Hiking the desert environment is a lot different than traditional wilderness, and I get a lot of questions from folks who want to know how to properly plan a desert trip and stay safe. If you haven't had much desert experience, one thorough guide on the subject is The Ultimate Desert Handbook by Mark Johnson. It has nearly 300 pages of information on planning a trip, how to successfully navigate remote desert, hiking/camping advice, tips on clothing and gear, avoiding venomous, Africanized bees, and other hazardous critters, first aid, and survival/rescue information. Hey, don't be a statistic!

[This message has been edited by Scott (edited 07-15-2003).]