15 Desert Driving Tips You Need to Consider

Road trips with your loved ones would always leave good memories to cherish.

If you are a working professional or a student, being in a road trip is a great way to rejuvenate yourself from the busy schedule and take time of your current state of affairs and relax.

There are people who would spend their trips on hilly areas, off-roading through lush forests, village roads etc.

How about planning a desert trip?

The first thing that comes to your mind when the word desert pops up is scorching heat and endless sand dunes.

Desert road trips aren’t done often because people are not aware of the precautions that they should take or they are not sure about the safety measures.

This article throws light on the desert driving trips that one should consider while they are on a desert road trip.

Here are 15 desert driving tips you need to consider.

1. The life saving fluid

Yes, water. Carry many bottles of water while doing a desert driving trip. You get dehydrated very fast while you travel through hot and humid conditions.

It can create heat cramps also leading you to faint. Carrying water along with energy drinks or fruit juices are always advisable.

Also make sure that you don’t run out of your reserves.

2. Keep Yourself Cool

Always have air condition system ready inside your car or the vehicle you travelling. Try to avoid two-wheelers on long distance desert trips considering the safety and health.

Desert driving as you know is marred by extreme heat at times. Consider bringing in cooling solutions along with you. Not just you, your vehicle also needs it.

3. Fill up the gas

Imagine a situation where you are stuck in the middle of a desert driving trip without any fuel.

It would be horrible.

First thing to do for doing away with such kind of a scenario would be to have enough gas in your vehicle tank. Also have a reserve source for fuel with you. You won’t find a fuel station in may be like a 100 miles close.

So it’s always advisable that you stay filled.

4. Desert storm

Beware of desert storms while you are on a desert driving.

Many experts and experienced travelers say that it’s part of the safe road trip to maintain certain guidelines while you encounter a desert storm.

Its advisable to stay inside your car with the seat belts turned on. The sand storm could reduce the visibility of the road and temporarily make the windshields defunct.

5. Battery checkup

Ensure proper battery checkups before you start your desert road trip and always get it checked with a mechanic to ensure long distance durability.

There are chances of your battery life drop during extreme weather conditions.

6. Keep a check on the tires

Always ensure that your car tyres are in healthy state. For a safe road trip, this is one of the imperatives. Always have a spare tyre with you whenever you are on the desert driving.

7. Have a backup battery for your phones

In emergency situations, it’s very important that you have a battery backup for your phone such as a power bank. Your mobile phone battery may run out of charge anytime.

8. Emergency numbers

Always have emergency contact information with you. Have the phone numbers of the local police station, a relative, a doctor for contacting during the time of distress.

9. Calibrate your tyre pressures with respect to the conditions

Keeping your tyre pressure right makes your vehicle more stable, provides you more confidence as a driver, and gives less of an impact on the road you are driving on.

Tyre pressures can be set around 28-30 psi and 20-25 psi.

10. Have a safe distance between vehicles.

It is always advised to stop on an incline. Also, ensure that all travelers have their seat belts on during the trip.

11. Always carry enough clothing and blankets

To your surprise the scorching heat in the morning and noon will change to bone chilling cold in the night.

So, to keep good state of warmness in these conditions it is advisable to carry blankets or thick clothes to keep you warm in the desert nights.

Tourists who don’t realize this will find it difficult to survive in the desert cold.

12. Have the knowledge to change tires and wheels by your own

Always ensure that the spare tire has the right air pressure in it. If it’s a rental car, ensure it’s really got a spare tire and wheel and related tools, and you know how to use them.

13. Consider renting a satellite phone

You may never need it, but the investment you do on it would be worth if you are in a state of distress without any conventional mobile tower signal.

If your car’s just broken down or you’ve had a serious accident in the middle of nowhere, the phone may save your life.

14. Turn headlights on so you know who is in your convoy

It’s better to flash your headlights once you get on a long silent road.

It would be difficult most of the time to figure out who is coming on the other side of the road opposite to you on a desert. This ensures a safe road trip.

15. Turn your GPS on

Never get lost. That’s what it implies. Always have your global positioning system (GPS) turned on to ensure you are not deserted.