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If you’re planning on hiking the desert, it’s important to make sure you have all the essentials packed. But, believe it or not, there are extra and some unexpected things you need for desert hiking that you may not need for other styles of hiking.
The Basics
- Day Pack: I’ve been using the Osprey Daylite Plus for a few years now and don’t have any plans to replace it. It has plenty of space, a smaller pocket for easy access to things like keys, a flashlight, or tylenol, and a larger main compartment that fits everything I could ever need, including all my camera gear. As an added bonus, if I want to take it traveling it has a separate laptop sleeve on the inside and can attach to one of my larger packs like the Fairview Trek 70 or 55 Packs.
- Polarized Sunglasses: If you’re hiking the desert, you absolutely need a good pair of sunglasses! I’ve been using Goodr sunglasses since I started running because they’re pretty inexpensive, polarized, and don’t slip no matter how sweaty I get. You can find them here
- Compass: So you can always find your way back.
- Tweezers: You never know when you’ll accidentally brush against a cactus, and some species even jump out at you, so you want to make sure you have tweezers on hand so you can get the spikes out.
- First Aid Kit: Because you should never go hiking without one. The one I’ve linked here comes in a variety of sizes and explains which ones would be best for families vs. water activities vs. solo hikers etc. As a solo hiker, I personally prefer the 1.0 kit because it has a bit more to it than the 0.5 kit.
- Park/Trail Map: Again, just something you should always be hiking with. You can normally get these for free at the visitor center or you can buy a more in-depth guide from a store like Backcountry, REI, EMS, or even Amazon.
- Solar Charger: The last thing you want is to get stuck in the desert with a dead phone. Now, will you have service in the desert? Maybe not. But eventually you will be within range and that won’t do you any good without some juice in your phone. I never go anywhere without a solar charger that hangs off my bag and charges as I explore.
Nutrient Essentials
- 3L Water Reservoir: It is recommended that you hike the desert with one gallon of water per person per day. A gallon is about 3.8L, but it can be a little tough to find a reservoir that big and if you won’t be hiking the desert frequently it may be a little impractical to buy one.
- S’Well Water Bottle: You can never have enough water with you in the desert, and I always travel and hike with a S’Well water bottle. Yes, they’re pretty heavy compared to other water bottle options, but no other water bottle keeps the contents inside cold as long as the original S’Well bottle.
- Nuun Hydration Tablets: You sweat a lot in the desert, and when you sweat you lose essential nutrients your body needs like salt and electrolytes. These tablets are like taking gatorade with you without the added weight. Just throw one into your water bottle or reservoir when you need to refuel and you’re good to go!
- Salty, non-meltable snacks: Notice I said non-meltable. Normally I hike with Lara Bars, Clif Bars, or Monster Trail Mix. But all of these have some kind of chocolate or peanut butter in them which would have turned into a melted mess in my bag, so I needed to find an alternative that would still give me the fuel and energy I needed in the middle of a hike.
I opted for this Tex Mex Trail Mix, which is delicious, salty, and not meltable.
Clothing
Despite being in the desert, long pants are queen and cotton shirts are king. Shocking, right? You would probably think you’d be better off in shorts and a performance type material shirt, but in the desert it is important to have some kind of cooling mechanism, which is where a cotton shirt comes in handy. In terms of the pants, they serve as an extra barrier between you and the spikes of the cacti.
- Breathable underwear: I won’t lie, these are pretty ugly, but I’ve been wearing these by Fruit of the Loom for years now because they’ve served me well for running and equally well for hiking the desert.
- Hiking pants that are breathable, wick moisture away, and have UPF for sun protection. The Quandary Pant by Patagonia is a great option and they’re made with 65% recycled nylon.
- Biker-style shorts: If you’re anything like me and you just can’t stomach the idea of wearing pants in the desert, I would recommend biker shorts. Thick thighs save lives, but chub rub is a b*tch. Thanks to the longer inseam, you don’t have to worry about chub rub and it gives a bit more protection from the cacti and the elements.
Before my trip to Joshua Tree National Park, I found these ones from Amazon and I love them! I bought both the 9inch pair and the 5inch pair and loved them both equally. They’re high waisted, don’t roll down, the legs don’t ride up, and they have pockets that fit either a phone or a smaller camera lens. I cannot rave enough about them! - Longline sports bra: I’ve been loving these in general, but I love them even more for hiking because I can take my shirt off without feeling like I’m exposing myself to the world. I like this one by the REI Co-Op brand or this Momento Crop Top by prAna.
- Hat: You absolutely should not being out into the hot, sunny desert without a hat, preferably one with a large brim going around the length of it. You should also be looking for hats that have UPF for added sun protection.
This hat is ideal because it has a neck cape to keep the sun off your neck.
This one still has a wide brim, but it’s a little less odd looking (and it’s made of recycled materials!)
The white hat I’m wearing in some of my Joshua Tree National Park pictures is a “cooling” hat that I found at Target. When you get it wet, it stays cool similar to a buff or the towels they give out after long races in the summer. It was fine for my hikes, which were all under two miles, but I would have opted for the Patagonia Baggies hat for anything longer. - Patagonia Nano Puff (or some other warm jacket): I know, I know, this seems absolutely insane. If you’re going to the desert, why the hell would you need a winter jacket? But the desert can get shockingly cold at night, and you always want to be prepared.
I have been an advocate for the Patagonia Nano Puff ever since it got me through a night in my car in Iceland in the winter. It folds up into itself so it doesn’t take up too much space, it’s lightweight so it won’t weigh you down, it keeps you incredibly warm, and it comes in a variety of styles and colors!
They can be pretty expensive, but what I love about Patagonia is that they are committed to doing better for the environment. One way they do this is by selling used gear and clothing on their website. My first Nano Puff was bought used through them and it is still going strong two years later. If you’re picky about color, I would recommend just putting out the money to buy it new since it is a worthy investment anyway. But, if you don’t care too much about the color, I would definitely check out what they have available used. You can find all their used gear here.
Need tips for hiking the desert? Or specifically, hiking the desert in the summer? Then head over to the post I did about the Top 7 Tips for Hiking the Desert in Summer!
What else would you bring with you for a trip hiking the desert? Let me know in the comments below!
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