What do I wear in the desert (day and night)?

The thing first-timers underestimate about the desert is the temperature swing: a single day can run blisteringly hot in the afternoon and genuinely cold after dark, sometimes a thirty-degree drop between the two, and this is true even in summer. So the whole approach to dressing for the Sahara is built around layers you can add as the sun goes down. By day, the counter-intuitive truth is that loose, lightweight, long clothing keeps you cooler and safer than shorts and a vest — covering your skin shades it from a sun that will scorch you in an hour, exactly as the desert peoples have always dressed.

For the daytime kit I steer guests toward light cotton or linen in pale colours: loose long trousers or a long skirt, a long-sleeved breathable top, and over it all a brimmed hat and good sunglasses. The single most useful item, though, is a long scarf or chèche — the Berber turban your guides will happily show you how to wrap — which shades your neck, can be pulled across your face when the wind lifts the sand, and is genuinely the difference between comfort and misery if you catch a gusty afternoon. Sunscreen on every exposed patch, reapplied, is non-negotiable.

Nights are where people get caught out. As soon as the sun drops, the desert sheds its heat fast and the camp can be surprisingly chilly, so I tell everyone to pack a warm fleece or a proper jacket no matter the season — guests who assumed "desert equals hot" and packed only summer clothes spend the evening shivering by the fire and regret it. In the cooler months from late autumn to early spring, go further: add a warm hat, gloves and thermal layers, because clear desert nights at altitude get cold enough to see your breath.

On footwear and the practical details: closed shoes or sturdy sandals work for walking on dunes, but expect sand everywhere — many people simply go barefoot on the soft sand around camp. If you are doing a camel trek, long trousers save your legs from chafing. Pack a small head torch for the unlit camp, lip balm and moisturiser for the dry air, and a light bag you can keep essentials in. Conditions vary enormously between a July afternoon and a January night, so check the forecast for your dates and ask your desert guide what to bring for your specific trip.