off to the desert

[jackcbr]

Hi all

I'm of to Egypt in May and will be spending a bit of time on a desert safari. But I haven't a clue on what to expect/take or how to cope with hot weather. Camping in a force 8 gale no probs, got that one sorted, but sunshine - still a bit alien to that.

Any tips on making things a little more comfy. Footwear/sleeping arrangements/what sort of clothing for day/night.

or tips and tricks for bushcraft (or should I say sandcraft) in the desert.

 

[Bravo4]

Hi jackcbr,
Perhaps you could provide a little more detail about your adventure? There must be scores of experienced desert rats on here able to offer some specific advice. I would also like to hear and learn more.

You mention "safari". Is it more of a tour, is water provided?

For many of the trips I do, it's all about water. Carrying, conserving, locating, treating. It's a legnthy subject, I would be happy to discuss.

Boonie cap is a must for me, as is a large neckerchief. I find loose clothing that retains moisture, cottons, are preferable to wicking synthetics. I mostly wear long sleeves. Cotton/nylon blends for shorts or trousers that can roll up comfortably. Light wool socks and the lightest weight footware I can get away with.

Temperature fluctuations over the course of a day can be dramatic depending on location. For example, the website below mentions a possible "range from 7C at night to 43C during the day" for inland deserts during summer. Nothing like that in May but the point is that the relative day/night temps may feel cold even if you're used to much cooler temps at home. Also a min/max chart by location and month available here,
http://www.touregypt.net/climate.htm

Let's see... take less, take pictures, no camo, military kit to a minimum, have fun.

 

[Graham_S]

no military or camo kit.
A nice broad brimmed hat is a must. I have a White Rock one with cooling crystals in the brim which is fantastic.
Loose clothing made of natural fabrics, long sleeves are a must.
Water.
You need to stay hydrated, a camelback or similar will be useful to have.
I use thin cotton bandannas a lot, issue desert sweat rags are actually quite good.
A decent pair of sunglasses will make your life easier too. I use oakleys almost exclusively as I've fond them to be the best.

I live in Saudi Arabia by the way

 

[sandbag47]

I'm one of the 'rats'. I agree with not wearing military kit.
But a camelback is a must, go for the insulated one it realy helps keep your water cool !
In fact i agree with everything Graham S said.
I would take a large spare sock to put bottles of water in to cool them down by wetting the sock (if you have enough water that is).
A shmag would be a good idea aswell.

 

[jackcbr]

Wow, cheers guys. It's not a long trip and a lot of it will be by vehicle, water will be rationed but provided. But we will be camping out at night. The finer detail is still a mystery to me as a friend who lives out there is organising it as a treat. But she is well aware I like things a little extreme.

As for the shmag, am I right in saying there are things associated with the colours?Wouldn't want to offend anyone.

 

[Everything Mac]

I'm one of the 'rats'. I agree with not wearing military kit.
But a camelback is a must, go for the insulated one it realy helps keep your water cool !
In fact i agree with everything Graham S said.
I would take a large spare sock to put bottles of water in to cool them down by wetting the sock (if you have enough water that is).
A shmag would be a good idea aswell.

I would agree - get a decent shemagh and a hat.

the shemagh can double up as a face wrap should you want it.

I bought a camelbak just last week - great bit of kit and worth its weight in gold.

all the best mate

stay safe.

andy

 

[Brown Bear]

Prepare anything you take to be subjected to sand. The sand is fine and dusty and airborn on occaision. Not like beach sand. And it wil get EVERYWHERE.

 

[TinkyPete]

For the Colour of Shemagh I would stay away from White/Black or Red/White as both those have religious conataions. So I would head for Tan/Black, Plain Tan or maybe Blue/Black you can get othe solid colour ones so I would head in that direction.

Don't forget Sunscreen and Aloe gel either to help protect and sooth skin

A broad brimmed hat a must, also drink loads and eat little and watch local water sources so I would take some form of treating and filtering water to.

Don't forget that long clothes can still let UV through but it is safer than bare skin.

