It sure is. Driving through the desert with pets in my car, I was so scared of the car dying -- and my tires melting as the temps were probably well above 120 degrees. Better to drive at night, I think.
I've lived in the Mojave Desert for most of my life, and my advice is: don't go out into the desert (beyond town) in the summer and stay on paved roads. Avoid driving out of cell phone range if possible. Don't trust navigation that tells you to go on dirt roads except for main dirt roads that are graded and maintained. In the Joshua Tree/29 Palms area, there are many, many horrible dirt roads with deep sand, easy to get stuck, On a long desert road trip (i.e., I-15 to Vegas) I carry an ice chest with 4 frozen gallon-sized water bottles (to sip on and pour on your neck and head to cool down if needed and; let them melt a little) and 6 more gallons of drinking water and cold drinks (yep, I have 10 gallons of water in my car at all times), a UV shade umbrella, food/salty snacks, etc. and other emergency supplies (jumper cables, first aid kit, flashlight, etc) in case of freeway backups-closures (we just had a prolonged one recently and many people were stuck in extreme heat for hours). And if you can afford it, buy an emergency locator beacon and keep it in your vehicle at all times. Do not hike in the heat. Do not take a tourist road trip across the desert in the heat. Come back in October/November for that. Full and humble disclosure: I've learned these lessons the hard way.
12 years ago the same happened to me in 29 palms I pleaded whith my sister in law to go out there to help she never did it was 115 f she left me all day got severely dehydrated for 2 weeks could not keep water in my stomach if it hadn't been for my wife calling a local tow truck I have no doubt me and my mom would not have made it I do thank my sister in law for showing me the type of person she is
Yep people can be that way. 94 earthquake my friend thought it was a joke when I told her my place collapsed on me. Thank God my neighbor and I banded together to get out and get our kitties out. You don't need friends or family like that
When I did the Mojave I called a friend before entering. I told him if he did not hear from me at a specific time to alert the authorities. I also had two days of food, four gallons of water, three gallons of Gatorade, several bright flashlights and a powerful CB Radio. I told my friend I would remain with my truck if it broke down so I could easily be found. The result was a fun safe trip with no worry. Quite an adventure!
You probably want to bring a way to create some shade for yourself, too. Sitting in a vehicle, even with all the doors and windows open is HOT. All that metal heats up like an oven. A tarp stretched between 4 poles (or trees or whatever) is A LOT cooler.
We just helped a woman in 29 palms a couple weeks ago. She was flagging cars down crying when it was around 114 outside. She said no one stopped for her for 30 min of waving at cars. She drank two water bottles in under a minute. She turned off the highway onto dirt which turned to sand. Got stuck only 100+ yards off the highway yet no one helped but us.
That's appalling. I was rockhounding at Topaz Mountain, Utah and helped out a lady who had 4 kids. Topaz Mt. is a solid 40 miles out of cell phone coverage and the nearest town is Delta, Utah, 50 miles away. Her minivan lost its radiator fluid and it was 80 degrees, not super hot air temperature, but the desert sand and rock really heats up. Her kids had empty water bottles and she had exhausted their 32 oz. spare. Several of us out there donated water to fill up her radiator, everybody was cool about helping out. There was no obvious leak but I told her she should get it checked out in town, she probably has a slow leak. My doting wife over-bought food, so I gave her and the kids snacks, filled their water bottles, and told them to drink up and top off because I have a 5 gallon container of water in the back of my SUV, plus 3 liters in my CamelBack water bag. She left and I was heading out her direction, so I followed her to Delta to make sure she'd make it, she was staying with her sister-in-law in town there.
