What NOT To Do On Desert Road Trips

What NOT To Do On Desert Road Trips

Posted on 07. Apr, 2010 by Writer in On The Road

My desert road tripping travels and dirt road obsession has gotten me into a lot of almost troubles. After a serious close one the other day (#1) I’ve decided to step up my desert travel safety measures. Here are 10 things I wouldn’t recommend doing when road trippin’ through desert land.

1. Enter unfamiliar desert territory with a quarter tank of gas.

2. Fail to adequately cork the only bottle of wine on super rocky dirt road.
IMG_3713

3. Assume that just because the map says that there is a town there that there is an actual town there.

4. Rely solely on your google map directions print out and leave the map at home.

5. Rely solely on your memory and leave the map at home.

6. Put off fixing that slow leak on your front right tire.

7. Forget to lock your Space Cadet.
IMG_4137

8. Carry beer as your only means of hydration.

9. Believe that the sign “Roads may be impassable due to storms” must not pertain to this road.

10. Believe that there has to be services somewhere 50-miles after passing a sign declaring “No Services next 98 miles.”

Tags: , ,

4 Responses to “What NOT To Do On Desert Road Trips”

  1. Alouise

    07. Apr, 2010

    These are great desert tips, but really a lot of them of are good common sense for any road trip. Unless I know the area I never let my tank get under half full. My friends and I drove from The Grand Canyon to Vegas a couple years back and I’d read about how there were no gas stations for x amount of miles, so I made sure we filled up when we could. I think we saw one in between but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

  2. JoAnna

    08. Apr, 2010

    I would add pack and drink lots of water! I drank almost two liters driving 200 miles through the desert today. It’s dry and hot, even if it doesn’t feel like it!

  3. Lauren Quinn

    07. May, 2010

    Ha! Just took my first desert road trip (mini one through Joshua Tree), and can definitely vouch for the importance of following these “don’t”s!

  4. climbingguy

    15. May, 2010

    In the desert, normally small things like running out of gas, or getting a flat which you can’t fix, or blowing a radiator hose can be a really, really big deal. People conditioned to living in a world filled with people and technology and instant communication cellphones routinely underestimate how quickly you can get into deep, deep trouble if your car stops, for whatever reason.
    Get yourself a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) and stick it in your glove box. Batteries last for 5 years. It will save your life, and the lives of others with you if needed.
    One example: http://www.rei.com/product/791972

    Cheers ;-)

Leave a Reply