 

[phill_ue]

Go native and pick up some of their flowing lightweight clothing to wear, you'll be amazed at how comfy it is. Sandals are all well and good for ensuring your feet can breathe a bit, but you don't want to be wearing them all day as you walk about as your feet will get trashed what with the spiney plants and nasty creatures that lurk at every foot fall! A good pair of desert boots will see you right. You can go military or you can pick them up from Clarks, etc.

I would definitely invest in a shemagh or a wide brimmed hat, maybe even both. A shemagh can be used in any environment and the wide brimmed hat will help cut down on the glare from the sun. A good pair of shades is also a must unless you want to be squinting for the entire time, and to cut down the glare from the sand.

A bit of warm gear is essential, it can get a bit cool at night. Go for a jumper or a fleece and maybe a lightweight jacket. Pick all of your clothing to have long sleeves and legs, you can roll them up if need be but when the sun is up it can get incredibly hot and covering up may become essential, especially if you are fair skinned. If you take a book to read, be advised that it is't worth taking a book that cannot be easily replaced! I took a few books to the desert and the binding glue literally melted and the pages all dropped out!

 

[BorderReiver]

A lot of good advice there.

This is one time when cotton comes into it's own. The air is so dry that your sweat evaporates from the cotton and helps to cool you down.

Broad brimmed hat, with a BIG hanky or a white scarf soaked in water under it.

Shemagh for sure; great for blown sand, you can wrap your head in it and leave a narrow slit to see through.

Good pair of shades, the sand reflects glare like snow.

Don't show the soles of your feet to the Arabs, it is considered a real insult.


EDIT: the sand will play merry hell with your camera and other optical gear, take a blowbrush and try to keep the stuff out of the cases too.
Take the opportunity to get to know the locals, Egyptians have a great sense of humour.

 

[jackcbr]

You guys are great, some top stuff that I wouldn't have thought of. Camera blower, fantastic - I do enjoy my photography and wouldn't have considered that.

Glad I dodged a bullet with the shemagh colours and the feet as well.

Just another question on water. Any tips on conservation and purification. Best practice and methods.

But really guys, this is all gold for me.

 

[sandbag47]

I must say that i saw alot of bottled water for sale everywhere i went. I would try to live on that....but you will need about 6 litres a day..
melons good aswell as it hold alot of juice

O'yes don't wave with your left hand, thats a serious insult as the left hand is used for wiping their .... (you know what i mean)

 

[Graham_S]

If you're buying bottled water, make sure that the seal isn't broken.
It's not unknown for locals to refill them from the tap, and put dots of superglue around the sealing ring.

 

[Bravo4]

....that's why you got to look to the bloggers"
Early Cuyler, squidbilly

Keep your mouth shut!....that sounds rude....Breath through your nose! Easier said than done but sort of a multi-use technique. If you have to breath through your mouth, you're working too hard, leaking water.

Always follow the contour of the land if you can. Be conscious of it at least. Again, sounds simple but it is a natural tendancy (gravity) for folks to let their elevation "slip". One meter lost will need to be reclaimed. Over the course of a long day or two, it adds up.

Pace yourself silly (you're not silly, I mean your pace).

Serious sunburn is no joke. I've seen guys get blistered burns from just a couple of hours of unprotected..uh..sunshine.

The wind can..strike that. The wind can..I'm not sure how to write this without it sounding dirty... Dehydrate, that's better. The wind can dehydrate you as well. The dry wind seems to ionize the small sand and dust particles, makes them all clingy. Physics is Chinkapin's department.

Lip balm may have been mentioned already, if not, there you go. It's the wind that gets me by the end of a day. My lips tend to crack without balm and while not fatal it is uncomfortable.

A shemagh that you pick up in Egypt will be cooler than one you take with. Picking up several of these and sending them to your virtual friends would also be cool. OK, maybe just one for a forum contest prize, to go with your out and about thread.

