7 skills for survival in the Sahara Desert
It’s one of the harshest environments on Earth. Relentless sun by day, freezing cold temperatures by night, a fight for water and minimal elements to create a shelter … or so it would seem.
The Sahara is not for the faint-hearted, it’s immense - reaching out for 3,600,000 sq miles, it will swallow you whole if you don’t know what to do to survive.
Nomadic tribes, such as the Berbers in Morocco or the Tuareg people in the Sahara have discovered ways of surviving in the desert that you can go away and learn. Typically the tricks of the trade that Special Forces soldiers would know, have now been opened up to fellow adventurers. By the end you’ll feel connected to the Sahara’s landscape and gain a profound understanding of its eco-system to be able to work with it as opposed to being completely beaten by it.
The skills you’ll learn are transferable, and if you’re into your remote locations for your adventures then they’re worth learning to maximise your safety and self-reliance.
Essential skill #1: Desert orientation
When the landscape can look the same for miles, where do you begin to navigate yourself?
- Using the position of the sun and stars for direction.
- Identifying natural landmarks for navigation.
- How to use a compass and traditional methods to find your way.
Essential skill #2: Sourcing and purifying water
How to identify signs of underground water or moisture-rich areas, like certain plants or animal tracks.
- Techniques for collecting dew or moisture from vegetation
- How to purify water using solar stills, basic filtration techniques, or using natural materials to filter water.
Essential skill #3: Building a shelter
How to construct a simple shelter using the desert’s natural resources, such as rocks, sand, or branches.
- Creating windbreaks to protect from sandstorms.
- Using tarps or clothing to create a makeshift shade during the day and warmth at night.
Essential skill #4: Starting a fire
How to collect and prepare dry materials for fire-starting, even in the desert’s dry environment
- Using traditional methods like flint and steel or fire sticks.
Essential skill #5: Identifying edible plants and insects and desert style cooking
Identifying safe-to-eat desert plants, such as certain cactus species, herbs, or roots.
- How to forage for edible insects, which are a nutritious protein source in extreme environments.
- Preparing and cooking desert plants or insects for sustenance.
Essential skill #6: Surviving sandstorms
How to recognise the signs of an approaching sandstorm.
- Proper techniques for sheltering from sandstorms
- How to protect your eyes, skin, and lungs from the blowing sand.
Essential skill #7: Night survival and heat management
Techniques to keep warm at night using minimal clothing or makeshift blankets.
- Recognising when your body is at risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, or hypothermia.
- Using the cold desert night to your advantage, like cooling down water or your shelter.
**The final night of your trip, you’ll be left alone to camp under the stars and put everything you’ve learnt to good use. **
Relax and reward yourself after your course, with a hot air balloon flight, sandboarding, camel rides at sunset and dune 4x4 driving. Plus, what other things you can do in the desert after you’ve learnt how to stay alive there : )
Keen to get Outsyda and into the desert? Contact us and we’ll organise this for you in either Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria or Morocco.
