Drink water before you start your hike. Bring water and drink it, even if you're not thirsty. There have been FATALITIES among non-locals, even twentysomethings, who didn't drink enough water to stay hydrated on a spring hike. There have been FATALITES on hikes IN CITY PARKS like Camelback Mountain and South Mountain. These people have died within sight of tiled rooftops in the city below the mountainside they underestimated. Don't make the mistake of thinking you're tougher than the desert, or it's "just a short hike". Those are famous LAST words. Dehydration kills fast. Medical help might not bring you back from dehydration--it's one of the last things doctors are helpless with. One fatality died at the hospital, during recovery therapy.



Use sunblock, even in the early hours. Sunburn exacerbates the effect of dehydration, and mild dehydration exacerbates sunburn.



The desert doesn't care if you return safely home. If you don't care, either, then NO ONE is looking out for you at all.

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