In the UAE we are blessed with the most beautiful sand dunes and winter skies; with the summer months the weather is also perfect for late nights – or even overnighters – by the campfire.
After a day in the desert there is nothing better than sitting around a campfire with your friends, but it may surprise you that the off-roader’s first aid kit is far more likely to be used ‘round that campfire than on the drive!
Let’s set the scene. A group of friends are BBQ-ing and when finished cooking, someone goes and empties the coals into the fire, leaving an extremely hot patch of sand. People are wandering around the area with bare feet, and someone walks over where the BBQ was sitting only a few minutes previously – the coals and the sand can reach 500 degrees C. This will clearly cause deep, serious burns and it is important to cool the wound quickly by immersing it into water and ice in somebody’s cool box – a good reason to use wet ice in a cool box. I always carry Water-Jel Burn Dressings in my emergency pack as these are effective in cooling and protecting the burn site until we can get the casualty to the hospital.
Meanwhile, the campsite has a nocturnal visitor, drawn by the heat of the campfire. Everyone is chatting until someone notices an almost imperceptible movement – the quick flurry which follows is people putting their boots back on! Scorpions can be found in both desert and rocky terrain but only venture out at night – they can be seen with a blacklight torch as they are fluorescent under UV light. Like most desert creatures they avoid contact with humans and will only attack if threatened – but if someone is stung then medical attention should be sought promptly.
If you didn’t put your shoes on after the burns incident and the scorpion visit, you might want to reach for them now; in the dark it is so easy to step on “beasties” by accident and they are likely to be quite unforgiving so it makes sense to protect your feet!
Another creature you may spot during evening campfires is the camel spider, technically not a spider, but a solifugid (comes from the Latin word which means “flee from the sun”). These fearsome looking creatures can move extremely quickly, in fact faster than a man can walk but they have had bad press in the past and many of the myths that surround them are just that, myths. They kill camels or have anaesthetising venom; in fact they don’t have any venom at all, although they can inflict a rather painful bite. If you should see one during the day, chances are it will follow you, although it only wants the benefit of the shade you are creating – still if you move, your shadow moves and it moves, giving the illusion it is chasing you! (Great fun for your friends to watch.)
I always set up camp away from plants and trees as this is where most creatures hide during the hot daylight hours; to me, the extra early morning shade from the trees is not worth the risk of nocturnal visitors!
When you strike camp in the morning, always unpeg your tent and drag it to a fresh area of sand. During the night it is quite common for beetles and scorpions to seek shelter under your tent and they won’t be too pleased when you remove their shade. I have heard of people being stung by scorpions when they kneel down to roll up their tent which is why it is a good idea to do this a little bit away from where it was pitched. And you might want to go and put on your shoes!
Words by: Marina Bruce
Pictures by: Marina Bruce and Dominic Revel