@@Skank_and_Gutterboy That's very nice of you! More details about the woman I mentioned above. I didn't want to get her in trouble with CHP and I asked her "what do you want me to do? Because if I call them I don't want you to get in any trouble." I told her that I saw a county vehicle and a county tractor down the road so stay on the highway and don't move I'll be right back. Went to the county tractor guy and of course they don't carry tow straps and wouldn't pull her out anyways do to damage liability on the vehicle. When I drove back the sheriff's were already there with her they drove her to her car and left her and came back to the highway. I asked the officer do you have a tow strap to go pull her out and they said no they're not going to do it against policy. I literally had a tow strap in my Nissan leaf and told them and they didn't care at all. Pisses me off our "public service" people can't even help out other then calling a tow truck. Their quote too was "she decided to go Baja off road so she'll have to pay the towing fee"
I had a real moment of reckoning in the desert in New Mexico once. I'm not a desert person. This was my first trip out west. I was in the desert on a trail called the Journada del Muerto. The name alone should be an indication. But yeah, got stuck in some sand. I shouldn't have been there with the skills I had. After getting stuck a few times, laboring to get out in the August heat, I was pretty gassed. I ended up stopping for a minute to check things over and realized, that I'd drank something like 2 gallons of water in 2 hours. I wasn't sweaty. That water was going right into me and evaporating right out. It was over 100 air temp, maybe 130-140 ground temp, 5% humidity. I was still a good 70-80 miles away from the next town, and my water supplies were getting low. You can tell someone all you want about what the desert is like, but until the shit hits the fan in the desert, you realize how things can go from chill to deadly faster than just about anywhere else. That night, I drank another 2-3 gallons of water, had cramps, headache, all the classic signs of electrolyte depletion. You think, oh, I don't need to bring all this stuff. But wait until you are changing a tire in the desert, or patching a tire. A solar umbrella, water, oral rehydration packets can literally be a life saver. It's no joke. Beautiful and dangerous area.
@JulietHotelFoxtrot Spot on... and wise words! The locals sip Gatorade and eat bananas 🍌 😋... that electrolyte balance is crucial... some make the mistake of chugging water and they flush all their electrolytes right out and next thing you know the chopper 🚁 is on the way 😢
Everyone who lives in the 29 Palms desert should know when you're stuck in soft sand and if it's not real deep you let some of the air out of your front tires and then try to drive out of the sand, if you still can't get it you, let some of the air out of all four tires. It's better to have to buy new tires (if you have to drive very far to find help or to find air) then to sit out there and die of dehydration! I know this is late, I just found this video. Please tell people this simple trick. This is what the fire department used to do for people who were stuck in soft sand. If you're in a pickup truck and you have extra people with you have them jump in the bed of the truck as you try to drive out, if that doesn't work back to the air out of the tires. Try just letting them go halfway down, letting out about 15 lbs. Also if you know you're going off-roading desert or not soft sand or not, carry some strips of carpet, they can actually help you drive out of soft sand sometimes. Have lived in the desert for many years and learned a lot of tricks to living here. If you're not familiar with the desert watch where you put your hands feet and seat! Don't walk too close to those bushes there could be a snake wrapped around the route area trying to get in the shade walk slowly away from it any fast moves can make it strike. I'd love to know how she got out there trying to deliver some food to somebody looks pretty much like she's in the middle of nowhere!
Yeah, I kinda wonder if GPS steered her severely wrong. I've done the letting air out of your tires trick, it worked for me. I carry an air compressor so I was able to air back up after backing out of the deeper sand. Also, my cheap recovery boards worked much better than I ever expected, but I wouldn't always count on those.
Good job. One summer I was 4 wheeling in the desert, 110 degrees, suddenly I see a person on their knees in the middle of the road waving their arms in the air. I pull up and its a old guy desperately in need of water. I get him into the Jeep and get him hydrated. He tells me his friend is walking to get help. I drove for 30 minutes and we come across the friend barely able to walk. He gets in the Jeep and it turns out both were well paid professionals from Seattle. They had walked into the desert with a liter of water each starting in the morning. We drive another 30 minutes and got to their car. One of the guys pulls his wallet out if his pocket and riffles through a bunch of 100 dollar bills and tosses a 20 in my window! I literally saved both of them and he gives me 20 bucks!😂
@Zombierippa My graciousness! What a story!!! Your Karma is worth a zillion and all that good energy will reward you for life. You truly saved them. Unfortunately, out here it's Euro-tourist bingo every summer... very sad. Our county... just the county is the size of the Netherlands 🇳🇱... an entire country... and that's just a fragment of the desert 🏜... understanding the sheer scope of the desert is crucial... it must be respected... in the end the desert always wins 🏆 🙌
@@Bluegastank it reminded me of an old Twilight Zone where some guys had bags of gold bars and were walking out of the desert. Eventually only one guy was left carrying gold until he was out of water and passed🤪
Some years back I was on hwy 62 out past the airport-in my semi making deliveries two ladies in a small Toyota flagged me down- they were red, lost and in tears, they were from England, they were driving from Vegas to Palm Springs. Gas tank was on empty, they were out of water- gave them water had them follow me straight to Mc Donald's and spoke to the manager to make sure they stay there for at least an hour and drink plenty of water. They were thankful! Middle of summer, if your not from the desert be prepared...
