California Outdoor Adventures with Adventure Out: Anza Borrego Desert Survival Skills Trip

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of leading our Desert Survival Skills Backpacking Trip. This is one of my favorite trips that Adventure Out offers. Not only is the majesty of the desert utterly breathtaking (as you can see below in these pictures), but the uniqueness and vastness of the landscape offers an amazing training ground for survival skills.

We had a great group of participants - all ready and willing to test their skills and have a great time. We practiced many native skills known to the area including traditional shelter construction, fire-by-friction, wild edible plants, water collection, and trapping.

We were treated with perfect desert weather - 70 degrees all day long, and mid to low 50s at night. The stars were abundant, the moon was bright, and the landscape bustled with wildlife. We watched raptors hunt, endangered Desert Bighorn Sheep feed, and drank from waterfalls every morning.

Since leading this trip, we've had numerous requests for a repeat trip. As much as we would love to fulfill all of these requests, we do feel the need to be responsible stewards of the environment. The desert, in all of its "rough and tough" harshness, is actually one of the most fragile landscapes in North America. With scarce vegetation, dry air, and relatively nutrient-less soil, things change slowly, and wounds are slow to heal. This trip will always be 1 TIME PER YEAR ONLY offering for Adventure Out. Please respect this decision.