Discover the joys of desert camping, hiking, and travel. Harsh, yet hauntingly beautiful; arid, yet teeming with life; inhospitable, yet profoundly peaceful - the earth's deserts beckon the poet and the backpacker, the artist and the adventurer. If you're heading into the desert, however, you should know what to expect, what to look for, and how to withstand extreme desert conditions. Richly illustrated with photographs and drawings, "The Ultimate Desert Handbook" is your complete guide to hiking, exploration, and survival in fascinating but unforgiving desert terrain.It gives you the crucial information you need to make the most of any desert sojourn, including detailed descriptions of North American deserts, their plants and wildlife, and their distinctive geological features. You'll also find the most comprehensive tutorial on desert navigation ever published and expert advice on equipment, safety, and first-aid techniques. You'll learn how to: select the perfect desert campsite; manage your water supply; share the landscape with desert wildlife; maintain vehicles in desert conditions; protect yourself with the right clothing and equipment; and be at home in a vast and elemental terrain.