Photographs taken by Japanese tourists in the Yazd Desert

One of the most important decisions you can make on a desert adventure is deciding what to wear. Hot dry climates can be unforgiving, and a few hours in the wrong kind of clothing can be devastating. Overall, wear clothes that have contrasting colors to your environment. Although we recommend khaki and light (but solid) colors while most of a typical desert can be classified as “khaki,” perhaps mix it up with a bright colored hat or an orange windbreaker.

***

Avoid camouflage of any kind; it is helpful to be seen if you need to be found. Pants: Avoid shorts and flip-flops. This isn’t the beach. It’s hot, yes, but you want to keep as much of your skin covered as possible; a low-humidity environment means a high UV exposure. This means long pants of a cotton variety, and they should be loose fitting so they can breathe and allow air to flow between the layers. Wear light colors like khaki and other beiges.