h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The first rule of hiking in the desert is to bring enough water. If you're backpacking cross-country, the optimum amount of water is a gallon a person per day. This can add up to a lot of water, so plan your hike around springs and rivers in the area. Running out of water in the desert can be fatal, so be careful!

Food
Don't waste your time buying 'camping' food in a 'camping' store. There's many kinds of foods that are perfect for hikers.
• Dried Eggs
• Bacon Bits (to put in the dried eggs)
• Summer Sausage
• English Muffins, tortillas, pita bread
• Cheese
• Instant noodles w/sauce (Lipton's, Ramen, etc.)
• Dried soups
• Instant rice (an excellent quick meal is a bowl of instant rice made with just a little extra water, with a packet of dried soup thrown in - french onion or cream of broccoli are quite good this way.)
• Dried fruit
• Nuts - good for an energy boost on the trail
• M&Ms - Dessert!
• Margarine
• Dried milk
• Lemonade mix, Tang, etc.
• Instant Coffee, Sugar, and Cremora

Clothing
If you're hiking in the desert, be aware of the seasons. Check with the ranger for the weather conditions for the week. Be prepared for rain and cold - bring a poncho, gloves and a sweater. Bring a hat that's cool and comfortable, and will let the top of your head breathe. There's all sorts of prickly things that can scratch you, so blue jeans are recommended. Find a good pair of sturdy, comfortable hiking boots that don't rub your feet in odd places. A pair of shoes that feels fine now will be like little iron maidens after a five-hour hike. Cotton t-shirts, a couple of long-sleeved shirts, good thick cotton socks, and long johns for the night (thermal underwear) will complete this ensemble.
• Hiking Boots, light canvas shoes
• Socks
• Underclothing - thermal underwear, etc.
• Cotton t-shirts
• Long sleeved shirts
• Sweater
• Poncho
• Gloves
• Hat

Sleeping Gear
If you like to be warm, bring a down sleeping bag. Typically a bedroll consists of a thermal pad, either foam or a self-inflating foam pad (at any camping store) and a tarp under the pad for protection. In case of rain, you have the choice of having to carry a pup tent, or bringing a tarp and rope and hope that you can rig up an awning in the middle of the night while it's raining in your sleeping bag. For a pillow, bring a pillowcase and fill it with the clothes you're going to be wearing the next day. That way, you'll have them close at hand when it's time to get up. (Camping trick: when you first wake up, pull the clothes out of the pillowcase and put them in the sleeping bag with you. Doze a little bit, and let your clothing warm up, so that when you put it on, it won't be quite such a shock.)
• Sleeping Bag - down or fiber fill
• Ground tarp - an old shower curtain works fine
• Sleeping pad - thick foam or self-inflating pad
• Pup tent or large tarp, ropes, stakes, etc.

Finding your way
If you plan to hike anywhere, you have to know how to use a compass and topographic map. Plan your route ahead of time. Always hike with a partner or group. And always, always, always, let somebody know when you're leaving and when you expect to be back. In the U.S., hikers are required to get hiking permits. These don't cost anything; they're for the rangers in case the hikers get lost.
• Topographic Map
• Compass
• Pencil

Other Essentials
You'll need to stop by the camping store for a few items. The camping stove is a luxury item, but essential if you want a hot meal. If you want margarine for your muffins and eggs, you'll need to buy some food tubes - plastic tubes with a screw cap at one end and an opening at the other. Fill these with your substance of choice, then use the clamp provided to seal the opening. Very handy - just be sure to pack them in Ziploc bags, in case they leak. You'll also need lots of water bottles, and a canteen. A walking stick isn't necessary, but it comes in handy for all kinds of things, including easing some of the weight of the backpack from your shoulders (put the stick under the pack and behind your back, then lift with both hands as you're walking).
• Camping stove
• Food tubes
• Water bottles
• Canteen
• Walking stick
• Waterproof matchstick cans
• Camping knife - pocketknife or bowie

I'll come back tomorrow and write about regular camping at a park tomorrow... out of time today.

- Lentilla

Cotton! No way, some adventure races have even gone so far as to ban the use of cotton clothing!

I absorbs moisture and then won't dry. It says wet and saps away your heat. Get a decent modern fabric that wicks away moisture and drys quickly.

I walked recently in Snowdonia in a torrential down pour. When I got back into the car every thing dried resonably quickly except my underpants! I had dry trousers and a wet patch around my bum I looked like Superman!!

No, I do recommend cotton for hiking in the desert. We're talking about hot weather here. Cotton will keep you cooler than synthetics. Your sweat will get it damp, but the desert air will dry it in a few minutes, which will help you cool off. In fact, if you get a little overheated, just pour a little water on your cotton shirt and enjoy a minute of blissful coolness.

I do have an addendum to my earlier post:

Hygeine
If you're going to hike in the desert, you can't be too concerned about cleanliness. You won't be able to wash your hair. Wear a hat, and ignore it. If it's long, braid it tightly to your head, and then wear a hat. (A bandanna also works pretty well, and doesn't look too dorky.) The best way to stay reasonably clean and not harm the environment is to use baby wipes. You won't have the feeling you get after a shower, but you won't reek, either. If you really want water on your bod, get a bucket and a washcloth, and stand behind a bush. In the desert, the water will evaporate off your skin before you can find a towel. It's okay to jump in the river (if you can find one) but don't dump a lot of soap in it.

Sanitation
Buy a little green folding shovel at the camping store, and biodegradable toilet paper. The baby wipes come in handy at this point as well (I won't go into further detail, but you can figure it out.)

Ok Good point, all my experience is in the UK where it is invariably damp

There is nothing worse than after slogging up a hill, taking a break and getting that chilling wind in the back of your shirt... and then putting your rucsack back on.

I still would have thought with their rapidly drying fabrics that modern shirts would have been better... but you've done it and I haven't so I can't disagree

Cotton wicks the water away from your skin better than polyester. Yeah, if you're in a cold environment, wool, polyester, or some poly-combo is better. You don't want to remain wet when the air's damp and cold.