As mentioned above, MOAs should not be a particular problem. If you are flying VOR to VOR following an airway you won't be in a MOA. If not, check the activity status and you may well find they are not active anyway.
A GPS is nice but not essential - VFR navigation in the desert is easier than in the UK just because there is less to confuse you - if you see a small town, it will be fairly easy to identify because it will probably be the only one for miles around. The topological features on the map are also usually fairly clear if only because they are big.