On a multi-day Sahara trek, camels and the support 4x4 carry the camp, the food and the water. You carry a daypack. That single fact should shape everything you pack.
The essentials
Broken-in hiking boots, not new ones. Desert ground is soft sand and hard plateaus, and blisters on day 2 of 7 are miserable. A sleeping bag rated for the season: winter nights drop close to freezing even when days are warm. A headlamp for camp. Sun protection in three forms: hat, sunglasses, and high-SPF sunscreen. And a light scarf or cheche, which your guide will tie for you the first morning. It is not a souvenir; it is equipment.
What people forget
A warm layer. Every single first-time trekker underestimates desert nights. Lip balm. Wet wipes, because showers do not exist in the dune sea. Electrolytes if you sweat heavily. And a small power bank: there is no electricity between Foum Zguid and M'Hamid, and your phone is your camera.
What to leave behind
Big hiking boots meant for snow, jeans, more than two changes of clothes, and anything you would cry about losing to sand. Sand gets into everything. Pack accordingly, in dry bags or zip bags inside your duffel.
The one luxury worth its weight
A small foam sit-pad. Lunch stops and campfire evenings happen on sand and rock, and by day 3 it is the most borrowed item in camp.
Ready to see it yourself?
Private Erg Chegaga tours from 1 to 10 days, from $80 per person.
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