Very kind of you to even be concerned about who ever this person was . Watching you walk through that dessert looking for someone in need we need more people like you in this world..... 😊👍💖
Not to worry. Instacart payed her $5 and some change to shop and deliver that order in the middle of nowhere in extreme temps. Customer probably tipped an additional $2 making this whole ordeal well worth it. NOT!!!!
I moved too southern new mexico a couple of years ago from the northeast. I love spending time in the desert. But when I do. Family knows what part I'm in . And I take plenty of water. But I do avoid the desert in the middle of the day in summer. I'm glad she is safe. Mother nature is no joke.
It gets hot here too-117 and often over 100. We have all white vehicles for a reason, And we carry water in the trunk always. We pulled a guy out of dirt who for some reason was trying to find gold in the hills over Clearlake Oaks.
I remember visiting my folks in Tucson and I went for a drive to see what was around. Turned around a bend and there the asphalt turned into unpaved road with a sign, next 50 miles, no turn offs. I was new to the desert but did know that didn’t sound like a good idea. A few weeks later was driving on a dirt road with a friend and got a cactus spine in my tire that caused a flat. Had he not been there I would have been stranded. So easy for stuff to happen out there.
Like we got 5 or 6 people dying every year out here in the Mohave. Stuck in the sand, no water and no cell. Can't understand how stupid some folks are. The desert is trying to kill us.
The people at the air b&b probably drove her back to pick up their door dash. As the dasher, She would have been in contact with them when she got stuck.
Just a typical hot day in the Houston suburb and I waited in my car just to catch my breath and 10 minutes later my family found me incoherent 50 feet from my front door.
People should be taught how to drive on sand, for one thing letting the tire pressure down to around 16 pounds helps a lot and no sudden stops or starts, when stopping allow the vehicle to coast to the final stopping point so no brakes are used for the last few feet, these things keep you from digging a grave in the sand with your tires. I've taken cars into the dunes and not gotten stuck using that method, in my younger days I rode a three wheeler a lot and camped in the desert(well off the road) more times than I can count and not once have I gotten stuck.
Yes! Do not ever leave your vehicle! I'm from AZ and we always have people who get stuck or lost and leave their cars. It rarely turns out well. Look at that desert and think how hard it would be to find a person out there who has passed out from the heat and is lying under some brush. It's so much easier to see a stranded vehicle than a person.
@thedeviouspanda yes, thank you....explaining that to a few commenters has been an exercise in futility... "there's plenty of houses around" (there's not, they're abandoned shacks.... "104 is isn't that hot" (with 45% humidity like on this day it was lethal).... "why didn't you yell?" (there's no cover in the desert, if you don't see or hear a white SUV from 10 miles away it means trouble and yelling won't help)... then the scale of the desert is hard for many to understand... I won't even walk 100 feet in my own yard to my shed when it's 118f out without a cellphone and a pint of electrolytes.... as you said, education is key. Thank you for your happy comment 😃
I remember pulling all my floormats and using them as a traction aid under the slipping tire. If it's an emergency, I would also pull out the trunk carpet liner and use that too it's replaceable
Back in Fresno we used to leave a cast iron out on the steel bed of the pickup my had on days like that just for the novelty of cooking on it. Steak and eggs, asada, kebabs. Too hot to actually enjoy it of course
Wow good man for sticking around to find out if she was OK. I bring water with me and am extra careful just going to the store out here in Bullhead city where it can get up to 120 no problem.
Folks need plastic traction ramps, electrolyte packets + lots and lots of water in their cars in many hot areas. Learned that in NM. Good on you for searching!!!
104 is hot and you can easily over stress and dehydrate yourself. I've been told at 106+ your body loses its ability to cool itself, you just can't sweat enough to cool your interior. But if you ever been in 120 deg its a whole different world.
