Do you wear long clothes in the desert?

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ThePickleConnoisseur@reddit

No. We don’t walk around in the sun as much but also long breathable clothes are not a thing here.

Also people love getting tan

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It varies. We rely heavily on air conditioning so most people don’t see a need for it. Personally if I know I’ll be outside I wear long, drapey, flowing linen pants and shirts that have a similar effect to long robes. That helps with temperature/moisture but I still have to stay out of the sun.

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MakeStupidHurtAgain@reddit

Ranch work is done in long pants, regardless of weather. And when we’re branding, it’s long sleeves and bandannas and chaps, even when it’s 118F/48C.

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SilverStory6503@reddit

I have pasty white skin. I try to keep as much of it covered as I can without getting too hot.

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Kaurifish@reddit

This was the lesson: Desert folks dress that way for a reason.

The second time we went to Burning Man, I loosely modeled our clothes on Bedouin garb. Much more comfortable that way.

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foxsable@reddit

Not a desert but florida gets tons of sun. When I have to cut the grass I wear what is called a rasher; a light moisture wicking long sleeved shirt, that prevents the sun from burning me.

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whatevendoidoyall@reddit

I live I Colorado which is technically a desert and I do cause I burn easily.

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sendme_your_cats@reddit

Not constantly and to the same extent as those people do fpr obvious reasons.

Long sleeves, pants, sunglasses and a hat. Nothing crazy.

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levi070305@reddit

I wear like shorts and a flip flops but fully know why thats regrettable at times.

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HorrorAlarming1163@reddit

I’m definitely in shorts and flip flops like ninety percent of the summer

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levi070305@reddit

Those cacti balls can get you sometimes

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HorrorAlarming1163@reddit

For sure. Living in Tennessee it was just shorts. I learned the hard way to add flip flops once I moved down here to Texas

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levi070305@reddit

I did some living in texas for awhile too. Although my bloody foot experiences were pretty much always in joshua tree.

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MadMadamMimsy@reddit

No.

I mean a woman might wear a long dress, but it won't have much in the way of sleeves. Men often wear trousers, but usually with a short sleeved top or less.

Old cultures had to find ways of coping with heat and sunburn. It turned out that long loose clothing was effective.

The American west didn't really go crazy with population until air conditioning came along in the 20th century. Swamp coolers were the early ones and people still use them.

I grew up on the Mojave Desert.

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Annjenette@reddit

In Phoenix it gets really cold at night.

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brianjrubin@reddit

We haven’t had a freeze in Phoenix in years, and go months at a time with overnight lows that stay over 90°. You don’t know what you’re talking about.

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Annjenette@reddit

I go there once a month for work and always have to put a jacket on as soon as the sun goes down. I said cold, not freezing.

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brianjrubin@reddit

Dude. I live here. You’re not throwing on a jacket at night until Halloween at the absolute earliest.

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Annjenette@reddit

Okay? Well yeah, my work contract started in November. The point of my post was I think I lot of people will assume the dessert is hot year round 24/7.

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brianjrubin@reddit

You’re the only one that assumes that.

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Annjenette@reddit

Yes, the only person in this entire world of billions of people. :s

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CupBeEmpty@reddit

A ton of the high desert gets cold at night. There’s very little greenery and very little water to hold heat. As soon as the sun goes down it can cool off fast.

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Admiral52@reddit

I wouldn’t call Phoenix a high desert. It sits at about 1,000 ft above sea level

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eyetracker@reddit

I wouldn't call Vegas a high desert but they do. Elko and Utah have the 85 gas due to elevation.

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Admiral52@reddit

I wouldn’t call Vegas a high desert either

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eyetracker@reddit

Yeah, just some people refer to it that way. At least it's 2x Phoenix.

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CupBeEmpty@reddit

Fair. Even low desert is similar. It just gets more pronounced with elevation.

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eyetracker@reddit

To mangle something Mark Twain probably didn't say: the hottest day I've spent is a night in Phoenix.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

No… not really. But also, people really just don’t go there unless you’re working one of the few jobs that require you to be in such areas (oil pipeline type stuff) or a tourist at one of the national parks. Even if you are there, you’re going to try to spend a decent amount of time in air conditioning (either inside or car) if possible.

