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Kumud Acharya, head of ecological engineering at the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas, seeks out the world’s hottest conditions. Here’s what he brings to stay hydrated—and alive—while doing science in the most scorching environments.
![reusable water bottle](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/18/366ZFPLRQUDFDIPV3UL2OCUNKQ.jpg?strip=all&quality=85)
![sunblock](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/18/HTSPZ5RJVYSAMYNWVYVQR6UTVM.jpg?strip=all&quality=85)
![tent](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/18/NQD2UX4JAP7LAFVJ5D26MQGJEI.jpg?strip=all&quality=85)
![water filter in bottle](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/18/A3TRV3GFQPPWE4WZLVHF2ZGPQI.jpg?strip=all&quality=85)
This article was originally published in the March/April 2017 issue of Popular Science, under the title “How to survive the desert.”