And along with the useful knowledge you can acquire in a course or from books, is a it of actual experience; in deserts, acclimatisation is rather important - it takes time- ideally, several months. Fortunately, the desert is not always inhospitable. The low country around Tucson is delightful in January and February, quite pleasant for the next couple of months, and only turns hot in summer. By then, a newcomer can both learn and adapt.

I am the opposite. I am comfortable in deserts and western mountains, but eastern woodlands and swamps, etc. are terra incognita. I once took a short trip in the Okefenokee Swamp. I was impressed that it was the exact inverse of a desert. You were surrounded by water (containing alligators) and dry land was rare and highly prized.....