Well idk what I’m built out of but I lived in Vegas, worked in North Las Vegas which can and has reached 120, I had no car was on the bus, foot (a lot of foot!)😆..etc to get to work and I never had any type of heat related issues I’m surprised and thankful! But you’re right that degree will take you out!
As a kid growing up in SoCal in the 50s, I remember how a poor salesman was taking a "shortcut" through the desert and they found him at the wheel of his car dead. Died of dehydration and heat while driving.
@1-SmallStep unfortunately that still happens every single year out here... your sad story must be remembered and respected!! 😢... guy went missing a few weeks after this in the same area...this time it was 118f out... saw him walking at 5pm ... still 117f out... he wasn't seen since.. this was about 2 months ago.. 😢
The thing about the Mojave (High Desert) is that no matter how remote of a location you will find home dwellings. Humans are something else. Literally 10's of miles from the nearest roadway or even further to first responders reaching you. If you get into any trouble, your goose is more than likely cooked.
Must have been about 10 years ago when I was volunteering on public lands. Going to work at 5:00AM in the winter, so it was dark. On Bloody Basin Road East from I-17 in Arizona. About 35 miles in on a like level 3 forest road, I saw headlights approaching. As the vehicle got closer, I almost 💩 myself when I figured out it was a Discount Cab; a Prius, no less. To this day, I wonder what he was doing out there on that road at that time of the morning. The real kicker is Bloody Basin Road makes a giant 50 mile or so loop along with NFSR 24 back to Seven Springs. So was the Prius going in (like me) and then turned around, or was he going out (all the way from Phoenix). It's about a 5-6 hour drive *in a 4x4 truck.* God knows how long he must have been out there.....
TIP!!!!! #1 RULE ALWAYS LET SOMEONE KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND WHEN TO EXPECT YOU BACK! Driving off road in the desert, take as much water as you can with you, 10 to 20 gallons if possible in water cans, not only can you drink it, wet a rag or your clothes to keep cool or use to refill your radiator if you brake down, You can use it to get out of sand by wetting the sand down and driving out of it. Do not try to continue driving the moment you know your stuck, STOP! Don't make your situation worse. Wetting the sand, It's like driving on a wet beach it make it hard enough to drive on. get out and access the best and shortest distance to get back on solid ground and if your smart you will keep a small shovel in your car or truck so you can make a shallow trench just for your tires (takes less water) to drive on till your out. Just like winter always have a car emergency package in your car or truck. I use a tote, Blanket or 2, food, as much water as you can carry, hard candy to keep your sugar level up, it doesn't take up much space. salt tabs, shovel, tarp, rope, bungee cords or bank line from the fishing department because it's relatively cheap and strong to keep tarp in place to provide shade. Stay with your car till help arrives and stay on a road. Those are the very minimal items one should have in the car. You're right this lady was lucky. when using the tarp and you don't and don't want to scratch your paint job, carry a couple cargo blankets they are fairly cheap or old blankets, cover the roof toss branches on top and then place tarp so it covers windows an windshield to shade them it will keep the car cooler then just having the tarp laying right on top of it, because it creates an air gap keeping it cooler. A lighter or 2 so if lost can build a fire anyone looking for you or rescue helicopter can see it from the air and now some rescue crews use drones. 3 fires is a signal for help. light them at night on the road spaced about 5 or so feet apart in a line. other things you can do is have something bright orange so it's easily seen. Be safe out there people the desert can be beautiful as much as it can be deadly.
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD that is incredible. I'm glad she was found safe. Thank you for looking for her and just being there. even tho others came too. ♥ I hope the Tips i put here others who may see it will keep a car emergency kit in there car based on the area and climate they were going off the beaten track maybe save their life.
4:37 I would also say: check that structure at your 10 o'clock position, maybe they went there to get shade. A black car with black interior, even with all the doors open, is going to be murderously hot.
