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Desert camping

Desert camping gear for hot-weather nights

What to pack for a desert night when the day was hot: shade, water, sleep, wind and sand, with a conditions table and what fails first.

Karim Belkacem6 min read

A shade tarp and tent set up on flat desert ground in the late afternoon
Image by Brahmsee from Pixabay

Stakes do not hold in loose sand. That is the first thing to go wrong in a desert wind, and it is cheap to fix before you leave.

A hot-weather desert trip asks four things of your gear: keep the sun off you, keep you supplied with water, keep the tent in place and keep you comfortable after dark. Everything below is sorted by those jobs, not by gear category.

What the day and the night ask of you

The day is the dangerous part. The night is where people are often caught out the other way, because dry air and a clear sky can make it cool off faster than the forecast high suggests. Pack for both.

FactorSummer heatWinter nights
SleepLight bag or a liner, a thin pad, a tent you can open fullyA bag rated below the forecast low, an insulated pad
ShelterShade first, tent secondWind protection, closed vents, good guy lines
WaterThe main weight in the carLess drinking, but still plan a reserve
ClothingLoose, light, long sleeves, wide-brim hatWarm hat, insulated layer, dry spare socks
CookingCook late or early, away from the tentHot drinks matter, so carry extra fuel

Shade comes before the tent

A tent in full sun in the afternoon is a hot box. Put up a tarp or shade shelter first, with the high side facing the sun, and sit under that. Plan the tent for sleeping, not for hanging around in.

A tarp pitched low on the windward side with the high edge open to the breeze
Image by anaterate from Pixabay

Choose a tarp or shelter with plenty of anchor points and carry more cord than you think you need. Shade that flaps loose in a gust is not shade.

What goes wrong first. The shade anchors. Wind finds the weakest point, and in loose sand that is usually a stake. Fix: carry heavier anchors (sand bags, spare water containers, or buried deadman anchors) and set the shade low on the windward side.

Water and fuel: do the maths before you pack

Water and fuel maths. Example only, change the numbers for your trip. Two people, two nights: drinking water per person per day x 2 people x 2 days, plus cooking and washing water, plus a reserve you agree not to touch. Fuel: boil time for each meal and hot drink x number of meals, then add a third. If the total feels like too much to carry, shorten the trip or camp closer to the vehicle. Our water per person page explains the drinking part.

Water is the main weight in a hot desert trip, and it is the one thing you cannot improvise. The checklist on this site plans about 4 liters per person per day for desert trips and more in heat. Official guidance is to drink steadily and to avoid the hottest hours of the day. The National Park Service page we cite below suggests staying out of the intense heat in the middle of the day and carrying salty snacks as well as water.

What goes wrong first. Water you cannot reach. A cooler packed under the tent and the stove is fine at home and useless when you are dizzy. Keep the day's water inside the vehicle or in shade, and carry a reserve that is separate from the water you drink.

A tent that handles wind and sand

A dome tent pitched with its door facing away from the wind and guy lines out
Image by ptrabattoni from Pixabay

For a desert, what matters most is how the tent behaves in wind and sand, not how many windows it has.

  • Low profile and strong poles. Tall flat-sided tents act like sails. Look at the maker's wind notes and pole material on the spec sheet.
  • Mesh you can close. Open mesh cools you on a still night. Closed panels keep out blowing sand.
  • Guy lines on every point. Use all of them, not just the corners.
  • Stakes made for sand. Wide or long stakes grip better than thin pegs. Where they will not hold, bury a stuffed bag as an anchor and tie to it.
  • Door away from the wind. Face it downwind so the tent does not scoop sand.

Wind also decides how you cook. The gas stove vs wood fire comparison covers that side.

What goes wrong first. The zip fills with sand and jams. Fix: shake out and brush the tent before packing, and do not force a gritty zip.

Sleep: heat in the evening, cool after midnight

A sleeping bag that suits the cool end of the night is often too warm at 9 pm. Layer instead: a liner or light blanket as the base, with a warmer layer you can pull on when the temperature falls. A thin pad is enough in summer, but in winter an insulated pad matters more than the bag, because the ground takes heat from you.

A sleeping setup with a liner, pad and a folded warm layer within reach
Image by KAVOWO from Pixabay

Clothing and sun cover

Loose, light, long sleeves and a wide-brim hat do more than a thin tank top and sunscreen alone. Sunscreen still goes on, and so do sunglasses. Pack dry socks and a warm layer even for a summer trip, and keep them where you can find them in the dark.

Wildlife, fire and leaving no trace

Shake out shoes and bags before you put them on, and keep food sealed. If you want a fire, check the rules for the area first. Fire rules in desert areas are set by local authorities, and many places ban open fires, so check the official page for the area before you go. The seven Leave No Trace principles are a good short check: plan ahead, camp on durable ground, carry out all waste and use a stove when you can.

Before you go

  1. Tell someone your route and your return time.
  2. Check the forecast for the day and the night.
  3. Carry offline maps and a paper map.
  4. If you are driving off the road, bring recovery gear and know how to use it. Do not go alone.
  5. Plan to turn back early if anyone feels unwell.

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