I’m a professional outdoor off-roader with the ID “shark.” I got into desert off-roading in 2016, though I’ve forgotten exactly why I fell in love with it. But for a long time now in this stage of my life, my passion for desert off-roading has only grown stronger.

Let me share some of the places I’ve explored with my fellow off-roaders over the years:

January 1, 2016: Self-driving from Dalinur Lake to Hunshandake Desert crossing, rescued a Prado from the Changye Off-Road Team.

October 2016: Self-driving through the Horqin Desert in Ongniud Banner, rescued a Pajero from the Action Off-Road Team.

March 2017: Self-driving along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.

April 2017: Hebei’s Laozhanggou.

July 2017: Self-driving solo through the Kubuqi Desert.

October 2017: The Altun Mountains.

October 2017: Self-driving through the “Dahaidao” no-man’s-land from Yumen Pass in Gansu to Turpan in Xinjiang.

During this year’s National Day holiday, I took my new gear—a Casio outdoor watch, the PRO TREK PRW-7000FC-1B—and my off-roading brother, Teacher Shang, on an adventure through the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia. We also tested how the PRW-7000FC-1B performed in extreme conditions.

Let me briefly introduce the Kubuqi Desert. It’s China’s seventh-largest desert and the closest to Beijing. Located on the northern ridge of the Ordos Plateau, it stretches 400 kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide, with dunes ranging from 10 to 60 meters high. It lies like a yellow dragon across the northern part of the Ordos Plateau, spanning three banners in Inner Mongolia. The terrain mainly consists of dune chains and grid-like dunes.

On the evening of September 30, Teacher Shang and I drove west from Beijing for 800 kilometers to reach the Kubuqi Desert. We drove through the night, from midnight until sunrise. With the rising sun behind us, we arrived at Duguitala Town around 7:00 a.m.

After circling the town, we found an early-opening auto repair shop and began our pre-desert preparations. First, we removed the front bumper. Second, we replaced the air filter. The desert terrain is complex, and for a stock vehicle, removing the front bumper is a smart move—otherwise, the bumper can easily get damaged when navigating steep inclines and declines. Removing it increases the departure angle, which is essential. The desert is full of flying sand and dust, so a high-performance air filter is a must. We also took the opportunity to adjust the winch rope while replacing the bumper. Once the car was ready, Teacher Shang and I practiced with a group of vehicles that had also planned to enter the desert.

I had just received the PRW-7000FC-1B before the trip. Before that, I did a quick online search and was particularly drawn to its solar-powered functionality. When I finally unboxed it, the display showed “low power” because the watch had been kept in a black box and hadn’t absorbed any light. Coupled with the lack of sunlight exposure during the nighttime drive, I made sure to let it soak up as much light as possible during our rest period before heading into the desert to prepare for the upcoming driving sessions.

Throughout this Kubuqi Desert crossing and in subsequent use, I found the solar power solution to be incredibly practical. Compared to other outdoor watches I’ve used from different brands, this one doesn’t seem to drain its battery. I’ve had to replace coin-cell batteries every six months with other watches, but I estimate this PRW-7000FC-1B will keep me worry-free for at least eight to ten years.

During the first day of practice, I accidentally drove into a “chicken coop pit.” Luckily, there were other vehicles nearby, and we didn’t take long to get the car out. Complex terrain in the Kubuqi Desert often causes trouble for many teams, so mutual rescues are a common sight here.

After completing the first day of practice, Teacher Shang and I decided to attempt a solo crossing of the Kubuqi Desert. This time, we weren’t as lucky. Solo crossings come with greater risks—if something goes wrong, like a rollover, it’s not as easy to get help when you’re only two people.

As a result, we drove much more cautiously, but this caution also brought its own challenges. Being overly careful made us hesitant to accelerate when climbing most dunes, fearing unknown terrain on the other side. This often led to getting stuck on the ridges of the dunes.

Issues that are minor when traveling in a group become major problems during a solo crossing. Without anchor points, tools like the winch couldn’t be used effectively. All we could do was grab a shovel and dig, scoop by scoop.

After digging out about 5 cubic meters of sand, Teacher Shang kept saying, “We’ve only been in the desert for a short time, and we’ve already made two mistakes—and both were rookie errors!” I could only reply with a wry smile, “If it’s a mistake, it’s a rookie one. The big ones aren’t mistakes.” We laughed and kept digging.

From the moment I received the PRW-7000FC-1B, I made it a point to test its durability. I often go on expeditions in polar-like environments, so durability is always a key concern for me. Over the course of a day and a half, whether in sand or mud, the PRW-7000FC-1B performed without any issues. By the time we got home, a quick rinse with water was all it needed. Just like a brother who stands by you through any adversity, the PRW-7000FC-1B faces every challenge calmly and never lets you down.

Just as we were digging away enthusiastically, we noticed something moving in the distance. A small dot was moving in the 3 o’clock direction, which thrilled us—could it be another off-roader? Maybe we’d get rescued after all. But as we looked closer, we realized it was a lone desert camel, also on its own solo adventure.

After nearly an hour of digging, the car, which had been stuck on the dune ridge, finally made it out. Without even brushing off the sand, we gently pressed the accelerator and gripped the steering wheel tightly, heading for the final few dozen kilometers. We were racing against time, determined to get out of the desert before dark.

At 6:17 p.m., we finally made it onto the desert highway. Watching the setting sun, I suddenly remembered the product description of this watch on the Casio website. Intrigued, I started exploring the features of my new “buddy,” the PRW-7000FC-1B. Functions like time accuracy, backlighting, and altitude data feedback were all excellent, as expected.

But the most important feature for this trip was the compass. Since desert driving involves constantly maneuvering around dunes, it’s rare to maintain a consistent direction. The Casio watch’s outstanding compass function became crucial. With a press of the compass button, it quickly displayed north, helping us determine our next driving direction. Although we had professional maps, the real-time compass function was invaluable for us.

During the days I spent crossing the Kubuqi Desert with Teacher Shang, I was deeply impressed by the PRW-7000FC-1B’s wide range of functions. Whether we were crossing the desert or climbing mountains in extreme environments, the PRO TREK series watch always provided the data I needed right when I needed it.

At the end of this article, I’d like to share a personal reflection on the desert. Every desert is like the challenges we face in life, and freedom is like the oasis waiting for us at the end. To achieve freedom, we must find a way to cross the desert. Don’t fear or avoid the challenges—just face them bravely. Once you overcome one small goal after another, you’ll find the road ahead becomes wider and brighter than ever.