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LiqdPT@reddit

There are several major US cities in the desert...

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

I can tell where you didn’t read where this has been addressed at least 30 times in the comments. This is why we are plagued by a public 3rd grade reading level in all publications for public in the United States.

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LiqdPT@reddit

You mean I didn't read 25 branches of a thread before thinking "I should go back and respond to that guy. Where the F is that message?"

You're right, I didn't.

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CycadelicSparkles@reddit

This isn't true. Tucson and Phoenix are both in the desert, and they're heavily populated, and quite popular, places to live. Tucson has a lot of mild weather in between the hottest parts of the summer; hiking and biking and other outdoor pursuits are popular. My family goes there on vacation every few years and it's a common tourist destination.

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Appropriate_Ad9157@reddit

I often explain to folks that living in Phoenix or Tucson or any of the really heavy duty stupid hot in the summer places in the desert is the same as living in the north latitudes New York Minnesota Wisconsin except that it's flipped no rational person goes out unprepared in the northern climates in February because it's stupid cold and you dress for it or you stay indoors and at the same time down in Phoenix Tucson everybody stays indoors or in air conditioning during the very hot parts of the summer same principle one is heat one is cold

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Homie is talking about living like the Tuareg and being exposed without indoor shelter for super long periods as if you were roaming in open desert. I don’t think a city built in a desert really constitutes the same.

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Curmudgy@reddit

I interpreted the OP as using that as an example of how one group dresses in the desert, not as limiting the question to just people with that specific desert lifestyle.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

I can see that. However, I think mentioning how people dress in large, modern urban centers violates the spirit of the question. Of course you could pander around all day in shorts, flip flops, and a t-shirt all day in Las Vegas, or Dubai, or Mecca, or Dar es Salaam, and there would be no need to dress different.

Go out to the open desert around those places and stand outside for 12 hours in the same attire, you will wish you had dressed much different.

People also wear suits in those cities… but few would advocate that would be appropriate clothing in Death Valley.

So we can sit here and argue that yes, people do wear t-shirts in cities built in deserts, but to me that’s not really what OP was asking. It’s more of what do you wear when you can’t just pop in your air conditioned Starbucks that happens to be in a city built in a desert climate.

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eugenesbluegenes@reddit

Actually I do think OP was asking about how normal Americans living in the desert dress.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Now let’s continue the logic… if you are living in a large, modern city such as a Tucson… is that living in the desert?

Washington DC was built in a swamp. But nobody would argue that’s the same as being out in the middle of the Everglades.

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CycadelicSparkles@reddit

Have you been to Tucson? You're absolutely aware that you're in a desert.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Yes… again not the point. The point is you are living in a city that happens to be in a desert region. You are not living out IN the desert.

I live in a city that is surrounded by one of the most heavily forested places in the United States. You are very aware here that forest surround this place… but am I living in the forest? No.

Same for Tucson. You are in a city. You are aware of the surrounding climate. You can tell it is a desert climate. However, living in suburban home with its halfway okay lawn when there is enough water to water it to full green, in the city of Tucson, is not living IN the desert.

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eugenesbluegenes@reddit

You're confusing features such as forest and swamp with climate such as desert or humid subtropical.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

I’m really not but this has all just become a willful ignorant mess. You want me to agree that cities are the same a wildness. Okay. Your right. The next time I visit Oakland I will make sure to wear full hiking gear and carry my hunting rifle so I may feat upon the wild open game that roams the streets.

You want me to agree that wearing a T-shirt in a desert climate city is the exact same way I would dress for a 10 journey into the wildness of Death Valley. So okay. I agree.

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eugenesbluegenes@reddit

You're hung up on desert (a climate classification) meaning wilderness and that's what's really confusing you.

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CycadelicSparkles@reddit

Yeah I'm so confused by this dude. Spend some time out in the southwest. There isn't a neat dividing line between "settled area" and "desert". It's all desert, and as you get further from the really urban areas it becomes more desert-y in really obvious ways.

Like, I stayed in a gated community with my family and the desert was right there. You could step out the back gate and you were in a rugged wash with cacti and creosote bushes.

