When you go hiking in the desert, you will need a good hiking pack and sturdy hiking shoes, as well as functional clothing that can give you good protection. You should get yourself the right pack which can safely fit in all the equipment used for hiking that you intend to take with you.
Like most everything else in our present technological age, the hiking pack has also undergone miniaturization. A full-size backpack hiking enthusiasts loved so well three decades ago had a storage capacity of 7,000 cubic inches. Packs that big could take almost anything you could throw into them – clothes, sleeping bag, food, a Coleman exponent xpedition stove, a tent; and just to fill it up, you probably added a little more food, a few books, perhaps.
Nowadays, you can get a get a Coleman exponent absoraka backpack with a capacity less than half of the old backpacks. Despite the smaller size, you can still carry enough clothes, sleeping bag, food, a stove, a tent and still have room for a book. You will still get good service out of the old cavernous packs, but more often than not you will not need them unless you are going on a very long trek. With the smaller modern versions, you are forced to really think about what you put into the hiking pack and end up with a lighter load.
When you select your hiking pack consider the hiking conditions you are likely to venture into. For instance, a short hike in the desert will need only a daypack. Backpack hiking means you will need a larger pack, plus hiking gear like a sleeping bag, shelter and cooking equipment. And be very circumspect in choosing your hiking shoes; lightweight hiking boots may not endure a long two-week desert hike through rugged and rocky terrain.
Once you are out in the wilderness, your comfort and, more importantly, you safety will depend largely on the camping and hiking equipment you carry with you. This implies that the hiking pack you choose should be able to help provide for what may be needed. In a raging thunderstorm, you will need a real sturdy tent, so your hiking pack should allow you to carry one. It can get quite cold at nights in the desert; you must have a good sleeping bag, so your pack should be able to take one.
One more thing, once you have your camping and hiking equipment all assembled, make sure you take care of all that gear. For the duration of your hike, all the things that you stow in your hiking pack will become your home in the wilderness. A broken hiking pack while you are miles away from the nearest town will severely limit your mobility; a ripped tent or fly can mean a miserable, wet experience when the rain pours. If you are hiking in the desert, as much as is humanly possible keep the equipment out of the intense desert sun. The intense heat will fry any sensitive material, and before long, you may find that your beloved nylon pack has become faded and brittle and will likely tear easily when it gets caught in branches or boulders that you chance upon during the hike. |
