Survival in Desert

[bbbass]

I've spent time there, and near there. Your biggest challenge will be safely exiting town. Try to have a specific goal of where you want to be. Lake Mead sports water and fish, but also butt-kicking sun in the summer, sidewinders, western diamondback rattlers, and scorpions under every rock (watch yer sleeping bag and puttin on yer pants in the morn. Yes, I've had this experience.) Watch out for tarantulas too. Oh, and Zanti ants.

I believe your next best bet would be to make it to Flagstaff area. But ifn yer gonna do that, you could just head north instead. There are some spots around Alamo, Ash Springs, or maybe closer to Tonopah that have water and trees.

I seriously think you should consider sheltering in place if you are going to be in Vegas. So much food and supplies there, and hopefully the other guys aren't as good a shot as you.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I've spent a bit a time in Death Valley.. super neat place, close to LV. If you find a tiny little rock holla full a wata that the sheep use, you'll.. yea, there's very little water yonder.

 

[bbbass]

It's called "Death" Valley. You know it's 129F there and no water at all. Am I right? You want him dead?

Nah, he should go right on past that up I95 and hit the brothels. I don't know how much food and supplies they might have in SHTF but he'd be a happy man until the $$$ and condominiums ran out. Then he'd really be screwed, no eats, no drinks, and no fun!!

 

[CoastRange57]

You are out of your mind. Any place that fing hot should not be inhabited.

I also worked there a couple years from about November to February building golf courses. Tolerable then but there is nothing good about that town or area unless you can spend all your time a some gated resort.

 

[CoastRange57]

and hopefully the other guys aren't as good a shot as you.

I would not hold my breath there. I was there a couple days in March, there are a lot of good guys with guns and there are a lot of bad people, with impressive amounts of firepower, this I got directly from a Clark Co deputy and a gun shop owner.

The shop owner said there are a lot of illegal weapons in the hands of bad people, one of the reasons the locals gun up so much. I listened to a few hours of radio traffic and there was a fair amount of weapons calls, and saw the cops take some guns off a couple of guys in a car right on the strip.

 

[CoastRange57]

The desert has its uses. I fully intend to try the snowbird thing for a couple winters at least in a few years.

 

[bbbass]

Yup, I wish I could still go to Quartzsite for the winter. But medical issues have taken even that away.

You're totally right. It's a very violent place. Murders on every block. I know what you say because my oldest brother lives there. But at least the OP could go shoot with the Clark Co IDPA, they are as totally awesome shots as they are anal.

 

[bbbass]

BTW... you can totally freeze to death in the desert at night. Temps drop fast. In the winter, Flagstaff gets many feet of snow, it even snows in Vegas, and in the winter months you don't stand a chance without shelter, heat, or both. In Quartzsite, my wife and I ran thru a 20lb tank of propane every 4-5 days.

Watch out for flash floods. Monsoon season is nothing to mess with. Oh, and desert fever... this is a deadly lung fungus that grows on the soil due to periodic wetting.

 

[cigars]

What would instructor zero do? As long as you have your combat tights you can overcome any situation.

 

[thorborg]

View attachment 375276

Says a man with a tale to tell???

 

[MrMillspecer]

I would take some type of mister fan, an umbrella, some sunscreen a magazine. And extra water.

Travel by night , sleep in the day and use a tarp to catch morning dew. You can wring out moist camel turds for water as well. Get a book on edible desert plants ? Rabbits, birds , rodents and snakes should be plentiful so a good .22 would be nice.

I'm not much help. Good luck.

 

[Flymph]

Yeah, all of those critters to watch out for... rattlesnakes, scorpions, spiders... there is your food! Those hot days and freezing temps at night, well, that's your water (as stated above). You should definitely be on the move if you leave town. Just read up on it and you'll be fine.

 

[41mag]

I spent one summer working in Hells Canyon.
There's a reason for the low density population in some areas of the country.

 

[Mark W.]

HOW is the Desert around Vegas any different then 1/2 of Oregon?

 

[MrMillspecer]

Ok so it wasn't camel dung it was elephant dung. Different desert Bear Grylls was in. Just a last resort thing.

 

[Flymph]

HOW is the Desert around Vegas any different then 1/2 of Oregon?

A few species and vegetation density? Accessible water?
Somebody who knows more about those southern deserts could better inform you.

 

[41mag]

"HOW is the Desert around Vegas any different then 1/2 of Oregon?"

Vegas is way too close to other population centers to be of any interest for my needs.

 

[Certaindeaf]

HOW is the Desert around Vegas any different then 1/2 of Oregon?

True.. it's all part of The Great Basin. All water there don't get to the ocean. it's a basin

 

[CoastRange57]

"HOW is the Desert around Vegas any different then 1/2 of Oregon?"

Latitude.

 

[bbbass]

HOW is the Desert around Vegas any different then 1/2 of Oregon?

Really? Have you spent any time in the Sonoran Desert?