My assumption has to be that this person's entire experience with the southwest was like an airport and nearby hotel. It's the only way I can imagine arguing that that area is not obviously and intrinsically desert. Desert doesn't stop being desert because there are people and buildings in it.

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CycadelicSparkles@reddit

Most homes in Tucson don't have lawns, bud. I'm not convinced you know what you're talking about.

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eugenesbluegenes@reddit

Uh, yeah. Living in a city in the desert is living in the desert.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Ya know what. Okay. You’re right. Cities are the same as the wilderness that surrounded them.

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eugenesbluegenes@reddit

I'm not sure why you're so focused on wilderness, OP really seems to have confused you with their example. This question is relevant to Americans living in desert areas, most of whom live in urban areas.

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Admiral52@reddit

wtf are you talking about Mississippi? I’ve lived in a desert the majority of my life

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

You live in the open desert like the Tuareg? Or you live in a city in a desert climate?

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5littlemonkey@reddit

I know when I need desert advice, I go to the guy from Mississippi.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Please provide the citation where desert advice was provided?

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5littlemonkey@reddit

Lol fuck off

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

You’re the one who said I provided advice?

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Admiral52@reddit

I live in a town, but I work in the open desert out of a tent or the back of my truck for over a week at a time. I’m wildly confused as to why you think you’re someone who would be a subject matter authority either way

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

I’m not. But would you agree or disagree that most people do what you do? Does a significant number of the population live in the backcountry a week at a time or do they work in urban areas? This is not subject matter authority, it is simply knowing how averages in a developed, overwhelming urbanized country works.

If had to guess, your job is not the norm. Most people do not do what you do. That’s okay. It’s okay to be statistically improbable. However, one lived experience does not invalidate any claim that you probably do not wear in the backcountry what you would wear to run around town. Most people also do not live in the desert. They live in towns with modern amenities that happen to be in desert climates. I do not see why these are controversial statements.

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Admiral52@reddit

I think most people where I live know to put on a long sleeve sun shirt if they’re going to be outside all day yeah

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creamcandy@reddit

I mean it's a whole different thing dealing with extreme humid vs arid heat. Both can be dangerous but they're very different

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Admiral52@reddit

Yeah but the question was about the desert. Not about the heat. Deserts are, by definition, dry places

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creamcandy@reddit

Agreed

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Not really related to deserts, but I like in the Deep South where it’s regularly 110 plus in the summer. If I’m going to be outside doing any type of work during the summer, i go with a skin tight, moisture wicking, bottom layer: such as under armor, and a more lose top layer with lots of ventilation: such as a Columbia PFG shirt or similar type that’s made from synthetic materials with big vents in the back pleats.

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mooshinformation@reddit

Two layers in that humidity and heat sounds psychotic. I'd rather be as close to naked as possible and use a bottle of sunscreen a day. A single thin loose layer if absolutely nessicary, but man youve practically got on what I wear skiing.

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DOMSdeluise@reddit

there is a reason desert people don't dress like that. you want to stay as out of the sun as possible, and that means covering up in light colored clothing.

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mooshinformation@reddit

We were talking about somewhere humid though, not the desert

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

I can tell you from experience it works great. I also hate wearing sunscreen.

For example, in June of 2023, I did 1,139 miles of driving during Hot Rod Power Tour in a black-on-black hatchback with no air conditioning, no window tint, and just the two door windows. A whole lot of the driving was creeping along in small towns along the route, so I didn't even have "two sixty air conditioning" (two windows down at 60 mph) most of the time, and depending on where the sun was, it was shining on me. I wore a tight long-sleeve wicking shirt with a t-shirt over it, with shorts.

When I'm at an autocross from before sun-up until late in the afternoon in an asphalt parking lot 7x year, I wear the same, but with long pants.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Bottom layer stays wet, top layer allows breeze, kinda like your own personal cool zone fan when the wind is blowing.

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CupBeEmpty@reddit

I have gone out in deserts a lot and those vented Columbia PFG shirts are great.

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MetroBS@reddit

People absolutely go there. I lived in the desert for my entire childhood

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Thank you for that. I have learned from this conversation that people from Arizona have no idea of what nuance is.

I see that I did not add an accurate percentage qualifier that would denote that 4.2 percent of people actively do go there while most generally live in urban areas as per the statistical trend in the United States.

