DESERT SURVIVAL TIPS

[Old Dog]

I always carry and use often a pair of thin leather work gloves.
They don't take up much room, (they are quit often in my back pocket)

They have saved my hands countless times.

 

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[gollum]

One of my personal favorites, picked this up from a park ranger at South Mountain...go to the hardware store and grab a pack of flints made for a welding torch. They are threaded on the base end. Then walk over a few aisles, and find some screws that fit those threads. Put them together, and you now have a hand-held flint that you can strike for a spark with your pocket-knife (you do carry one of those at all times, right? Tip: get long enough screws for you to hold the device comfortably. Be safe out there

Thomas

Or just buy one of those magnesium fire starters. Only a couple of bucks at Harbor Freight.

Best-Mike

 

[gollum]

For anybody that goes exploring in any way out locations of deserts and mountains (like me), one thing I cannot recommend highly enough:

SPOT GPS Locator

http://www.findmespot.com/en/

It will save your ass if you are out of reach of normal communications.

.............. and to save your bank account if you have to use the SPOT GPS, GET THE INSURANCE! $13 a year and it pays up to $50,000 for SSAR Rescue twice a year ($100,000 total per year). If you need to get rescued more than twice a year, you REALLY need to find a new hobby.

Best-Mike

 

[GoldBack]

Not sure mesquite beans are in fact edible, had a horse die from eating them. Maybe just to horses its poisonous, but still I wouldn't take the chance.
Good posts tho.

 

[aztreasure]

I hadn't heard of that before, real sorry to hear about your horse. Some quick searching online indicates mesquite beans are indeed dangerous for some animals. However, they are totally fine for humans. From http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2051117:
"Mesquite pods are not poisonous to humans. According to Native Desert Foods, mesquite pods are a popular food among indigenous cultures of the American Southwest. These peoples often mill the pods after drying, and use the meal for pancakes and other carbohydrates."..."Mesquite pods can be poisonous for livestock, according to Texas A&M University. Though cattle can eat them in times of drought, eating too much can alter the bacteria in their rumen, or stomach. Cattle will eventually starve if subsisting totally on a diet of mesquite pods. Sheep can eat them, but horses can get impaction colic from them."

There are classes on mesquite harvesting here in Phoenix, and annual community milling: http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/page/page/show?id=2008067:Page:21298

 

[Old Dog]

I used to chew on the beans when I was younger.
The dentist and my parents made me quit ... the sugar was ruining my teeth.
I figured out that the best ones were the real ripe but not quite hard ones. They would quite often have drops of sap coming off of them ... very sweet. We would have to compete with the bees and wasps for them.

If you want a real treat try mesquite honey.

 

[avajohonson2395]

Cool information. I'm familiar with the plants except for the jojoba. I haven't been around agave, but yucca is similar.

 

[Joanne]

Survival tips are always good to know, but proper preparation may prevent the need for a survival scenario. Many years ago when I was in Search and Rescue, we recovered the bodies of a couple who simply took a joy ride, got stuck, then caught in a snow storm. They were a couple of hundred miles away from their home and had not told anyone where they were going. It was Springtime before they were found. It was a completely preventable tragedy. Whole books can and have been written on the topic.

I keep a Spot tracker with me when I travel. Any of the personal locating beacons could prevent unnecessary deaths. Unfortunately the most likely victim isn't someone like us who are experienced in the outdoors, but rather it's the person who spontaneously decides to head out "exploring".

Joanne

 

[augoldminer]

I have one of those magnesium fire starters that works real well. When you strike a spark to those magnesium shavings they'll burn even in the rain. I did the twirling the stick thing before to see if it could be done and it can. I will recommend the longer the drill stick the better.

Carry cotton balls with vasoline on them.

magnesium fire starter will light cotton balls with vasoline even in rain and can be carried in a pill bottle

For water carry it in 2 liter soda bottles and carry para cord to loop around the necks and you can carry two at a time.
you can carry even more with a old pack frame and para cord.

Para cord is even more usefull then duck tape

A military mash vest can hold a lot of survival equipment and still allow you to sweat.
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