.]

He decided that the Afrika Korps should make a feint in the direction of the Qattara Depression, but should move on the night 30 June/1 July to a position about ten miles southwest of El Alamein station. We believed that the British 10th Corps, with the 50th Division and the 10th Indian Brigade, was holding the Alamein Box and a position to the southwest of it at Deir el Abyad. We thought that the 13th Corps with the 1st Armored Division, the 2nd N.Z. Division, and the 5th Indian Division was holding the southern sector of the line, between the Qaret el Abd Box and the Qattara Depression. Rommel decided to repeat the tactics which had served him so well at Matruh; under cover of the darkness the Afrika Korps was to penetrate between the boxes at Alamein and Deir el Abyad and get in rear of the 13th Corps. Ninetieth Light Division was to swing south of the Alamein Box and cut the coast road to the east of it—exactly the same orders as at Mersa Matruh. If we could once get our troops in rear of the British, Rommel was convinced that their defense would collapse."

A 'box' appears to be a defensive emplacement of some kind, but given the fluid nature of the Africa campaign it doesn't appear to be a minefield per se (minefields are separately mentioned in addition to boxes). Given its fixed nature, perhaps it has something to do with sighted-in artillery sections?

Music recommendations for a desert road trip?

Roman Graves — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:34:22 -0800

Music for the Great American Southwest? In a couple of months I'll be taking my first road trip through the Southwest (West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona). Help me set the mood. What's some of your favorite music for long desert days and nights on the road? Individual song and album recommendations appreciated.

My homemade ice cream gives homemade a bad name.

Mutant — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:56:02 -0800

A big problem and a small problem with my home made ice cream ... I need some tips and pointers on home made ice cream. Specifically, I've had inconsistent results across two dimensions - clumping, or the creaminess (more properly lack of) of my ice cream, and layering of fruit.

After much trial and error, I've settled into this basic recipe:

6 egg yolks
3 cups single cream
1 cup sugar (granulated)
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
Juice from a small lemon (fresh squeezed)

As we can get reasonably priced Spanish strawberries this time of year, my most recent attempts have me using 400g (maybe one half a quart) of the fruit. I puree about half, and split the remaining strawberries down the middle, but will cut again if necessary to render all pieces no larger than 1/2".

Over low heat, I whisk the egg yolks, ten tablespoons of the cream together than add sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. I continue whisking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, all the while careful to keep the heat in check (i.e., avoid boiling). I try to let this cook for about ten minutes or so.

At this point I then add the remaining cream and strawberry puree, and continue whisking until the mixture thickens significantly. Then I add the remaining strawberry slices.

I freeze in a stainless steel bowl for between two to three hours (this part of the recipe is still changing) and we then consume immediately.

Here are my problems:

Big problem - The ice cream is very inconsistent in terms of thickness; sometimes almost soupy, other times it thickens up too much. Is this normal for homemade ice cream? The variance in batches is frustrating me somewhat (Mrs Mutant is a champ, and never complains!) as I'd like to at least have a repeatable process.

Small problem - Fruit - it all seems to end up on the bottom, at least the pieces. Is this just the nature of the product? I can't seem, for the life of me, to get uniform distribution. I've tried freezing the mix for a period of time then adding the heavier pieces, but still I end up with most - if not all - of the fruit chunks on the bottom of the ice cream. What are you folks doing to get a uniform distribution? I've tried mixing after freezing but before serving, but sometimes its difficult to even spoon out, let alone mix (see 'Big Problem' above).

I'm using this recipe each time as I'm trying to get a standard product. I'm eager to add flavours to my repertoire, but seems I'm having difficulties with the basics.

Any tips or suggestions welcomed. Willing to change recipes as well.

Thanks for your help!

Weird rock found in Western Desert of Egypt

odasaku — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:06:27 -0800

An Egyptian friend of mine found this rock in the West Desert of Egpyt. Can anyone tell us what it is? It's really abnormal-looking. (All of my theories involve Sun Ra and pharaonic collusion with Saturn.)

I need more humidity in my house!

actionpact — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:38:25 -0800

How can I increase humidity in my house? It's my first question! Yay (be gentle)!

I live in AZ, where the current average humidity is 10-15%. I am used to living where it's more like 50% humidity; and in order to screenprint (which I need to do!) I need a better humidity ratio to keep ink from drying out when I'm printing, especially in the summer when it's at least a hundred degrees outside and I need to put on a/c to cool down, which adds to the whole dryness thing.

Mostly I just need one room to be more humid-- I think my solution has to be a humidifier but I need to find out the best one for a decent budget (~$50-75?). Any of you MeFites have a good one you swear by? I bought a Vicks one at Target several months ago but I never feel much of a humidity change-- I'm waiting for a hygrometer to show up in my mailbox to actually see if it makes a difference. Or is there something else I can do to up the humidity levels to say 30-40%? Doesn't need to be constant per se-- but if there's other things I can do I'm all ears.