I apologize that I did not count into the equation that if it was not specifically stated in contract legal language that I must be denying the possibility of such an even occurring.

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MetroBS@reddit

This reads like someone trying to use big words to sound smart.

My point is that for many people it’s not an effort to go to the desert. You open your front door and boom there’s the fuckin desert

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Not really. Just a ton of people have convinced me that they would dress the same way for a journey out into open desert the same way they dress to run errands in a city that is in a desert climate.

My point is… I don’t think you would, but apparently I am wrong. Sure.. people wear shorts and t shirts to walk about cities in desert climates. But if you went into the backcountry in the desert for 10 days, that’s really the same clothes you would wear?

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eugenesbluegenes@reddit

I have learned from this conversation that people from Arizona have no idea of what nuance is.

But you still haven't learned that desert is a climate descriptor and that urban areas in the desert are actually in the desert. And that's really what everyone is telling you.

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SMF67@reddit

What do people wear in some of the extremely impoverished rural areas, such as in some places in the Navajo nation?

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Apocalyptic0n3@reddit

This isn't true at all. We have millions of Americans who live in the desert, myself included. Phoenix, Tuscon, Vegas, Amarillo, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Palm Springs, Laredo, Lubbock, Odessa, Reno, etc. are all in the desert.

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Ozone220@reddit

I mean, there's a reason the classic cowboy look has long sleeves and pants and a wide hat

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Quirky_Commission_56@reddit

I was born and reared in the Chihuahuan Desert and I’m incredibly pale. I wore mostly black long clothing to absorb UV rays and had to apply the strongest sunscreen available on all exposed skin or I burned to a crisp.

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qu33nof5pad35@reddit

Me, personally? I wouldn’t. I like to be tan.

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ilanallama85@reddit

Here in New Mexico landscapers almost always wear long pants/sleeves and broad hats to keep the sun off. Regular people going about their lives, not so much, but it depends.

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YoshiandAims@reddit

Yes.

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jvc1011@reddit

No, because it’s culturally acceptable to be less clothed than it is in many other places.

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OkPerformance2221@reddit

Long pants, long sleeves, broad hat, boots. Plants are poky, sun is burny, sand is gritty, snakes are snaky.

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Alert-Algae-6674@reddit

No, American clothing is very West European originated so there isn't anything like traditional clothes you would find in Middle East and North Africa.

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name_checks_out86@reddit

Shorts, t-shirts, and a wet hat… when it is hot and sunny in the desert

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AlarmedWillow4515@reddit

It's ungodly humid where I live in the summer and long clothes would trap the moisture, so no.

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bruyere_dubois_again@reddit

People who actually work outside in the sun wear long sleeves and long pants

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Classic-Push1323@reddit

Sometimes. A lot of hikers wear lightweight pants and a lightweight long shirt. We have something called a “sun hoodie” that’s a long, loose, lightweight shirt with a hood. You pull the hood up over a cap to shield your face and neck.

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PerfumedPornoVampire@reddit

This depends on the area, but people tend to always wear closed toed shoes in the US desert. When I lived in NM/near TX I never saw anyone in sandals.

Typically people wear long jeans year round as well and a brimmed hat.

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quitealargeorangecat@reddit

Jeans in that heat is insane.

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schmatteganai@reddit

You wear boots instead of sandals in the the Southwestern US because of snakes and scorpions.

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CupBeEmpty@reddit

And just rocks. I don’t want to bang up my feet working or hiking outdoors in the desert. Most US desert isn’t any like a beach. It’s rough rocks and gravel wider with sand.

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PerfumedPornoVampire@reddit

Yes, obviously.

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schmatteganai@reddit

....to you. OP might not know that.

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iwaslikeduuude@reddit

Wha? I live in Phx and wear sandals all the time, people will hike in Tevas. Idk what you guys are doing in NM but we let our feet breathe here in AZ

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Southern-Usual4211@reddit

Albuquerque here I wear sandles all the time in the summer

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schmatteganai@reddit

I'd consider wearing sandals if I were hiking a well-maintained hiking trail without many rocks, but I would base that on thinking running into snakes was unlikely.

And on how many lectures I wanted to get from other people about snakes and scorpions, if they noticed I was wearing sandals.

