When and how to move

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First decide whether you should move

If someone knows your route or you have a car, staying put is almost always better. Move only if you know exactly where you are going, how far it is, and that getting there improves your situation.

If you move, do it during cool hours

Rest during the hottest hours, roughly from midmorning to midafternoon, in the shade and off the ground.
Walk at dawn, at dusk, and at night. FM 21-76 recommends traveling at night to use less water.
At night, be careful: the terrain is uneven, there are ravines and thorns, and in summer rattlesnakes hunt at night. Use a flashlight, go slowly, and do not put your hands or feet where you cannot see. A full moon makes it safer.
Slow, steady pace. If you are sweating buckets, you are going too fast.
Follow roads, dirt tracks, power lines, or railroad tracks if you find them: they lead somewhere and people pass that way.
Leave a trail: arrows made of stones, notes, colorful objects along your route (chapter 8).

Figure 12.1. When to move in the desert: rest in the shade during the hot hours and walk at dawn, at dusk, or at night, with a flashlight and slowly. — **Figure 12.1.** When to move in the desert: rest in the shade during the hot hours and walk at dawn, at dusk, or at night, with a flashlight and slowly.