What's the name of this semi-trailer movie?

aftermarketradio — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:28:45 -0800

I am trying to remember the name of a movie featuring a semi-trailer chase through a desert and a whole lot of action. Please, help me remember the name of this movie. What I remember about it is vague, but any suggestions are welcome.

-I remember watching it during the mid-to-late 80's, so it's not too recent.

-It's in color.

-The majority of the movie consisted of a high-speed chase featuring a guy driving a semi-trailer through a desert road.

-This guy is being pursued by a bevy of souped-up, combat-ready vehicles (kind of like Twisted Metal-type vehicles), and he eludes them every time.

-The movie draws to an end when the guy passes through a tunnel to a facility of some sort, and gets out of the semi-trailer.

-I have tried Duel, Maximum Overdrive, and the perennial classic Over The Top to no avail. I just cannot remember this movie.

Where to go to photograph full moon near Los Angeles on Saturday, March 3

willnot — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:25:10 -0800

Where should I go (near Los Angeles) and what should I do, to make a nice photograph of the full moon when it rises on Saturday, March 3rd? I'm thinking someplace in the desert, but I'm open to driving a bit of a ways. For a few months now, I've been wanting to make a nice image of the rising full moon. I marked March 3rd down in my calendar because it's on a Saturday, and so would allow me to travel and not have to worry about work.

This Ask Question has some tips and links for photographing the moon. I just saw that there will be a lunar eclipse that night. I'm not sure if or how that would impact some of the settings I might choose to use. If anybody knows, please let me know.

I have a Rebel XTi. The longest lens I have is a Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens. I also have a Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Standard Zoom Lens. I'm thinking the Sigma would be the best choice because it's longer, but I don't have very much experience with it yet. Should I think about renting an even longer lens, or should that work? If I should think about renting, from whom should I rent it?

Also, more than tactics, I'm looking for suggestions on setting. I was thinking something in the desert would be nice. I've never been into the desert (much less at night/dusk), so I'm not entirely sure where to go or what to do to minimize the chances that I might die. Someplace reasonably close to a road and help would be nice as long as the image can still be dramatic and interesting. I'll probably spend the afternoon shooting around before setting up for the moon rise, so someplace with some nice scenery would be good too. I'll probably be alone (unless some other budding MeFite photographers in the area would like to come along).

Help me chill out in Palm Springs

scody — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:11:54 -0800

Looking for recommendations for spa/lodging in Palm Springs or Desert Hot Springs. I'm looking forward to taking some desperately needed R&R in the next month or two, and want to escape with my boyfriend to the desert for a long, lazy spa weekend (or even a full week). In an ideal world, we'd go someplace like Two Bunch Palms, but realistically that's probably out of our budget range (especially since we're in the high season for the desert right now). Are there other places folks would recommend? I'm assuming that any other full spa resort would be equally prohibitive, price-wise, but I'd love to be proven wrong. Realistically, though, I assume that I'm probably looking to hear about cool, quiet, serene accomodations (less than $200/night), plus good nearby day spas.

Any other suggestions for relaxing in Palm Springs/Desert Hot Springs/etc. is welcome too. (Restaurants/bars/antique stores not to be missed?) I'm ashamed to say I've been in SoCal for more than 6 years and never gone out to the desert for any length of time, so this is my attempt to rectify that situation!

Brazilian desert recipe?

bookish — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:39:46 -0800

Do you know any good Brazilian desert recipes? Cookies or something similiar would be ideal-- I want something to take to Poruguese class on our last day. If you know what part of Brazil it's from, even better.

Is Desert Solipsism a real book?

copmuter — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 20:39:25 -0800

Is Desert Solipsism a real book? In The Monkey Wrench Gang, by Edward Abbey, the character Abbzug allegedly has a book titled Desert Solipsism. This sounds interesting to me, yet an internet search on the title performs the amazing feat of returning no results. Obscure, I guess. Does anyone know if this is a real book, a made up book, or an in-joke that I don't get? Thanks.

Must I go barefoot?

backOfYourMind — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 03:51:34 -0800

Where online can I get Clarks shoes in (or delivered to) Australia? Over the years I've bought several pairs of Clarks Desert Boots and Desert Trek (seam shoes). I'd buy more, but for one small problem...

I know my size, I know the style I want, I've found tons of online stores that have them in stock - but I've had no luck finding an online retailer that will ship to the Antipodes - specifically, Brisbane, Queensland. Any suggestions for stores (online or otherwise) that sell Clarks and will ship to Australia?

girlfriend wanders the desert

pissfactory — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 08:35:32 -0800

Emergency GPS suggestions for girlfriend who is compelled to travel alone in the desert for a week. I have read through several posts on Ask and didn't see anything that wasn't for "normal" GPS use. What I need is something affordable, basic, and simple- but will work in the case of "damn, I'm lost in the desert." I've seen emergency GPS beacons for $1,000, but I was hoping to spend closer to $100. Any suggestions?

Africa desert real estate

ykjay — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 15:03:29 -0800

I'd like to have some range land in a desert country, lease or own depending on the price and local laws, and I'm looking toward Morocco, Western Sahara or Mauritania. Anybody have any good sources on property in this part of the world?