Dealing with Dust

[AtlantaGuy]

I've been camping for 30 years but haven't done much off road camping.  Looking forward to heading out West and to the desert on my first trip soon.  Question for you:  How does one deal with the constant dust and dirt found on BLM lands?  From the videos I've seen, it seems like there's a constant plume of dust everywhere you go on the mostly dirt roads.  Is this problematic?  Do you just get used to having a layer of dust on pretty much everything?  Thanks for any tips / tricks you might have.

 

[highdesertranger]

there is no doubt that at times the desert is dusty. is it problematic? for me, no. if I am camped on real dusty soil and I have the extra water(spring nearby) I will spray the soil with water. the thing is the wind, it makes the dust airborne it's windy in the desert a lot try to camp on the leeward side of dry lake beds, sand dunes, etc. use vegetation and terrain as wind blocks. it's as big of a problem as you want to make it. highdesertranger

 

[rvwandering]

We do some of the same things that does highdesertranger such as using the terrain as a wind block and keeping the windows closed on the wind side. Mostly, though, you just have to deal with it. I hate the feel of grit under my fingers so if we're in a dusty area I wipe flat surfaces down regularly. If possible, we close all of the windows and vents when we're driving on dirt roads and try to camp far enough off of the road and away from the wind so that we don't get very dusty.

 

[jimindenver]

You get use to dusting a lot.

 

[bigsallysmom]

As my BIL says, become one with the dust.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Like above, ya live with the dust. The only caveat is that for me, I prefer not to sleep in a dusty bed (kinda like eating crackers in bed-no one is worth that!). So I minimize the dust by pulling a quilt over the pillows and rest of the bed.

I had a night, couple of weeks ago in NM, with super high winds and fine sand everywhere the next morning. That'll teach me not to close the vents.
Ted

 

[VanKitten]

Knowing this was going to be an issue...I purchase washable filters...they fit exactly over the vents and the windows. I use a bit of blue tape to keep them in place.

When we had a high wind, I deliberately opened the vents and put the filters in place. I still had lots of ventilation...but no dust. The filters were a bit of a mess the next day.. but, I cleaned them just by taking the out and tapping them upside down (outside of course).

 

[highdesertranger]

Kat got a link for those filters? highdesertranger

 

[mothercoder]

Would definitely like to know what filters you're using.

 

[VanKitten]

https://www.airfilterusa.com/sure-fit-rigid-poly-washable-fiber-mat-pad-14x36x1.html

Look on the bottom of the page....there you can customize the filter to your size, frame type, etc, etc.

 

[BikeBoomer]

Knowing this was going to be an issue...I purchase washable filters...the).

Great idea!  I'll have to remember that when I make it to the desert.

 

[Bud Smiley]

My main tip for avoiding dust in the desert is don't drive behind someone else on on a dirt road. Aside from that, you've going to get dusty and you can mitigate it with the tips in this thread but you should still plan on having to clean when you're done.

 

[laurielovesGary]

I am allergic to dust and mold so God created us from dust then made me allergic to myself.