What to wear in the desert
Clothes for the desert
What kind of clothes are best to wear during your stay in the desert? That is a good question. Wadi Rum is a desert. A place of extremes, which means that you have to protect yourself from the elements. It is essential to protect yourself from the harsh sun and the blowing sand. And you also need to prepare yourself for hot or cold weather conditions. Have a look at our recommendation for clothing and shoes.
How to dress for a desert trip
Above all, you should wear comfortable clothes that allow you to do anything from sitting on the ground, riding a camel, to scrambling up mountains. And keep in mind that you will climb in and out of the jeep a lot too. In addition to comfort, your clothes should also protect you. Protect you from things like the harsh sun, the blowing sand, the heat, or cold. And when scrambling, they should protect your skin from scratching the rocks. So, no matter how beautiful a skirt and dress may look, they are impractical for the activities that we have in mind.
For summer, the best recommendation that we can give you is to wear clothes that protect your skin from the harsh sun and blowing sand. Wearing loose cotton clothes with long sleeves and long trousers is the best way to do that. When it gets colder, and during winter, you will be happy when you wear your best winter clothes. Warm trousers, thick sweaters, and a comfortable and thick winter jacket are necessary.
No matter the season, we recommend bringing different layers of clothes as the temperatures can vary quite a bit. So, in summer, bring a light jacket or a summer sweater along for the colder days and evenings. And during winter, bring different layers that you can wear under your comfy coat. Some days will be lovely; other days will be icy cold. And during the evening temperatures drop quite a bit anyway.
Lastly, we appreciate it very much if you respect our custom of dressing modestly; cover your shoulders, legs, and chest.
The best desert footwear
No matter which trip you join, you will have many opportunities for different types of activities. Our advice for the kind of shoes to wear is the same year-round: Bring along comfortable, closed shoes with a good grip. Sneakers, trainers, and walking shoes are suitable. And for those who love their mountain booths, this works too.
Keep in mind: Wadi Rum is a desert, not Disneyland. It is not safe nor pleasant to wear flip-flops or sandals! During summer, they can come in handy at night time in the camp, though. Inside the tents, we only wear socks or walk around on our bare feet. So, flip-flops or sandals allow you to move between tents faster and easier.
Headwear, really?
Yes! To protect yourself from the relentless sun, we advise bringing a headscarf, bandana, or brimmed hat. Having a scarf or bandana also comes in handy on a dusty day. If you bring a headscarf, we will be happy to show you how to tight it Bedouin style.
We also recommend wearing sunglasses.
We have a separate page about what to bring for your stay in the desert. So, if you are not sure what you need, have a look at that page too.