Warnings and dangers

Click to see larger pictures Car trouble Our little VW has served us well for 4 years and over 100000 miles. It never complained and we never had any problems with it. That is until we took it to Death Valley on a hot June weather (113 F ~ 42 Celsius). After an 8 hours drive from San Francisco to the valley the engine temperature started to raise as soon as we reached the valley. We stopped and let the car cool off. It took quite some time until we were able to start again. Next day, same thing happened. We noticed the overheating always started when we had the AC on and going around 30 miles/h (due to the unpaved roads). We didn't want to stop again as it was really hot so we stopped the AC, opened the windows and started the heating in the car. It wasn't very bad to have the heat turned on, because of the open windows. Anyway, that seemed to do the trick as the temperature of the engine started going down. If the same thing happened to you and you decide to stop, don't take off the radiator cap, let it cool for a while. When you do open it, be very careful or else you might get severe burns from the hot steam. And if you have car problems on 190 and stop, do not leave your car especially in the summer. Better try to make use of the car's shade. The highway is patrolled by officers, they'll find you.

Click to see larger pictures Definitely bring water I can't emphasise enough on how important is to bring water along. Always carry water, even in the winter. We went to Death Valley three times, in January, June and October. We always had water along and we needed it. In October we went on a 2 miles hike without water and we came back before we got to the end because we were very thirsty. Always carry water with you as you hike. Water sources within the valley are not reliable and often not safe to drink. Plan on carrying a minimum of 1 gallon (4 liters) of water per person per day. And of course, be sure to drink the water you bring ;-)

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