|
We made improvised sleeping bags from parachute material, by folding it over and over, one gore (gore are the triangular panels that parachutes are made of) to the next. Then a large overhand knot is tied between the small end and the large end of the chute, depending on the length of the bag desired. The top is rolled down like rolling up your cuffs, and you slide down into the bag from the top opening. It's quite effective for keeping body heat in, and spiders and scorpions out.
Finally, after a long hot 12-hour day, our sleeping accommodations were complete, and it was time to prepare our evening meal, which would consist of an MRE.
MRE stands for Meal, Ready to Eat, and is the new replacement for the infamous C rations. While higher in nutrition than foraged foods, I doubt that they are any more palatable than snake stew, or rodent souffle, which were the alternatives.
Having opted for the MREs, my partner and I decided it would be worth the trouble to start a fire and warm them up. We dug a pit, gathered some wood, and cooked our supper. Suprisingly, we were the only ones to heat dinner.
By the time we had finished dinner, the sun was setting, and we had time to sit back and enjoy the cool of the evening, as we watched the cook fire burn itself out.
On our way to the meeting, place, one of the students discovered a rattlesnake. It served as a harsh reminder that this was not all fun and games, and had the potential for becoming deadly serious at any time.
The instructors captured the snake, and removed it, to be released unharmed a safe distance away from our camp.
Afer topping off our canteens, we were led off in columns of two, into the black void
|
of the desert at night.
Eventually, the moon rose, and we acquired enough night vision that we could walk without tripping oyer every little rock in our path.
We walked about two kilometers, and when we came to the top of a large hill, we were told to sit down and face the way we had come from.
Other instructors, who had hiked out in the opposite direction, then demonstrated night signaling devices and methods, including a regular flashlight, the spark caused by striking a match, and the reflection of the moon off of a signal mirror.
Then, to demonstrate nighttime land navigation, a flashing light was turned on back at camp, and our two-man teams were sent back at five-minute intervals.
It sounded wasy, but the light was only visible from the peaks of hills, so you had to pick a landmark, navigate to it, climb the next hill, pick another landmark, and continue.
Back At Camp - Once everybody made it back to camp, we topped off our canteens at the water buffalo, and were then allowed to crawl into our shelters to try to sleep.
You would think that after an 18-hour day, 12 hours of which had been spent in the desert, digging holes and walking and hauling, that sleep would come easy. Even after all that, most of us found it difficult to sleep in our pits, lying on the hard ground, with rocks poking and proding into every soft part of our anatomy. And in addition to this, was the added discomfort from aching muscles, hurting feet, and sunburned hands and faces.
Eventually I dozed off to sleep, only to hear the signal to wake up and get out of bed, in what seemed like only a few short minutes since I had gone into my shelter.
|
Our first task of the day was to disassemble our shelters. We repacked our chutes into the bag, scat¬tered the rocks and filled in the pit that had been our home. In just a few days, there would be no sign of our intrusion into the desert.
At 0730, we were to meet at the water buffalo one more
time, for a four kilometer day hike.
By 0800, we were all ready to venture off. We hiked down a dry wash, with our instructor pointing out the many types of fauna and flora indigenous to the area as we walked. We saw jack rabbits, lizzards, and many types of small birds.
We were told about a plant called the Mormon Tea plant. It's called Mormon Tea because it contains no caffeine. It does contain an antihistamine, which can help relieve congestion and provide a quick pick me up. The effects can also be obtained by chewing the needles.
After hiking about two klicks, we climbed another hill, and looked back towards camp to observe some day signals.
We witnessed flashes from a signal mirror, and the smoke from a fire fueled by green vegetation. Both were quite visible from extreme distances.
We again paired up, and navigated back to camp. It was much easier following the column of smoke during the day than it had been following the flashing light at night.
Once everyone had returned to camp, the instructors passed out critique sheets and asked for the students' inputs, com¬ments, and suggestions.
Everyone was unanimously impressed with the course, and with the instructors as well. We all felt that we would be able to survive becoming suddenly stranded in the desert. Maybe not in total comfort, and defintely not for an extended period, but long enough to signal for help and safely wait for it's arrival.
After thanking the instructors, we all filled our cantees for the last time. Prob¬ably more from habit than from necessity, since we would be home in a few hours.
Then we all boarded the bus, and waited to begin the long hot ride back to civilization.
|
Cooking the night's meal, an MRE, oven an open fire.