How to Prepare for the Wilderness

Series Summary

Anyone who has traveled through the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park or the Painted Deserts of Utah can attest to the stark and awesome beauty of the desert wilderness. The magnificent sunsets, the black starry nights, the brilliant rock structures and exquisite vegetation make it a premier destination spot for both serious outdoors men and average day hikers alike. However, the desert wilderness can be harsh and, save maybe John the Baptist, people find it difficult to survive for long period of times in the desert. But don't worry, thanks to Expert Village you don't have to be Jesus to survive in the desert for forty days.

In this free video series, survival skills expert Mike Myers explores how to survive in the desert. Learn basic desert survival tips such as: how to prepare for the wilderness, how to find a campsite, how to use a map and a compass, how to kill and eat a rattlesnake, how to treat a snake bite, what to do if your lost in the desert, how to filter water, and how much water is needed to survive in the desert. Don't let yourself be caught unawares in the desert. Educate yourself with this video series and make desert adventures fun and exciting.

Video Transcript

"Hi! I'm Mike Meyers with Zion Wilderness Survival School in Utah and I am here for Expert Village to talk to you about wilderness survival skills. The most critical thing I believe in starting off on any sort of wilderness adventure whether be in a vehicle or on foot, is preparation. Having the right gear, getting yourself in good physical condition. You wouldn't jump in a ocean and try to swim to the English Channel if you never swam before nor should somebody just plunge out into the desert especially the desert that can be a very hostile place without some preparation and physical conditioning so I recommend that you undergo some jogging, running, biking regimen ahead of time so that you feel that you are reasonably physically fit. You are prepared to deal with the very vigorous obstacles that you will be confronted with in a desert setting. Preparation is another phase of being prepared, knowing where you are going, taking the time to review your maps. I have maps here that I have drawn lines on that show my route on particular trips I have taken. I do that ahead of time, I look at terrain, I look for water sources, reliable water sources if there are any and something I do is look for handrails. Handrails are physical markings or physical structures. They may be freeways, rivers, mountain ranges that I know say to my left, west, east, north to help me lock in where am. If I get lost for some reason, I can always use those handrails as a way to guide me back. If I know the freeway is 20 miles to the west, I just start walking west and I know that I will hit that freeway eventually. It is easier than looking for small trails, ravine, etc. The other thing I do is I go through what gear I am going to need. Your gear can be good for one area but not good for another. If you are going to be in the desert, you want to have plenty of water. You may have 2/3 of your weight in water. Somewhere else water may not be as important because it is available. So preparation is key to your outing. If you are in a vehicle and going to do 4 wheel drive, going off road somewhere, you need to have gear in your vehicle. You need to have plenty of water, extra food, tools to maintain your vehicle or to fix a flat tire. You don't just plunge off assuming your vehicle is going to get you back. "