@Skank_and_Gutterboy that was an empty old shack... the car ran and idled just fine and had ice cold A/C and a bunch of instacart food and beverages to last a week... again, best to stay with the vehicle, especially one loaded for food and drinks with a working air conditioner 😉
Remember that Marine in 29 plams that got lost on maneuvers. He died just 1 or 2 miles from hwy with full gear and weapon. Desert is no joke (I would have dumped my gear and strapped my weapon around my body, and if you never humped 15 miles hike 15lbs can feel like 50 after 5 miles
Get a 20 dollar ham radio. And if you end up in a life or death situation go ahead and push the talk button and ask for help giving your location. So what if you end up with a fine... you'll have been rescued. Don't rely on cell phone service where there are no towers
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD I don't know I've never done it and don't know anyone who has. I know you're supposed to have a license to speak on ham....so I was saying I surely wouldn't worry about THAT if I need help. I take one with me in my car all the time. If I needed help and couldn't get it via phone I would sure try it
I had the same thing happen to me twice...in a week. Once in the side of an extinct volcano in New Mexico and once in the desert on the US-Mexico border.
My sister tried to tell me yesterday that people could go on working once the bowel issues and nausea of overheating hits them because they gotta earn those coins. She said this because I have a neurological condition that causes me to overheat because my body cannot regulate body temperature. If I get hot and can't immediately cool my body I get sick. Unless I can keep myself cool the sick increases daily. Flat in bed with fans blasting the only way to not throw up. Lucky if I can get enough liquid in me to stay hydrated. Yeah, sure. People can work thru that. And end up in the hospital or dead. She feels superior disparaging a disabled person. She also feels mental health issues are a matter of weakness and lack of willpower. I have realized that wisdom gained from age does not happen to everyone. She's one of the worst communicators I've ever dealt with. One would think by 80 she would have gained some healthier social skills. Sorry. I vent on youtube comments. Thanks for listening.
Meanwhile my sun-worshipping self has to stay indoors in chilled air all summer. Trying so hard not to move and get hot enuf to be sick for a week. We live together due to ecomomics tho I shall soon escape and become a whole, real person again.
@dsrtemt1 SBC County Fire was there... engine 44 or something out of Joshua Tree... the Captain was actually there which was very cool... so both SBC fire and the ambulance came for her.. but there was an Engine there
Blessed to live in the Pacific NW's temporate rainforest. Our temps were 117° during the heat dome a couple years ago. Siding on homes melted. Long-established trees and shrubs were so scorched they couldn't recover. Our homes and businesses are not equipped for heat like that. Few homes have air conditioning. Our average was 5 days in the 90° range per summer. The summer after the heat dome we had 30 days over 90°, most in the very high 90s or triple digit. In Salem, Oregon, for Pete's sake! Not what we're used to. So many people died in their homes and at work. Please be careful. Human life can be so fragile under certain conditions.
My buddy was ticketed decades ago out there. Cop drove off. Buddy passed out getting back in his car. Lucky he didn’t die. Wonder if protocol has changed. Cop should’ve waited till my buddy was rolling.
AAA doesn't pull people out of sand. They told me as much in exactly those words one day when I got stuck in my own damned backyard!!! Geez! What am I paying my membership for? If they call themselves a tow service, then they bloody welll ought to have sand-capable tow trucks! Anyway--that's out in the middle of nowhere! Who orders Door Dash or Instacart in the middle of the desert??!! (BTW--all that much fast forward driving video is enough to make viewers get motion sickness!!)
Having spent a fair bit of time off road on motorcycles and with my Jeep I'm regularly surprised at how many people take a 2WD vehicle off road down washes that are prone to having some deep sandy spots, same for some AWD vehicles. Then they're surprised when they get stuck and can't self recover. No tools and inadequate water and other supplies. Cell companies would like people to believe they have coverage everywhere, but so many times I've been out in spots where there's no coverage to be had. Buddy system, ham radio or CB, plus a Spot tracker, PLB, or satellite phone are mighty nice to have. I expect the new iPhones with satellite emergency mode will save a lot of under prepared people going forward.
Just out of curiosity, when you call the fire department, do you pay for it ?Back in 2019, we called an abundance, and the fire department showed up first a few months later we git a bill for $700 ,,the ambulance was separate, and the insurance covered it but the insurance didn't cover the fire department, do they always change ??? Thank you
Gallons of water;food for a couple of days; make sure vehicle is in good working order and full of gas, maybe a spare gallon or two as well; material for getting out of sand (sticks, small carpets, etc); flares. That is for a day trip.
