There’s nothing exotic about any of this gear, but it’s equipment I consider especially critical when I go on a desert excursion. Doesn’t include the other gear/first aid kit/cell phone I might carry on my person, and in my PSK and/or backpack or fanny pack, depending on the trip:

• 24-in. surgical tubing (water procurement)
• McNett Frontier emergency water filter (extremely small, lightweight; handles many creepy crawlies; my PSK includes Micropur mp-1 tablets)
• Bandana (light colored)
• CoolBandana (wear around neck; contains acrylic pellets; soak in water; produces evaporative cooling; helps in hot weather)
• Wide brim hat
• Sunscreen
• Sunscreen lip balm
• Ample water (of course) in 32-oz. Nalgene bottles
• Space All-Weather Blanket (beefier version of Mylar Space Blanket; grommets around edges; for emergency shelter; 10 oz)
• Hiking stick (also used to construct emergency shelter)
• 30-ft. 550 paracord (temporary shelter construction)
• Thermo-Lite Bivvy Sack (6.4 oz) (compact emergency sleeping bag)
• Uncle Bill’s Sliver Gripper tweezers (excellent miniature tweezers, for removing cactus needles)
• Small comb (also for removing cactus needles)
• Several energy bars
• Light-weight light-colored cotton long pants (besides clothing worn)
• Light-weight light-colored long-sleeve cotton shirt (besides clothing worn)
• 1-pair extra socks
• Signal mirror (2-in x 3-in) (standard in all kits, I know, or should be, but special mention because of importance; I don’t skimp; carry a Rescue Reflector, IMO the ultimate plastic signal mirror)
• Flashlights: current-production ARC AAA on keychain; Photon UV on keychain (scorpion detection); CMG Infinity Ultra (great runtime on single AA battery); Nuwai Quantum III w/2xAA conversion (small, but bright, reasonable runtime)
• 4 spare Lithium AA batteries (flashlights and GPS)
• Monocular, 10x21 (from CountyComm; cheap, small, handy in open terrain)
• Topo maps of travel area, printed on waterproof paper (using National Geographic’s Topo! software)
• Magellan SporTrak Color GPS, with area map loaded

You’ll notice there’s nothing snake-bite related. Tossed my cut-n-suck kit years ago, when those in the know said they’d do more harm than good. Thought about carrying a Sawyer Extractor, but after reading pros and cons (there’s an old thread on the forum), I’m not convinced of their usefulness. So, I just follow common-sense advice: be alert, and watch hand and foot placement.

Beyond the scope of your post, but I’ll mention that in my Jeep, besides the normal tools, jumper cables, duct tape etc, I carry a folding shovel, small Gerber axe, portable air compressor, two 12-in. x 12-in. pieces of ¾-in. plywood (foundation for jack in sandy areas), spare engine belt, small fire extinguisher, and 5-gallons water in plastic container.

I’ll confess that I’ve been known to travel the desert alone, against conventional wisdom, but I’m retired, and few acquaintances have luxury of my free time schedule. So, I religiously leave a written itinerary in my parked Jeep, and leave a copy at home for my wife (her idea of a desert outing is shopping in Sedona).

One bit of desert-related “gear” on my to-do list – attend a course offered by a nearby community college: Medicine Plants and Food from the Desert.

If you're interested in any reading, I recommend The Ultimate Desert Handbook by Mark Johnson. $16.95 at local bookstores, and ~$12 at Amazon.com.

Depends on the situation -- what season? what location? weather? How many in your group?

And consider -- do you want to be comfortable overnight or simply survive?

TRO

depends, on terrain, season, and your abilities. In the mountains, in late fall or spring, yes, it could be way too little, because you could get caught in an unexpected storm.