Camelbaks. I don't work for Camelbak but would if they gave me a job. I didn't get the very first Camelbak that came out. As far as I know, a guy named "Joe" did. Joe is a man at least 3 years ahead of his time. One day, years ago, (threadjack in progress) Joe turns up wearing what I can only imagine is part of a Stillsuit, except it says "Camelbak" in a large, neon pink and green 80's style logo. A neon pink to neon green fade; I don't see a "shudder" smilie but if you've lived through the 80's.... Plus, neon and ninja don't go well together. Or maybe they do...The Neon Ninja (bushcraft comic side-character) .

The new models came out, no more neon. There were still some flaws and we felt free to point them out.
"This, this here (B4 points at undersized opening with a press-in cap) this here is ,,,,, it's broke, and this part here leaks, my bladder and my nipple leak, give me another, make 'em bigger."
Camelbak rep says,
"OK, but you have to start calling it a 'bite valve' and 'reservoir'. Nobody is gonna wanna drink from a bladder, through a nipple."
"Fair 'nuf."
It was just this type of user "feedback" that spurned Camelbak on and I respect them for putting up with us. I gave them an idea which has yet to see development: dual reservoirs and bite valves, worn on the front, eliminates the need for a long hose, the "mammalfront". Feel free to run with that idea.

Sadly, Joe does not have that first camelbak anymore. I called him this morning (yesterday morning, the time thing) and asked him. He said, "what?"
I emailed Camelback. They could neither confirm nor deny if Joe did indeed own the first Camelbak. They did however provide me with the following reply,
"Hey Bravo4 (except they used my real name) Hey Bravo4, The first CamelBak (I've been spelling it wrong, big B, oops) the first CamelBak was made in 1989."
That bit of info is not even on the Wikipedia. BCUK exclusive that is. If you like your CamelBak, don't thank them, thank "Joe". If you don't like your CamelBak, well then blame science, or scince fiction, or Frank Herbert

Here's your thread back, Jack.
All the best
Clint

Also, eating, and the left hand thing.

 

[jackcbr]

....that's why you got to look to the bloggers"
Early Cuyler, squidbilly


Pace yourself silly (you're not silly, I mean your pace).

No, I think you are about right, I am silly

Once again guys, lots more good advice. The left hand thing is going to be a problem as I'm left handed. But I should be the most prepared traveller every!

 

[jackcbr]

Knowledge is nothing if not shared. Cheers one and all.

 

[jackcbr]

Well as we can't be sure if we are going to be able to make it thanks to the volcano, safari is not happening on this trip. Damn you Iceland, first Bjork, then Kerry Katona and global financial melt down. Now can't fly without risking a month in an airport because of a bit of ash in the air. Shame the Landy isn't fully up to scratch yet or I'd drive it there. Show them how it's done. GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRR

 

[SMARTY]

Go long. Long trousers, long sleeves, long socks. Protect the back of the neck. Dont rush around in the heat of the day. Do the majority of your heavy work at night or during the cooler times of dusk and dawn.

If you are spending a lot of time in an air conditioned vehicle beware of the effects of a sudden body temperature rise when you get out. I tend to turn the AC off and have the windows partly open when desert driving and camping. Treat anywater from local sources (including dodgy bottled stuff). get used to drinking warm or hot water.

You may feel cold at night so collect or take fire wood have a mid range doss bag. Dont play with snakes or scorpions.

Have fun and enjoy the trip.

Oops sorry, should have read the last post before adding my bit. Shame about your trip better luck next time.

 

[tiger stacker]

Desert fox boots are comfy
Some floppy hats have neck shades, so avoid baseball caps as your ears need to be protected.

Alcohol gel is great for keeping clean, baby wipes as well. Good sun factor cream for preventing sunburn. I used baby oil for dry skin, but made sure it was after the hottest part of the day.

Basic phrases in the local language always eases the locals. Most locals are very polite.

Expect to haggle, and remember your mossy pills as malaria is still a killer.

 

[jackcbr]

There's just no justice in the world. I'd rebooked to go to Egypt and now it's in the middle of the bloody strikes. You'd have thought I would have known better working for BA. GGGGGGRRRRRRR