Desert heat

The desert heat is the cause of a damaging effect that players may suffer from while in the Kharidian Desert south of Shantay Pass. The heat causes players to dehydrate and to lose health if they do not drink from a waterskin or be rehydrated by an enchanted water tiara. Wearing desert clothing helps to keep players cool, and reduces the player's need to drink water as often. If a player runs out of water while they are in the desert, the desert heat will begin to damage the player until they either die, get water from a cactus using a knife with a waterskin in their inventory, use other water source, going inside populated areas (the sand is a deeper colour in those areas), or leave the desert. Engaging in a conversation with an NPC or opening any interface (e.g. world map will momentarily pause the desert effect.

Items

 * Waterskins - Waterskins allow a player to survive the desert's heat effect, and usually come in 4 doses of water. Each time a player drinks, a dose of water is used up.
 * Enchanted water tiara - Players who have completed Dealing with Scabaras may craft an enchanted water tiara which can be substituted as waterskins when worn.
 * Choc-ice - Players who go to Nardah can buy choc-ice from Rokuh. They also heal 70 Life points.

Clothing
Three sets of clothes protect against desert heat, by extending the time between drinks of water by 30 seconds. These are:

Note that players do not have to wear the entire set for the protecting effect to happen. Each piece contributes to the protection. However, the full set provides the most protection.
 * Dervish Outfit - This outfit of clothes can be bought from Xuan as part of the Members Loyalty Programme, costing 1,000 Loyalty Points. Wearing any piece of this outfit seems to cancel the desert heat effect partially, meaning that you do need waterskins/enchanted water tiara.
 * Desert clothing - The set consists of a desert shirt, desert robe, and desert boots. These clothes are completely white, and closely resemble Druid's robes. The robes can be purchased from Shantay at Shantay Pass, or from Ali Morrisane in Al Kharid.
 * Desert outfit - This outfit can be purchased from Ali Morrisane in Al Kharid during or after the miniquest Rogue Trader. The outfit differs slightly for male and female players.
 * Menaphite clothing - The robes can be purchased from Ali Morrisane in Al Kharid during or after miniquest Rogue Trader. They come in two colour schemes: purple and red.
 * Slave robes - The set of slave clothing obtained during the The Tourist Trap quest may also be worn in the desert for minor protection against the desert heat but it is not recommended because the standard desert clothing is much more effective and easily obtainable.
 * Tome of frost - The tome does not offer protection from the heat; rather, it greatly reduces the damage taken.

Some players believe that the Robes of Elidinis provide the best protection from Desert heat. However, Robes of Elidinis actually provide no protection from desert heat.

Trivia

 * There once was a glitch where both free-to-play and members who stepped near the gates of Shantay Pass would take damage from desert heat. This glitch has been fixed.
 * Before the quest Desert Treasure was released, players who walked in or out of the Desert area would receive a message, "Desert effect is now on", or "Desert effect is now off", respectively.