In this article, you’ll discover how to best prepare yourself to live an unforgettable, timeless experience in the Sahara Desert: a camel trek.
Spending a week walking in the desert is anything but ordinary. The usual feeling of disorientation you get from other trips is overwhelmed by the experience of traveling through an ocean of dunes. The inner stirrings carve a deep imprint and leave a mark forever.
No one joins a camel trek by chance. The desert has issued a call: a call for silence, for simplicity, for detachment from time, for contemplation, for meaningful exchanges, for encounters with the Berbers, for wonder at the grandiose landscapes, the starry nights, the endless dunes, the steady pace of the dromedaries.
Some know exactly why they’ve received this call: they need to reconcile with a damaged part of themselves or they are on a vague quest for meaning. Others don’t know why, but are curious to understand what awaits them.
For everyone, the desert plays the great game of transformation. It is impossible to walk for a week in the desert without encountering a mysterious emotion. In this mineral universe, where life holds a discreet place and the landscape composes an incomparable painting, a human being connects with something greater than themselves.
So how do you prepare for a camel trek?
First, by writing down your intention for the desert. Why am I drawn to an experience of discomfort, simplicity, and sharing with a small community traveling from camp to camp? Writing allows space for imagination and helps you project yourself into an unusual adventure.
What gear should you bring for the Sahara Desert?
Next, prepare your logistics to be as simple and light as possible. In the desert, this is not a fashion show. On the contrary, it’s about stripping down to the essentials. There will be no bathrooms, no tables, no chairs, and no bedrooms. Everyone lives at the Berber rhythm, walks in the footsteps of the nomads, and reconnects with a nomadic lifestyle. So travel light…
Of course, your bag should include baby wipes for personal hygiene, a sleeping bag rated to 5°C (41°F), ideally two pairs of light cotton trousers that are less bothersome than jeans in hot weather, a small first-aid kit, a water bottle, sunglasses, sunscreen… but above all, the traveler must ask the essential question: *What do I truly need?* Often, the weight of a travel bag reflects the weight of our fears… let’s lighten up, lighten up…
In the desert, everyone will share their life story in talking circles and live initiatory or symbolic experiences. The setting and the journey lend themselves to all kinds of confidences, openings toward greater wisdom, and the release of inner burdens that prevent us from feeling free and happy.
Writing in a personal notebook, extending the joy of living into the joy of recording emotions, intuitions, surprises, lessons, breakthroughs, and poetic sparks, helps anchor the experience. No one should forget a small notebook and pen — old-fashioned style — since phones, tablets, and computers are turned off, or better yet… left behind before departure.
How to prepare physically for a camel trek in the Sahara Desert?
Finally, some physical preparation is useful. Walking under the sun, sleeping under the stars, and a change of diet — even if very healthy — can unsettle your body in unusual ways. So the best physical preparation is to multiply your excuses for walking. Choosing to walk instead of taking the car is often possible, and getting back into the habit of walking may well be another hidden gift of the camel trek.
In the end, preparing yourself for an initiatory walk in the desert is quite simple: visualize your adventure intention, think light when packing your bag, reconnect with writing, and walk.
“Magic happens in simplicity.”
By Laurent de Rauglaudre, coach, speaker, and desert guide.
Publications
Toltec Circle in the Berber Desert
A book that takes you along the initiatory paths of the Sahara…
Note: Discover our upcoming trips to Morocco, as well as the next journeys accompanied by Laurent de Rauglaudre.
