Good stuff from Pat:
http://www.10-8forums.com/ubbthreads...0&page=0#50931
I have very limited experience myself when it comes to operating in an arid, dusty and sandy climate, but I have looked into it a bit, and while some folks will use dry lubricants, from what I have discovered this is not the best solution. The best and most effective solution is more frequent maintenance. You often hear lubes touted as being effective at "not attracting nor holding onto debris" but while this may be true to an extent, the bottom line is the dirt and sand and grit will find its way into every oriface on you and your gear no matter what, and the only true way to deal with it is to clean your gear more frequently.
No matter what the environment - arid, artic, jungle - I think the same amount and type of lube can be used at the present time. In the past, due to the types of lubes available this was not the case, but I feel pretty confident that with modern lubricants like Weapon Shield CLP and Slip 2000 EWL, a standardized practice for every weapon type can be used to great effect.
Clay