Desert Sense: Hiking & Biking in Hot, Dry Climates

By Bruce Grubbs

* Techniques for traversing desert terrain -- by vehicle, by mountain bike, or on foot * Strategies for comfort, safety, and survival in extreme conditions * Selecting gear and equipment for this special environment Like any desert aficionado, Bruce Grubbs is obsessed with water: how much to bring, how to carry it, how to conserve it, and how to find it in the backcountry. But desert exploration involves much more. Grubbs provides the knowledge and skills you need to move through this landscape with confidence. In addition to hiking and mountain biking advice, Grubbs tells how to prepare your vehicle for remote desert roads and how to avoid getting stuck in sand or busting a tire. He discusses navigating in the desert, "dry camping" skills, and techniques for minimum impact on this starkly beautiful but fragile environment. There are tips for dealing with desert heat -- and cold -- and other challenges (sharp spiny plants and venomous snakes are easy to avoid with a little preparation and know-how). But just in case, Grubbs troubleshoots the worst-case scenarios. Throughout, he gives an understanding of desert climate and seasons, and the unique plants and creatures at home in it.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0898869730
• ISBN13: 9780898869736
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books
• Length: 173 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Required reading for desert trips

This book should be required reading for anyone remotely thinking about desert exploring of any type. I have done a fair amount of desert trips and have read and reread this book a number of times. It is packed full of important, potentially life saving information that will help you navigate safely in the desert. Everything from techniques for hiking,mountain biking, and 4x4 trips including vehicle preparation is included. There is an interesting section on troubleshooting worst-case scenarios and even a section on selecting the proper gear and equipment for desert conditions. When considering desert trips it is well to remember the admonishment of famed desert rat and author Edward Abbey:"...Enter at your own risk. Carry water. Avoid the noonday sun. Try to ignore the Vultures. Pray frequently." I would add "read and study this book" or perhaps "Don't leave home without it." Highly recommended.