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Conscious-Okra-7340@reddit

There are scorpions in that part of the country, not to mention many other creepy crawlers. In many places, taller boots can be a good idea because of venomous snakes.

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BookLuvr7@reddit

We usually use sunscreen rather than clothing for sun protection.

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quitealargeorangecat@reddit

It’s not really about sun protection. Flowy lightweight clothes are actually better in the heat than wearing less clothes unless it’s humid. It also helps with sun protection but that’s an extra benefit.

Some people even do this in humid areas. It’s very common to see people on certain parts of the East Coast wearing loose white linen pants in the summer, it’s the same idea.

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Admiral52@reddit

Yes if they work outside a lot and know what they’re doing. I’ve worked in remote areas of desert most of my adult life and the key to staying cool is long sleeves and pants that are loosely fitted to allow for air to circulate. You need to maximize the shade on your skin and minimize direct sun. Also a big buckaroo hat

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zelda-hime@reddit

I grew up in rural Arizona — usually wore loose jeans and a cotton shirt, usually short-sleeved for playing or running around the neighborhood, but I also had long-sleeved ones for if I was going to be doing like yard work or hiking or something. When I was a teenager it was fashionable to wear black hoodies all year round, and thankfully the one I owned was light and not warm lol.

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crucifiedlettuce@reddit

I live in the desert, and yes I do lol. A lot of people prefer the feeling of the wind on their skin to the protection that fabric will give you from the Sun, so they opt for sunscreen or nothing at all.

As a person who cares about skin cancer, I do, and I also use an umbrella sometimes during the summer. It can be over 120º F outside, BUT it's not humid here, it's a very dry heat.

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OceanPoet87@reddit

People who live in desert climates usually just wear shorts or they might bring a sweater to their office because the AC is often too cold in hot climates.

I've seen rangers wearing khakis or light colored pants.

I went to Mexico last week and we did a desert camel thing with the fake Arabian clothes but it kept me from getting sunburned that day unlike the next day lol.

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psgrue@reddit

Yes, I’ve hiked New Mexico many times. Sun protection and hydration, long sleeve wicking fabric. Solid boots. Layers at night… it gets cold.

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Michael424242@reddit

Not really, but mostly because we don't spend enough time in the desert to have developed a good way of dealing with it. European-descended Americans didn't really have to deal with the desert at all until the westward expansion era, which was less than 200 years ago, and then they would just mostly try to get through it to greener pastures. Even now, the desert cities we have, like Phoenix and Las Vegas, have only really sprung into major population hubs in the past 50 years. Compare that with how long people have been dealing with the Sahara, Americans' love of air conditioning, and how different the clothing style of desert cultures is from establish styles in the US, I think it's just easier to tough it out and still dress like your friends and relatives in more temperate climates.

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The_Grimm_Macarena@reddit

Our deserts are also quite different to the Sahara. American Deserts are mostly scrub brush and rocks rather than sand dunes, long cloaks and robes would easily get caught on things and slow you down. Even the local indigenous groups didn't favor full length clothing, though they did still lean towards looser fits. They tended to either go bare chested or wear something more like a poncho or toga that kept the legs free to navigate alongside leg wraps or trousers to protect the shins from thorns and sharp rocks (and the occasional rattlesnake).

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Michael424242@reddit

Cool! The more ya know. Down here we just have the good ol wet hot

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Traditional-Photo227@reddit

Yep

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Tricky_Jellyfish9116@reddit

Yes and no. I live in a large city in an American desert. Because nearly every building here has air conditioning, most people spend the hot season indoors as much as possible, so they dress in whatever will be comfortable inside.

People who are outdoors may or may not.

People with outdoor jobs--such as gardening, construction, road work--always are fully covered. Hat with neck cloth, long sleeves, long pants. Their clothing often can't be lightweight for safety reasons, so they typically drink A LOT of water and don't work at midday.

Many families have swimming pools or access to a neighborhood pool. Most people wear typical American swimsuits (loose thigh- or knee-length shorts for males, bikinis or one-piece swimsuits for females), but suits with more sun protection, such as long-sleeve rash guards, are also popular, especially for small children.

