How to Survive the Sonoran Desert

4 min read

You’ve spent your morning hiking in the desert sun. You begin to feel lightheaded and sweat is pouring down your back. As you pick up your cell phone to call for help, you realize you have no signal. This trip into the scorching heat may be your last. The Sonoran Desert is located along the Mexico-U.S. border. It reached a sizzling 80.8°C (177 °F) in May 2021. To make it through that heat, you might need to follow these steps. Why should you use the one hour rule? How can a mirror save you? And could keeping your mouth closed help combat the heat?

The scorching Sonoran Desert is the hottest in North America. It’s 260,000 sq km (100,387 sq mi) of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, including the southern half of Arizona, southeastern California and most of the states of Sonora and Baja California, Mexico. The heat here is dry but is deceivingly deadly, so you should be prepared to withstand its brutal temperatures.

Step 1: Plan Your Hike

While the sunny days may look the most picturesque, choosing a cooler day to venture out is ideal. Starting your hike in the early morning hours when it is about 15 to 30 °C (59 to 86 °F) cooler would save you from the blazing heat. It would also allow you to see the gorgeous sunrise and animal life that are most active at that time.

Step 2: Water Water Water

When setting out on any hike, it is important to bring water. A good rule is to have at least 1L (0.22 gal) for every hour that you are going to be out. You need to keep water inside your body. You don’t want to save all the water you have. Certainly don’t chug it all down, but it is more important to try and keep your body temperature at 37 °C (98.6 °F).

Step 3: Proper Equipment

Before you set out on this treacherous hike across the desert, make sure you have the proper equipment. Don’t go out in sandals. Wear layers of light clothing and prepare for the worst. Ideally a compass would help prevent you from getting lost. Other not-so-obvious items to bring include a mirror to signal for help since the reflection can be seen from a great distance. And a whistle to signal for help might also come in handy.

Step 4: Don’t Lay Down

You might feel exhausted, but do not lie down. Since this desert is surrounded by mountains, it traps the hot air, causing the ground temperatures to rise. They can be hotter than the air.

Step 5: Keep Your Mouth Closed

You may have forgotten what your teacher said about keeping your mouth closed during class, but this is an important time to listen to that advice. You need to conserve moisture whenever you can. This means moving slowly, which will prevent excessive sweating and keeping your mouth closed. This will slow the dehydration process from your breathing. Cover your mouth with something like a bandanna to prevent excess water loss. Remember, heat stroke can be fatal. Since 1998, approximately 4,000 migrants have died under the Arizona sun. In his 2004 book The Devil’s Highway, Luis Alberto Urrea explains the perils of traversing the Sonoran on foot faced by the Yuma 14 Mexican migrants. The group died in their border crossing attempt. Those in shape will, sooner or later, faint.