What armour do you need for the Palworld desert?

Heat-resistant armour, or ordinary armour combined with a heat resistance accessory. Without one of the two you take continuous damage during the day.

Why is the desert cold at night in Palworld?

Desert temperature swings between extremes, so the same region that needs heat protection by day can need cold protection at night. Carry both if you are staying.

Is it worth building a base in the desert?

Yes. Coal, Sulfur and Quartz all cluster there, and since ore blocks fast travel, an on-site base with a Furnace is the only efficient way to use them.

Exploration

How do you survive the desert in Palworld?

Answer

Wear heat-resistant armour or equip a heat resistance accessory before entering the desert, since unprotected characters take continuous heat damage during the day. Night brings the opposite problem, so cold protection is also useful there.

The desert is where mid-game Palworld actually happens — Coal, Sulfur and Quartz all live there — and it will kill an unprepared character in under a minute.

The heat problem

During the day, the desert applies continuous heat damage to anyone without protection. It is not a warning debuff; your health simply drains. Healing items only postpone it.

Two ways to stop it:

Heat-resistant armour — the direct fix, crafted from the technology tree.
A heat resistance accessory with ordinary armour — flexible, and stackable once you have more accessory slots.

The accessory route is why slot unlocks matter so much: with several slots you can carry heat resistance, carry weight and a defensive bonus on the same trip.

Night flips it

Desert temperature swings hard. The same region that cooks you at midday can require cold protection after dark. If you plan to stay through a day cycle, carry both, or build shelter and wait it out.

Setting up there

The reason to be in the desert is ore, and ore blocks [fast travel](/answers/how-to-unlock-fast-travel-in-palworld). Carrying it home is not an option, so build:

A Palbox between the Coal, Sulfur and Quartz clusters
A Furnace, so ore becomes ingots on site
Mining and Transporting Pals assigned to the base
Food storage, because hungry Pals stop working

Now you fast travel in, collect refined output, and travel out with nothing restricted in your bags. The base's own Palbox is a travel point, so it costs you one hop each way. Base slot planning is covered in how many bases you can have.

Other desert hazards

High-level Pals. Desert species are well above starting-area levels.
Syndicate camps. Armed humans, not just wild Pals.
Open sightlines. Little cover, so ranged enemies get long engagements.

Bring a mount for mobility and a combat Pal that is not weak to Fire.

Checklist before you go

Item	Reason
Heat resistance (armour or accessory)	Mandatory
Cold resistance	If staying overnight
Metal Pickaxe	Required for the ore you came for
Food and healing	No safe resupply nearby
Flying or fast mount	Distances are long

Frequently asked questions

What armour do you need for the Palworld desert?: Heat-resistant armour, or ordinary armour combined with a heat resistance accessory. Without one of the two you take continuous damage during the day.
Why is the desert cold at night in Palworld?: Desert temperature swings between extremes, so the same region that needs heat protection by day can need cold protection at night. Carry both if you are staying.
Is it worth building a base in the desert?: Yes. Coal, Sulfur and Quartz all cluster there, and since ore blocks fast travel, an on-site base with a Furnace is the only efficient way to use them.