@@jeannerogers7085 i normally carry 6-8 16oz water bottles in my vehicle fridge along with Cliff Bars, Capri Sun, ginger ale (motion sickness), a red bull or coffee, medicine, etc. with this video I added Liquid IV powder. Also have GoTreads for extraction and usual assortment of car emergency supplies. If I’m headed out there I’d probably add 1-2 gallons water and bring my big ham radio antenna.
@thegatesofdawn...1386 she got STUCK there... it's known as "soft sand" the "road" went from hard packed dirt to soft sand unexpectedly in that section and she got stuck
These gig companies that do this to people really are out of control. Commercial GIS systems clearly mark every road in this country that is not passable by regular traffic. They have that it to build their order system. They just don't bother passing along the information, apparently.
How about not going off improved roads in a vehicle not set up for it. Mercedes doesn’t make a capable enough vehicle for this, not even the g wagon, you need ground clearance and wide tires with proper tread and the ability to keep it in a lower gear is very helpful. Awd does not equal off road capable (sorry Subaru owners), and having 4 low capability is best, your electric cooling fan is designed to cool an idling engine and assist in low speed operation, just sitting there not moving spinning your tires put incredible stress on your engine and transmission. If you are not properly prepared it’s best not to go
So I don't understand, did you just happen to drive up on the car and added narrative of what was going on after you were there to the beginning of the video? It sounded as if you were already aware of the stranded motorist at the beginning and were out there to find her.
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD Okay got it!! I was just wondering what you're initial point of contact was to become the first responder......thanks for your answer a thanks for the effort.
GPS prolly told her to go that route... prolly also left doors open to indicate there was a problem... heat masses with decision making and cognitive ability
@jennnnnn9205 the arbnb guests weren't from the desert and were in vacation-mode... and the driver's judgement was imparered by heat exhaustion.... yes beer 🍺 is the last thing you want in a situation like this 😔
@@D_Cali_Life we are in like all the regional fb groups, Joshua Tree Offroad Recovery on fb is our area. Desert Recovery is a bit farther away... like hours away, same for Hi-desert and SoCal Recovery
Staying with the car in the wide open ISNT the move look for shade or acave and LEAVE a note telling what direction you went in. Staying in your disabled car in the blazing sun in a BLACK car is not the move.
@jailbreakoverlander NO you want to stay with the car. There is no "shade" in the Mojave. The Mercedes ran, had gas, and working A/C. She told me she was on the verge of heat-stroke. If you leave your car in the mojave on a 118f day and go wandering you will perish. It happens every single year out here. The car was not "dead", just stuck... even if it was dead, stay with it and don't move til the sun sets
@t.k3025 yes, it's the Mojave desert, anyone can see/hear a white SUV coming from 10 miles away in all directions. If somehow the person's eyesight is gone they won't hear anyone yelling... the airbnb guests in the black jeep saw our vehicle parked near her Mercedes so they drove towards us
Did you over look the little tidbits of info on the person driving the car? Died red hair, drove a car out into the desert and her California plates, just three little things tells you a lot.
Honestly I don't know if it's immaturity or just plain stupidity why people do this! Same like hikers are going the mountains by themselves stupid!! I'm a native Southern California unfortunately I'm not too proud of that but I know exactly where this girl is at and there's no reason anybody should be out there unless they have a death wish!! I know it takes a long time to figure things out as you mature and you realize that you're not invincible
@kristinfrazee2097 😢... it was a very dangerous situation... thankfully the airbnb guests were there on a Friday... the other 5 days of the week it's empty and no houses for miles...
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD and thank goodness you were there this girl is indebted to you forever and hopefully learns a very valuable lesson!!! I know I won't forget it that's for sure hopefully she's able to learn as she grows!👍😁
My question is why you passed the first available turnaround spot? You rolling back saying you had to find a spot to turn around. Yet you're rolling back and there's plenty of room to flip around as you're rolling back. You're info on safety is great. But the way you ran the story is suspect. Those little details count
@loaded4597 Hi, around here it's called "soft sand" you cannot just "turnaround" where you want.. rather, you need to turn around on hard/firm sand... or else you will get stuck too: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iYwGkS4OuJo.html
