Everyone has different things they like or need to wear, but here are some simple tips to help make your trip more comfortable. The main rules are to wear layers and loose, comfortable clothes.
Drink water wherever you go because the desert has no shade, shops, or kiosks, and even cool days become very hot later.
Winter clothing (June to September)
Wearing layers is a good idea. Even though the days can still be hot in winter, the evenings, nights, and early mornings can be quite cool or even cold.
When going for a sunrise trip to Sossusvlei, you can start with shorts and a t-shirt. Then wear trousers over the shorts (long skirts are not good for climbing sand dunes), a light long-sleeve shirt over the t-shirt, and a fleece or jumper as your top layer.
This will keep you warm on the way to the dunes and for the first few steps when climbing. After that, you will remove each layer as you go up the dune, until you are about 30 steps up, with sand everywhere and carrying your clothes in your arms.
It may still be cool at the top of the dune (or halfway up, if you decide it’s too hard to climb further and choose to stop and watch the sunrise from there). But as the sun rises, the temperature goes up. So remember to bring water, a hat, sunglasses, extra camera batteries or a fully charged phone (for photos, not for calls), and enough storage on your camera.
Summer clothing (November to April)
Temperatures rise from warm to very hot, so long, loose cotton clothes are best. Long sleeves help protect you from the sun, but don’t forget to use sunscreen on your knees, the back of your neck, behind your ears, and other uncovered skin. It’s easy to forget sunscreen when you start in the cool early morning.
But when you’re sitting on top of the dune in the hot sun, you’ll wish you had used it. Pack your sunscreen the night before and put it on at the parking area before your sunrise climb.
Shoes
You might wear different shoes for climbing dunes than at camp. The Namibian sand gets into everything and fills your shoes, making it harder to climb. This is one time (besides the beach) when flip-flops are helpful because the sand flows over them. You can also go barefoot. I enjoy this because the cool, soft sand under my feet helps me feel closer to this place.
But I always wear open shoes when coming down, because the sun heats the sand and can burn your feet. You can also roll down most of the way, but this is not the best idea—especially if you’re carrying a camera.
