Hi

I did not read all of the post. Some advise:

- take a tropical hat that your whole head is in the shadow
- make your cloths / headwear wet whereever it is possible
- drink as much as you can (but 70°C warm water does not taste) - put tea bags in your water
- eat also
- don't be shy: use every possibility to drink, eg. ask car driver for water/drinks
- Camelbaks works well - the water will be a long time fresh (but I have only experience to temperatures 37-40°C in the shadow)
- If the night temperatures are greater than 37°C - go in hotel with A/C or give up (you'll be permantly in fever this works only 1 or 2 days)

I cycled several times through deserts Egypt, Oman, Namibia. In Oman I had temperatures about 40°C (in the shadow) that was fine for me in Namibia I had 53°C daytime and 38° before sunrise - this made me sick. Regarding quantity of water I say nothing because in Oman 3 liters per day was for me sufficient in Egypt (Winter) I consumed only 1 liter per day.

Thomas