What preparations are needed to cross the Kubuqi Desert?

1. Equipment preparation

Backpack: It is recommended that men should not be less than 65L and women should not be less than 55L;

Clothing: quick-drying pants, long-sleeved jackets, jackets Pants or poncho (one of the must-haves);

Sleeping bag: sleeping bag (recommended temperature scale is -10-0 degrees), down sleeping bag is better, small in size and light in weight;

Tent: the best It is best to use aluminum poles, which are windproof and light in weight. They must be double-layered;

Shoes and socks: It is recommended to wear high-top waterproof hiking shoes, and no less than 2 pairs of hiking shoes and hiking socks;

Hiking poles: It is recommended to have two, which can save a lot of energy;

Snow gloves: It is recommended to have a must-have to prevent sand from entering the shoes;

Hat: A brimmed hat is preferred. Or a headscarf.

Sunglasses, lip balm, sunscreen;

Headlamp: must have, sufficient batteries;

Stove: recommended for 2-3 people , each bring their own tableware, and at least one gas can per person;

Water supplies: Water bags are recommended, but water bottles and water bottles are also acceptable (each person needs to prepare a 5-6 liter water container) [1]

2. Accommodation

Currently, Hangjin Banner has more than 40 tourist hotels for tourists to stay, with more than 1,200 reception beds.

3. Tips

1. From May to October, in windless and clear weather, the maximum temperature at noon is around 30-40 degrees, and the surface temperature is 60-70 degrees. The minimum temperature is about 15 degrees, and the temperature will feel lower on windy days. November to April is a winter climate. The best time to travel: May, June, September and October every year.

2. Precautions for touching less when hiking:

You must be proficient in using GPS positioning and navigation. If there is no GPS, you can use the compass for staged positioning. The positioning angle is 318 degrees (45 degrees northwest) included angle). The large sand dunes and passes in the desert can be used as reference objects. Be sure to keep the reference objects in mind. It is recommended to hire a guide.

It took the team about 25 hours to cross this route with heavy loads. The average walking speed in the desert with heavy loads is about 3 kilometers per hour. The light crossing can be completed in about 13 hours, with an average speed of about 4 kilometers.

The amount of water is controlled at 3-4 liters per person in the 24-hour standard configuration. The amount of water can be increased appropriately from May to October, and can be appropriately reduced from November to April.

Try to use light equipment as much as possible. Sand gloves and windproof goggles are a must. It is recommended to use a camping bag instead of a tent without bringing a mat, as it is soft in the desert. It is recommended to wear double poles (with large snow rails) when walking with heavy loads.

Foods should be lightweight, not easily spoiled, high in calories and do not consume water. Pay attention to timely replenish energy with road meals during the journey. It is recommended to replenish a small amount of high-energy food between 9-10 am and 3-4 pm.

Try to streamline the equipment as much as possible, try not to bring in useless things (such as wallets, toiletries, bulky photographic equipment, etc.), and try to coordinate equipment among team members.

Another: 8-10 kilometers northeast of the route is an asphalt road on the edge of the Yellow River. Herdsmen live on both sides of the road. If there are emergencies, you can go directly to the nearest herdsmen to solve the problem.

IV. Precautions

1. June and July every year are the best seasons for traveling. This season belongs to nature, and there are things you have never seen before. Everything you can think of and can't think of is all competing for beauty. After the grazing and grazing ban started in 2002, although it cannot be said that cattle and sheep are not visible due to wind and grass, there is still no problem in finding chickens and ducks.

2. Don’t forget to bring thick clothes. Don’t dismiss it just because it’s summer.

3. There is a short story describing a local summer: "I woke up in the morning and found a cow frozen to death. 72 people took 72 knives and started to cook the cow. By noon, the cow was not finished. Half of the meat smells bad." Although it is an exaggeration, it is also reasonable. It was too cold from 7 to 11 o'clock, the cow was still ice, and the knife was clearly in short supply. From 11 o'clock to 12 o'clock, the cow is defrosted quickly. No matter how many times or how fast the knife is, the temperature will be high and the smell of the meat will be a foregone conclusion. Therefore, it is not exaggerated to wear thick clothes in the morning, and it is very cool to wear long sleeves at noon. Furthermore, the ultraviolet rays are relatively strong, and the exposed skin will turn red and purple in less than an hour, followed by peeling and excruciating pain.

4. The snow-covered winter scenery is also good, but it is recommended that you do not go there in winter unless you challenge your limits. Turn off the engine for half an hour and your car will turn into scrap metal. Antifreeze and engine oil don't work.

5. The Kubuqi Desert has a flat terrain, mostly flood plains and Yellow River terraces, which are suitable for the development of food crops and cash crops; areas with poor conditions in the central and western regions can plant afforestation, seal sand and cultivate grass, and develop Small animals. The northern and east and west ends of the desert are close to the Yellow River and have excellent conditions. The height difference between the first-level terrace and the floodplain is very small. In some areas, the water level of the Yellow River is about 10 meters above the ground. In the past 50 years, 250 kilometers of the southern main canal of the Yellow River has been built in this area to divert the Yellow River for irrigation, and has become one of the key grain production bases in Inner Mongolia. The conditions in the eastern part of the desert are better. The current goal is to prevent quicksand from invading south, expanding north, and moving east. In the future, forests should be the mainstay, with a combination of trees, shrubs, and grasses, with irrigation as the mainstay; belts and nets should be combined as belts; and open spaces between belts should be used. Raise grass and plant grass; for semi-fixed sandy land, aerial sowing of grass can be used to reduce the flow range of sand dunes. Livestock production should focus on small livestock, strictly control the number of livestock, protect natural grassland, use it appropriately, focus on construction, and improve the yield and quality of grassland.

The long-term development direction and construction approach of this area include sealing sand to cultivate afforestation, planting grass and increasing vegetation coverage. For areas where runoff occurs on the southern edge and northern slopes, comprehensive and reasonable arrangements must be made to divert water into the sand, control the desert, and dig ditches to divert water across the sand belt into the open plain area in the north. To utilize water resources in ditches, we should take the following measures: pay attention to soil and water conservation in the upper reaches; store and divert floods in the middle reaches; divert and divert floods in the lower reaches for irrigation.