"Useless," said Jorge Castillo, 30, a Guatemalan who has made the desert trek seven times in seven years.

"Trash," said Efraín Travolia, 35, a Mexican who speaks a little English.

These men and a dozen others milling about offered a portrait of the trip and practical advice on how to make it and how to live upon arrival in Los Angeles.

The booklet warns the migrant that if he decides to use the services of a smuggler, he should not hand his children over to him, not carry packages or drive a vehicle for him, as they may contain drugs, and not trust his assurances.

There is better advice that may save your life, the men said.

"Never hire a coyote on the border," said Mr. Castillo, a thickly built man with whiskers and gold teeth, referring to the smugglers who guide illegal migrants into the United States. Have a friend recommend a contractor while you are in your hometown, he advised. "This way, if anything happens to you, your family knows his family."

Those who hire strangers at the border are more likely to be robbed, raped or held for ransom, Mr. Castillo said. It should not cost more than $2,000, he said, to go from the Mexican side of the border to Phoenix.

Once migrants are taken to Phoenix, the men said, they are locked in "safe houses" until they call loved ones who wire money to the smugglers. The enterprise works on a cash-on-delivery basis. Migrants should be sure to have a code word so that if things are going badly, their loved ones can intervene by going to the family of the smuggler back at home, ensuring the migrant's safety and release, Mr. Castillo said.

"If immigration catches you, never give the name of the coyote," cautioned Mr. Travolia, who said he had on occasion smuggled people over the border himself. "You might end up dead or in prison."

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Mr. Travolia told of a woman who informed on a smuggler to United States immigration officials. The smuggler then told officials that she was his partner. "She is sitting in jail right now," Mr. Travolia said.

Crossing a river can be risky, the Mexican government guide says: "Heavy clothing grows heavier when wet, and this makes it difficult to swim or float."

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Mr. Travolia, who is from Guadalajara, advised: "Try never to cross the river. Never do it. If you have to, write your name in your underpants in case you drown. Then they can find your family and you can be buried by a priest."

Mr. Castillo said that if migrants made it as far as an American river, that was not the time to be cheap.

"Spend the $5 for an inner tube," he said.

Apparently there are people waiting at the riverbanks to rent flotation devices to the traveler. The booklet carries little advice about what to carry, except to say that salted water prevents dehydration.

The day laborers say that supplies for crossing the desert should include two gallons of water, canned food, salty peanuts or seeds, painkillers and six packs of tobacco or four cloves of garlic. The cigarettes are not for smoking but to create a circle of tobacco in which to sleep.

"Tobacco keeps rattlesnakes away," Mr. Castillo said. Garlic applied liberally to the shins also repels snakes, he added.

Wear dark colors, the men said. Never wear red; it can attract attention. Wear two pairs of pants because walking is done in the darkness, when there is danger of walking into cactus spines. Carry a plastic bag as a raincoat and blanket. Sleep under bushes and out of the sun.

If immigration authorities chase you, count your steps. If you forget the number, you cannot retrace the route to the spot where the group split. Then the migrant may become disoriented and alone. "These are the people who die," Mr. Castillo said.

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Pocket money is necessary, but never put your money in your pockets, they said. Hide it on your body.

