Minetest desert scenario

[Super Firebug]

This is specifically a Minetest question, but I'd guess that Minecrafters could get in on it, too.

I've only just started playing Minetest, and haven't played Minecraft at all. In my very first world, I started in a large desert area. (Being my tutorial, I don't have a Mobs mod installed yet.) I did, eventually, see a wooded area on the horizon, but it got me to thinking. If you were to find yourself in a purely-desert world, how would you survive with no trees to make torches or tool handles with?

[FlyingCarcass]

I'm not familiar with Minetest, but having played Minecraft a few years ago I'd say one's best bet for procuring wood in a desert world would likely be to find either a NPC village (and take apart their wooden homes) or find a cave leading to an underground mine shaft (and take apart the wooden support structures). Of course both solutions would involve a lot of searching.