For outdoor recreation like hiking, it's everything! If I'm out on the trail in summer, my whole family, male and female, are wearing a wide-brimmed hat, loose fitting long-sleeve shirt with a hood, and long pants. But we'll pass other hikers wearing as little as possible--shirtless men in shorts and women in bra tops and shorts.

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doonerthesooner@reddit

Yes

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hew14375@reddit

I trained in the west Texas desert. The command policy was to wear our uniform sleeves down to protect our skin from the sun.

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riarws@reddit

If you look up traditional Navajo (Diné) clothes, it was seasonal but yes, they wore long loose clothes. Things are a bit different now with air conditioning and fashion.

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No-Lunch4249@reddit

I'm not in the desert that often but when I am I wear short clothes and stay inside during the middle of the day

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Serious-Mongoose-387@reddit

I was a racing photographer for years. At first I tried as little clothing as I could get away with but pretty quickly realized desert people are right to dress the way they do, and I started going with long everything. A big loose white shirt became my uniform.

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ElectricalTwist4083@reddit

If you’re gonna be in the desert you should wear long clothing, a hat and face covering to protect from scalding sand on the wind, sunburn and once you sweat the wind will cool the soaked clothes better. Needs to be light but opaque cloth. Most people don’t just work in or walk across large portions of desert though.

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OtherTypeOfPrinter@reddit

I grew up in Arizona and would mostly wear long, looser jeans and a t-shirt as a kid. Now, when I go back and visit, I always wear long, loose-fitting clothing to keep the sun off my skin (but still maintain airflow) AND a hat. Wish I'd worn a hat as a kid, since now I have sun damage shpwing up on my forehead and I'm only in my 30s

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CupBeEmpty@reddit

A hat is hugely important. I never go in the desert without one.

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GSilky@reddit

I wear denim pants or cargo pants and long sleeves, sometimes a jacket. I visit Moab once a year, spend a lot of time on the Colorado plateau, New Mexico, and East Colorado and west Texas. Sun and wind protection are more important than not sweating, and when backpacking, the second that sun dips, it's chilly. You get used to it. I always was, I grew up riding motorcycles and long pants are a safety thing to protect against hot pipes or having your legs shredded if you need to go off trail. As an adult, I pursue hobbies that I don't really know when I am going to be waist deep in brush, so I'm generally always ready for it. The long sleeves can be unbuttoned in the shade if it's unbearable. But, like I said, you get used to it. Being hot and sweaty is far better than the alternative.

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CupBeEmpty@reddit

Absolutely. I have spent a lot of time backpacking and a fair amount of time working outdoors in the desert.

Long sleeves, long pants, brimmed hat, boots.

Nice loose fabric.

I did two summers of remediation work in Death Valley and the Fish Lake Valley with the BLM. All the BLM rangers and our work crew wore similar.

So it isn’t robes but it’s long, lightweight, loose fitting clothes.-

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Octane2100@reddit

When I worked outside in Arizona, I absolutely wore pants and long sleeves with a wide brimmed hat. The sweat from long clothes helped to keep me cool in a breeze and it protected my skin from the heat. It's very very common for anyone working outside in Arizona to do the same.

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Redbubble89@reddit

It is a high desert. People usually stay inside with air conditioning during the summer.

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Appropriate_Ad9157@reddit

Yep. If out all day. Typically short sleeve shirt. But have several very light long sleeve sun shirts.

Never wear short pants. And I live where we get snow in tbe winter months. It melts usually by afternoon. And being above 5000f it is not like Sahara hot in the summer. But the heat is not the issue its the UV sun issues

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Curmudgy@reddit

Never wear short pants.

I’ve gotten used to people on Reddit omitting the subject of a sentence and have even done so myself occasionally. But in this case, I’m not sure if the implied phrase is intended to be “I” or “You should”.

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tcrhs@reddit

I haven’t spend much time in a desert, but when I passed through on on a trip, I wore shorts and a tank top because it was hot.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

I do in the form of a UV shirt.

Not robes though unless in a place that is common.

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Tim-oBedlam@reddit

I've been hiking in the desert, and long-sleeved light cotton shirts are the way to go. In dry, hot air, the shirt will trap your sweat and the dry air will cool you off. Also prevents sunburn, and the most important thing you can do when outside in the desert is to wear a wide-brimmed hat, to keep the sun off.

