Water. From beginning to end, from one moment to the next, water is the most important factor in a hike through arid country. With enough water, a desert traverse may well be one of the high points of your hiking career. But run out, and the opposite will certainly be true.

• Experienced desert hikers walk with the thought of water sloshing around their brains. They know, exactly and accurately, how full their canteens are. How much they need to walk a mile. How much they'll want to drink at the top of a big climb. How many water sources are on their map, and which of those are likely o be reliable. And they have a plan for what they'll do when the "reliable" spring is dry.
• Rangers often suggest that if you intend to hike in a desert you carry all of your water with you. This avoids the disastrous situation of an unsuspecting hiker depending on an uncertain water source. The problem is that carrying all of your water is a heavy proposition - sometimes an impossible one - because water weighs about 2 pounds to the quart. At 8 quarts a day (personal requirements vary, but figure on at least 6-8 quarts per day for cooking and drinking), that's 16 pounds in your pack. That's heavy!
• Planning a desert hike is really planning a series of hops between safe harbors - your reliable water sources. Your job is to identify likely water sources, collect as much information as you can, and have a backup plan. Or - another option - you can cache your water before your hike.

Backpack: Bear Country: Basics

Backpack: Bear Country: Camping & Food Security

Backpack: Bear Country: Hiking & Bear Encounters

Backpack: Desert: Camping Considerations

Backpack: Desert: Hazards

Backpack: Desert: Hiking

Backpack: Desert: Water & Food: Dry Camping

Backpack: Desert: Water & Food: Finding & Carrying

Backpack: Desert: Water & Food: Food

Backpack: Finding Water

Backpack: Fitness

Backpack: Food & Water: Plan Meals

Backpack: Food & Water: Repackage

Backpack: Fording Rivers

Backpack: Highcountry: Basics

Backpack: Highcountry: Camping Considerations

Backpack: Highcountry: Hazards

Backpack: Highcountry: Hiking on Scree & Talus

Backpack: In Camp: Bathing

Backpack: In Camp: Campfire: Basics

Backpack: In Camp: Campfire: in the Rain

Backpack: In Camp: Campfire: Low-Impact Fires

Backpack: In Camp: Cooking/Camp Kitchen

Backpack: In Camp: Food Storage

Backpack: In Camp: Ideal Campsite

Backpack: In Camp: Making Camp in Adverse Conditions

Backpack: In Camp: Managing Human Waste

Backpack: In Camp: Sleeping Warm

Backpack: In Camp: Tent or Tarp?

Backpack: In Camp: Washing Dishes

Backpack: In Camp: Women's Sanitation Concerns

Backpack: Packing Your Pack

Backpack: Plan Your Trip

Backpack: Putting on Your Pack

Backpack: Staying Found: Emergency Signaling

Backpack: Staying Found: How to Use a Compass

Backpack: Staying Found: Why Carry a Compass?

Backpack: Treating Water

Backpack: What to Bring: Clothes