The most important step you can take in a desert environment is to make a shelter from the sun and rest in its shade. In addition, you’ll also need protection from the wind and low night temperatures. Do NOT stay in a metal vehicle or an airplane which can rapidly become overheated. Instead, use it to *support* a shelter or make use of the shadow beneath the airplane’s wing. Make use of any rock outcrops and the shadow provided by the sides of the wadi (the side NOT facing the sun). Use the “double layer” technique to aid in cooling (see the Tropical section).
In a sand desert, you may be able to make a shelter under the sand using the vehicle wreckage. Many desert creatures spend the daylight hours under the surface to avoid the sun and heat and also to keep warm during the cold desert nights. Of course, sand will not permit tunneling so you will need to build a support structure.
Keep in mind that the safest and smartest way of doing this is to make use of natural shade during the daylight hours and build your makeshift shelter during the evening. This way you will conserve both energy and fluids. Pile rocks to make a makeshift windbreak and make use of wadi walls (except when rain, and consequently, flash floods, are possible).
If using fabrics, remember to keep the bottoms off the ground to permit circulation during the day. Keep those same edges weighed down by rocks during the night to preserve the heat. Avoid laying on the hot ground by making a raised bed – which will allow air to circulate beneath you.
Regardless of how hot it gets during the day, you will need a fire at night for warmth and also for boiling water. Smoke will also be very visible and can be used for signaling. Desert scrub is dry and will burn very easily. If the land happens to be totally barren, vehicle fuel and oil mixed with sand in a container will burn well. It is a way of starting other fires. If necessary, you can also use camel, donkey and other animal droppings – they burn well too.