In humid conditions like the American Southeast, this doesn't work. There you may as well wear as little as possible.

It is easier to stay cool in hot, dry weather than hot, humid weather if you have access to water, but you can dehydrate with appalling swiftness. When I was in my early 20s I hiked the Grand Canyon in August and brought 5 liters of water for the hike down, and drank it all (although some small amount of that got poured into my hat)

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RHS1959@reddit

We only go through the desert in air conditioned cars, or in the case of Las Vegas we build an air conditioned city. With pools and fountains and palm trees. /s.

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Poolcreature@reddit

Think of it like this: Every region on the globe has a clothing type that makes sense for their climate. America is made up of many people from many backgrounds on a very large landmass that has ice, desert, ocean, mountains, extremes in all weather can be found here.

Should people in the desert wear long clothes and a head covering? Yes absolutely. But do they always? Not necessarily. If they were constantly in a desert, or by the sea, or on top of a snowy mountain they would have more specific clothing like you see in other places in the world, but the biodiversity breeds a need to adapt with a general ignorance on how best to adapt.

Because the populations you mentioned have a long history in the desert, they have an established dress that makes sense for them. In the USA, we don’t have that. We have a lot of people from a lot of places trying to adapt to a changing climate with a loose consensus that everyone should just do what works for them.

Best example I can give as a Texan: I am on the gulf coast, it’s hot and humid. I wear flowy linen and a head wrap to protect myself from the sun and have breathable clothes. In the Texas hill country (middle of Texas) it’s hot, but drier and very very sunny. So you wear shorts, a t shirt, and a hat and sunglasses. It’s as moderate as Texas can reasonably get. In west Texas where the desert is, people will wear long jeans and long sleeve button up shirts with hats, the cowboy aesthetic basically. It works because it’s functional to both the climate and the work they do. So you’ll have people all over Texas who dress very cowboy and it’s tied to work or culture, then you have that same attire that is functional for the climate in the desert. Doesn’t look the same as the long robes, but works for the people who live and work there.

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No-Pickle-8200@reddit

I lived in Vegas for 10 years, and in the summer it’s not uncommon for the temp to be 110 or sometimes higher. People usually wore shorts, tank tops, tshirts etc…

But the difference is that most people in Vegas did not stay outside in that heat- all buildings in Vegas have air conditioning. The only time I would be outside in the heat for hours was when I went to the pool, and then I would wear sunscreen and spend a lot of the time in the pool to cool off. I also would do a lot of stuff after dark when it was more like 90 degrees an sunburn wasn’t a concern.

Tourists would get themselves in trouble with the heat more often. They aren’t used to it, and often walk around the strip all day without thinking about drinking enough water. The combination of alcohol, the hot sun, and not enough sunscreen can cause a lot of issues for tourists.

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MrLongWalk@reddit

Generally not, no, fundamentally different conditions and uses.

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DeniseReades@reddit

Depends on the person and their preferences

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machagogo@reddit

And how you spend your days.

People who work outside all day will likely wear lang sleeved sunshines etc.

Someone who's walking from their house to their car. Car to the office?

Not so much.

And that's really the answer OP. Depends on how much time is spent outside

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schmatteganai@reddit

People usually wear long pants, long sleeve shirts, wide-brimmed hats, bandannas, and boots, and wear sunscreen, but people who aren't planning to be outside for long periods might wear shorts, short sleeves, or sneakers based on preference. Even if the sun isn't a concern, it's not safe to walk through brushy parts of snake country with your ankles and legs unprotected.

Less traditional UV-protecting clothes like "sun hoodies" are becoming more common; they're often more breathable and comfortable than other clothing options with the same UV protection, but some people think they look silly.

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btnzgb@reddit

I’ve never been to a desert

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somecow@reddit

I ain’t going to the desert. But yes, if you’re out in the sun, long clothes. Sure, it’s hot, but massive sunburn later is hotter.

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Professional-Pungo@reddit

in my experience you just wear short clothes with a hat to cover your head.

the why? would probably because we don't care that much, it's a dry heat and usually not super windy.

I would figure wearing long clothes in the sahara is also to protect you from sand flying in your face.

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